Grants

The best preparation is simply knowing your work well and being ready to talk about it honestly. Our interviews are conversational, not interrogations. Come prepared to speak to the community need your work addresses, how you know it's working, and what you hope becomes possible with support. You don't need a polished presentation or a slide deck. We're most interested in the people behind the work, the relationships you've built, and the change you're working toward. If you're unsure what to expect, don't hesitate to reach out to us before your interview.

We encourage you to reach out to us directly. Our geographic focus exists to guide our grantmaking, not to automatically disqualify organizations doing meaningful work. If you're located outside our listed counties but believe your work has a strong connection to our region or the communities we serve, let's have a conversation.

We're glad you asked. Our three grant tiers are designed to support different kinds of work at different stages, and it isn't always immediately obvious which one fits best. We encourage you to reach out to us directly. A brief conversation with our team can help you think through your work, your timeline, and what you're hoping to accomplish and point you toward the right entry point. When in doubt, submit a nomination and tell us where you're uncertain. 

We use a holistic, relationship-centered review process. That said, every submission is evaluated through five key areas:

• • COMMUNITY BENEFIT: Does this work meaningfully improve the lives of people in the community it serves?
  • COLLABORATION POTENTIAL: Does this organization work with and alongside others, or have the potential to?
  • REGIONAL IMPACT: How will this work strengthen the broader region?
  • ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS: Does this organization have the leadership, capacity, and stability to put a grant to good use?
  • ALIGNMENT WITH NEIGHBOR GRANT MAKING PILLARS: Does this work reflect the values and priorities that guide our foundation's giving?

These areas are considered together, in conversation with the full committee, and weighed alongside what we know about the organization and the community context.

Yes. We believe in long-term relationships with the organizations we support, and previous grantees are welcome to apply again. That said, each application is reviewed on its own merits for that cycle. We encourage returning applicants to reflect on what has changed, what has been learned, and what the next investment would make possible, rather than simply resubmitting a previous application.

Please only choose one grant category that fits your project or organization. We will work with you in the process to find your best fit