Grant Application Procedures
	Mission Message from the Chairman Message from the Executive Director Grant Highlights Grants Awards and Totals Education Employment Arts Education Health Grantmaking Programs Grant Application Procedures Download Annual Reports Directors, Officers and Staff Return to Fry Foundation's home page			How to Apply The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation makes grants in the following program areas: Education, Arts Education, Employment, and Health. We make grants only to tax-exempt organizations and rarely fund organizations outside Chicago. We give priority to proposals for specific projects rather than for general operating support. In our review of proposals, we look for strong program design, clear expected outcomes, and procedures for assessing and evaluating programs. Please see the description of our Grantmaking Programs for further information. Letters of Inquiry If you are seeking support for the first time or if you are a returning grantee seeking support for a new project, we highly recommend that you send us a letter of inquiry before you submit a full proposal. This would allow us to give you preliminary feedback concerning your request and its potential fit within our funding priorities. Letters of inquiry should include a brief description of the proposed project, a project budget, and other projected sources of support. Proposal Application Procedures We do not use a grant application form; we accept proposals of varying length that adhere to the procedures described below. Although we accept the Chicago Area Common Grant Application form distributed by the Donors Forum of Chicago, we consider this application a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, a full proposal. For new and renewal requests, full proposals should contain the following elements: A brief history of the organization, including a general statement of its primary functions and goals. A project description which includes: A statement of the need to be addressed and the population to be served A description of how the planned project will address the identified need Clearly stated goals and objectives Plans for assessing performance and monitoring progress toward program goals. Please identify at least three indicators or measures that you will track and analyze in order to: understand the effectiveness of services provided; identify program strengths or challenges; or document potential long-term impact. A discussion of progress on these indicators during the grant period (and over time, if receiving more than one grant from the Foundation) should be included in grant reports. (for further information, see Outcomes and Assessments) A timeline for project activities An income and expense budget for the project during the duration of the grant period. The Foundation covers reasonable and appropriate administrative expenses. These should be explained in an accompanying budget narrative. An operating budget for the organization with income and expense projections that pertain to the fiscal year in which the project will take place. Include the percentage of organization income received through earned income, government sources, individual gifts, corporate and foundation grants, and other sources. A list of current and projected funding sources and amounts for both the organization and the project, for the fiscal year in which the project will take place. A copy of the organization's most recent audited financial report. A list of board members and their affiliations. A list of professional staff of the organization and resumes of key personnel involved in the project. Proposals for organizational capacity building activities that involve outside consultants should include a copy of the consultant's resume and a list of clients. A copy of the organization's 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Please note that the Foundation generally does not make grants to 509(a)(3) Supporting Organizations. Exceptions sometimes are made for publicly supported charities. A copy of the organization's employment hiring policy. Returning grantees must submit a full narrative and financial report on the previous grant and these must be approved by the Foundation before a new request is considered. For agencies submitting a proposal to be reviewed one year from their last grant, the final reports will cover a ten-month period rather than a full twelve months in order to meet the materials deadline. We ask that final reports and proposals be submitted under separate cover. For more information on this subject, see our Grant Reporting Requirements. Renewal policy An organization which has received five consecutive years of Fry Foundation funding will be asked to take a year off in seeking support for the following twelve-month period. The Foundation recognizes that there may be unusual circumstances in which support for one additional year may be appropriate. While we wish to be flexible in recognizing the needs of our grantees, there will be few exceptions to this policy. Following a year off, grantee organizations are welcome to apply for renewed support. These proposals will be evaluated under the Foundation's grantmaking guidelines. As with all proposals, these should target Chicago residents in financial need. For further clarification of the Foundation's grantmaking priorities, please refer to the Grantmaking Programs page of the Fry Foundation's web site. Submission Dates and Board Meetings The Board of Directors meets quarterly to consider requests for grants. These meetings are held in February, May, August and November. We must receive your proposal by 5 p.m. on the deadline date in order to review it at the corresponding board meeting: Proposal Deadline Board Meeting December 1 February March 1 May June 1 August September 1 November In the event that a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, requests may be submitted by 5 p.m. on the following business day. Proposals and letters of inquiry should be sent to: Ms. Unmi Song Executive Director Lloyd A. Fry Foundation 120 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1950 Chicago, IL 60603-3419