STEP ONE

To be considered for a grant from the Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation, an organization must initially submit a Letter of Intent online. The online form of the Letter of Intent appears on the site.

Specific guidelines for application eligibility apply to any program or organization who wishes to submit a Letter of Intent. In order to complete the on-line form of the Letter of Intent, which is on this web site, a program or organization must confirm (by checking the appropriate box on the Letter of Intent form) that it meets the specific eligibility guidelines, which are set forth in detail on the Letter of Intent page of this web site.

A Letter of Intent submitted by an organization or on behalf of any program which the Foundation in its absolute discretion determines for any reason not be eligible, will be rejected without notice.

A Letter of Intent may not exceed 3 pages in length. The online form of the Letter of Intent permits narrative information to be provided for items 1-6 of not more than one-half of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet  of paper, single-spaced.

Once submitted, the Letter of Intent normally will be reviewed and considered by the Board of Directors at it's regularly scheduled board meeting next following such submission. This review process normally takes between 4 and 10 weeks. Generally, one of three decisions is made: the request of an organization may be turned down; an organization may be invited to submit a formal grant application; or a grant may be made based on upon a review of the Letter of Intent in limited circumstances. All eligible organizations submitting a Letter of Intent will be informed of the Foundation's decision by email.

STEP TWO

Directions for completing the grant application will be provided to an organization, if it is invited to submit one. Only "invited" grant applications will be considered.

If an organization is invited to submit a formal grant application, the following procedures are to be followed:

1 Complete and return The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation "Grant Application Questionnaire" form. This is the single most important part of the grant request submission process. The Questionnaire may be completed electronically at our website, www.ackermanfoundation.org, and mailed along with the required supporting documents. A grant application will not be accepted until all of the required materials are received by the Foundation.

2. Include verification that the charitable organization requesting the grant is at present a charitable organization under Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) and California & Revenue Taxation Code Section 2370d; copies of the determination letters from the Internal Revenue and Franchise Tax Board must accompany the initial request. The grant request must specify whether the requesting organization is a "public charity" (IRC §509(a)(1, 2 or 3) or a "private foundation."

3. Provide a detailed budget of your organization and the specific project, including other sources of  funding, whether committed, conditional or potential.

4. Provide financial statements, including income and expenses statements (audited, if available) for the past two years for your organization.

5. Provide a current list of Board of Directors of organization.

PLEASE CAREFULLY MAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Conciseness and clarity are the most highly regarded attributes of a grant request rather than elaborate (and cumbersome) notebooks or other relatively expensive formats.

A condition and requirement of every grant is the obligation and undertaking to provide the Foundation with a 6-month progress report concerning the specific project, program or other activity supported by the grant.  A progress report is expected to be an accurate report of how the grant was expended, as well as an assessment of the outcome(s) achieved.  The analysis of outcomes should include where possible an identification of areas for improvement.  The progress report is due 6-months following receipt of the grant. The progress report must include the date of receipt of the grant award.  In future grant making considerations, the Board of Directors will take into account the failure of an organization to submit a progress report as well as the submission of a progress report which is merely cursory in form.

The Board of Directors recently adopted a new policy that allows a grantee organization to reapply for a new grant beginning in the calendar year following the later of the second annual anniversary of the date of approval by the Board of Directors of its most recent grant or date of payment of the final installment of a multi-year grant.  This policy also applies if the grantee organization submits a proposal for the same program or a new program for consideration.

The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation considers grant applications in written form only. If the Board desires further information following initial review of the request, the applicant will be contacted by a Foundation representative. Board decisions are communicated in writing, usually within 30 days of the date the Board considers the request.  The Board meets three or four times a year.  Generally, a grant request received within 30 days of a Board meeting will be deferred for action until the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. Please contact the Foundation for specific deadline dates for submitting grant applications. All grant applications and inquiries should be directed to:
 

The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation
3755 Avacado Blvd. #518
La Mesa, California 91941-7301
(619) 741-0113
www.ackermanfoundation.org