APPLYING FOR A GRANT

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Letter of Inquiry

Before applying for a grant, applicants should carefully read the Foundation’s Grantmaking Guidelines.  Once you have determined that your organization or project fits within the guidelines, a brief letter of inquiry should be submitted to the Executive Director of the Foundation describing the program for which funds are being requested.  The letter, not to exceed three pages, should be submitted via email (Word document preferred) to info@hoffbergerfoundation.org, with a hard copy plus attachments sent by mail.  All of the following information must be included in the letter for it to be considered:

• Amount of the grant request
• Purpose of the grant
• Description of the proposed activity
• Identification of the constituency served by the organization/project/program
• Time frame for implementation of the project/program
• Fiscal year in which the grant will be used
• Total budget of project (if applicable)
• Total budget of the organization
• Identification of funders and other stakeholders supporting the organization/project/program
• Applicant's IRS determination letter indicating organization’s tax-exempt status 

Letters of Inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis.  The letter will be reviewed by the Foundation’s Executive Director according to the Association of Baltimore Area Grant Makers (ABAG) application form.  If the grant request falls within the Foundation’s guidelines, then the applicant may be asked to provide a formal, full proposal.  Requests for full proposals are made two or three times a year.

Full Proposal

Full proposals are submitted at the request of the Foundation.  Subscribing to the ABAG common application format is required.  They should be submitted via email to info@hoffbergerfoundation.org, with a hard copy and attachments sent to our mailing address (see home page).

Once the full proposal is submitted, it will be reviewed for completeness by staff.  The proposal will not be forwarded to members of the Foundation until it is complete.  Staff may work with grant seekers to refine their plans prior to forwarding the proposal.  Pending interest in the proposal, a site visit will be conducted. 

Grant award recommendations are made throughout the year during scheduled board meetings. The Hoffberger Foundation board meets approximately three times a year. The grant review process could take up to six months. In most cases, grant distributions are not made until December. Should the proposal be declined, the applicant is discouraged from reapplying for at least one year from the date of the Foundation’s declination letter.

Unless initiated by a Foundation member, communicating with individual board members about proposals is discouraged and will not be helpful.  However, the staff of the Foundation is happy to discuss with applicants the Foundation’s grantmaking process, interests and priorities, and will answer questions related to individual proposals.  (Ms.) Heller H. Zaiman, the Foundation’s Executive Director, can be reached at (410) 369-9336 or by e-mail at info@hoffbergerfoundation.org.