Grant Application Guidelines
The Meadows Foundation exists to assist people and institutions of Texas improve the quality and circumstance of life for themselves and future generations. Under the terms of its charter, the Foundation can distribute grants only to qualified public entities or 501(c)(3) charities serving the people of Texas. The Foundation does not lend or grant money to individuals.
Grants are made in five categories:
- Arts and Culture
- Civic and Public Affairs
- Health
- Human Services
- Education
Within these categories of giving, there are currently three initiatives.
- Support of the natural environment
- Improving the educational outcomes of Texas children (K-12)
- Mental health services
The Foundation provides grants throughout the State of Texas but tries to allocate between one-third and one-half of its grant resources to organizations helping those in the Dallas area. Applications for specific programs or projects, capital projects and less often, for general operations, are considered. Endowment and scholarship grants are rare. The Foundation also considers program-related investment loans as part of its grantmaking activities.
Requests of any amount are considered. There is no formal application form. There are no deadlines. Grant applications are accepted at any time. Each organization is limited to one application within a twelve-month period. Applications are usually processed within three to four months.
The Foundation looks for one or more of the following conditions in an application:
- Foundation support would be vital or catalytic to a proposed project's success
- The project is well planned and the agency has the capacity to execute the plan
- Financial support from other sources exists to ensure that the project will be implemented and continue after the grant period. It will expedite the review process if between one-third and one-half of the needed project funds have been secured before applying
In general, grants are not made for purposes of:
- Church or seminary construction
- Underwriting fund-raising events
- Annual sustentation drives
- Professional conferences and symposia unless directly related to our areas of high interest
- Out-of-state travel expenses for performances or competition
- Support of single artistic events or performances
Applicants are encouraged to search the grants database at www.mfi.org (under the Grants menu) to see the types of grants the Foundation makes. Also, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the site provides additional useful information.
Applications should include:
- Organization Information a brief history of the organization, its current focus and recent accomplishments:
- a copy of the latest verification of tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service
- certified audits for the last three years (if a young agency, send last fiscal years statements and the last IRS Form 990 filed)
- the organization's current operating budget and year-to-date financial statements
- Market and Customers current population served including socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender, age, and geographic location.
- Project Description a statement of need for the proposed project and a description of how it will address that need.
- Targets and Outcomes who will be served and what specific results are expected from the proposed activities and within what stated time period?
- Key Individuals list of directors and corporate officers including profession, ethnicity, gender, and names and qualifications of key staff involved with the proposed project.
- Financial Projections a project line item budget including income and expenses.
- the specific dollar amount requested from the Foundation and date payment is needed
- a list of all entities asked to give financial support to the proposed project (include their responses to date and dollar amount committed)
- financial support for the project after the grant period
- Verification and Learning plans to measure progress against expected outcomes.
- include current or baseline levels, if available
- describe program data to be collected and how it will be used to improve the program (evaluation guidelines are available in the Grants section of www.mfi.org)
Applications are acknowledged within a week. The Foundation prefers to schedule face-to-face meetings after receiving an application to ensure that staff is familiar with the proposed project and can offer informed advice. However, grants staff members are available by phone or email to respond to inquiries at any time and we may schedule pre-grant interviews as time permits.
Progress reports on goals and expenditures of grant funds are required of all grantees.
Grant applications may be submitted over the Internet. However, the Foundation cannot guarantee the confidentiality of information contained in electronic submittals. Convenient downloadable and online grant application guidelines are available at www.mfi.org. Please do not attempt to attach files to online applications. Please address grant correspondence to:
Grants Administration Department
The Meadows Foundation
3003 Swiss Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204-6049
214-826-9431 (1-800-826-9431 outside the Dallas area)
214-827-7042 (fax) www.mfi.org
Note: Written grant guidelines are also available in Spanish.
