Frequently Asked Questions

Submitting a Grant Application

Is the Foundation accepting new grant applications?

Yes, please visit our Funding Guidelines and How to Apply pages for more information. Please note that if you are a first-time applicant, (i.e., have never received a grant from the Foundation), your annual operating budget must include at least $1.5 million for L.A. County operations to be eligible to apply. Please contact a member of the program staff should you have questions about this policy.

Is the Foundation accepting new grant applications?

What type of organizations do you fund?

The Foundation supports qualified tax-exempt charitable organizations for the benefit of Southern California with a current emphasis on organizations based in and serving Los Angeles County. From time to time, the Board of Directors may elect to support nonprofit organizations of special interest, which are within the Foundation’s broad charter but may be outside of the Foundation’s current areas of emphasis. Such grants are initiated by the Board at their discretion; unsolicited proposals are not accepted for special projects.

Are there any deadlines?

The Foundation accepts and processes applications for grants throughout the year with the expectation of grant distributions on a quarterly basis. Depending on timing, requests are reviewed at one of five annual Board meetings. At times, there may be an approximate wait of up to four to six months prior to a request being reviewed. Unfortunately, the Foundation will not be able to support every request, and even if approved, funding may be at a reduced level and/or scheduled for payment in the next calendar year

What is the range of dollar amounts that the Foundation grants and over what time period?

Grants may range from $10,000.00 to million-dollar commitments depending on project and budget of organization. The Foundation’s Board of Directors may opt to grant less than the amount requested, depending upon resources available. Generally, the Foundation asks applicants to justify their request amount based on the organizational and/or project’s total budget and other funding sources. The Foundation is accepting multi-year requests (limited to two years of funding).

May we request a grant for ongoing operating expenses?

Yes. The Foundation is interested in supporting efforts that continue, expand, or enhance services and organizational capabilities.

Does the Foundation fund capital campaigns and expenditures?

Prior to requesting a grant for specific projects with capital expenditures such as land or facility purchase, new construction, equipment, or renovation, email Ingrid Hillebrand, Grants and Office Manager, at the Foundation to schedule a call with our President and CEO, Victoria Rogers.

Does the Foundation support other types of capacity building projects?

Yes. Grants are made for specific projects that strengthen an agency’s ability to achieve its mission and goals. Some examples are hiring additional management or development personnel, introducing new technology, improving the measurement and assessment of program outcomes, or adapting services to a new program model.

Should I send in my request via courier service or FedEx?

The Foundation only accepts online inquiries.

How do I create and access my online account in the new grant management system?

Please login and you will be brought to the Foundation’s grantee portal landing page. On the right side of the screen, you will see a “Sign In” box. Click “create an account” and enter your email address. After submitting, you will receive an email from noreply@givingdata.com containing your username and a link to activate your account. Please click on the link to activate your account and create a password. After creating your account, you may sign in with your username and password and begin the grant application. All organizations must have an account and password in our grants management system to apply.

Do you conduct site visits to all organizations that have submitted a formal application?

Program staff determine the most effective methods by which to gather additional information they need and, if necessary, will contact you to schedule time to review your application.

How do we check on the status of our request?

The Foundation’s online application system will automatically notify you after taking our eligibility quiz whether or not your organization qualifies to submit a formal, online application. The Foundation staff will correspond with you via email regarding next steps in the application process after reviewing your submitted materials.

How much time must elapse between applications?

Applicants may submit a new proposal one year after the final payment of a grant has been disbursed and all requirements have been received.

Can I reapply if the grant application is declined?

If your request does not meet the Foundation’s guidelines and current program interests, please wait twelve (12) months from the date of declination before contacting the Foundation again.

If we do not pass the Foundation's eligibility quiz, what should we do?

If you do not pass the eligibility quiz, please email Derek Oye, Program Officer, for feedback on what can be improved. Please also note that not passing the eligibility quiz will not prevent your organization from completing the quiz again within the next year.

Accessing the Grantee Portal and Submitting Reports

Our organization is a current grantee. How do we submit our progress report, final report, or other reporting requirements online?

All grant reports will be submitted online through our grants management system. If you have not yet created an account, please do so at your earliest convenience and notify a program staff member once complete. Approximately 45-60 days prior to your grant report’s due date, the system will notify you that the report is ready to view and complete. Please proceed to attach and upload all reporting requirements and supporting documents. If your organization does not receive the reporting notification email at least 30 days before your requirement is due, please first check to ensure that the email has not been filtered as spam and then, if necessary, email the program staff member assigned to your grant. Please note that Colleges and Universities in the Foundation’s Science and Engineering Initiative should check in with Kylie Wright regarding any questions about reporting requirements. High schools in the current Independent and Parochial Scholarship Initiative should check in with Derek Oye regarding any questions about reporting requirements.

Our organization is a current grantee. How do we submit our progress report, final report, or other reporting requirements online?

If there has been a staff transition at my organization, how do I login and submit my report via the grantee portal?

Please notify the program staff associated with your grant or Ingrid Hillebrand, Grants and Office Manager, regarding the staff transition(s) along with your intention to establish a grantee portal account. Once a Foundation staff activates your account, you will then receive an email from noreply@givingdata.com containing a username and link to establish a password. If you have already established an account, please still contact us to inform the Foundation of the change(s). The Foundation values being kept abreast of staff transitions to keep our records current and ensure you will receive future report reminders, as applicable.

I am having difficulties accessing the grantee portal. Who should I contact for assistance?

We recommend you first try using a different browser to access the grantee portal (Firefox, Chrome, or Safari). You can also reset your password anytime by clicking on the “forgot password” link within the login page. If you are still having difficulty accessing the grantee portal, please reach out to a program staff or Ingrid Hillebrand, Grants and Office Manager.

Contacting the Foundation

What is your policy on site visits and in-office meetings?

The Foundation’s President and CEO and program staff members may be available to meet with organization representatives, but due to limited availability, a phone/email/video-conference consultation is encouraged and often equally useful. Site visits will be initiated by program staff as needed and as time allows.

What is your policy on site visits and in-office meetings?

We have a project that appears to fit within the Foundation's guidelines. Should we set up a meeting with the Foundation staff to present our ideas?

Please review the Foundation’s Funding Guidelines and How to Apply pages, as well as the FAQs. If you feel your organization meets the necessary requirements, please follow the instructions provided.

Is there any advantage to contacting the Foundation’s Board of Directors directly?

Contact with the Board about a grant application is normally not encouraged. However, we recognize that there are professional and personal relationships which may make contact reasonable. It should be emphasized, however, that the application process remains the same for all qualified organizations, and all final decisions are the result of a careful staff analysis, followed by an assessment and vote of the entire Board.

If I have more questions, who do I contact?

For general inquires not answered on this website, please direct your emails to Ingrid Hillebrand, Grants and Office Manager. Please use the subject line “General Inquiry.”