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Overview: How to Apply

Standard Application Procedures (Revised 1/20/2010)

The Foundation accepts and processes applications throughout the year. If you are interested in Medical Research Application procedures, please click here.

Please review the information below and throughout this website before applying for funding. In most instances, applicants will receive written notification of the Foundation's decision within three months.

To approach the Foundation with a new proposal:

1. If you HAVE received a grant in the past from the Foundation, contact the Program Officer with whom you worked by email, phone, or regular mail. They will instruct you on how or whether to proceed with a submission.

2. If you have NOT received a grant from the Foundation, a Concept Paper must precede the submission of a full proposal. Concept Papers are narrative summaries of the proposal idea along with an estimated budget. These should be in the form of a letter on institutional letterhead, generally not longer than three pages plus one page for budget, signed by the executive director and board chair, and directed to the Foundation President. The Concept Paper will form the basis of a follow-up conversation between the applicant and a member of the Foundation staff. Once it has been reviewed, a member of the staff will contact you either to request a full proposal or to indicate that the concept is not within the Foundation's interests or current priorities.

If a proposal is requested, the following elements should be included. (Please note that submissions should be UNBOUND except by paper or bull clips. Please: no staples, folders, tabs, or ring binders).

• A summary of the proposal in a cover letter on the letterhead of the organization signed by the executive director and board chair. If the contact person for the proposal is different from the signing officer, please provide that information.

The Proposal Narrative should be concise and include the following information:

• Statement of need for the proposed program, including current supporting data
• Objectives of the proposal, including descriptions of persons or groups that will benefit
• Detailed work plan including collaborating organizations and timetable of activities
• Method of evaluating the project's outcomes
• Plan for securing continued support beyond the initial grant period, including other relevant potential sources of funding (public or private).

The Proposal Budget should include:

• A one page line-item budget for the proposed activity, including total cost, sources of income from other funders already committed, the organization’s financial commitment, and the amount requested from the Oishei Foundation
• A Budget Narrative that explains line items (if not obvious), and how amounts in the budget were determined

Supplemental Information should include:

• Brief description of the history and mission of the organization
• Description of current programs, including program goals and persons served
• A list of the board of trustees or governing board and its officers, including affiliations
• Current annual operating budget for the organization
• Tax exemption letter from the Internal Revenue Service under Code Section 501(c)(3)
• Most recent audited financial statements
• Draft Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in collaborative efforts
• Any other pertinent supplemental documents as discussed with your Program Officer

The Foundation requires every recipient organization to submit reports during and at the conclusion of the grant period. Information on reporting will be given on approval of the proposal. Grantees may also be asked to participate in site visits by Foundation associates, and/or in formal project evaluations conducted by the Foundation or its representatives.

The Foundation is able to fund only a limited number of the requests received. If support is not provided for a particular request despite meeting guideline criteria and funding interests, it should be understood by the applicant that needs in the community change, sometimes rapidly and significantly, and the Foundation must be flexible in meeting them. We may, simply, not have the resources to support your proposal.