HOW TO APPLY...

We accept Letters of Inquiry in two grant cycles, spring and fall.

All applicants, regardless of prior grant history with General Service Foundation, start their process by submitting a Letter of Inquiry, unless otherwise directed by foundation staff.

LOI Deadlines for all program areas are as follows:

February 1 (spring) and September 1 (fall)
If February 1 or September 1 fall on a weekend or holiday, the due date would become the next business day.
These deadlines could change from year to year so please refer back to this page for any possible updates.

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We have shifted to an online application and reporting system.
Please review the information below and then click the appropriate program area to apply online!

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Because of our limited staff size, we urge applicants to review the Foundation's Guidelines and past years' grants lists to be sure their projects fit within the Foundation's specific areas of interest.

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Please pay careful attention to the following instructions; applicants who do not follow these procedures will not receive serious consideration of their inquiries or proposals.

 

If we are a current grantee or have previously received funding, how do we apply?

Everyone starts their process by submitting a letter of inquiry via our online system. Please follow the steps outlined below.

What steps must I follow when applying for a grant?

Step 1: Determine your fit within General Service Foundation's programs
Please review our website, including the guidelines in each program and recent grant lists to determine your project's fit with General Service Foundation's priorities. If uncertain as to whether your project comes within the approved Guidelines, you may wish to discuss your particular project with a staff member. If so, please contact the appropriate program staff member listed below.

Step 2: Send us a letter of inquiry via our online application
After reviewing our website, guidelines and grants lists, please submit an online application. If you are unable to apply online, we will accept letters of inquiry via email or regular mail, but only if electronic submission is not an option for you. Our deadlines are: February 1, for spring and September 1, for fall grant cycles. In order to avoid confusion and reduce waste, we urge applicants NOT to submit duplicate versions of inquiries (for instance, applying online and also emailing).

Letters of inquiry should include the following:

  • a political and situational analysis, statement of the issues to be addressed under the proposed project, the history and goals of your organization, and an explanation of why the organization or coalition is the entity that is most likely to achieve success.
  • a brief summary of the project, short and long term goals and anticipated outcomes
  • the approximate starting date and duration of the proposed activities
  • the total amount of funding needed, the amount requested from the Foundation, a budget, and information about other sources of support
  • a copy of Federal Income Tax 501 (c)(3) Exemption Letter

Step 3: We review and respond to your letter

Once you submit the application online, you will automatically receive a confirmation email letting you know the application arrived.

After receiving your online application, we review your inquiry and respond by either:

  • Sending a letter via email or regular mail, stating that we will not be able to provide funding at this time;
  • Contacting you to schedule a call or meeting to gather more information about your organization and project;
  • Contacting you to request a full online proposal. (If invited, full proposals will be due October 1st for the fall cycle and March 1st for the Spring cycle).

DISCRETIONARY GRANTS The Foundation reserves a small percentage of its annual grantmaking budget for discretionary grants of $15,000 or less, which do not require full Board review. Projects that are considered for discretionary grants must fit within the guidelines of our program areas. Letters of Inquiry are considered on a rolling basis; there is no deadline for receipt.

Organizations interested in applying for a discretionary grant of $15,000 or less MUST submit an online letter of inquiry application, and can do so at any time during the year (see "What steps must I follow when applying for a grant?"). If program staff determine a fit, and would like to consider a full proposal, they will request a full discretionary grant application form.

PROGRAM CONTACTS

For specific questions about whether your project fits within the guidelines, please send an email to one of the following addresses:

DEADLINES

The Board of Directors meets twice each year, in the spring, and again in the fall, to review proposals and make recommendations for funding. The deadlines for receipt of Letters of Inquiry are February 1 for the Spring meeting and September 1st for the fall meeting. Deadlines for receipt of invited full proposals are March 1 for the Spring cycle and October 1 for the Fall cycle. Letters of inquiry and full proposals must be received in the Foundation's office by 5:00pm MST on the day of the deadline. Submissions arriving after the deadline will not be considered until the following funding cycle.

WHERE and HOW TO SEND LETTERS OF INQUIRY Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an online application. If you are unable to apply online or via email, we will accept letters of inquiry via regular mail or fax, but only if electronic submission is not an option for you.

1st PREFERENCE IS VIA ON-LINE APPLICATION

2nd PREFERENCE IS VIA EMAIL
(contact grantsmanager@generalservice.org for specific requirements)

3rd PREFERENCE IS VIA REGULAR MAIL at 557 N. Mill Street, Suite 201, Aspen, Colorado 81611 to the attention of the appropriate program officers (Holly Bartling, Human Rights & Democracy and Reproductive Health & Rights and Renee Fazzari, Colorado)
(contact grantsmanager@generalservice.org for specific requirements)

4th PREFERENCE IS VIA FAX (970) 920-4578
(contact grantsmanager@generalservice.org for specific requirements)

In order to reduce confusion and waste, we ask that you choose only one of these options rather than sending multiple copies in different formats.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an online application. If you are unable to apply online or via email, we will accept letters of inquiry via regular mail or fax, but only if electronic submission is not an option for you. For additional information regarding this process, you may email grantsmanager@generalservice.org
  • For those applicants who submit materials by mail, please keep the number of attachments to a minimum, we encourage you to use non-chlorine bleached recycled paper, and request that application material not be submitted in plastic binders.
  • In the spirit of conservation, both of organizational funds and natural resources, the Foundation does not accept newsletters or other bulk mailings from groups other than current GSF grantees.

 

TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE APPLICATION CLICK THE APPROPRIATE PROGRAM AREA LINK BELOW:

Apply online for Human Rights and Democracy program

Apply online for Reproductive Health and Rights program

Apply online for the Colorado program