The Foundation considers requests of up to $35,000 per year for up to 2 years to be “small grant” requests.  This determination is in no way intended to diminish the important work of organizations with smaller budgets or to which $35,000 is a relatively large grant.  It is simply a new, streamlined process intended to ensure that the effort organizations expend applying for funding is proportionate to the amount of funding they hope to receive.

Requests of up to $35,000 per year for up to 2 years are referred to as “small grant” requests, utilizing the streamlined grant application.  All other requests are referred to as “strategic grant” requests purely for the sake of distinguishing between the two processes.

No.   Small grant applicants are expected to meet the same eligibility requirements as all grant applicants.  Small grant applicants should address the results sought in at least one of the Foundation’s focus areas.  The list of uses, programs, and recipients to which the Foundation (with rare exception) does not make grants applies to the small grants process. 

Yes. 

Yes, for separate purposes.  In other words, your organization may apply for a large general operating support grant and a small project support grant (or vice versa) in the same cycle.

No.  Application deadlines, the timing of Board decisions, and the date on which funding is available are identical for the small grants and strategic grant processes.  For a more detailed grant cycle timeline, please see the application process page.

There is no limit to the number of small grants, or years of small grant funding, an organization can receive.  However, after four years of small grant funding, grantees applying for continued small grant funding will be more thoroughly evaluated based on their unique challenges, progress toward results, and future goals.

Yes.  You can request small grant funding for general operating support (unrestricted funds used for your organization’s overall budget) or project support (funds earmarked for a particular activity or project within your organization).  View a preview of the Small Grant General Operating Support application here and the Small Grant General Project Support application here. At this time, the PDFs are being revised. Please check back for the revised documents.

Reporting requirements forms and deadlines for small grants can be found at the Reporting and Evaluation link under the Grantmaking tab on the home page.