How To Apply for a Grant

Important Note: For 2010 the Dresher Foundation is not accepting applications from organizations that we have not previously funded. The Dresher Foundation cannot guarantee eligibility for renewed funding to all previously funded organizations.

Applying for a grant from The Dresher Foundation is a three-step process:

Pre-Approval
Letter of Inquiry
Grant Application

Grant applications will only be accepted after pre-approval and a Letter of Inquiry are received. Please do not send a grant application unless you are contacted.

1. Pre-Approval

Complete the Pre-Approval Questionnaire.
If the questionnaire is successfully completed, please contact the Foundation either by telephone or email to determine if there is interest in receiving a Letter of Inquiry; only if approval is given then proceed to the next step.

2. Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

After you have received pre-approval, please submit a Letter of Inquiry. (You can download the LOI here.)
LOI deadlines are listed and highlighted here.
The Screening Committee reviews LOIs at their meetings five times per year.
The Screening Committee decides if an organization's mission and programs are compatible with the mission and interests of the foundation.
Your organization will be contacted within 72 hours of a Screening Committee meeting as to whether or not a grant application will be accepted.

3. Grant Application

Please send a full application only after you have been contacted by foundation staff.
Submit one copy of the application and attachments. Include only those materials specifically requested in the grant application.
Please do not send the application in a binder or folder.
All inquiries should be directed to the foundation office. Direct communication with individual trustees concerning applications is discouraged.

If a grant application is accepted

If a grant application will be considered it should be received by the next grant deadline. (You can download the grant application here.)
Grant deadlines are listed and highlighted here.
You may receive telephone calls, emails and/or a site visit for clarification of the application.
You may be asked to submit additional supporting information.
The board of trustees makes the final decision on whether to fund, the amount any conditions.
Your organization will receive notification of the trustees’ decision within 72 hours of their meeting.

Site Visits

After submission of a grant application, the staff may contact you to arrange a site visit. The site visit will be made at a mutually convenient time. The purpose of the visit is to learn more about your organization, to discuss in more detail the grant application, and/or to meet staff and/or clients. It is also an opportunity to answer your questions about the Foundation and its grantmaking process. A site visit is not necessarily conducted for every application and is not an assurance of funding.

If a grant is awarded

Your organization will receive an award letter and two copies of a Letter of Agreement. Both copies of the Agreement must be returned to the foundation office.
A countersigned copy of the Agreement, the check and a post grant form will be sent to you within six weeks from the board meeting.
The post grant report must be completed within one-year of the check's receipt The post grant report is specific to your application.
Do not combine the mailing of a post-grant report with a Letter of Inquiry or a new grant request. A post grant report must be received prior to seeking approval to submit a Letter of Inquiry or a grant application.

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