Update: Capacity Grant Process

Foellinger Foundation has historically invested heavily in capacity building grants because they increase a nonprofit’s effectiveness.

In early 2019, after 20 years of capacity building grantmaking, we refined our framework to focus on mission alignment and organizational financial participation. Read all about the process here.

The Foundation bases its work on the principles and values of our donors, Helene and Esther Foellinger. The principles are integrity, accountability, responsibility and results. We work diligently to make sure those principles play out in our interactions with applicants, and with grantees in the categories of early childhood, youth, and family development and community interests.

As a part of this refinement process, we also wanted to provide resources for those organizations whose missions do not align with ours or who have not met our other eligibility requirements. This is why we created the Resource Guide for Capacity Building.

The goal of this refinement was to help the Foundation award more effective capacity grants. In turn, this additional investment in our grantees helps them better serve their constituencies. In the nine months since implementing these changes, the Foundation has awarded twelve capacity grants (compared to eight in the entire year of 2018)—with more in the exploration process. We have also directed numerous organizations that did not meet our requirements to other resources.

Click here for the full list of requirements and examples of what Foellinger Foundation’s Capacity Grants can fund.

Inquiries about capacity building grants should go to Dawn Martz, Director of Programs.