Working with Grantees
To many nonprofits, foundation operations are shrouded in mystery. Because prospective grantees are seeking funding from foundations, there may be a perceived power imbalance. However, building strong and effective relationships with grantees can help foundations develop new knowledge and insights into issues, and to test and scale innovative strategies. Open communication, approachability, sharing lessons learned, and collaborative evaluation are key to developing strong partnerships with grantees.
What to Require of Grantees
Fundamentals, Legal Compliance Guidance
Good relationships between grantmakers and grantees promote more effective philanthropy. But there's nothing that can mess up a good partnership faster than an overzealous lawyer. In seeking to protect their foundation clients, lawyers can sometimes impose excessive requirements on grantees,…
IRS Search Tool: Select Check
External Resource
Grantmakers searching for more detailed information about the charitable status of their potential grantees may find the answers they need in the IRS Select Check tool.
This IRS online search tool allows the user to:
(1) search the IRS public charity list, known as IRS Publication 78, for…
How Foundations Can Partner with USAID
Fundamentals
Foundations have been partnering with USAID in a variety of ways to advance locally led development, and below are how some of those partnerships are being executed. For member foundations interested in working with USAID on their own locally led development initiatives, Council on Foundations…
Shifting Practices, Sharing Power? How U.S. Philanthropy is Responding to the 2020 Crises
Publication
The public health, racial justice, and economic crises of 2020 have affected millions of Americans and laid bare the glaring inequities in our systems and institutions.
A new report from Council on Foundations, Philanthropy California, and Dalberg Advisors outlines how the US philanthropic…
Sample Agreement for Converting Project Grants to General Operating Support
Legal Compliance Guidance, Sample Document
In these unprecedented times, grantors may decide that converting previously awarded project-specific grants to general operating grants is the best way to support grantees and enable them to respond to the needs of their respective communities. While current grant agreements can be revised or…
Grantmaking Application Process Resource Guide: A Grantmaking Primer
Sample Document
The grantmaking application process is a big lift for foundations and nonprofits, alike. This primer takes a look at streamlining the application process from RFP to grant agreement. Found in the guide is a how-to on creating RFPs, questions to ask during the grant application review, sample…
Tips for Effective Grantee Relations
External Resource
This checklist for developing effective grantee relations was prepared by Jane Kendall, president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits and a trustee of the Kathleen Price Bryan Family Fund.
Sample Decline Letter
Sample Document
This sample declination letter can help you inform grant applicants that their grant proposal was not accepted.
Sample Grant Completion Report
Sample Document
This sample grant completion report may be customized and provided to your grantee partners.
Sample Grant Proposal Application Checklist
Sample Document
This sample grant proposal application checklist can be customized to your foundation's processes, allowing you to check off each step of the grant application process.
Sample Proposal Acknowledgment Letter
Sample Document
This sample grant proposal acknowledgment letter will allow you to let prospective grantees know that their application has been received.
Sample Grant Agreement – No Expenditure Responsibility
Sample Document
This document is an editable grant agreement for grants not requiring expenditure responsibility.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes only and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample document does not create an…
Sample Grant File Index
Sample Document
This sample grant file index allows you to see the types of information which your foundation may need to keep on each of your grantees.
Sample Expenditure Report
Sample Document
This customizable sample report allows you to track expenditures by grantees.
Sample Docket Write-up of Program Goals and Strategies
Sample Document
This sample docket write-up allows you to customize your program goal and strategies.
Closing Documents Checklist
Sample Document
As you prepare to close out grants, this customizable checklist can help ensure that you've received the appropriate documents from grantees.