We are committed to respect those seeking grants by demonstrating responsiveness and objectivity in assessing how their grant requests meet EGCF mission goals. EGCF awards limited grants in the $1,000 to $15,000 range to U.S. based organizations running projects domestically and internationally, with a current focus on developing world countries. Because of our size, we carefully scrutinize applications and make only a select number of targeted grants annually.
Ideally, when projects are successful and where reporting from the recipient is complete, we will look to build an ongoing relationship around multi-year projects with proven track records.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
EGCF follows a two-stage application process - letter of inquiry, and full proposal. Because of the amount of time it takes for an applicant to develop a full grant proposal, applicants are asked to send full proposals only when requested by the Foundation. The first step for most applicants, therefore, is sending EGCF a letter of inquiry.
LETTER OF INQUIRY
Once you have determined that there is a match between your request and the Foundation's mission and goals, you may submit a Letter of Inquiry. The purpose of the Letter of Inquiry is to determine if an organization and its proposal fit within EGCF's guidelines before the applicant expends resources to develop a full proposal. A Letter of Inquiry should be submitted on the organization's letterhead and should include the following:
- Employer Identification Number to verify non-profit status
- Purpose and history of organization
- Summary goals and objectives of the project for which funding is being sought
- Current status of the project
- Project budget with amount requested
Letters may be mailed or emailed as a PDF. After submitting your Letter of Inquiry you will receive an acknowledgement, including a grant request number. We will contact you within 30 days with an initial decision. If, after 30 days, you have not heard from us, please e-mail us at and refer to your grant request number. If the project falls within the interests of the foundation, the applicant will be asked to follow up with a full proposal. A full proposal should contain the following:
- Mission statement and history of organization
- Employer Identification Number to verify non-profit status
- Project leadership identified
- Full description of the measurable goals and objectives of the project for which funding is being sought
- Detailed status and timeline of the project
- Methods of project evaluation
- Detailed Project budget with amount requested
NONPROFIT STATUS
Nonprofit organizations must generally have a valid tax exemption status under Section 501(c) (3) or 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code or be classified as a public charity and not as a "private foundation" under Section 509(a) (1), (2), or (3).
REVIEW PROCESS
There are no formal deadlines to apply for funding. EGCF currently accepts applications on an ongoing basis. However, grants are generally approved two times per year: in May and October. A proposal is needed 60 days ahead of those cycles for internal review.