Are there general guidelines for each grant program?

Each of the Foundation's grant programs has a different purpose, application requirements, and deadline - 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.

And, we work with our generous donors, volunteer committee members, and among our own staff to develop criteria by which we evaluate applicants. You'll be able to find out more about the specifics 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.

If an organization that has received funding from you recently has questions about which program best fits their work, should they ask their current program officer?

Go ahead and reach out to your current contact at the Foundation with any questions you might have. Or you can reach out to us at (401) 427-4041 or by emailing grants@rifoundation.org. We will work as a team to get you a clear answer. 

We expect to do lobbying and advocacy work as part of our project. Do you fund that? 

Yes. Making positive community change often requires systems change and policy work, and nonprofits play an important role in policy making and advocacy. The Foundation is permitted within relevant limits to support these activities.

For programmatic grants, for reporting purposes, we must ask if any of your grant funds will be spent on lobbying activities.

Nonprofits are required to track and report both direct and grassroots lobbying activities separately:

• Direct lobbying is communication with any member or employee of a legislative body or similar body or any government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of legislation, if the purpose of the communication is to influence legislation.
• Grassroots lobbying is attempting to affect the opinions of the general public by referring to specific legislation, reflecting a view on that legislation, and encouraging the public to take action about the specific legislation.

Please note that advocacy includes a wide range of activities, including public education, messaging and communications, coalition-building, grassroots organizing, and policy analysis.

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. That said – organizations or collaborations planning advocacy and policy work within or across any of the community priorities are welcome to apply for any of the three core grant programs.  

Are there opportunities for funding for capital needs?  

Not through our core grant programs. However, there may be opportunities through our Impact Investing program, or other topic-specific programs. Please reach out to our team for more information.  

Can organizations apply for more than one of the new core grant programs in the same year?  

Organizations can apply for more than one core grant program in the same year, but 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 Community Priority, Capacity Building, or Catalyst grant. 

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. 

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 three 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. 

Do these grant programs replace grant programs that are topic- and geographic-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 still available to organizations of all sizes?

Requests of up to $5,000 for basic human needs will still be considered through the standalone Basic Human Needs Grant Program. That said, larger grant requests that include a basic human needs component with wrap-around services should be directed to the 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.

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.  
• There will be only a few Catalyst grants made each year. 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. 

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. 

Are there any limits on the number of pre-applications organizations can submit to the new core grant programs?

We prefer organizations submit one pre-application per program. 

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 Capacity Building team.  

Is a pre-application meeting required for the new 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.  

I would like to submit a grant report – what should I do?

Reports for grants awarded in 2024 can be accessed by logging into your account.  If you are unable to access your report through the portal, please contact reports@rifoundation.org for assistance. 

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.