Step 1: Do We Qualify?
Please review the Eligibility section to determine whether your organization and the particular programs or projects for which you are seeking funding qualify for a grant. Grants are made only to organizations recognized as public charities under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). For-profit companies and start-ups are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for funding directly from the Foundation.
Step 2: Letter of Inquiry
Before being invited to submit a full proposal, prospective applicants must first complete an online letter of inquiry (LOI). You will be prompted to create a username and password to begin using the system. Please keep a record of your login information; you will need it if you are invited to complete a full grant application.
Please be aware of the Foundation´s inquiry deadlines, noted to the right. When a deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday, the LOI is due by 5:00 p.m. to following business day. The LOI requires the following information:
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Brief description of the project or program for which funding is requested
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Preliminary budget for the project or program for which funding is requested
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Amount of the request
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Applicant´s Employer Identification Number (EIN)
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Summary of the applicant´s history and mission
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Description of the applicant´s current programs
If you have any questions about the online LOI process, please contact Dianne Ketler, Grants Manager, at (330) 655-1369. If you have questions about your organization´s eligibility for a grant from the Foundation, please contact Leslie Goldwater Nelson, Senior Program Officer, at (330) 655-7929.
eGrant
Step 3: Full Grant Application
If your letter of inquiry (LOI) is approved, you will be invited to submit a full grant application. Once you have logged into eGrant, follow the instructions for "Submitting an Application."
eGrant
As part of the application process, applicants must also complete a grant objectives chart. The blank copy of the grant objectives chart should be downloaded using the button below, then completed and saved to your computer. On the final page of the online grant application, you will be given directions to retrieve and upload your saved grant objectives chart. A grant objectives chart with examples is also provided, to assist with the proper completion of your chart.
Download the Grant Objectives Chart (blank)
Download the Grant Objectives Chart (with examples)
Step 4: Application Submission
Grant applications must be submitted to the Foundation by 5:00 p.m. according to the deadline schedule, noted to the right. When a deadline falls on a weekend or a holiday, the application is due by 5:00 p.m. to following business day.
If you have any questions about the online application process, please contact Dianne Ketler, Grants Manager, at (330) 655-1369.
Step 5: Grant Application Review Procedures
The Foundation President has full authority to review and evaluate all grant applications. In most instances, however, she will assign responsibility for the review and evaluation to a program officer. At her discretion, the program officer will schedule an interview, site visit, or both, with the prospective grantee.