How to apply for a grant
If you are interested in applying for a grant, please contact us through our email address at info@giving-together.org. Our Grants Committee will get in touch with you for information and to schedule a preliminary interview to assess your organization’s eligibility. We will determine whether your organization meets our eligibility criteria, explain the types of proposals we fund, and discuss the initiative you would like us to support.
The deadline for filing grant applications is normally in mid-June, but the specific date is announced on our Website every year. Grant proposals must follow the format of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers' common application, which is available at https://www.washingtongrantmakers.org/common-grant-application.
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How decisions are made
Our Grants Committee reviews applications received by the mid-June filing deadline to ensure they meet our criteria. Throughout the summer months, we conduct follow-up interviews with the executive director and staff. Committee members request additional information and schedule site visits so that we can see the organization at work and meet the people involved, including, when appropriate, clients served.
After we have received a proposal, through member follow-up, we try to stay in touch with the grant applicants, asking questions and getting more information on their activities. It’s an interactive, ongoing process; and each committee member shares her impressions with her colleagues so we can make the most informed decisions possible. At the end of September, we select the three proposals that we believe will best further the Giving Together mission. We invite these finalists to present their proposals to our entire membership at our annual meeting in October. Following these presentations, our members select the grant recipient, and the successful organization is notified.
Criteria for Grant Applicants
To apply for a grant, an organization must be:
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in existence for at least three years;
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serving needy women and families in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area;
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local (i.e., not a branch of a national organization)
We fund capital improvement, new programs or expansion of existing programs, (provided these have demonstrated their effectiveness). We do not fund operating expenses.
Emergency Fund
An Emergency Fund of $4,500 to Neighbors in Need, Montgomery County is now available. Money for the Emergency Fund does not come from our general pool of funding, but rather from special events and our annual fund, as well as from honorary and memorial gifts. Designated dollars are distributed through Neighbors in Need for individuals facing crises related to rent and/or utility payments, prescription medicines or other life supports.