Frequently Asked Questions
What are characteristics of projects that the foundation is more likely to fund?
We prefer to fund:
- Innovative projects, new approaches, or promising ideas even if there is no track record of success, rather than ongoing maintenance or capital campaigns. We are less likely to fund general support of well established, large organizations with wide funding sources.
- Projects that have high leveraging potential in terms of expansion and/or replication.
- Projects where our funding makes up a considerable portion of the overall project, or if the project is large, then a considerable portion of a specific area within the project as a whole.
- Projects where our funding would make a significant difference in the potential for the project's success.
- Projects that will have long term impact beyond the initial project year.
- Tangible resources or training, as we prefer not to fund salaries or ongoing expenses.
- Organizations that are making significant use of volunteers.
- Projects where our resources make a measurable impact in the lives of the people served.
- Organizations that are led by an inclusive and diverse board of directors, all of whom contribute in terms of time and/or funding.
What recommendations or best practices can you share that will help ensure a well received application?
- Be very specific as to what the money you are requesting will cover. If it represents only a portion of a large budget, we suggest you designate specific elements to be covered.
- Be clear about the number of people who will directly benefit from your project or program.
- Explain how your project or program has high leveraging potential in terms of expansion and replication.
- If applicable, explain how your organization is better suited to carry out this program/project than other organizations with similar goals.
- Provide a concise project summary that trustees can use as a quick reference when considering your request.
- We highly encourage organizations to apply with enough time before each respective deadline to allow for any possible rewriting of LOIs or applications at the foundation's request. If time allows, we might ask for clarification or make suggestions for submissions.
When does the foundation review grant applications?
- Letters of inquiry (LOIs) are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis between January and the annual deadline.
- Applications are reviewed in October.
May we submit more than one LOI during a grant giving cycle?
Yes. The application process is the same for each LOI you submit.
May we apply for a multi-year grant?
- The foundation prefers not to enter into multi-year funding commitments. To be clear, we view a multi-year funding commitment to be one where your current application requests separate grants of funds over more than one calendar year.
- The foundation does accept applications for projects that take place over more than one year. For example, we may make a grant in Year 1 to cover a project that runs over both Year 1 and Year 2.
- If your project requires funding for more than one year to be viable or takes place over more than one year, please be sure to indicate that on the LOI/application.
What if we miss a deadline?
- LOIs and applications will not be accepted after the deadline.
How soon will we hear from the foundation after we apply?
- We respond to LOIs typically within a few weeks.
- Notification as to the acceptance of applications is typically in early to mid-November.
- Add administrator@grantinterface.com and info@gouldgiving.org to your email's approved senders list; notifications are sent by email and may otherwise get caught in your spam filter.
If our application is approved, how soon before we receive funding?
Checks are usually mailed in November.
Can we send supplementary materials beyond what are asked for in the application or LOI?
Any supplementary materials will not be considered in the decision making process. We subscribe to the theory that "less is more" and appreciate a concise but thorough application.
When I log in to the external online application system, how do I start an LOI?
Click on the Apply link in the menu at the top of the page, then choose to Apply for the current year's grant cycle if the deadline has not passed.
Can we change the registered user for an application once the LOI or application is already in progress?
Only the system administrator can make this change. Please contact us for help making this change.
Do we have to complete our online submission in one sitting or can we do it over time?
You can save your LOI or application as a draft and return to it later. We recommend you save periodically as you are working. Please pay attention to deadlines and be sure to complete your submission on time. The form is not received by the foundation until you click "submit."
Can we delete a draft LOI or application?
No; once you have saved a draft, only the system administrator can delete it. If you have a draft that you would like to abandon, please contact us to request that we delete it for you.
Is there a way to provide the foundation with the information requested in the application as document uploads if we do not have a digital copy available?
Yes. Applicants can use the "fax to file" feature which allows you to convert hard copy documents to an electronic format. The fax, once converted to a PDF format, is not automatically uploaded or transferred to the foundation. You will need to save the PDF file to your computer so that you can then upload it.
Can we make changes to our application or LOI after we have pressed the submit button?
No. If you need to make changes before the deadline, contact us to request that your LOI or application be returned to draft status. You will then be able to make changes and resubmit
How can we confirm that the foundation has received our online LOI or application submission?
You can check the status of a submission on the home page of the online application system.
Can we print a copy of the LOI and/or application questions before we begin responding?
Yes. At the top of the LOI and application pages, click "Question List".
Can we print a copy of the completed LOI and/or application?
Yes. At the top of the LOI and application pages, click on the respective "Packet" button and proceed from there.
Where can we get help as we are completing the LOI or application?
If after reading through the website and FAQ pages, you require more assistance, send us a detailed email describing your question/problem. You can save your incomplete LOI or application as a draft and return to it later. Our foundation administrator will respond as quickly as possible.
Who can complete the on-line follow-up report?
The report will have been automatically assigned to the person who completed the application and can only be reassigned by a system administrator. If you need to have a change made, contact us for assistance.
We received a reminder that our follow-up report was due in two weeks but have already submitted it. What does this mean?
That email was auto-generated when your application was approved. If you have already submitted your follow-up report you can disregard the reminder.
Is there a way to determine if we already submitted our follow-up report?
Yes. On the online application system's home page you will see the status as either Submitted or Assigned.
General Questions
Application Process
Online System
Reporting
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