 Contact Grants Specialist Lauren Rhodes at (213) 413-4130 to learn more about this topic. |
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The California Community Foundation accepts letters of intent on a continual basis, but there are three cycles in which it accepts applications for discretionary grants and program-related investments.
The community foundation also accepts applications not aligned with its regular cycles that respond to an unanticipated crisis or urgent need within the community.
Information on the sequence of steps in the application process is provided below.
1. SUBMISSION OF LETTER OF INTENT (LOI)
All organizations are required to submit an LOI to the foundation prior to applying for a grant. All prospective grantees are required to submit an LOI, regardless of the request amount. The LOI should be acknowledged by the president or executive director of the organization and should include all of the information requested by the foundation about the agency and its grant request.
Click here to access the online LOI form.
Click here to download the LOI form as a Word document.
2. REVIEW OF LOI
Letters of intent will be reviewed and evaluated by foundation staff within four to six weeks of receipt. Following the evaluation process, applicants will receive written notification that either invites or discourages the submission of a full application. Suggested deadlines to submit LOIs and full applications are listed in the timeline below.
3. FORMAL APPLICATION
Formal applications will be accepted only from those organizations that are invited to apply. For applicants requesting renewal funding, contact with a program officer is required to discuss the eligibility of the proposed request prior to the submission of a full application. Click here to download the formal application.
Please note that the full application is provided as a sample only. All organizations are required to submit an LOI to the foundation prior to applying for a grant.
4. REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS
Formal applications are reviewed and evaluated by staff. The review process may require a request for additional information. Staff first determine whether a request meets the basic funding criteria of the foundation, including consistency with its programmatic goals, objectives and priorities; demonstrated capacity to meet the objectives stated in the application; clearly articulated pathways to achieving results; and the potential for measurable impact. Staff may also conduct site visits to meet with the staff and board members of the organization, its clients and community and civic leaders to gain a greater understanding of the proposed effort. Based on the findings of the review process, the staff prepares a recommendation to the foundation’s Board of Directors for consideration.
Please note that, due to the volume of applications, the foundation is unable to fund all the requests submitted for consideration, including those that meet the basic funding criteria.
5. GRANT DECISIONS
The Board of Directors makes decisions on all grant recommendations during the foundation’s three grant cycles, which take place each March, June and October. Generally, grant decisions can be expected within four to five months of application submission. Deadlines for receipt of grant applications and funding decisions are listed in the timeline below.
6. NOTIFICATION OF AWARDS
Foundation staff will notify applicant organizations of grant decisions following each board meeting. After notification of the grant award, applicants will receive a grant agreement. Grant payment will be made to an organization upon the foundation’s receipt of a signed grant agreement and compliance with any conditions specified in the agreement.
7. TIMELINE
Online LOIs are preferred but the foundation also accepts LOIs sent by mail. When completing the online LOI, you can save your data and return at a later time. LOI review and notification takes four to six weeks. Due to heavy volume around suggested deadline dates (April 1, August 1, December 1), the review period will be extended through eight weeks.
We do not accept faxed LOIs.
Contact Grants Specialist Lauren Rhodes at (213) 413-4130 if you have any questions about the application process.
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