All applicants must:

1. Have either 501(c)(3) tax status OR a Fiscal Sponsor & a Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement letter
   • in the case of local organizations/affiliates with a larger parent organization, the local organization/affiliate must have its own 501 (c) (3) status
2. Meet Revenue Eligibility Criteria:
   • 501 (c) (3) organizations must have annual revenue between $200,000 and $2 million, as reported on the Total Revenue line 12 of its most recent IRS Form 990
   • organizations with fiscal sponsors must have annual revenue between $200,000 and $2 million certified in a letter from its Fiscal Sponsor, including only that which would be reported on the Total Revenue line 12 of IRS Form 990
   • Organizations must be in solid financial standing and have filed requisite Massachusetts Form PC and IRS 990 filings. TPC typically does not fund organizations with significant year over year operating losses or less than 3 months of cash reserves to cover operations.
3. Meet Geographic Eligibility Criteria:
   • An eligible applicant must be located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, or for national organizations, have a site within this area, defined largely as towns falling within the I-495 loop, plus:
     • Amesbury, Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence, Lowell
     • Maynard, Hudson, Marlborough, Milford, Franklin
     • Massachusetts towns north of the intersection of I-495 and Rt. 25
4. Meet Mission Eligibility Criteria:
   • An applicant must address in its mission one or more of the following:
     • Poverty
     • Income inequality
     • Employment opportunity and readiness
     • Educational opportunity and readiness
     • Health and wellness
     • Social bias (e.g., gender, ethnic, and/or racial)

These applicants or funding requests are ineligible:

• Political, international, or 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations
• Organizations that provide any religious programming, instruction or proselytizing on behalf of a particular religion
• Family foundations
• Local organizations or affiliates of a larger parent organization that lack their own independent 501(c)(3) status
• “Pass through” or conduit organizations
• Funding requests for capital campaigns will also not be accepted

In fairness to all applicants, no exceptions will be made.

With the Letter of Intent Submission

For a 501 (c) (3) organization:

• Most recent IRS Form 990

For an organization with a Fiscal Sponsor:

• A copy of its fiscal sponsor agreement letter, and
• A letter from the Fiscal Sponsor certifying the applicant’s revenue, including only that which would be reported on the Total Revenue line 12 of IRS Form 990

With the Full Proposal Submission
(sample financial documents that we may ask for this year)

For a 501 (c) (3) organization:

• Certified Financial Review or Audit (with all notes for the last 2 fiscal years);
• Full Year and Year to date (YTD) Income Statement and Balance Sheet since filing of most recent 990; and
• List of grants over $2500 with their amounts and terms for the last two fiscal years.

For an organization with a Fiscal Sponsor:

• Income Statement for the last 2 years;
• Balance Sheet for the last 2 years; and
• YTD Income Statement and Balance Sheet.

The Philanthropy Connection is a collective giving organization. Each year, approximately one-half of our 250+ members volunteer to evaluate Letters of Intent and Grant Proposals. Volunteers are organized into six to eight person Grant Review Teams and three Team leaders are appointed: a Captain and Deputy, and a Finance Lead responsible for evaluating an applicant’s financial statements. Here is how our grants process operates internally:

December 
• Team leaders participate in training sessions focused on TPC’s rigorous and systematic grant evaluation process.

• All grant team members are asked to sign a form agreeing to our Conflict of Interest Policy before evaluating any applications.

• Each Grant Review Team evaluates a set of Letters of Intent (LOI) applications (sample application), due to TPC on a certain date in December.

January:
• Each Team reviews its LOIs and determines which non-profit organizations will be invited to submit a Full Proposal, notifying applicants in January.

February:
• Full proposals due to TPC and evaluated by teams.

April:
• Teams determine which non-profits will be asked for site visits, notifying applicants in late March.
• Teams conduct site visits by mid-April.

May:
• Teams recommend applicants for TPC’s ballot.
• Each TPC member receives a ballot, and casts her vote for which applicants receive funding, with non-profits notified of voting results.
• Applicant finalists will be notified in mid-to-late May about grant awards.

June
Grant Awards & All-Member Meeting: grantees attend and celebrate with us.

Grants FAQs

What is TPC’s funding source?
Our members! TPC has four levels of membership: Sustainer ($2,500), Catalyst ($1,200), Partner ($600), and Friend ($300). Each year, a portion of each member’s investment is added to a pool of money and divided in up to 10 equal grants awarded to local non-profits selected via our collective process.

To read more about how collective giving works, click here.

What is TPC’s grant-making process?
TPC members volunteer to participate in the grant review process. Volunteers are organized into six to eight person Grant Review Teams, and three Team leaders are appointed: a Captain, a Deputy, and a Finance Lead responsible for evaluating an applicant’s financial statements.

These Team leaders participate in training sessions focused on TPC’s rigorous and systematic grant evaluation process. Afterwards, each Grant Review Team is allocated a set of Letter of Intent (LOI) applications to evaluate. Based on the information provided in these applications, each Team determines which organizations will be invited to submit a Full Proposal. Teams evaluate these Full Proposals and choose which organizations will be asked for Site Visits. At the completion of these Site Visits, Teams recommend which organizations will be placed on TPC’s ballot for all members to vote upon in May. Each member casts one vote, regardless of her age and financial contribution, and applicants with the most votes receive grants. The new grantees are announced and have the opportunity to meet our members at our Annual Meeting, which will be held on for the current grant cycle.

Can I still apply to TPC if I do not meet all the criteria listed here?
We love to learn about organizations that are doing good work. However, due to the large number of qualified applicants that we receive each year, we must be consistent in applying eligibility criteria and we cannot accept applications that do not meet them.

Are TPC grants limited to organizations providing services for women only?
No. TPC funds programs and organizations serving all people, not just women.

If my organization has received a TPC grant in the past, may we apply again?
All current grantees are eligible to apply for another year of funding (whether second or third consecutive year). All other past grantees are eligible to apply at the LOI stage.

How will I know my completed application was received?
Each applicant receives an email confirming that its application was received. Application form will allow for the executive director’s email and an additional contact’s email. Those emails will receive the submission receipt.

How may TPC’s grant funding be used?
This year TPC is awarding only unrestricted general operating grants.

May an organization submit more than one grant proposal? No.

Will my organization have a dedicated contact at TPC if we receive a grant?
Yes. Through the TPC Liaison Initiative, each grantee will have a team of two members who serve as its main points of contact with TPC. A TPC Liaison will contact you within the first quarter of your grant award to schedule a time to meet with you and your team. At this introductory meeting, you will learn more about TPC and we will learn more about your organization. We also encourage you utilize our liaison program stay in touch with the broader TPC membership throughout the year. Liaisons will be in touch with you to invite you to participate in 1-2 events, publicize a “wish list” to our membership and publicize your events on our social media. Past recipients have found volunteers, donors and board members through this continued exposure.

If my organization receives a grant, will we be required to communicate periodic status updates to TPC?
Grantees are expected to meet with their TPC Liaison at the middle and end of the grant year to discuss the program’s status, how you have used the grant relative to your planned expenditure, factors leading to success, the impact of our grant on your community and obstacles encountered. In addition, your organization will be required to submit a written interim and final report, the requirements of which are spelled out in Section II of the Grant Letter Agreement.

Are there additional ways that TPC members can get to know more about our organization and vice versa?
Yes. Along with attending your organization’s annual fundraiser and/or gala as specified in the Grant Letter Agreement, there are several ways for us to learn more about one another. TPC Liaisons facilitate this interaction and connect grantees to the larger TPC Board and membership. Grantees seeking volunteers and other support will have the additional opportunity to share their organizational priorities with TPC members through mechanisms such as our newsletter and speaking engagements. In addition, TPC would wholeheartedly welcome invitations to attend other events held at your organization during the year.

 

Questions about Financial Documentation and Reporting

What financial information must be submitted with our application?

For the LOI application:
Organizations must include the following with their LOI application:

1) 501(c)(3) status letter OR Fiscal Sponsor agreement letter

2) Most recent IRS Form 990 OR letter from the Fiscal Sponsor certifying the applicant’s revenue, including only that which would be reported on the Total Revenue line of IRS Form 990

Sample attachments we may ask for in the full proposal stage:
For a 501(c)(3) organization:
1) Certified Financial Review or Audit (with all notes) for the last two fiscal years;
2) Year to Date Actual vs. Budget for current fiscal year
3) List of grants over $2500 with their amounts and terms for the last two fiscal years.

For an organization with a Fiscal Sponsor:
1) Income Statement for the last two years;
2) Balance Sheet for the last two years;
3) Year to Date Actual vs. Budget for current fiscal year
4) List of grants over $2500 with amount and terms for the last two years.

We look forward to learning about your organization. If you have a question not answered in the FAQs above, please email connect@thephilanthropyconnection.org.