Frequently Asked Questions
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If there is a question we haven’t answered, don’t hesitate to reach out to The Foundation’s team. We look forward to assisting you!
Eligibility
What types of organizations does The Foundation support?
The Foundation distributes grants only to qualified public entities or organizations exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
The Foundation does not support other private foundations or commercial businesses. The Foundation does not make loans or grants to individuals.
What types of programs does The Foundation support?
The Foundation is guided by its mission statement and funding priorities. The primary funding areas of the Foundation are Animal Welfare, Child Welfare, and Disability Services, and Child & Youth Experiences.
The Foundation primarily makes grants to organizations that serve children, youth, and families in North Texas. The Foundation makes international grants by invitation only.
What types of grants does The Foundation fund?
What will The Foundation not fund?
The Foundation typically does not make grants to underwrite fundraising events, scholarships, professional conferences, symposiums, performances, competition expenses, or to fund endowments.
The Foundation does not support lobbying of any kind. The Foundation does not support other private foundations or commercial businesses.
The Foundation does not make loans or grants to individuals.
Within what geographic region does The Foundation fund?
The Foundation makes grants to organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and adjoining counties. Most of our grants go to agencies that work in underserved communities in North Texas.
The Foundation supports select international organizations by invitation only.
Applications
What are the financial guidelines for a grant request?
As a guideline, The Foundation typically will not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating budget.
What are the deadlines for grant applications?
The Foundation accepts grant applications throughout the year. However, it is a good idea to submit an application at least four months before the funding is needed.
Please note that if your organization was awarded a grant, you will not be eligible to submit a new grant application until the final report is received for your current grant.
Is a Letter of Inquiry required before submitting a proposal?
A Letter of Inquiry is not required, but one may be submitted online via the grantee portal if there is uncertainty about a grant request being a match for The Foundation. This is recommended for grantees that are new to The Foundation, or current/previous grantees that are seeking funding for a new program.
Are grant requests required to be in a particular form?
All letters of inquiry and grant requests must be submitted online through The Foundation’s grantee portal.
How often are grant requests considered?
The Foundation’s board typically meets ten times a year to consider grant requests.
We are a new organization and don't have all the information requested. Can we still apply?
New organizations may submit a Letter of Inquiry via the online portal. Include the most current information available in the letter. Once the Letter of Inquiry is reviewed by a Foundation staff member, you will be contacted if additional information is required.
I have a question about the online portal. What should I do?
The first step is to review the Grantee Portal Help Guide. It includes information about creating an account, logging in, submitting LOIs, applications and reports, and troubleshooting.
The most frequently asked questions are about logging in, so please remember:
1). Usernames are different from email addresses. Be sure you are using your username, which cannot contain the @ sign.
2). When resetting your password, be sure you are using your username. You will not receive an error if you enter your email instead of your username.
3). Be sure you are using Google Chrome. The portal does not interact well with other browsers. You will receive errors when attempting to login if you are using Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Safari, etc.
For other questions, please reach out to us via our contact form.
Grant Request Status
Can a meeting be scheduled to discuss a possible grant request?
Preliminary meetings are discouraged due to time constraints and the volume of applications that The Foundation receives. The process begins by reviewing an application or Letter of Inquiry. If the staff determines that a meeting or site visit would be beneficial, you will be contacted.
The Foundation’s blog includes posts from the program officers with insight into what they each look for when reviewing grant applications.
How will I know if an application has been accepted or rejected?
All applicants will receive written communication regarding the disposition of their application. Grant requests are typically processed within three to four months after an eligible application has been received.
If The Foundation approves a grant request, when can payment be expected?
Upon approval, The Foundation will send a grant award letter and a grant contract, which must be signed and returned. The grant will not be paid until The Foundation receives the contract.
To expedite this process, please provide the Executive Director/CEO’s email and the Board Chair’s email when prompted to do so during the final step of submitting a grant application. Contracts require signatures from both the ED/CEO and Board Chair. Contracts are sent via secure email.
Generally, the contract will state the payment schedule and any conditions required before payment. If there are specific deadlines for a project, those deadlines will be clearly stated in the contract. If there are conditions to the grant, which is typical of matching or challenge grants, notification must be made with reasonable evidence that the conditions have been met prior to payment.
If a grant request is declined, when can another grant request be submitted?
Although a new grant request can be submitted earlier, the board will not consider a new request until 12 months after the decision to decline the previous grant request.
If a grant request is accepted, can another grant request be submitted?
Although a new grant request can be submitted earlier, the board will NOT consider a new request until 12 months after the decision to approve the previous grant request AND The Foundation has received the final grant report.
New grant requests from an organization that has received a multi-year grant from The Foundation will NOT be considered until the grant term is complete AND The Foundation has received the final grant report.
If a grant request is approved, will I need to report on the grant?
Organizations funded by The Foundation must provide a full report of previous grant expenditures and outcomes of the grant. Details for the grant report will be stated in the grant contract.
Reporting on grant goals will vary by organization and grant. A full list of the grant goals your organization will be responsible for reporting on can be found in your grant contract.
Specific instructions for accessing and submitting grant reports can be found in the Grantee Portal Help Guide.
Should I wait to hear from The Foundation before applying to other foundations?
An organization should not wait to hear from The Foundation before applying to other foundations. It is a good idea to submit applications to multiple funding sources, as doing so will improve the chances of raising funds.
Grant-Writing Tips
Can you provide any assistance with grant-writing best practices?
Absolutely! You can view our library of grant-writing tips and guidelines here.
Are you on a mission to transform lives?
Learn more about eligibility and the application process.