• NOTE: the foundation does not use pre-screening or letters of inquiry! The grant application is the appropriate first step in approaching the foundation. If you believe your organization might be a good fit after carefully reviewing the guidelines and FAQs, you are welcome to submit an application.
• The majority of the Richard Donchian Foundation's grantmaking is focused in the northeastern United States, although, occasionally, grants may be made in other regions of the country and/or abroad (though only through U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations or sponsors).
• All applicants must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service or be specifically exepmt from this requirement by the IRS.
• Grants generally range from $2,500 up to about $10,000 for new applicants. In unique circumstances, the foundation does consider a more significant grant for a program having a major impact in one or more of its areas of interest, but this would generally apply only to existing grantees.
• Of particular interest to the foundation are organizations that promote partnerships and collaborative efforts among multiple groups and organizations.
• The foundation will occasionally approve pilot initiatives that test new program models.
• Priority will be given to requests that show specific plans for funding beyond the present.
• The applicant must have an active board of directors with policy-making authority. The board should demonstrate competence in the sound financial management of the organization.

• Applications are accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis. Grant applications are compiled by the foundation's staff and then forwarded to the directors prior to the start of their quarterly board meetings.
• After evaluating an application, the board will choose to: decline, approve, defer to request additional information, schedule a site visit, or invite the applicant for an interview.
• Applicants, if declined, may not reapply for at least one year from the date of the declination unless the nature or circumstance surrounding the request changes profoundly. In such cases, the subsequent application should receive prior approval and describe the changes in full.

• At this time, for new applicants, the foundation will generally not provide grants for the following:
  playgrounds; endowments; individuals; food pantries; retreats; mysticism; local neighborhood projects; camps; sexuality & diversity issues; school security; health & medical research/treatment; developmental disabilities; long-term care facilities & homes; and general fundraising drives.
• Recently, food-insecurity applications have been proliferating. In order to maintain focus, the board has determined it must curtail approvals in this field. The foundation will limit consideration of most food-related requests to those with long-term time frames (and will prioritize those with a water component).
• Other areas of exclusion: organizations not determined to be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, international NGO's, government agencies and organizations that subsist mainly on third-party & government funding and have demonstrated no ability or effort to attract private funding.

• Whenever possible, grant requests should be made using the Grant Application link (side menu above). Please first review the information in the Instructions section and the FAQs.
• Prior to proceeding to the Application link, please also review the foundation's Guiding Principles and Grantmaking Guidelines to ensure your application receives the consideration that it deserves.
• Applicants should be as concise as possible when responding to all application questions. Some have found it helpful to review the information, type out responses in a separate word processer and then copy that information directly into the appropriate place in the Application Form.
• Should any questions remain after reviewing the foundation's instructions, principles, FAQs and guidelines, the applicant should contact Foundation Services prior to submitting its grant application.
• Budgets that you will be uploading with your application should be previewed on your system beforehand. If you would like tips on formatting those budgets, see our Budget Prep Guide. Also, see the Instructions for additional important tips. 

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble accessing the application form, please visit the FAQ's page. A last-resort alternative is to click here for a Word document version of the application. You can email the responses from this printed form to RDD Foundation.