Organizational and Leadership Development

The Foundation is deeply committed to increasing nonprofit capacity. Strategy Grants help organizations change how they train staff, move to new business models, and reach out to new audiences. We review requests through this lens: does the project make your organization stronger?

Elements of a Competitive Proposal

To be competitive, proposals must:

• Involve the community (or other key constituents) in the project planning
• Demonstrate the commitment of your board of directors to the proposal
• Have qualified staff or consultants leading the project
• Have an action plan specifying roles, responsibilities, tasks, timelines, and costs
• Show how the proposed activity will improve the quality of life for your constituents
• Include a method for measuring the project’s effectiveness or success
• Provide a compelling reason for doing the project at this time

If you’re requesting funds for a consultancy, we’ll require the following:

1. A “request for proposals” (RFP) or a job description for the consultancy that outlines the goals, tasks and deliverables
2. A list of consultants to whom your RFP or description will be sent. For your convenience, the Foundation maintains an online directory of consultants who specialize in nonprofit work.
3. The set of criteria you will use to select your consultants
4. Evidence of the analysis or diagnostic assessment that led to your proposal

Find out more about the application process.