Grant Application Guidelines
Please Note: The Island Foundation has moved to an online application process. Please read the application guidelines below, and call the Foundation to discuss your project idea or renewal request and to obtain an application form access code.
Who is eligible to apply to the Island Foundation?
The Island Foundation supports 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The Board funds some groups outside of these areas when their programs relate to work the Foundation is supporting within its programmatic and geographic priority areas. On a case-by-case basis, the Foundation provides funding to groups without nonprofit status that use a fiscal sponsor.
The Island Foundation accepts both general operating and project-focused grant requests and occasionally makes multi- year grant commitments to organizations it has supported for many years.
How do I apply to the Island Foundation?
Applying to the Island Foundation is a two-step process:
1) Initial Contact—To determine if your request could be considered for funding by the Foundation, you may either call or write to the Foundation. The Foundation’s contact information is:
Denise M. Porché, Executive Director
Island Foundation, Inc.
589 Mill Street
P.O. Box 1605
Marion, MA 02738-1533
508-748-2809 (telephone)
508-748-0991 (fax)
info@islandfdn.org
http://www.islandfdn.org
2) Letter of Inquiry/Full Proposal—If a Letter of Inquiry or Full Proposal is requested, please submit the following information through
the Foundation’s online grants management system:
- One page cover letter on your letterhead that specifies the amount of funding sought, briefly describes your organization and its mission, and gives a summary of the proposal idea.
- Three to five page proposal including a brief history of the organization, project need, project goals, methods used to meet your goals, measures of success, and qualifications of your organization and staff.
- A project budget (income and expenses) and past and current year budgets for the overall organization.
- Most recent financial statement or audit.
- List of Board of Directors and staff.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax determination letter indicating 501(c) (3) status of the organization. If you are using a fiscal sponsor, include the 501(c)(3) letter of your fiscal sponsor and a letter from them indicating their willingness to assume fiscal and administrative reporting responsibility for the grant.
- Supplementary materials: annual reports, newsletters, media coverage, and/or brochures.
The Island Foundation accepts letters of inquiry and full proposals:
- March 1st
- June 1st
- September 1st
- December 1st
If these dates fall on a weekend, the deadline is the first following workday. Decisions are made within a month and grants are distributed by approximately the 15th of the following month.
Annual progress reports and budget information (income and expenses) are required of every grantee.
What requests are looked upon favorably?
The Island Foundation accepts proposals for projects in the four priority areas of Environment, New Bedford, Education, and Womxn and Girls. The Foundation seeks organizations that are innovative, well-regarded, sustainable, nondiscriminatory in any way, and able to demonstrate the impact of their work. The Foundation also gives preference to organizations based in and working within a community, particularly in regards to the city of New Bedford.
Who does the Island Foundation not fund?
The Foundation does not support proposals outside its priority areas (issue and/or geographic) or requests from individuals, for-profit businesses, or religious groups.
Penzance and Special Projects
The Board of Directors may recommend a certain amount of funding to eligible nonprofits that they select individually. Recommendations for funding in these areas are, in all cases, initiated by the Board of Directors. Uninvited proposals or inquiries will not be considered.