Grantmaking Process

GRANT APPLICATION

OUR GRANT PROCESS IS NOW INVITATION-ONLY!

After being invited to apply, grant applications are due on May 1 and November 1 through our Online Grantee Portal. If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a US federal holiday, the submission deadline is the next business day.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
As part of your online application, you will be asked to provide the following information through our online form:

1. Three to five anticipated outcomes of your project. Grantees invited to submit an application for general support should leave these fields blank.
2. Summaries of your organization’s health, finances and commitment to diversity and social justice.

You will also be asked to provide the following attachments:

3. A project description (no longer than five pages) which includes a work plan and timetable, a detailed budget that covers the entire project (and not just what Bullitt funds would cover) and funding plan for the 12-month period the grant will be in operation.
4. A list of the officers and board members of your organization.
5. The organization’s current budget and a Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet) that shows year over year details, and a Statement of Activities (income statement or profit and loss). Fiscal sponsors should submit documents for both organizations.
6. The organization’s IRS 990 Form. Canadian organizations should submit proof of Canadian Charity status.
7. An audited financial statement for the prior year (if available).
8. Other attachments may be included, but only if they are essential for the Foundation to understand the proposed project.

NEXT STEPS IN APPLICATION PROCESS:
Please allow up to six months for staff and the board of trustees to thoroughly review applications and documents.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
To get started, log into our Online Grantee Portal. Please answer all questions completely, with the understanding that brevity is appreciated. If clarity is needed, a program officer may contact you to discuss the idea in more detail.

If you have trouble logging in, have new staff who need portal access, or need help accessing your account, please email our staff at grants@bullitt.org.

GRANT YEAR-END REPORT
The Bullitt Foundation requires each grantee to submit a final report at the completion of its grant, with reports due by March 1 or September 1 (please refer to your grant agreement for the deadline). If the organization needs additional time to complete its work under a grant, it should request an extension by contacting the Foundation’s program officer listed on the Grant Agreement. If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a US federal holiday, the submission deadline is the next business day.

To submit your final report, log in to the Online Grantee Portal.  If your final report is due and you have not yet received (or have forgotten) a user name and password for the grantee portal, please email our staff at grants@bullitt.org.

In your report, you will be asked to:

1. Describe the most significant accomplishment your organization has achieved in the past year related to the issue area of your grant. We are not looking for a list of activities, but rather a concise and thoughtful description of how your organization achieved its mission or made the world measurably better. This paragraph should be no more than 4-5 sentences and is the most important part of the final report.
2. Describe lessons learned. The Foundation is interested in lessons drawn from successes and failures alike. What strategies worked that might be replicated elsewhere? What approaches fell short of expectations, and why?
3. Describe (if applicable) how this project addressed issues of Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion.
4. Describe the overall health of the organization.
5. Review the budget information and funding plan from the application submitted to the Foundation, describe the organization’s general financial status, and explain any major discrepancies from the information submitted in the application.
6. For each of the “anticipated outcomes” you identified when applying for the grant, describe the most notable successes, failures, and unanticipated consequences you experienced. Grantees awarded a general support grant should have alternate questions related to the opportunities presented from receiving general operating funds.

WHAT DOES YOUR GRANT CYCLE LOOK LIKE?

Grant inquiries are no longer accepted and full proposals are invitation-only for final submission by May 1st and November 1st. Once a full proposal is awarded, grantees will have an 11-13 month work period, depending on when the grant agreement is sent. Final reports are due by March 1st and September 1st and submission of a final report allows the cycle to restart again.

• Proposals Due: May 1st and November 1st (exact date may be later based on the number of inquiries submitted)
• Grants Awarded: Late August, Early October, Early December, Late February, Early April
• Final Report Due: September 1st and March 1st

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING?

The Foundation invites inquiries from nonprofit organizations that are working to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. Our funding region is defined as the Emerald Corridor, consisting of the urban area west of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. Within that geographic range, a priority will be placed on projects and initiatives that promote sustainability within the three major metropolitan regions anchored by the cities of Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC.

To be eligible, US organizations must have a current nonprofit tax status under the Internal Revenue Act. Applicants must have a 501(c)(3) determination letter, or identify themselves as a validly organized and operating municipal corporation, public agency, or Native American tribe.

Canadian applicants must have a Canadian Certificate of Incorporation and charity registration documents to be eligible. Questions about Canadian charitable tax status may be directed to grants@bullitt.org.

Charitable grantees sometimes contract to provide fiscal sponsorship for projects of other groups. However, such relationships are strictly between the grantee and the other groups. The charitable grantee is responsible for administering the grant, for ensuring that no funds are misspent, and for achieving the objectives described in the proposal. Organizations that have applied for charitable tax status are not eligible to apply for a grant from The Bullitt Foundation until their charitable status has been acknowledged in writing by the federal government.

The Bullitt Foundation does not make grants to individuals.

DOES THE FOUNDATION PREFER TO RECEIVE A LETTER OF INQUIRY?

We no longer accept inquiries and are moving to an invitation-only proposal process. The Bullitt Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, or applications in hardcopy or by mail, email, or fax.

WHEN ARE THE APPLICATION DEADLINES AND WHAT IF THE DEADLINE FALLS ON A WEEKEND?

Grant applications are due May 1 and November 1 for organizations invited to apply by a Program Officer. Applications must be submitted to our Online Grantee Portal no later than midnight Pacific Time, on the deadline date.

For due dates that fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or a US federal holiday, the submission deadline is the next business day.

IF I CURRENTLY HAVE A GRANT WITH THE FOUNDATION, WHAT MUST I DO BEFORE SUBMITTING ANOTHER APPLICATION?

The Foundation requires current grantees to complete a 12-month grant year and to file a final report before reapplying. Submission of the final report completes all requirements of the current grant.

DOES THE FOUNDATION CONSIDER SPECIAL REQUESTS FOR UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS OR TIME-SENSITIVE NEEDS?

The Foundation will consider special requests in response to unforeseen situations or time-sensitive needs. However, funds for such grants are very limited, and approval standards are high. Current grantees are not precluded from submitting a special request. Interested applicants should contact the appropriate program officer to determine eligibility.

DOES THE FOUNDATION FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING EQUIPMENT, BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, AND LAND ACQUISITIONS?

No.

DOES THE FOUNDATION FUND UNIVERSITY OVERHEAD COSTS?

No.

DOES THE FOUNDATION FUND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS?

No. However, The Foundation does administer the Bullitt Environmental Fellowship, a two-year, $50,000/year fellowship for graduate students interested in pursuing leadership positions within the environmental field.

DOES THE FOUNDATION FUND LEGISLATION AND LOBBYING?

The Foundation cannot designate any portion of its grants for use in influencing legislation. The Foundation’s general support grants to Section 501(c)(3) public charities may be used to support a grantee’s overall operations, even if the grantee engages in lobbying as part of its programs. Foundation funds may never be used to support or oppose candidates for political office.

DOES THE FOUNDATION SPONSOR CONFERENCES, FUND RAISERS, MARATHONS, COMPETITIONS, FESTIVALS, OR OTHER ONE-TIME EVENTS?

The Board of Directors has decided not to accept any sponsorship invitations.

DOES THE FOUNDATION FUND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECTS?

We know that cuts in school budgets have reduced access to the hands-on experiences teachers are trying to provide. However, we simply don’t have sufficient resources to support the many site specific and local programs that seek to fill these gaps.

DOES THE FOUNDATION FUND FILM PROJECTS?

We do not invest in film, documentary, or other one-time projects. We seek funding opportunities that hold the promise of systemic change with clearly defined metrics of how impacts can be measured. By its very nature, this is difficult to assess in broadcast and fine media.

HOW LONG IS THE GRANT APPLICATION EVALUATION PROCESS?

Once invited to apply, the grant application evaluation process can take approximately five months in length. Applicants will be informed of the board decision by email.

WHAT HAS THE FOUNDATION FUNDED IN THE PAST?

Please see our Grantees List for awards dating 2015-today. The Bullitt Foundation does not award grants to individuals.