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Frequently Asked Questions
• What
is the Foundation’s service area?
• Can our agency’s
administrative office be outside of the Foundation service area
and still be eligible to apply for a grant?
• Can public
entities be awarded grants?
• Does the Executive
Summary count as part of the 10 page limit on the proposal?
• Can the same
agency submit two applications?
• Can we use
“in-kind” support as matching support in our budget?
• Can
dedicated pledges be used as a match?
• Should we provide
letters of support?
• If our proposal
is denied, could we resubmit for further consideration?
• Can we apply
for a planning grant?
• If our agency’s
program serves clients both in and out of the Foundation’s
service area, can we use our grant money for all the clients in
our program?
• Can our agency
be the lead applicant for one grant proposal and a subcontractor
on another project?
• Are there
times when it would be advantageous for agencies to serve as a subcontractor
rather than the lead agency for a grant request?
• Will grantees
have the opportunity to ask the Foundation for a “no-cost
extension” if they have not expended all grant funds during
the time frame of the grant?
• Is there a
possibility that we will have the opportunity to have our grant
renewed by the Foundation?
• Can an agency
submit a concept paper for Foundation review and schedule a discussion
prior to the submission of a complete proposal with budget?
What is the Foundation’s service
area?
The Foundation will fund programs in the following geographic areas:
Cities of Suffolk and Franklin and the County of Isle of Wight;
Surry, Dendron and Elberon in Surry County; Waverly and Wakefield
in Sussex County; Courtland, Boykins, Ivor, Sedley and Newsoms in
Southampton County; and Gates County, North Carolina.
Can our agency’s administrative office be outside of the
Foundation service area and still be eligible to apply for a grant?
Yes. If your agency headquarters is located outside of our service
area but your agency provides and/or proposes to provide services
to our service area, your proposal will be considered. The applicant
needs to clearly demonstrate the proposal will directly benefit
residents of the Foundations’ service area for such a proposal
to be competitive.
Can public entities be awarded grants?
Yes. However, the funds awarded can not be used to supplant any
budget deficits of the agency. They can be used only to support
the project as described in the proposal submitted to the Foundation.
Does the Executive Summary count as part of the 10 page limit
on the proposal?
No. The Executive Summary is a 1-2 page synopsis of the proposal’s
key points and precedes the main narrative. The main narrative should
generally be a maximum of 10 pages and is a detailed description
of your project.
Can the same agency submit two applications?
Yes, but they must be for clearly different programs or ideas. For
the same agency to receive two grants, the quality of the proposals
will need to be very high and address major priority areas of the
Foundation.
Can we use “in-kind” support as matching support
in our budget?
Yes. In-kind support can demonstrate that an applicant is dedicating
additional resources to the project in terms of staff, time and
other operational support. It is important to properly identify
this as in-kind support in the budget justification section. This
support will not carry the same weight as committed cash and/or
additional grants or revenues.
Can dedicated pledges be used as a match?
Yes. Cash pledges are always welcome and can strengthen the proposed
project. Cash pledges should be noted both in the body of the proposal
as well as the budget justification. The applicant should also note
the date when the cash pledge is anticipated to be converted to
a cash commitment. Cash pledges do not hold as much value as a cash
or grant award that has already been committed to the agency.
Should we provide letters of support?
Letters of support are not required but strongly encouraged. They
support your request and serve to illustrate existing and/or developing
partnerships.
If our proposal is denied, could we resubmit for further consideration?
In rare instances, the Foundation reserves the right to ask the
applicant of a denied proposal to resubmit a revised proposal. In
addition, we encourage applicants that have not been awarded grants
to engage Foundation staff in dialogue for tips on presenting a
stronger proposal in the future.
Can we apply for a planning grant?
Yes. There are many instances when a planning grant proposal is
the most appropriate and feasible option. This is particularly true
when you are addressing a complex health and/or health care issue
and you need additional time and staff support to develop the most
appropriate program strategy.
If our agency’s program serves clients both in and out
of the Foundation’s service area, can we use our grant money
for all the clients in our program?
No. Foundation funds can only be used to benefit the residents in
the stated service area.
Can our agency be the lead applicant for one grant proposal and
a subcontractor on another project?
Yes. This may be a very effective strategy for an agency to receive
grant funds under two awards. We generally strongly encourage applicants
for larger grant requests to form stronger collaborative relationships
with other agencies. We also generally encourage applicants for
larger grants to structure the grant budget so that some funds are
subcontracted to one or more of the key partners in your project.
Are there times when it would be advantageous for agencies to
serve as a subcontractor rather than the lead agency for a grant
request?
Yes. Becoming a subcontractor can be an effective role for many
agencies, particularly those that have not yet established a track
record of providing administrative and fiscal leadership for a major
grant. For example, newer not-for-profits that have applied for
but not received their IRS 501(c)(3) status could serve an important
role as a supporting partner on a project and secure some important
grant-related resources and experience. Both public and private
funding sources are more likely to award grants to entities with
an established track record. A positive performance as a subcontractor
can help a new agency build some staffing capacity and a positive
track record at the same time.
Will grantees have the opportunity to ask the Foundation for
a “no-cost extension” if they have not expended all
grant funds during the time frame of the grant?
Yes. Grantees will have the opportunity to request a “no-cost
extension” if they do not expect to expend all grant funds
before the grant ends. Grantees should discuss this issue with the
Senior Program Officer before a written request is submitted. After
discussion, the grantee should write a letter to the Senior Program
Officer with a copy to the Grants Associate that summarizes the
major reasons for the request and the length of the no-cost extension
period. A brief budget summary and budget justification that details
how you will expend funds during the extension period should also
accompany the letter.
Is there a possibility that we will have the opportunity to have
our grant renewed by the Foundation?
In some instances, an agency will be asked by Foundation staff to
submit a renewal application for an existing grant. A renewal request
would only occur after dialogue between project staff and the Senior
Program Officer for the grant. Factors that will be considered include
exemplary performance of the project, some progress on sustainability
issues and the project’s consistency with the Foundation’s
major strategic priorities. The renewal proposal must address the
Foundation’s Strategic Priority Areas of access to healthcare
for the medically indigent, combating obesity or serving vulnerable
populations. For more detailed information, read about the Foundation’s
Strategic Priority Areas under Grantmaking.
Can an agency submit a concept paper for Foundation review and
schedule a discussion prior to the submission of a complete proposal
with budget?
Inquiry phone calls and concept papers are generally welcome and
the primary point of contact should be a Senior Program Officer.
Concept papers can be an efficient way to see whether there a good
fit between an agency’s ideas and the Foundation’s priority
areas. The concept papers should be submitted electronically to
a Senior Program Officer with a copy sent to the Grants Associate.
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