Grant-Making Process

We have designed the grant-making process for our Service Grant Program to address your needs and assess your fit and readiness for one our Service Grants.

Application Deadlines

We have four grant rounds per year with the following application deadlines:

  • September 1
  • December 1
  • March 1
  • June 1

How to Get a Grant

1. Select a Service Grant

What do you need most? Review our catalog of available Service Grants to identify a project that will have the greatest impact on your organization.

If you are confused by our offering or need consultation in order to choose the best possible grant, please contact your local office for more information.

2. Apply Online

Applying for a Service Grant is easy and should only take a few hours of your time. There are four steps to submitting your online application:

  • Create an Account. Create an account for your organization by providing your contact information and your organization's IRS-issued Employer Identification Number (EIN) or fiscal sponsor.
  • Begin an Application. The application asks for the following info:
    • Section 1: Mission, program descriptions and key facts
    • Section 2: Specific questions about your grant need (download the questions in advance)
    • Section 3: Key contacts at your organization
    • Section 4: Finances, budget and funding information
    • Section 5: Diversity of staff/board/constituents and environmental policy
  • Save your Application. You can save a draft and return at a later date. You should prepare your answers offline and copy and paste your final responses into the online application. This will prevent you from losing information due to technical errors.
  • Submit. Once you have made final edits to your application, simply submit. You will receive an email confirming receipt of your application.

3. Interview & Consultation

We invite qualified applicants to an in-person interview. If you are invited to interview, we will discuss:

  • The institutional strength of your organization, your mission, strategy, programs and finances
  • Your need for our services
  • The readiness of your organization to take on a grant at this time

In addition, the interview is an opportunity for you to receive consultation from our staff. This will ensure that the specific project you applied for is going to meet your organization's needs. In cases where the project you requested isn’t the right fit, we can recommend a different project or give advice on alternative resources.

4. Letter of Intent & Site Visit

Based on your application and interview we may make the decision to provide your organization with a Letter of Intent, which signals our intent to award a Service Grant.

We will then assign a pro bono consultant team leader, called an Account Director, to meet with you on-site to determine your readiness for the project and to collect any additional information that is needed. The Account Director makes the final recommendation about whether or not to award a Service Grant. 

In most cases, this meeting leads immediately to signing a Service Grant Agreement.

How a grant works

Apply Today