How To Apply For A Grant
Grant requests can be made at any time for support of activities related to Foundation program areas and interests. The Foundation is generally limited to supporting tax-exempt organizations.
The Foundation's activities do not normally extend to religion, the creative or performing arts, elementary or secondary education, medical research or health care, the humanities or to activities outside the United States. Grants are not made for endowments or for buildings or equipment.
The Foundation has no deadlines or standard forms. Concise, well-organized proposals are preferred. In no case should the body of the proposal exceed 20 double-spaced pages. The Foundation accepts proposals sent by e-mail. A brief letter of inquiry, rather than a fully developed proposal, is an advisable first step for an applicant, conserving his or her time and allowing for a preliminary response regarding the possibility of support. Some proposers may be asked to include plans to develop and continually update a web-site concerning the project.
Grants are made by the Sloan Trustees, who meet four times a year. Grant proposals are normally sent to the president, an officer or program director of the Foundation and include, in addition to details about the applicant and the proposed project, information on the cost and duration of the work. Overhead for these grants can be budgeted at no more than fifteen percent of direct project costs.
In addition to grants made by the Trustees, officer grants are made at any time by the Foundation. They enable the Foundation to respond quickly to proposals for many activities, such as workshops, symposia, and conferences, that fall within its program areas and interests. They can also be helpful for the preliminary planning and exploratory stages of major projects. Historically, officer grants have ranged from $500 to $45,000 (the maximum allowed), with very few toward the upper end of the range. Officer grant requests may not include an overhead charge.