Call
We encourage you to call the Program Officer for your region before you apply. Through this call, you can determine whether your project is a good fit for the Foundation, determine an appropriate request amount, and get all your questions answered.
Apply
Apply to the Foundation online by registering your organization here.
Please contact your Program Officer or grants@buellfoundation.org if you are unable to submit your application online.
Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
You will receive a confirmation email upon submitting your grant. Please contact Bill Inama at grants@buellfoundation.org if you do not receive this confirmation.
Proposal Review & Site Visit
Your proposal will be assigned to one of the Foundation’s Program Officers for review. This review will include a thorough analysis of your organization’s programs and financial statements, a site visit, and a report to the Board of Trustees.
Visiting applicants is a priority for the Foundation. You can expect to spend time with your assigned Program Officer in-person, at your organization (or by phone if a personal visit is not possible). These visits typically last between one and two hours. It is during this time that the Program Officer will get to know your organization better and ask any questions from their review of your proposal and financials.
Setting a Quality Goal
Either at your site visit or after your visit, you will work with your Program Officer to develop a quality goal. We work with all partners to promote a culture of continuous quality improvement. We will talk with you about best practices related to your program and help you determine a challenging, attainable goal for the coming year. We will check in with you throughout the year to hear about your progress and offer support.
Board Decision
Approximately four months after your proposal submission, the Board of Trustees will be provided with a report prepared by the Program Officers about each applicant. It is at the Board of Trustees meeting that they decide whether or not your proposal will be funded and at what amount.
Award Notification & Payment
If your proposal is funded, you will receive a contract by email. This contract will describe how much funding you will receive, the program that is to be funded, and any conditions that may be placed on the funds (e.g. a mid-year report requirement to release a second payment). We ask that signed contracts be returned to the Foundation within two weeks.
If your proposal is not funded, you will receive a declination letter. Please feel free to call your Program Officer with any questions that you may have.
After your contract is received, the Foundation will process your payment. Our goal is to pay grants within three weeks of receipt of contract.
Report
We require a final report one month after the grant period ends. An invitation to complete the final report in our online grants management system will be sent via email.
If you plan to apply for another grant before the end of the current grant period (you may apply at the same grant deadline every year), you will be asked to provide information on activities to date in the online grant application. Previously, the Buell Foundation required this information in an interim report using the Common Grant Report Form. We no longer require a separate interim report submission.
Ongoing Check-Ins
We view the funding relationship as a partnership between ourselves and our grantee organizations. As such, we seek ongoing communication about the project or any other important changes that take place. Your Program Officer will also check in with you part way through the year about the quality goal that you identified during the review process.
Remember that we are available throughout the year. Call or email us with any questions, updates, or needs.