Nonprofit organizations seeking a grant from the foundation should begin by submitting a short letter of inquiry that briefly states the purpose and scope of the project, the background of the organization, a project budget and the requested amount.

Letters of inquiry are accepted at any time with the following exception: Letters of inquiry about fall 2008 Education and Music grants should be submitted by August 1, 2008.

The foundation does not make grants to individuals.

The foundation aims to consider each request in a timely manner, but, due to a high volume of proposals, it may be several months before foundation staff can respond. Please contact the foundation to obtain the status of your organization's proposal.

During the review process, foundation staff may meet with organizations to obtain additional information about a project. In such cases, the foundation will request a meeting at a mutually convenient time.

If the foundation requests a full proposal, please include the following information:

1. A statement of how the proposed project fits within the foundation’s guidelines.
   
   
2. Background and history of the organization, with particular emphasis on relevant work leading to the current project.
   
   
3. A statement of the issue, problem or need to be addressed by the project, including appropriate evidence or documentation necessary for describing the problem.
   
   
4. A description of the project, including the objectives or outcomes to be achieved, and the methods and activities chosen for accomplishing the objectives. Attach a timeline for completing the work during the proposed grant period.
   
   
5. A description of the steps the organization will take to measure the project’s success, with particular emphasis on the specific criteria to be used in evaluating the project.
   
   
6. Total project and annual organization line item budgets with actual figures for the previous year and proposed amounts for the new funding year, including both expense and revenue. When listing means of support, please give details for each major source, including amount committed and/or proposed. Please include information about endowment funds and, if available, recent audit reports. This section also should include a statement of plans for funding beyond the proposed period of foundation support.
   
   
7. Board of directors’ list; 501(c)(3) tax-exempt letter; and copies of any pertinent media coverage.
   
   


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