Q: What is the process for applying for a Pacific Northwest Community Grant?
A: All requests for funding begin with an online letter of inquiry (LOI). Foundation staff reads and replies to all LOIs. Foundation staff proactively contacts applicants to request full proposals. An internal committee reviews select proposals to make final funding decisions. The foundation does not accept unsolicited full proposals. Please read the How to Apply section on the Pacific Northwest Community Grants funding page for more detailed instructions.
Q: Do you have any deadlines?
A: There are no deadlines for submitting an LOI. Pacific Northwest Community Grants regularly accepts and reviews LOIs throughout the year.
Q: How long does the review process take?
A: Generally, organizations will be notified within eight weeks of receipt of their letter whether it has been accepted or declined. If your LOI is accepted, the proposal solicitation, funding determination, and formal notification process take an additional three to four months.
Q: Can we meet with foundation staff prior to submitting a letter of inquiry?
A: Due to the volume of requests, foundation staff is unable to meet with applicants prior to the submission of a letter of inquiry. Foundation staff often asks to meet or visit a site during the full proposal phase.
Q: Are Pacific Northwest Community Grants limited to specific geographic areas?
A: We only fund organizations that serve the residents of Washington state or the greater Portland area, including Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties.
Q: What population groups are served through this program?
A: Pacific Northwest Community Grants is focused on providing human services to economically at-risk and disadvantaged communities in Washington state and the greater Portland area. Priority populations include at-risk youth, low-income families, Native Americans, and communities of color.
Q: What areas are outside of the scope of funding for Pacific Northwest Community Grants?
A: The foundation has chosen to limit the scope of its work to services for economically disadvantaged children, youth, and families. While we recognize the incredible work of many organizations across many important issues here in the Pacific Northwest, the foundation believes that focusing its efforts in a specific area of interest will lead to greater improvements in the lives of our region’s children, youth, and families.
Q: What types of projects are NOT funded by Pacific Northwest Community Grants?
A: Specific areas or project types that are outside our focus include:
- Health care, including primary care, disease prevention, intervention, health education, or outreach
- K-12 schools
- Libraries
- Event sponsorships including conferences, workshops, and fundraisers
- Civic projects (parks, fire/police departments, roads, sewers)
- Capital projects
- Religious institutions for exclusively religious purpose
- Environmental causes
- Vehicles
- Scholarships for higher education
- Individuals
- Athletic facilities
- Organizations whose policy or practice discriminates on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religious belief
- Fraternal or political organizations
- Operating deficits or emergency funding needs
- Endowments
- Production of books, films, video
- Lobbying
Q: Does Pacific Northwest Community Grants provide funding for faith-based organizations?
A: The foundation will consider funding to faith-based organizations that assist children, youth, and families in need. Funding will not be provided for programs that include proselytizing as a component of the program. In addition, the foundation will not consider funding organizations that discriminate in policy or practice on the basis of age, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religious belief.
Q. How many funding requests does the foundation receive? How many of these are funded?
A: Overall, the foundation receives approximately 70,000 requests each year. The Pacific Northwest Community Grants program annually receives approximately 250 requests from nonprofit agencies in Washington state and the greater Portland area. On average, 20 percent of Pacific Northwest Community Grants requests are funded.
Q: Why was my funding request denied?
A: Most requests are declined because they do not fit within the Pacific Northwest Community Grants guidelines of services for low-income children, youth, and families. Requests are more likely to be funded if the proposed activities closely align with our priorities; include clear, measurable programmatic goals and objectives; a detailed and sustainable funding plan; an evaluation plan with specific metrics; and are submitted by an organization with a proven track record and a strong staff and board. Projects that have a substantial and sustained impact on clients are prioritized over projects that provide limited, one-time support.
Q: How often may we submit a letter of inquiry?
A: If an organization has been declined, we ask that it wait 12 months before submitting a subsequent letter of inquiry. However, unless the substance of your letter of inquiry has changed significantly, it is unlikely that additional requests will yield a more favorable result.
Q: Would the foundation be more likely to fund a technology component of our project?
A: No. Pacific Northwest Community Grants does not provide funding for technology equipment-only requests, but will consider appropriate technology costs related to a broader project serving children, youth, or families. If you are seeking a Microsoft software donation, please visit the TechSoup web site to read the Microsoft Software Donation Program overview.