Page 1 Grant Guidelines Our Vision Transformation to healthy communities for all Our Goals Strong health systems Connected communities An engaged Diocese Our Strategies Support comprehensive community-based primary care Increase access to health services Support mental health and wellness Enhance early childhood development Support capacity building Facilitate healthy planning Strengthen collective impact In addition to these grant guidelines, please consult resources on the Episcopal Health Foundation (the Foundation) website: Also: Story of Grant-Making, Foundation strategic plan, grant application questions, frequently asked questions, and glossary of terms. If you have any questions about these resources, please contact the Foundation grant-making team at grants@episcopalhealth.org.
Page 2 Basic Eligibility Criteria Tax Exempt Status The Episcopal Health Foundation (the Foundation) makes grants to nonprofit, tax exempt organizations whose work relates directly to the Foundation s vision, goals, and strategies. To be eligible, an organization must have received an Internal Revenue Service Determination Letter indicating that it is an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) or 170(c) and is not a private foundation within the meaning of Section 509(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code. Foundation Service Area The Foundation provides grants to organizations that serve vulnerable populations within the 57-county service area of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. What the Foundation Does Not Fund The Foundation does not fund the following: Grants to individuals Grants for religious purposes Grants to public agencies for routine service provision Grants to retire operating deficits or debt Grants for parks, playgrounds, or camps Grants for acute care, inpatient care or long-term care institutions Grants for emergency assistance organizations for routine service provision Grants for biomedical research Grants for child care, early education or after-school programs for routine service provision Grants to schools for core educational purposes Grants for disease- or condition-specific organizations for research or advocacy work Grants to underwrite conferences, luncheons, galas or fundraisers Direct or indirect support for candidates, political parties, 501(c)(4) organizations or Political Action Committees Religious Affiliation While the Episcopal Health Foundation exists as a supporting organization of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, we do not require an applicant s affiliation with the Episcopal Church or any other faith community in order to be considered for funding.
Page 3 Strategic Alignment The Foundation is committed to achieving transformative change through seven specific health-related strategies outlined in our strategic plan. Applicants should think very carefully about how they see their work aligning with the Foundation s strategic plan including how that work supports transformation and a systems orientation. Frequency of Application An organization can apply for Foundation funds once within the calendar year. Whether your request is funded or declined, you will need to wait until the next calendar year to reapply. Types of Grants Awarded The Foundation provides eligible applicants with the following types of discretionary investments: Operating grants to support an organization s day-to-day expenses in furtherance of its mission rather than specific projects or programs; Project/Program grants to support specific activities carried out over a defined period of time and/or are planned in order to achieve a specific result or goal; and Capacity building grants to enhance an organization s staff, financing, governance, planning, communications or other business-related capabilities. The Foundation also provides funding solicited by invitation only. These include: Small grants to provide up to $10,000 in support of the immediate short-term needs of an organization to address a specific organizational development or emergency issue, Request for Proposals when issued by the Foundation to support specific initiatives of interest to the Foundation, Capital support which will be funded on a limited basis, and Multi-year grants which will be funded on a limited basis after consultation with a program officer. An organization can submit one application to EHF in a given calendar year and may request more than one type of support (operating, project/program and/or capacity building) in that single application.
Page 4 Award Amounts During 2015, the Foundation will award approximately $9 million in grants. We plan to increase our grant-making budget in 2016 and again in 2017. Based on total grant awards of $9 million in 2015, we expect the average award will be approximately $100,000, with many smaller awards and a few larger awards. We see 2015 as a year of building relationships with large and small organizations that are committed to transformation across the 57 counties of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. As our grant-making budget grows, we hope to deepen our relationships with the 2015 grantees and build relationships with new grantees in subsequent years. Application Deadlines and Review Process There are no application deadlines, and applicants may submit their proposals anytime. Each application is reviewed and analyzed by a program officer and Foundation leadership. Final decisions are made by the Foundation Board. 2015 Foundation Board Meetings The Foundation Board will meet five times in 2015 and may review grants at each of these meetings. Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Thursday, June 11, 2015 Thursday, September 10, 2015 Thursday, November 5, 2015 Thursday, December 3, 2015 Timing an Application Applications should be submitted at least 60 to 90 days prior to a given Board meeting to increase the probability that a request will be considered at that meeting. However, submitting an application in that timeframe will not guarantee review at the next Board meeting. An applicant s assigned program officer will be able to give updates on the status of requests throughout the process. We estimate a four to six month period to receive, review, and make a decision regarding an application; but this period may vary. Being Assigned a Foundation Program Officer Within one month of submitting an application, applicants will be assigned a Foundation program officer. He/she will contact the applicant to request any additional information, ask clarifying questions, arrange for site visits, etc.
Notification of Award All applicants will be notified via email about the final actions taken by the Board of Directors. How to Apply for a Grant Page 5 The Foundation only accepts applications electronically through our website at www.episcopalhealth.org. Click on the Apply for a Grant page to access the application. Helpful Resources Applicants can preview the application questions and required attachments, find tips on what to do before they apply, and read the Foundation strategic plan, FAQs and glossary of terms on our website in the grant-making section. Components of the Application The application consists of the following sections: Eligibility Screening Questions (access to the complete application depends upon meeting these basic eligibility requirements) Organization and Contact Information o Primary Contact for Organization o Application Contact Organization and Grant Overview o Grant Request in Brief Strategic Alignment with the Foundation Financial and Administrative Information Detailed Grant Request o Demographics o Goal-setting, Evaluation, and Learning Required Attachments o Documentation of tax status. This would be a copy of the IRS letter confirming your organization s status under Section 501(c)(3) or 170(c) or other appropriate documentation. o Current operating budget. Please show revenues, expenses, and the amounts and sources of committed and pending funds. o Project/program or capacity building proposal budget with description of each major expenditure category. For Project/program and capacity building proposals only. o Most recent income statement. o Most recent balance sheet. o Most recent audited financial statements. o Most recent Form 990. o Current Board roster including Board member affiliations.
Page 6 o List of key staff with brief description of professional/project qualifications and anticipated percentage of time to be spent on proposed work. Whom to Contact About the Scope of an Application If an applicant has questions about their application, and particularly if they are struggling to find their program s alignment with the Foundation goals and strategies, they are encouraged to contact a Foundation program officer prior to beginning the application process. As of this writing, the Foundation program officers are: Katy Butterwick; kbutterwick@episcopalhealth.org Jennifer Herrera; jherrera@episcopalhealth.org Celene Meyer; cmeyer@episcopalhealth.org Applicants should not direct questions to Foundation Board members. Whom to Contact for Technical Support with the Online Application If an applicant is in the application itself, they should look for the Contact tab and click there. Otherwise, please email grants@episcopalhealth.org. The Application Process in Detail The application process begins when an applicant accesses the Foundation Grant Management System at www.episcopalhealth.org and is prompted to create an account by entering an email address and password. This email address and password are used to access the applicant s secured application account. Account set-up notifications will be sent to this email address. Be sure to make note of the email address and password. The Foundation staff does not have access to the email addresses or passwords used to create an applicant s account. We cannot reset an applicant s password or change the email associated with an account. However, the online system provides an option to reset a password. Instruction on that process will be sent to the email address used to create the applicant s account, so it is very important to make note of both that address and the password at the time an application account is opened. Once an application account is created, two things will happen. The applicant will be taken to a series of eligibility screening questions and required to answer those questions. If the applicant meets the criteria for applying to the Foundation they will then be taken directly
Page 7 to the application form. If the applicant is not eligible, they will receive immediate email notification. The applicant will also receive an email with their account information and the URL where their secured application is saved. The notification email will have EHF Application Account Confirmation in the subject line. Once the applicant s account has been confirmed, it can only be accessed through the URL provided in the confirmation email and not through the Foundation s website. An applicant may complete their application in one session or save it and finish it later. The Foundation can only view applications once they are submitted and cannot view draft applications saved to the online system. Accessing an Open Application To access an open application: 1. Go to the URL provided in your confirmation email. 2. Type in your ID and password. 3. Remember that your application can only be accessed through your secured account and not through the Foundation website. Required Questions and Word Limits All questions are required. If a question does not apply to a particular application, the applicant should indicate such in the space provided. Word limits are enforced. Applicants will see a running tally of words entered in each word limited field at the bottom of those fields. The system will NOT stop an applicant from entering more than the allowed number of words as they complete the application, but when they try submit it, it will not accept the submission until all answers conform to the word limits. Final Application Submission Applications must be complete and required documents attached to be considered. Once an application is submitted an applicant can no longer make revisions and will have only read and print capabilities. Applicants will receive instant confirmation that the Foundation has received their submission. Submitted applications are saved in the applicant s secured application account.
Page 8 Inquiries/Communications All inquiries by applicants or potential applicants regarding grant requests, awards/denials, and availability of funds should be directed to the Foundation s Grant-Making department at grants@episcopalhealth.org or (713) 225-0900. Applicants should not direct questions to Foundation Board members. Grant Notifications Email notifications for both awards and denials are distributed after each Board meeting. Grant awards, along with the award letters and grant agreements, are mailed following a grant decision. Grantees are to sign and return the original agreement within ten business days of receiving it. Evaluation and Learning The Foundation values learning and evaluation for all stakeholders on the pathway to community health transformation. We look forward to ongoing engagement with applicants and grantees on this topic in order to fully realize the potential of the work they are doing. Not All Projects Can Be Funded The Foundation Board of Directors has responsibility for the final approval of each grant. Since the Foundation receives funding requests that far exceed our grants budget each year, we cannot fund every worthy project. A decision not to fund a proposal does not reflect on the merits of the proposal or the applicant organization.