FAQs
What happens if the grant application deadline falls on a weekend?
If the grant application deadline date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the due date is the following Monday at noon. For example, please note the following:
> Sunday, April 1, 2012 (due to the Foundation by noon on Monday, April 2, 2012)
> Sunday, July 1, 2012 (due to the Foundation by noon on Monday, July 2, 2012)
What are the basic philosophical differences between the Saint Luke's Foundation’s grantmaking approach in the past and its new approach?
Differences exist in five primary areas:
- Broad Foundation Focus: Our board and professional leadership have established a primary goal of evolving as a learning organization. For us, a learning organization is defined by its ability to get better at getting better at achieving its outcomes. Therefore, our new approach is designed to help us get better at improving and transforming health and well-being in our community.
- Grant Scope and Size: We will narrow the scope of our grantmaking and “go deeper” with community partners and in areas where we have gained traction and see potential for impact. This translates to a higher level of support for a smaller number of grantees, and the establishment and nurturance of relationships that reinforce learning together.
- Grant Focus: We will shift from grant portfolios distinguished by size and scope of grants (short-term, responsive Community Grants and long-term, root-cause oriented Transformational Initiatives) to three distinct program strategy areas (Urban Health and Well-Being, Urban Community Revitalization and Urban Families).
- Grant Management: We are realigning our staff, board committees and grantmaking processes to reinforce our new approach. Our board will play an enhanced role through the establishment of Program Strategy Committees, which will develop and recommend specific outcome strategies for each program area.
- Outcomes and Measurement Criteria: Our new grantmaking philosophy and process tie grants directly to mission driven criteria and outcomes over market-responsive criteria, with the goal of learning with and from our grantees. In turn, we will be able to fund what works in a deeper way by offering more comprehensive support to grantees whose work demonstratively advances our mission.
Why implement these changes in 2012? What prompted the changes?
Over the past several years, we have recognized that our historical spending policy, which was based on market performance, has allowed us to make more grants when the economy was good, and fewer when it was more challenged. As a result, our Investment Committee became deeply engaged in investigating alternative methods to calculate spending.
In a broad sense, we also challenged ourselves to rethink, redesign and reinvent ourselves – to distinguish those areas where we’ve gained real traction, to invest more in those areas where we believe we can move the needle, and to invest more in the capacity of our nonprofit partners that are best positioned to do this work.
This process evolved over a nine-month period and involved rethinking our organizational structure and grantmaking processes to ensure that we deploy our human and financial resources as effectively as possible. As part of this analysis, we consulted experts, relevant industry literature and our colleagues, as well as a focus group of grantees. We studied changing needs in communities that grantees serve, as well as broader economic, demographic and societal shifts in Greater Cleveland and beyond. We also evaluated the Foundation’s grantmaking policies and procedures as they relate to these changes.
Our new approach will provide a more predictable level of support for grantees, and it will enable us to provide more resources to organizations that demonstrate effective outcomes in the near term. We believe this will pay great dividends in the years to come.
How do I apply for a discretionary grant? Has that process also changed?
A number of nonprofits have asked the Foundation about the application process for discretionary grants (grants up to $20,000 for smaller, time-sensitive projects that align with one of our program strategy areas). The application process for this type of grants has been streamlined -- click here for details.
What is meant by the term “Capacity Building?”
Based upon our research and experience, we recognize the highest performing nonprofit organizations focus on developing the following key capacities: communication, collaboration, outcomes and learning, leadership development and policy/advocacy. To that end, within each new program strategy area, Saint Luke's Foundation will provide grants for building organizational capacity in these areas, as defined below:
» Outcomes and Learning: We are committed to tapping into the power of outcomes measurement as a way to support continuous learning and encourage performance improvement.
» Collaboration: We work in partnership with our grantees and philanthropic partners, and support collaboration in practice and in learning.
» Communication: We support strategic communications that leverage outcomes to tell effective stories and advance our mission.
» Public Policy/Advocacy: We support efforts to educate policymakers on relevant issues and influence institutions, systems and community and/or individual behaviors within the funding guidelines for private foundations.
»Leadership Development: Based upon the belief that great leaders produce great results, we encourage comprehensive leadership development for organizations whose work advances our mission and impacts the communities we serve.
What are the basic changes to the application process in 2012?
The Foundation has established a new online proposal-only application process that will replace the existing Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and hard-copy proposal. In addition, the Foundation has made the following changes to the grant application process:
- Letter of inquiry omitted
- Get Acquainted meetings highly recommended
- Reformatted online proposal
- Site visit guidelines have changed
- New outcomes and learning framework
Why did the Foundation opt for an online proposal-only application over the previous Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and hard-copy proposal?
The online application instrument is designed to streamline the process of applying for grants, while providing the Foundation with a reliable and consistent evaluation tool.
My grant request could potentially "fit" under more than one program strategy area. In this case, how can I determine which of the three is best suited for my request?
The Foundation staff can help you determine which program strategy area is most appropriate prior to your submitting a grant request. If you do not speak with a program officer before submitting, leave that section of the application blank and the Foundation staff will put the application in the correct portfolio upon internal review.
What happens after my proposal is submitted?
The Foundation staff reviews all proposals first to determine if they fit within the Foundation's program areas. From that point, a typical grant cycle follows a timeline similar to that outlined below:
| Second Quarter | |
| April 1 | Proposal Deadline |
| May 21-25 | Site Visits |
| July 12 | Board Meeting |
| July 15 | Fund Grants |