Foundation Grant Process
Step One: Look at Our Guidelines
The Staten Island Foundation focuses its funding in a number of key areas to make a positive impact on the lives of Staten Island residents. The Grant Investment Guidelines can be found here. Please read and review this information before you begin the application process. Reviewing our Outcomes-based Approach and Defining Project Results will also be helpful.
If you are not sure if you meet the criteria, the eligibility questions that are part of the on-line application will help you assess your proposal against the criteria. Please call us if you are uncertain that your application will meet our requirements.
Step Two: Call and Speak to a Staff Member
The Staten Island Foundation's grantmaking is a process that includes a dialogue. That dialogue begins with a phone conversation that allows us to discuss current Foundation funding priorities, the appropriateness of the proposed request in relation to the current priorities, a timeline for making a request, and any outstanding reports required before another request can be considered.
Please contact us at 718-697-2831. A phone call will help potential applicants prepare strong proposals or know when requests do not meet Foundation requirements.
Step Three: Applications and Deadlines
The Foundation currently has three distinct applications: Direct Services, Capacity Building and Capital Improvements. In order to proceed with an online grant application, eligibility questions must be answered. Feel free to call to discuss your proposal with Foundation staff should you be unable to proceed with an application. Complete and submit the application online. The Foundation will review each submitted application, evaluate the project for alignment with Foundation focus areas and results and determine if it is complete enough to move forward. If you do not have adequate technology resources to complete the application or are having difficulty, please call 718-697-2831. Only click on one of the below application links if this is a new application. If you already have an account and want to return to an application already started, click here.
Click here for our Direct Service Application.
Click here for our Capacity Building Application.
Click here for our Capital Improvements Application.
Application Assistance
For assistance with your application, we recommend that you make use of the following worksheets and workbooks in order to develop a strong application:
To help you Define Strong Results for a Direct Service Application, click here.
To help you Define Strong Results for a Capacity Building Application, click here.
To help you Define Strong Results for a Capital Improvement Application, click here.
You can fill in your answers and then copy and paste into the appropriate section of the IGAM application.
Within the application, you will be asked to define milestones that you will use to track progress, the critical steps you will take to accomplish each milestone, and a timeline of when those milestones will be achieved. We recommend that you make use of the following workbooks for this section:
To help you identify milestones and critical steps for a Direct Service Application, click here.
To help you identify milestones and critical steps for a Capacity Building Application, click here.
To help you identify milestones and critical steps for a Capital Improvement Application, click here.
You can fill in your answers and then copy and paste into the appropriate section of the IGAM application.
It is strongly recommend that you email a draft of your application before final submission. The application will be reviewed and feedback will be provided. Changes to the application cannot be made once it has been submitted. Please note that failure to send a draft for review could delay the application process.
Required Attachments
You will need to attach a budget form for the funding request as well as the supplemental financial form* and a cover letter signed by the chief executive. Additional required attachments are: the current organizational budget; the Board of Directors List; the Audited Financial Statement; and, the IRS Determination Letter.
* Arts and Cultural organizations please attach your Cultural Data Project Funder Report in lieu of the supplemental financial form.
Step Four: Notification of Receipt
Applicants will receive an email notification within approximately 1-2 weeks of receipt of the application. If you have not received notification of receipt please contact the Foundation. Those organizations or proposals that do not qualify will receive a declination email.
Step Five: Review Process
As stated previously, The Foundation's review process is a dialogue that does not end with the submission of the application. The process may include a site visit or requests for additional information. Only complete applications are eligible for final review.
The Foundation Board makes grant decisions at quarterly Board meetings (usually held in January, April, June, And October). Grant decisions are shared promptly.
Step Six: Grant Agreements
Organizations that are approved for a Foundation grant receive a grant agreement letter. This agreement, which outlines the requirements, must be signed by the chief executive and returned to the Foundation before a check can be forwarded. In cases where the amount of the grant differs from the request made, a revised grant expense budget must be submitted.
Step Seven: Declined Proposals
Organizations receiving declinations can call the Foundation to discuss the reasons as well as proposal or project areas that may need to be strengthened. This can assist the applicant in developing stronger applications to other funding sources as well as to The Staten Island Foundation.
Step Eight: Administration and Reports
Should your organization be unable to proceed with the activities outlined in the grant agreement, please inform The Foundation as soon as possible.
The Staten Island Foundation requires grant recipients to submit an online six month progress report as well as an online report upon completion of the grant period.
Final reports will demonstrate outcomes anticipated in the original proposal that have been achieved and what has been learned. The evidence that has been used to verify the actual outcomes should be available upon request. An accounting of the expenditure of funds is required. In cases where the anticipated outcomes have not been achieved or unexpected circumstances arose, please explain. A final report must be received for future funding to be considered.
Once you have established an account, please make a record for your files of your User ID and password. The Foundation does not have access to IDs and passwords.