Helpful Tips for Submitting a Small Capacity Building Grant Application

  1. Carefully review the 2020 Small Capacity Building Grant Guidelines before submitting an application.
  2. The Foundation is pleased to be offering four broad funding categories in 2020 – some examples of what might be considered in each are provided here:
    1. Organizational development and capacity building: Capacity building grants support an organization’s operational effectiveness and impact, typically with the assistance of an external assistance provider.
      • Campaign feasibility studies
      • Strategic planning
      • Board development
      • Executive transitions/succession planning
      • Program evaluation
      • Exploratory strategic alliances
      • Collaborative learning opportunities
      • Emergency and business continuity planning
    2. Staff or board training and development:
      • Conferences
      • Workshops/trainings
      • NOTE: Tuition requests for Leading From Within programs are not eligible. The Foundation directly supports scholarship opportunities through its partnership with Leading From Within.
    3. Defined projects:
      • Program design and piloting
      • Strategic marketing, communications or donor development efforts
      • NOTE: While staff time, consulting services, and other costs related to the proposed project are welcome, these small grants are not intended to support staff positions. (e.g., hiring a development director)
    4. Small capital items and equipment
  3. Small Capacity Building Grants are very competitive. The Foundation receives many more requests than it can fund. Proposals with the best chance of being funded clearly state the need, readiness, and commitment to the project.
  4. Review your budget. A thoughtfully prepared budget demonstrates you have considered all of the costs associated with the request as well as the resources needed to ensure the project’s success. We have provided a sample budget to assist you. Click here to view budget sample.
  5. Supporting documentation. If you are submitting an application for a contracted service, include any bids and or RFQ responses you have received. Materials that organizations provide will assist in substantiating your funding request in response to your budget.
    • Suggested Supporting Document(s):
      • Consulting proposals, cost proposals
      • Draft frameworks, draft strategic plans, proposed timeline, RFQs,
      • Vendor cost proposals, estimates or company agreements
      • Coaching proposal, board committee report, consultant bio
      • Theories of change, logic models
      • MOUs, partnership agreement, needs assessment, network model
      • Deferred maintenance, vehicle, or technology replacement plan
  6. An agency may submit one Small Capacity Building Grant request between February and November. We ask that you put forward your most pressing and compelling project within the above categories and encourage you to contact the Foundation about the suitability of your proposal prior to drafting your application.