We have automated our application process to make it easier for organizations to apply for a grant.
Step 1: Determine if your project fits our guidelines and priorities.
Please read our criteria for evaluating letters of inquiry completely and carefully. Your project may fit the general goals of the initiative, but it is important to read further to find out if your project meets our specific criteria. Due to the volume of requests, foundation staff is unable to meet with or advise grant seekers prior to submission of a letter of inquiry.
Step 2: Submit an online letter of inquiry (LOI)
If your project meets our criteria, you may submit your LOI through our online form. This step applies to organizations submitting a letter of inquiry to the foundation for the first time, as well as to previous grantees.
Fill out the online form: This form requests basic information about your organization and project.
Attach LOI: After you have completed the online form, you will be asked to attach a two-page LOI. Number and label each section of your LOI to correspond with the instructions below. Please also include your organization’s name and submission date in the LOI footer. You will be able to review your LOI, make any changes, and save it prior to submitting it to the foundation.
I. Project Description
Approximately one page of your LOI needs to cover this section.
- Describe your project. What are the strategies and activities of your project? How many people will be served?
- What results do you expect from your project? What changes will result from your work?
- Describe the project need and the group or community your project will serve. What is the problem or issue you are trying to address?
- Describe any project partners on which project success is dependent.
II. Financial Information
- Tell us the amount you are requesting from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the total project budget amount, and state your organization’s total annual budget.
- If known, indicate which itemized costs you are seeking funding for from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
- The foundation does not fund more than 20 percent of the project’s total cost. Describe the overall funding plan for the project and include any other funding sources currently committed to the project.
- Describe how you will financially sustain the project in the long term.
III. Organization Background
- Briefly describe your organization’s history and mission (in one paragraph or less) and tell us why your organization is qualified to do this project.
Please note: It is not necessary to mail a duplicate hard copy, and we cannot accept additional attachments such as brochures, videos, etc. We encourage all applicants to use our online LOI system for the most rapid response. If you cannot submit your LOI online, please contact the foundation for an LOI form. We will respond to online LOIs within two months; mailed LOIs will take longer. Letters of inquiry are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and there are no application deadlines.
Step 3: Submit a full proposal (by invitation only).
If your LOI is accepted, you will be notified by staff and invited to submit a grant proposal for further review. At that time, the assigned program officer will provide the necessary information for you to complete a proposal. A request for a full proposal does not guarantee funding.
Step 4: Proposal review and funding determination.
Staff members review each proposal carefully, and often request a visit to the applicant’s organization. In addition to determining whether your proposal meets the foundation’s priorities, staff will assess the feasibility and sustainability of the proposal.