Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q What kind of grant can I apply for?
Any 501 (c) (3) organization located and providing services in San Diego County is eligible to apply or with a fiscal sponsor which meets those criteria. The fiscal sponsor must be willing to administer the grant if awarded. However, the grantmaking area for which your organization will be most competitive will vary based on the services you provide and their potential for impact. For general questions please contact Kerri Favela at kerri@sdfoundation.org or (619) 235-2300.
Q My organization’s mission and activities address more than one of The San Diego Foundation’s grantmaking areas. What should I do?
Each organization may submit only one proposal per grants program but may submit to multiple programs at The Foundation, as long as each proposal is for a different project. The exception is that an organization may submit multiple proposals to the Blasker Program. If a project is undertaken as part of a partnership with other organizations, no more than one organization may submit a proposal for that project. If more than one proposal is submitted for the same project, all applications will become ineligible. Grantees who have previously received a grant award can apply. If you have program area or project specific questions, please contact the person listed in the guidelines. For general questions please contact Kerri Favela at kerri@sdfoundation.org or (619) 235-2300.
Q Online application forms make me nervous. Can I submit a paper copy instead?
The San Diego Foundation, like many other foundations, has moved to an online application process to reduce processing time and assure that our records are up to date and accessible. We can serve you better with an online process and so will continue to require an online application for competitive and initiative grant requests. But here are some hints that may ease your worries. Of course, please call us if you have specific questions.
- Get started with the application early. At the last minute, many people will be on the website. By taking time early, you can be sure to complete the application while allowing time for any technical or computer issues.
- Every competitive grant program for nonprofits requires the completion of a BetterGiving Portrait. This portrait allows you to input selected information into one place and use that information for multiple grant applications. For more information about BetterGiving, please click here.
- Please carefully review all the questions before filling out the online application form. We strongly suggest that you use your word processor to prepare the long-text responses (e.g. Organization Description, Request Narrative), and then copy and paste your responses into the appropriate text boxes. This will save you the task of re-typing answers if there is a problem with your Internet browser and it will ease the task of editing the size of your narrative responses, should that be necessary.
- Please do not format your type (do not use bold, italics, bullets, etc.). It takes up valuable space in the limited-size text fields.
Q What is BetterGiving? How do I get started?
BetterGiving is a powerful online resource to inform, empower and enrich charitable giving in the region--benefiting donors, nonprofits and the community at large. Every competitive grant programs for nonprofits requires the completion of a BetterGiving Portrait. By using BetterGiving, you will be able to save time by only completing the information in your profile once. To get started, visit www.bettergivingsd.org and request a portrait for your organization. If you have questions, please email bettergiving@sdfoundation.org.
Q I understand that The San Diego Foundation also works with individual donors who make grants through the Foundation. How can I tell them about the work of my organization?
A Individuals give through The San Diego Foundation for many reasons. Donors find that it is convenient and cost effective to conduct their giving through the Foundation, since our staff makes their philanthropy easy. Many want to give anonymously. Some donors want to learn more about specific community issues. BetterGiving is an online resource used by The Foundation staff to research nonprofits. To protect the privacy of our donors, Donor Advised Funds are not open to application or inquiry.
|
