How to apply

1. Locate your Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN). You’ll need this number to confirm you represent a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization as you set up your account.

2. Download and review the Fry Foundation Grants Portal Reference Guide.

3. Log in to the grants portal.

   • If you have an account from a previous application, log in to the grants portal with the previously used email address and password.

   • If you’ve never logged in before, you can register to create an account. Please note that the first step in registering is verifying that your organization is listed as 501(c)3 in the IRS database by entering your EIN.

   • If you’ve submitted an application in the past but are unsure whether you have an account with us, click "Forgot Password?" and enter the email address used for the prior application. You can then reset the password if necessary.

     • Please make sure noreply@smartsimple.com is added to your safe sender list so that the email does not get caught in your spam filter.

     • If you do not receive the password reset email within 10 minutes, click "Register" to create an account.

   • To begin either a letter of inquiry or proposal, navigate to the Program Areas section on your dashboard and click on the program area for which you would like to start a new application. If you already started an application, navigate to the Applications section on your dashboard and click on the In Progress tile to return to a saved application and continue the submission process.

If you are unable to access the online grant portal, you may submit your application via email to applications@fryfoundation.org or by postal service to the address below.

Ms. Unmi Song
President
Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
120 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 1950
Chicago, IL 60603-3419

Please note that the process may take longer if you don’t apply via the grants portal.

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 (LOI) before you submit a full proposal. While a LOI is not required prior to submission of a proposal, it will allow us to give you preliminary feedback concerning your request and its potential fit within our funding priorities.

LOIs should include a brief description of the proposed project, a project budget, and other projected sources of support. Typically, two to three pages is sufficient to help us understand your program.

Unlike formal proposals, there are no deadlines for submitting LOIs. Please allow our program officers 30 days to respond to your request. If you do not receive a response within that time, please contact the Foundation at (312) 580-0310 or applications@fryfoundation.org to confirm that we received your letter.

For both new and renewal requests, full proposals should contain the following elements:

1. Organization’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)

   Please note that the Foundation makes grants only to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. The Foundation rarely funds 509(a)(3) supporting organizations; exceptions sometimes are made for publicly supported charities.

   If you are unable to provide an EIN during the registration process, you will be unable to begin the online process.

2. Brief history of the organization

   Narrative should include a general statement of the organization’s primary functions and goals.

3. Description of the project to be funded

   Please include the following:

   • 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, please review the Outcomes and Assessments page on our website which can be found under the Apply tab.

   • A timeline for project activities

4. Demographics of population served by the project to be funded

5. Organization's most recent audited financial report

6. Operating budget for the organization

   Include 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.

7. List of current and projected organization funders

   Include a list of funders and amounts for the organization for the fiscal year in which the project will take place.

8. Project income and expense budget


   Include 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. For examples of administrative expense line items, please review the Allocating Program and Overhead Expenses article on our website which can be found in our Resources section under Real Costs.

9. List of current and projected project funders

   Include a list of funders and amounts for the project for the fiscal year in which the project will take place.

10. List of organization’s professional staff and résumés of key project personnel

    Proposals for organizational capacity-building activities that involve outside consultants should include a copy of the consultants' résumés and a list of clients.

11. Organization's employment hiring policy

12. List of board members and their affiliations

13. Racial and gender demographics of board and senior staff

    Diversity and inclusion are among the core values of the Foundation. The racial diversity of your board and senior staff is something we monitor closely. Additional demographics, such as sexual orientation or disabilities, also are welcome.

14. Full narrative and financial report on the previous grant(for returning grantees only)

    Final reports must be approved by the Foundation before a new request is considered. For organizations 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 proposal deadline. We ask that final reports and proposals be submitted separately. For more information on this subject, please review the Reporting Requirements page on our website which can be found under the Apply tab.

Once you have submitted your application online, you will receive an acknowledgment email with a PDF copy of your application for your records.