FAQ – Letters of Inquiry
Are there deadlines for submitting letters of inquiry?
There are no deadlines for submitting letters of inquiry.
How long before we hear back from the Foundation after mailing our letter of inquiry?
The Foundation will respond to your letter of inquiry in approximately 30 days.
Can I set up a personal visit to the Foundation?
Grantees are encouraged to visit annually. If you are not a current grantee, you must first submit a letter of inquiry. If an invitation to submit a proposal is offered by the Foundation, a visit to the Foundation may be possible.
We received funding in the past from the Foundation. Do we still need to submit a letter of inquiry?
If it has been longer than three years since your last grant payment from the Stewardship Foundation, you will need to submit a letter of inquiry. If it has been less than three years since your last grant payment, please contact the Foundation for a current application form.
How often may our organization submit a letter of inquiry?
An organization may submit a letter of inquiry once per year.
May we email our letter of inquiry to you?
At this time, the Foundation does not receive letters of inquiry via email. Please submit your letter of inquiry to our mailing address.
How much money should we request?
The Foundation will generally consider no more than 10 percent of an organization’s operating cash revenue.
Does the Foundation award multi-year grants?
Grants are generally for a one year duration. Multiple year requests are considered for special projects and subject to annual review.
Does the Foundation fund disaster relief or emergency efforts?
The Foundation does not generally fund disaster relief or emergency efforts.
Where can I find information about obtaining 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status?
You can learn more about this process at www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/.
Do you provide scholarship funds to individuals?
The Foundation does not fund individual scholarships.
Do you fund churches?
The Foundation generally does not award grants to churches or denominational entities.
Our letter of inquiry was declined. Will it be reviewed again in the future?
While some level of merit is evident in nearly every proposal received by the Foundation, only a fraction of the requests reviewed can result in funding. When a letter of inquiry has been declined, it will not be carried over for future consideration.
Our organization is waiting to receive its 501(c)(3) public charity ruling from the IRS. May we still apply for funding?
No. Please submit your letter of inquiry after receiving your determination letter from the IRS.