Grant Program FAQs
For more information, please review the frequently asked questions about our grant programs and our grantmaking policies below, and visit our Applicant Login page here.
Are there general guidelines for each grant program?
The Foundation's grant programs have different purposes, application requirements, and deadlines - please remember to carefully review the information provided, or linked, via the grants directory.
How does the Foundation decide who to make grants to?
Most importantly, we believe that Rhode Islanders can best be helped by organizations that both reflect and serve our diverse community. The Foundation does not fund any applicant or program with a discriminatory policy that is unlawful or inconsistent with either our mission or values.
The funding that supports our grantmaking comes from funds established at the Rhode Island Foundation by our generous donors. Some of these funds have specific focus areas which play a role in our decision making.
And, we work with our donors, volunteer committee members, and among our own team members to develop criteria by which we evaluate applicants. You'll be able to find out more about the review process for each grant program using our grants directory.
Do I need to talk to a member of your team before applying or will I need to have a pre-application meeting?
Please check the specifics for each grant program using our grants directory. That said, we welcome your inquiry in advance of applying. Please feel free to reach out to us at (401) 427-4041 or by emailing grants@rifoundation.org.
We are not a 501(c)3 but we have a fiscal sponsor. Can we still apply for funding?
Yes. Here's a resource for you to review as you consider applying to one of our grant programs.
Can my organization apply for overhead and/or administrative costs?
We wish to understand the real costs of the project, so we encourage you to describe your administrative costs in the proposal budget.
Which sector would be the best fit for advocacy and policy work that does not spend any money on lobbying?
This depends on the nature of your work and the community priority(ies) and related focus area(s) that you are advancing.
Are there opportunities for funding for capital needs?
Not through our grant programs. However, there may be opportunities through our Impact Investing program. Please reach out to our team for more information.
I am having technical difficulties with the application. What should I do?
Contact Ian Ross at (401) 427-4012 or email grants@rifoundation.org with any technical difficulties, and we will make sure to get you the assistance you need.
Can organizations apply for more than one of the core grant programs in the same year?
Organizations can apply for more than one core grant program (i.e., Community Priority, Capacity Building, and, in years when it is offered, Catalyst) in the same year. However we would encourage you to prioritize your funding requests as when making difficult funding decisions, we will consider whether an organization has received other significant funding from us in the same year.
Organizations can also still apply for grants from other topic- and geography-specific programs such as Equity Action and Newport County Fund, in addition to applying for a core grant program.
Is a pre-application meeting required for the core grant programs?
No, the simple pre-application will take the place of a pre-application meeting. You can navigate to more information on the core grant programs and pre-application questions by visiting the Grants Opportunities page here.
Will you accept applications from fiscal sponsors for the three core grant programs?
Yes, we recognize there are entities and efforts without a 501(c)(3) IRS designation that align with our funding priorities. In these cases, we may consider grant applications from groups using a fiscal sponsor that have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation.
If an organization is serving as a fiscal agent for another entity, that organization may also be eligible for a separate grant from another one of our grant programs to support its own organization.
Smaller nonprofits often struggle for competitive funding due to capacity, limited resources, and credibility, even when execution of their mission is strong. How will these factors be considered?
We understand. This is one of the reasons we’ve created a pre-application for our three core grant programs - to make the initial step in the grant application process more accessible.
For the Community Priority program, we’ve tailored our general operating guidelines to be responsive to the needs of smaller and mid-sized nonprofits.
What is the Foundation’s approach to general operating support for the core programs?
The Foundation seeks to continue our practice of making general operating grants accessible and substantive for small and midsized nonprofit organizations. Based on a review of our past grantmaking and best practices from across the sector, we are using the following budget guidelines to inform our use of general operating support for the Community Priorities program.
Please note that these guidelines are general parameters to assist the Foundation team. Organizations are welcome to reach out with questions to clarify their specific situation during the application process.
Annual Operating Budget Size - Under $150,000
Funding Guidelines - Up to $40,000
Annual Operating Budget Size - $150,001-$400,000
Funding Guidelines - Up to $50,000
Annual Operating Budget Size - $400,001-$1,000,000
Funding Guidelines - Up to $65,000
Annual Operating Budget Size - $1,000,001-$2,500,000
Funding Guidelines - Up to $75,000
Annual Operating Budget Size - $2,500,001-$5,000,000
Funding Guidelines - Up to $150,000
Annual Operating Budget Size - Over $5,000,000
Funding Guidelines - General operating grants will not be prioritized
Are there any limits on the number of pre-applications organizations can submit to the core grant programs?
We prefer organizations submit one pre-application per program cycle.
How should applicants decide whether to apply under the Catalyst or Community Priority programs?
Please review the details of each program by clicking here for Catalyst Grant details and here for Community Priority Grant details. That said, please note:
- The Community Priorities grant program supports the core work of nonprofits aligned with the community priorities described in the Foundation’s Five-Year Action Plan.
- When offered, the Catalyst program would make only a small number of grants. These grants will be larger and potentially multi-year, with a focus on funding initiatives that are collaborative, innovative, and address a systemic challenge with a new approach or structure.
For the three core grant programs, will you respond to pre-applications on a rolling basis, or will applicants only hear a response to their pre-application after the deadline?
Responses to pre-applications will be made on a rolling basis. Timelines for each of our 2026 core grant programs can be found here.
If an organization is denied in the first pre-application round for one of the three core grant programs, can that organization apply in the second round for the same request?
Yes. We’re available to provide feedback and would encourage you to reach out if you have been denied and plan to resubmit.
How are you funding capacity building for nonprofits?
One of our three core grant programs is specifically designed to support capacity building efforts. The Capacity Building Grants program aims to support the needs of organizations and programs that respond to one or more of the community priorities, and related focus areas, in the Five-Year Action Plan. Capacity Building Grant requests may be up to $15,000.
Can you explain what technical assistance means to organizations who are interested in the Capacity Building Grants program?
Technical assistance is necessary when organizations cannot improve or make changes to their internal structure on their own, and may need to bring in third parties or consultants for services like financial planning, board development planning, strategic planning, fundraising, and more. If you are not sure what type of support you may need, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Director of Capacity Building.
Do the core grant programs replace grant programs that are topic- and geography-specific (like Newport County Fund Grants, Medical Research Grants, Program for Animal Welfare Grants, and more)?
No. We will continue to offer grants from our topic- and geography-specific programs, details of which can be found here.
Is Basic Human Needs funding available to organizations of all sizes?
The Basic Human Needs Program has a primary focus of providing grants of up to $5,000 to volunteer-based organizations that have minimal operational budgets. Larger organizations providing wrap around services that have a basic needs component in their work may be eligible to apply for support through our Community Priority grant program. Fulfilling basic human needs is tied to addressing social determinants of health, a focus area under the Healthy and Strong Communities community priority.
Guidance for Current Grantees
Below is some general guidance for Rhode Island Foundation grantees.
As referenced in the award notification that you received from the Foundation, we look forward to your organization undertaking this work and to learning together from your experience and outcomes. The information here will help to guide our approach to impact and learning, public relations, open dialogue, other supports, and questions.
Impact and Learning
Learning from grantees about the impact of their work is very important to the Foundation and the generous donors that we partner with to help strengthen our communities and enhance the quality of life in our state.
The Foundation welcomes updates from grantees and invites them to provide reports on the goals, activities, and outcomes detailed in their grant proposals at some point before or shortly after the end of a grant term.
The Foundation welcomes grantees to share relevant news, upcoming events related to efforts supported by grant funds, research or policy changes related to their work, or to coordinate site visits. To share updates, grantees should feel free to connect with the member of the Foundation’s Grants and Community Investments team assigned as the primary contact for their organization, or our Director of Evaluation and Learning, Katie Murray, at kmurray@rifoundation.org or (401) 427-4021.
Public Relations
Please review your specific grant award letter, as for some grant programs, the Foundation reserves the right to make the first public announcement of grant awards. If a grantee wishes to make a public announcement of a grant awarded by the Foundation, we welcome the opportunity to coordinate regarding plans for such an announcement. Grantees should contact Senior Communications and Marketing Officer, Chris Barnett, at cbarnett@rifoundation.org or (401) 427-4055 to discuss announcing their grant award.
Open Dialogue
We understand that grant projects do not always proceed exactly as they were originally conceived. Some grants do not play out in execution as anticipated in planning, changes can occur in the environment which impact a grantee’s work, and some experiments do not turn out as expected. We are always available to hear what grantees are learning along the way.
Should a grantee’s project or work take an unexpected turn, or if a change in the original purpose for which a grant was awarded may be needed, we ask that grantees consult with a member of our Grants and Community Investment Team as soon as possible.
The Foundation wants to be a helpful resource to grantees, particularly during any moments of change or challenge. Grantees should feel comfortable informing us of any relevant issues at their organization that may occur during a grant period, including any considerable changes in their board membership, organization leadership, staffing, or finances.
We always welcome grantees to share with us any good news about their project and/or organization, such as substantial new grants, growth opportunities, exciting collaborations, and promising results.
Other Supports
The Rhode Island Foundation offers capacity building assistance to nonprofits. Updated programs and resources are available on our website. Grantees may hear from us occasionally with capacity building offerings.
If there are other ways in which the Foundation can support a grantee’s organization or goals, we may be able to offer specialized guidance and coaching.
The Foundation learns best from the community we serve, so grantees should always feel free to reach out with suggestions they may have for us, our mission, and our work.
Click here to access our brand toolkit for grantees.
If you require assistance or have any further questions, contact Helen Morales, Grants & Community Investments Senior Associate, at hmorales@rifoundation.org or (401) 427-4013.
Si tiene preguntas o prefiere ayuda en español, por favor de comunicarse con Helen Moralesal correo electronico hmorales@rifoundation.org o al número telefónico 401)427-4013.