FAQ

Generally, no, but there are exceptions. In addition to nonprofit organizations, city or state-run programs that operate solely for public purposes (e.g., museums, parks) are eligible to apply.

Finally, proposals from social services or arts-based programs that do not have their own 501(c)(3) status but that have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor that is willing to be the applicant of record and to take full legal, administrative and financial responsibility for the project will also be considered.

501(c)(4) organizations including social welfare organizations such as civic leagues and local employee associations are ineligible to apply.

Additionally, the Foundation Trust does not fund or subsidize salaried positions for existing, expanding, or new agency/program/project personnel.

Small Gifts range from $100-$1,000.

Partnership Grants tend to be in the range of $2,000 to $10,000 per year, with some grants eligible for renewal.

Tier 1: Premier Partnership - These grants include more comprehensive partnerships and reflect the maximum award ($8,000 - $10,000). A limited number of these partnerships are available each year.

Tier 2: Awards generally range from $2,000 - $5,000. The stronger the active partnership, the higher the likelihood of the larger award amount. Tier 2 projects may evolve or expand over time to become Tier 1 Premier Partnerships.

Applicants must indicate which Partnership Tier they are applying for in their Letters of Inquiry. The majority of awards will not be for the maximum possible amount, so applicants are asked to be reasonable in their requests and carefully consider an amount that will make a meaningful difference to the program. The Foundation Trust is unlikely to fund more than one maximum award per track or community. If not selected for Tier 1, an application will not be considered under Tier 2 in the same grant cycle, but the program can apply in future grant cycles.

Keeping in mind that prior award recipients were primarily for one-year programs and not for the maximum possible amount, we strongly encourage applicants not to “shoot for the moon.” Please note that if a program requests the maximum amount without demonstrating the need, it may negatively impact the review score.

Questions about requests outside the funding brackets above can be directed to administrator@foundationtrust.org.

The chart below will help determine whether a small gift or partnership grant is a better fit for your program.

If you are requesting general operating support, we encourage you to apply for a small gift. This includes less extensive application requirements.

A successful grant proposal will be heavily weighted toward the development of new or expanded programming in active partnership with the Foundation Trust.

The Foundation Trust is a private operating foundation, meaning we can be actively engaged in the conceptualization, design, development and/or implementation of programming. As such, we seek to be directly and actively involved with our grantees working in our priority tracks.

“Partnership” can mean many things. In addition to financial support, the Foundation Trust has in-house training capabilities, particularly on the issue of complex trauma, that can be deployed in community programs.

View Foundation Trust Partnership Examples

If you are interested in pursuing a Foundation Trust partnership grant, you may contact us in advance of submitting an LOI to receive feedback on your proposal and hear how the Foundation Trust could contribute to your efforts.

There is not a set project period for Foundation Trust grants, and we are pleased to work with our partners to determine the best duration for a particular project. Foundation Trust grant periods most commonly run on a 12-month cycle, beginning from June - January. Programs of a shorter nature (i.e. summer programs) are also welcome, as are projects where it makes sense to extend beyond 12-months in duration. Programs may be invited for competitive or noncompetitive renewal of their award for subsequent periods contingent on the success of the partnership and availability of Foundation Trust resources.

The Letter of Inquiry is the only part of the application process that will be competitively scored, and is the most important step for programs to make their case to the review committee.

To determine whether an organization will be funded and at what amount, the review committee will carefully assess each Letter of Inquiry for:

• alignment with the Foundation Trust program areas,
• merit,
• need,
• potential for successful partnership (for Partnership Grants)
• and feasibility

Note that the Foundation Trust does not fund or subsidize salaried positions for existing, expanding, or new agency/program/project personnel.

For Partnership Grants, a successful proposal will be heavily weighted toward the development of new or expanded programming in active partnership with the Foundation Trust, rather than a straight request for funding. By leveraging our individual strengths, we aim to help organizations develop more robust outcomes than either organization could have achieved on its own.

Further information on past grant and small gift recipients can be found in our Award Archive.

The 2023 application period for Partnership Grants has closed. We hope to see your submission in 2024!

Note that the Letter of Inquiry is the only part of the application process that will be competitively scored, and is the most important step for programs to make their case to the review committee.

Letters of Inquiry for small gifts for events or other time-sensitive projects are considered on a rolling basis.

Unfortunately, given the volume of requests for small gifts from national organizations that we receive, unless an award is made, no communications from the FT will be made with organizations regarding receipt or status of these unsolicited requests. 

For regional small gift and grant cycle applicants, after submitting your LOI you will receive an acknowledgement email.

To determine whether an organization will be funded and at what amount, the review committee will carefully assess each Letter of Inquiry for:

• alignment with the Foundation Trust program areas,
• merit,
• need,
• potential for successful partnership
• and feasibility

The Letter of Inquiry is the only part of the application process that will be competitively scored, and is the most important step for programs to make their case to the review committee.

In some circumstances, we may request meetings with select applicants during the review process if deemed necessary to make a final determination about funding.

If selected by the review committee, your organization may be contacted for additional details and to determine terms of the partnership prior to contracting. This is not a competitive step in the process but rather an opportunity to flesh out details of the program and grant, including the timeline, expectations, roles, and terms.

In general, no. The Foundation Trust only routinely initiates exploratory meetings with programs we are considering for Large Gifts.

One exception is for organizations seeking a Partnership Grant. If an organization intends to propose new programming to be developed in active partnership with the Foundation Trust, the organization has the option to submit a brief overview of their proposal to receive input on the proposal prior to the LOI submission deadline. This is not a required step, but may offer greater insight into the types of non-financial support available. Preliminary plans can be emailed to administrator@foundationtrust.org.

Applicants for Foundation Trust small gifts will initially be considered solely on the basis of their LOI.

Yes. The Foundation Trust will consider a resubmitted LOI or revised grant proposal in the next cycle (next calendar year). After that, the organization will next be eligible to submit a proposal when the community in which their proposed services or programming is located fall in the FT's annual geographical catchment area.