Major Grants Program

All applications are required to be submitted online via our online application. A brief explanation of the process for our major grants program is included below, or you can proceed directly to the application to begin applying. You will be required to create an account with an email address and password to proceed, and will use this login throughout the grants process.

In order to maintain our commitment to long-term and multi-year funding, and relationship building within our grant portfolio, the majority of our Major Grants Program budget each year remains allocated to multi-year grant partners. While we will be accepting Letters of Intent from new organizations (as well as those seeking a renewal of an existing grant) in 2024 as outlined below, we try to be transparent about this up front to set expectations accordingly and minimize unnecessary paperwork for grantseekers.

If you are having technical difficulties, including a lost username or password, please contact our Program Officer at kmchugh@hjsfoundation.org. As noted below, the Major Grants program has been delayed for 2024 and will open in mid-April, with the requested due date for submissions bumped back accordingly. If you click to apply and do not see an application process or way to submit an LOI, this grant program is currently closed; please check back again at a future date.

Major Grants Funding Priorities

 The Helen J. Serini Foundation supports innovative interventions that remove or address the root causes of systemic barriers to health, safety, shelter and opportunity in the communities where we work and live. We envision a world in which all individuals, regardless of means or identity, are treated equitably and provided opportunities to thrive.

In practice, this means we fund across issue areas; the common thread in our grantmaking relates to systems change. We fund:

• Work that improves or restructures systems of poverty by changing policies, practices, and/or beliefs that hold people in cycles of poverty.

• Direct service work only when that direct service work informs and/or complements work to improve or restructure systems. 

We are particularly seeking organizations whose work:

• Demonstrates a spirit of collaboration, partnership, and alliance building. We believe that no work happens in a vacuum, and relationships are crucial to effecting change.

• Engages community and constituents in its decision making.Those closest to the problems are also those closest to the solutions.

• Embodies principles of equity and inclusion in both work and governance. Equity is not a one-and-done program, but an ongoing commitment to examination, learning, unlearning, and willingness to change. We are especially seeking organizations led and/or founded by BIPOC individuals, and with diverse boards.

As a small funder, The Helen J. Serini Foundation aims to increase its impact beyond check-writing by serving as a convener and connecter of nonprofit partners; investing in capacity building, including leadership development; influencing systems change through public policy & advocacy work; and utilizing our resources beyond grantmaking to effect greater change.

Each year, the majority of our grantmaking budget for has already been committed in the form of multi-year grant awards from years past. While we remain committed to an open call for proposals each year as part of our commitment to equity and learning, we anticipate only inviting 2-5 proposals for new grants of the LOIs submitted each year. 

Major Grants Process

Applications that do not follow this process will not be reviewed. Note that the process below applies to general grant funding requests for more than $5,000; grants under $5,000 should be submitted to our Small Grants program and reflect one of the funding priority areas stated there.

The Major Grants program is open all grantseekers seeking funding in amounts of $5,000-$20,000 per year. Returning grant partners requesting a renewal may request multi-year funding; new grant partners will only be considered for one-year funding for a first commitment, but are eligible to submit a (shortened!) application in future years for renewed funding for the same purpose. This grant program prioritizes general operating/unrestricted support and program- or project-specific requests are unlikely to be considered.

Before Submission

Review Our Mission and Grant Guidelines to determine if you are a fit for our funding options before proceeding. Priority will be given to organizations seeking general operating funds because the overarching mission and work of the organization is aligned with the foundation’s stated mission and funding priorities. In practice, this means that general operating funds for organizations with only one or two programs that align are unlikely to be considered for funding.

LETTER OF INQUIRY

All organizations seeking funding in amounts over $5,000—including returning & renewal grant requests—are required to submit an LOI. When you log in to our online grant application, this LOI will be the required first step of the process. 

The LOI form asks for basic organizational questions (annual operating budget, geographic area of focus, contact information) and allows for the attachment of a two-page PDF document to explain your funding request. You can preview the most recent years’ LOI questions here; small tweaks may be made each year, but this should give a sense of what to expect if you’re interested in applying in the future.

PROPOSAL

All LOIs will be reviewed in detail by the Program Officer and a select committee of community volunteers and board members. On invitation, organizations will be able to access the full grant proposal form via our online application system. (You may preview the questions asked in our grant application form here.) Receipt of all proposals will be acknowledged in writing. 

All proposals will be reviewed by the Program Officer and Executive Director, and will be provided to the Board of Directors for review.

SITE VISIT

We strive to complete site visits for all applicants, schedules and geography allowing. These visits will be coordinated with those organizations invited to submit full proposals and will be completed prior to our board's review of the applications and final vote. In-person site visits may be suspended due to public health reasons, but we continue to make an effort to pair written application materials with a conversation via Zoom or phone where meeting in-person is not feasible and/or safe for all participants.

TIMING

In most years, we accept (and encourage!) unsolicited LOIs from any and all eligible organizations whose work aligns with our stated mission and strategy. The timeline for our one grant cycle per year is outlined below. Invitations may be extended to renewing grant applicants outside of this timeframe on a case by case basis, but no unsolicited requests will be reviewed if submitted after the deadline.

• April 15th: LOIs open for submission

• May 17th: LOIs will close to new submissions

• May 20th-June 30th: LOIs reviewed by staff and board for consideration

• June 30th: Funding decisions and/or invitations to submit proposals, if required for decisions, sent

• August 15th: Proposals due

• September 15th: Notification of grant decision (award or decline)

All organizations submitting a proposal will receive a written notice regarding the decision on the proposal.

REPORTING

Depending on the type and size of the grant, reporting requirements may vary. We will communicate with you on expected reporting and communications when notifying applicants of the grant decision.

Grantees receiving large grants or multi-year grants may be asked for interim reports prior to each installment in addition to final reports at the end of the grant period. Our intention in requesting reporting is to understand the status of a grant and your work and to determine what and how we can learn together beyond a mere counting of things; as such, we are always happy to replace formal written reports with phone calls (or in-person meetings, when public health conditions make it safe to do so), and/or accept a report prepared for a different funder in lieu of our own.

You can preview all reporting questions for interim and/or final reports here.

As noted above, the Major Grants program is anticipated to open in February of each calendar year, and LOIs are due to be submitted by mid-April. The timeline has been adjusted back for 2024 as outlined. If you click to apply and do not see an application process or way to submit an LOI without an access code, this grant program is currently closed; please check back again at a future date.

Other Funding Opportunities: