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Intent to Apply Guidelines

A companion to the Intent to Apply form in Grantee Center
For the June 2, 2008, deadline

Eligibility: Is my organization eligible to apply?

Introduction

Founded in 1948, The San Francisco Foundation is the community foundation of the Bay Area. Through grantmaking and engaged partnerships, we work with nonprofit organizations, community residents, local government agencies, other foundations, and generous donors to improve the quality of life in the Bay Area.

Our mission is to mobilize resources and act as a catalyst for change to build strong communities, foster civic leadership, and promote philanthropy.

The San Francisco Foundation supports the Bay Area region through grants in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties. Our approach to grantmaking values the inherent strengths of local residents and their communities and looks for systemic solutions.

The Foundation serves communities traditionally excluded from positions of power and access to resources. We invest in the region’s anchor organizations as well as supporting and building on innovative new efforts.

Program Areas

The San Francisco Foundation welcomes unsolicited applications in six program areas twice a year on the first Monday of June and December. Applications are evaluated for alignment with the Foundation’s strategic goals and objectives listed below.

Arts and Culture Program

Goal: Nurture creativity, support arts education, and broaden cultural participation in order to enrich, develop, and celebrate communities.

Objectives

1. Increase opportunities for access by all to participate in diverse cultural and artistic experiences.

2. Support arts programs that foster creativity, self-expression, cross-cultural exchange, and civic participation for children and young adults.

3. Support efforts to deepen, expand, and diversify audiences for artistic and cultural presentations.

4. Support the use of art and cultural participation in building communities.

5. Invest in the development and the presentation of diverse artistic practices reflective of the myriad communities in the region.

Community Development Program

Goal: Promote safe, affordable neighborhoods and sustainable livelihoods for individuals and families.

Objectives

1. Increase affordable housing opportunities for low- and extremely low-income households.

2. Strengthen the safety net of services, including emergency housing, supportive services, and crisis intervention programs that protect individuals and families against the adverse effects of poverty.

3. Increase economic security through improved access to better jobs, and support for antipoverty efforts.

Community Health Program

Goal: Improve the health of communities, particularly underserved populations, by expanding access to services, promoting prevention to reduce illness, and advancing health policy reform.

Objectives

1. Improve access to healthcare, services, and treatment for those who are low-income, uninsured, or underinsured.

2. Foster efforts to prevent poor health status, disease, and disability through investments in health promotion and health education.

3. Ensure access to the heath services safety-net.

4. Support local efforts designed to reduce or eliminate disparities in health status due to poverty, race, or disproportionate exposure to environmental agents or hazards.

5. Advance policy reform efforts that improve access to health services.

Education Program

Goal: Support families and communities to help children and youth succeed in school and provide opportunities for them to become confident, caring, and contributing adults.

Objectives

1. Increase the availability and effectiveness of child and youth development programs that reinforce staying in school and making constructive life choices.

2. Increase the availability and effectiveness of programs that improve academic achievement, especially in critical foundation skills necessary to master reading and mathematics, graduate from high school, and transition to college.

3. Support systemic efforts to improve schools and school systems, especially those that help to close achievement gaps.

4. Ensure the availability of quality early childhood education programs that promote school readiness.

5. Provide for parent education and family support so that families remain the best supporters of their children’s success in school and life.

Environment Program

Goal: Promote environmentally sustainable practices and equitable development that guarantee livable communities and healthy environments.

Objectives

1. Facilitate sustainable natural resource and energy use through a shift in Bay Area production and consumption patterns.

2. Promote the reduction of toxins and encourage precautionary policies to minimize impacts on the environment and on human health.

3. Support local and regional land-use and development practices that promote environmental integrity and stability.

Social Justice Program

Goal: Inspire civic action and democratic participation that contribute to a just society.

Objectives

1. Engage Bay Area residents in understanding and protecting their civil and human rights and decrease discrimination against individuals based upon race/ethnicity, gender, disability, age, national origin, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation.

2. Increase access to and availability of legal services, especially for low-income residents and newcomers.

3. Increase adult and youth civic participation and leadership, including support for emerging leaders in the nonprofit sector.

Grantmaking

The San Francisco Foundation welcomes unsolicited grant proposals twice yearly on the first Mondays of June and December.

What does the Foundation fund?

The San Francisco Foundation offers three main types of support:

Project Support: These grants are restricted to a specific piece of work that provides direct benefit to the organization’s constituents over a period of time to achieve measurable results. Project support grants may be used to pay for all costs directly related to the operation of the project. Project support grants cannot be used for general administration of the organization (also known as indirect costs).

Capacity Building Support: This type of support is generally awarded for activities that strengthen an organization, or a coalition of organizations, to better achieve its mission. Capacity building may include expansion of services, infrastructure improvement, organizational assessment, strategic planning, board/staff development, and so on. The grant is restricted to a particular activity, and the outcomes of the capacity building project must be conducted over a set period of time to achieve measurable results.

Core Operating Support: This type of support is also known as general support. An organization may use the funds in any way that supports its mission.

The Foundation generally does not fund:

• Projects outside the five Bay Area counties we serve (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo)

• Medical, academic, or scientific research

• Religious activities (although religious institutions may apply for nonsectarian activities)

• Direct assistance to individuals

• Conferences or one-time events

In some circumstances, the Foundation may support costs for:

• Planning and implementing capital campaigns

• Front-end funding necessary to undertake affordable housing and community development projects

• Modest-scale capital projects when presented in the context of a plan for meeting community needs

• Medical research that meets the terms of a restricted trust

• Projects initiated by individuals when supported by a capable fiscal sponsor

RFPs and Invited Proposals

The San Francisco Foundation has a variety of special projects and initiatives that may issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs) or invite proposals at different times of the year. These grantmaking efforts are narrowly tailored to promote change around a particular issue or geographic area. RFPs are released and publicized periodically through our website and through targeted communications. We encourage all interested organizations to visit our website periodically for RFP notices and also view the Grant Opportunities section of Grantee Center.

The Foundation occasionally invites off-cycle grant proposals from organizations with time-sensitive projects and whose programs are a close fit with our program areas’ strategic goals. If you have a time-sensitive request, please contact a Program Officer before submitting an Intent to Apply Form.

Eligibility: Is my organization eligible to apply?

Organizations that meet the criteria below are eligible to apply.

Valid tax exempt status: 501(c)(3), public entity, or fiscal sponsor

The Foundation only makes grants to organizations with 501(c)(3) tax status or to government entities. If your organization does not have tax exempt status, you must apply using a fiscal sponsor.

Geographic restriction

Projects must benefit residents in at least one of the five Bay Area counties we serve: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo, and San Francisco. If an organization is based outside these five counties, the total number of constituents benefiting from service must be competitive with local organizations.

Restriction on concurrent and overlapping grants

Except in rare circumstances, the Foundation does not award multiple or overlapping grants to the same organization via the competitive grants process. We will accept only one Intent to Apply per organization per batch. Multiple organizations sharing a fiscal sponsor may apply concurrently.

If you have a current grant from one of the Foundation’s Program areas, this grant period must be finished and the final report received before you can receive any further funding from any TSFF Program area. The Foundation will accept an application from an organization with an open grant, provided that the scheduled start date for the new grant will be after the close of the current grant. Please see our website for grant start dates.

For the purpose of this policy, city or county departments or programs at a university are considered to be separate entities. In other words, we will accept an application from a city’s Department of Public Health concurrently with an application from a city’s Department of Public Works.

This policy does not apply to grants offered through special initiatives, mini-grant programs, or RFPs. There are rare exceptions to this policy. Please consult with Program staff before submitting an application for an overlapping grant.

Three-year time limit

The Foundation will not award more than three years of consecutive funding. A break of one year is required. Three years of consecutive funding is defined as:

• Three 12-month grants awarded in three consecutive TSFF fiscal years, regardless of grant start and end dates.

• A combination of a 12- and a 24-month grant awarded in three consecutive TSFF fiscal years, regardless of grant start and end dates.

• One 36-month grant.

Grants offered through special initiatives, mini-grant programs, or RFPs do not count toward the time limit.

Audit requirement

The Foundation requires that any applicant organization with an annual budget of over $750,000 provide audited financial statements.

Organizations with annual budgets between $250,000 and $750,000 are required to provide financial statements that have been formally reviewed by an auditor. Financial statements prepared by an organization’s regular CPA do not qualify as “reviewed.” An independent third party must conduct the review.

Organizations with budgets below $250,000 must provide a copy of the most recently filed IRS Form 990.

Waivers to this policy are occasionally granted for organizations undergoing rapid financial growth or who have received windfall gifts. If your project is fiscally sponsored, the fiscal sponsor must meet the audit requirement. No waivers to this policy will be granted to sponsoring organizations.

Grants Process Overview

The Foundation uses a two-stage application procedure. We have two deadlines per year for the first stage of the application, called the Intent to Apply (ITA). Following are the steps in the Foundation’s grant cycle beginning with the ITA deadline.

1. Intent to Apply forms are submitted via the Grantee Center at https://granteecenter.sff.org. The form must be completed by 11:59 pm on the date due, support will be available until 5:00 pm PST, on June 2nd. The Foundation is currently only accepting applications via the Grantee Center.

2. Once the Intent to Apply form is submitted you will receive an email, acknowledging receipt of your organization’s application and you will be able to view your submitted application under Current Applications in the Grantee Center.

3. Intent to Apply forms are evaluated by Program staff. Organizations are notified as to the status of the application approximately eight weeks after the deadline. About 30% of applicants will be invited to submit part two of the application, called the Encouraged Proposal.

4. Your organization will have approximately one month to provide financial information and documentation to complete the proposal. Encouraged Proposals are also submitted via the Grantee Center online process.

5. Foundation staff will evaluate each proposal. Program staff will talk with your organization and others and/or conduct a site visit to better understand the project and organization. Program Officers will then recommend grants to the Trustees

6. All proposals are either approved or declined by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

7. Organizations will be notified of the Trustees’ decision within one week of the board meeting, and grant agreements will be mailed promptly.

8. Provided that a signed grant agreement has been received by Grants Management, award checks to organizations will be mailed within the first week of the grant period, according to the grant cycle timeline. Current timelines are available on the Foundation’s website at http://www.sff.org/grantmaking/apply.html.

Instructions for the Intent to Apply Form

Technical Requirements

The ITA form is an online form accessible via the Grantee Center. Each user will create a unique Grantee Center account to access information related to your organization. The Grantee Center allows users to view current grant opportunities, current applications, past applications, and grant history with the Foundation.

Text Formatting

Each field has a fixed font size and type – Verdana, 12, single spaced. Users cannot change the font. Please note that special formatting such as bullets may be lost due to system constraints, therefore please keep the format of your narrative simple.

Size limitations

The fields on the application form are limited to a fixed number of characters as listed below. Character counts include spaces, punctuation, and line breaks. White space on the form is not an accurate indicator of the maximum box size.

BOX CHARACTERS

Mission Statement - 760

Purpose - 300

Outcomes (3) - 585 each

Activities (5) - 360 each

Evaluation - 1,045

Project Rationale - 7,500

Other Impacts - 1,520

Board Info - 1,520

Other - 1,045

Please limit your response to the space available. The Foundation does not accept attachments to the Intent to Apply form.

Tips for Completing Each Section

Application Overview

Service Area

Before you begin your grant application, you are asked to indicate the counties in our service area this grant will cover. You may select multiple counties. Your project must serve at least one of the counties listed to be eligible for funding from The San Francisco Foundation.

Tax Status

The San Francisco Foundation requests that you verify your organization's tax status each time you apply for a grant. Independent projects that do not have tax-exempt status may be fiscally sponsored by another organization that is tax-exempt (the sponsor). Generally, independent projects have their own advisory board. The project should also have a contract or MOU with the sponsor that outlines each group’s responsibilities.

If your organization uses a fiscal sponsor please indicate that your tax status is "None of the Above" and Add a Fiscal Sponsor. Once you have added a fiscal sponsor for your grant, your organization will remain connected to that fiscal sponsor and appear on any subsequent grant. You can change your fiscal sponsor and change your tax status through Grantee Center if you need.

Address and EIN

Please verify that the Foundation has your current address and EIN on record. If you need to request a change please click the Modify link and you will be taken to a form to complete and send to the Foundation so we can update our records.

Mission of Your Organization

Please tell us the mission, or the fundamental purpose, of your organization within the region or community that you serve.

Can I select more than one program area?

No, you must select one program area in order to complete your application. Please visit the Foundation’s website to obtain additional, more specific information about the particular projects funded by each program area. If you are a returning grantee, please select the program area that funded your previous grant, unless the work is substantially different. If the project you are requesting funding for could qualify for more than one program area, select the one that most closely matches the mission of your organization. If you are still unsure how your project fits, please call or email us for assistance. The Foundation assures that you request will be reviewed by the appropriate Program Officer.

Duration of Your Request

The average grant at the Foundation is 12 months, however we do accept grants for shorter or longer periods. Please request the number months relevant to your request.

Purpose of Your Request

Please briefly describe the specific purpose for which you will use the funding.

Part One of the Application

What type of support should I request?

The types of support the Foundation provides are described above. For samples of outcomes and activities for different types of support, please see Sample Outcomes and Activities below.

Outcomes and Activities

Please tell us what you plan to achieve (outcomes) and how you plan to achieve it (activities). Before you start, please refer to the timeline for the grant period start date. The outcomes and activities you describe here must take place during the grant period for this application. Outcomes should be measurable. In the final report for a grant, grantees must report on the outcomes specified here. Please see below for a list of sample outcomes and activities for different types of support.

Evaluation

In the space provided, tell us about the method you will use to determine the success of your work. The Foundation recognizes that it is not necessary to hire outside experts to have a solid evaluation plan. We do expect that you will know what success looks like and how you will know you achieved it. If you do not have a formal evaluation plan, explain how you will know if you achieve the outcomes listed in your grant agreement and how this information will help guide your future work.

Narrative

In this section, please provide a narrative that describes why your work matters to the community you serve. It should include the scope, impact, history, and need/niche for your request. If relevant, also describe briefly the role of partners and/or volunteers. This is the only narrative section in the application process. The Encouraged Proposal form will not provide an additional opportunity to describe the project. *We strongly encourage that you use a word processing program to type your narrative piece, save it to your personal computer, then copy and paste into the field provided online. This is to ensure you do not lose any important information due to Internet connectivity issues.

Other Impacts

If needed, use this space to explain the information provided in the target service population section. If the section on target service population does not properly show the impact your organization has on the community, explain here.

Target Service Population

Describe the people your project serves using the grid when possible. If your organization tracks this data or can easily make approximations, include the information. We recognize that not all organizations can easily measure the benefit they provide to the community. In such situations, you may also use the field titled “Target Population Served” to provide additional information about who you serve.

Geography and Age

If you are requesting project support, please provide information on the population your project serves.

If you are requesting core operating support, please provide information on the population your organization serves.

Racial/Ethnic Diversity

If your organization tracks the racial/ethnic diversity of those served, please fill out the grid provided. In the “Other” box, specify groups served that are not represented on this form.

Number of people served by project: Provide this information when applying for project support or capacity building.

Number of people served by organization: All applicants are asked to provide this information. Provide only information about numbers served directly by your organization in this section. If you serve other organizations, as well as individuals, describe this in the “Target Populations” section.

Number of people on staff: Provide information for all employees. Show part time employees as 0.5 for half time, 0.25 for quarter time, etc. Do not include consultants or other 1099 employees.

Number of people on the board of directors: If your organization does not have its own 501(c)(3), provide information on the individuals on your advisory board.

Statement on Diversity

The Foundation collects demographic information to help evaluate the Foundation’s impact on the greater Bay Area. We actively seek to promote access, equity, and diversity, and to end discrimination based on race, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and age. The Foundation believes an organization’s impact is enhanced when people from different backgrounds and perspectives are engaged in an organization’s activities and decision-making process. In this spirit, applicants are asked to provide general diversity information about their board, staff, and constituency served. All demographic information is reviewed for alignment with the Foundation’s diversity policy. This policy is available on the Foundation’s website at www.sff.org/grantmaking/apply.html.

Special Populations

If your project serves a special population, please fill in the Special Population table, otherwise leave it blank. Please use the “Other” box to specify groups served that are not listed here.

Income

Please use the following Income Level Definitions table to fill out this section. Target income groups are those with household incomes at or below the specific levels identified in the table.

For organizations that do not collect income information from those served, please include an estimate of the income level of the majority of those to be served.

Income Level Definitions

Please download this Word document to view the 2006 Income Level Definitions.

Source: These income figures are derived from State income limits for 2006, which are based on calculations released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annually.

Sample Outcomes and Activities

For your assistance, sample outcomes and activities for different types of support are included below.

Project Support – Example 1

Outcome

• Encourage positive reproductive health behaviors, including safer sex practices and regular medical check-ups, to improve the health outcomes of 200 Latinas and their sexual partners and their families living in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Activities

1. Recruit and train a total of ten peer mono/bilingual health educators each year.

2. Reach a minimum of 100 women and their sexual partners each year through interactive and educational presentations.

3. Conduct a minimum of 24 outreach activities each year at community events, health fairs, and other community settings.

Project Support – Example 2

Outcomes

• Provide support to students starting in their freshman year of high school so that

100% of seniors served will graduate from high school and go to vocational training, community college, or a university.

Activities

1. Provide an academic summer advancement program to incoming 9th graders.

2. Check students’ high school course enrollment to ensure that students are enrolled in college prep coursework and help parents learn how to advocate for students who are not enrolled in courses that will prepare them for college.

3. Provide tutoring and academic workshops during the school year.

4. Offer targeted California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) tutoring for students at risk of failing.

5. Offer college counseling and SAT preparation during sophomore through senior years.

Capacity Building Support – Example 1

Outcomes

• Track and assess the progress of each client by creating a client tracking system that monitors development along a seven-staged development model.

• Through these improvements, low-income Asian immigrant women and youth in Alameda County will receive leadership development skills to allow them to take control of their new lives in the U.S.

Activities

1. Hire a technology consultant to implement the client tracking system.

2. Develop a working client database.

3. Train staff on how to use the tracking system to better serve the training needs of clients.

4. Share development model and data tool with other organizations offering similar services.

Capacity Building Support – Example 2

Outcome

• Implement a strategic plan for an upcoming seismic retrofit for this visual arts organization.

Activities

1. Develop strategic plan through focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and gatherings of constituents.

2. Convene facilities committee to develop architectural and design plans.

3. Move to temporary offices.

4. Develop a time-line and construction work plan.

Core Operating Support – Example 1

Outcomes

• Expand the organization’s ability to directly challenge corporations to reduce their use of toxic chemicals through education, litigation, and advocacy.

• Provide public education to communities at risk.

Activities

1. Research the use of toxics and the health hazards they pose for consumers, workers, and communities to inform quarterly newsletter updates to coalition members and letters as needed to policymakers and other civic leaders.

2. Identify feasible alternative practices to eliminate or minimize toxic exposures, and partner with industry to implement these alternative practices.

3. Provide technical support to 15 local community groups working for environmental justice.

4. Work with local and state government to draft public policies that support safer alternatives and enforce compliance with environmental laws through public interest litigation.

Core Operating Support – Example 2

Outcome

• Place 90% of participating homeless families in permanent housing within one year.

Activities

1. Provide shelter and services to 700 battered women and/or children.

2. Provide supportive services, including children’s services, to 75 project residents.

3. Provide a 24-hour domestic violence crisis counseling line.

Personal tools

Document Actions

Intent to Apply Guidelines

Introduction

Program Areas

Grantmaking

Eligibility: Is my organization eligible to apply?

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Grants Process Overview

Instructions for the Intent to Apply Form

Tips for Completing Each Section

Sample Outcomes and Activities