APPLICATION PROCESS
Prospective applicants are asked to review carefully the guidelines for the grant making focus areas of the Foundation. Inquiries and application submittals regarding funding are to demonstrate a familiarity with the Foundation’s mission and goals.
WHO MAY APPLY
The Foundation funds organizations classified as tax-exempt under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Codes and as public charities under section 509 (a) of that code. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible for funding.
Regional Focus
Since 1910, The Foundation has concentrated its efforts and resources in Western New York. Given this focus, the Foundation does not consider applications for funding for programs and projects outside of the eight counties of WNY with the exception of research projects.
Please see The Children’s Guild Foundation Medical Research Guidelines and Application Format process.
WHAT THE FOUNDATION LOOKS FOR
The program or project:
1) Will have a significant and continuing impact. The Foundation is interested
in strategies that effect change for children with special needs and their families.
2) Will intervene at the appropriate level. The Foundation seeks to address the causes of
problems effecting children with special needs and their families rather than to simply
ameliorate their symptoms.
3) Will offer opportunities for leverage. The Foundation seeks to amplify resources for
children with special needs and their families by forming partnerships with organizations,
other grant makers and the private sector.
4) Will be grounded in the community. An important aspect of the Foundation’s mission is
to develop models with potential application elsewhere for children with special needs
and their families while keeping Western New York as the geographic focus of the
Foundation’s grant making.
5) Will be appropriate in relation to the work of other grant makers. The Foundation seeks
to support work that complements rather than duplicates the efforts of other
Foundation’s in relation to children with special needs and their families.
LETTER OF INQUIRY
A letter of inquiry may to be submitted at any time during the year. The letter must be on institutional letterhead and signed by the head of the applicant organization’s or board and shall address the following questions in narrative form:
• What is the nature of the proposed program, including its objectives, target population(s) and specific action plan?
• What is the need for the proposed program? Why is it important? How is it different from existing programs or projects?
• How does the proposed program advance the mission and goals of the Foundation? How is it consistent with the Foundation’s work?
• What is the nature of your organization? What are the qualifications to carry out
the proposed program?
• How will the program’s effectiveness be monitored and evaluated?
• What are the implications of the program in terms of public policy and public awareness? How will the program’s outcomes be communicated to relevant audiences?
•What is the estimated cost of the overall project and the amount of funding you are requesting (budget)?
Please do not send additional supporting materials, such as videotapes or publications,
with the initial letter of inquiry.
WHERE TO SEND THE LETTER OF INQUIRY
Letters should be addressed to:
The Children’s Guild Foundation, Inc.
Attn: Catherine A. Gura - President
726 Exchange Street, Suite 1016
Buffalo, NY 14210-1485
Emails should be addressed to:
cgura@thechildrensguild.org
Upon review of the letter of inquiry, the President will contact the submitter(s) to either request a full proposal or to indicate that the proposal idea is not within The Foundation’s focus area or criteria.
SUBMITTING A FULL PROPOSAL
A summary of the proposal in a cover letter on the letterhead of the organization(s) signed by the executive director(s) and board chair(s). With the cover letter, The Foundation’s Grant Application shall be completed and attached. (See link for application below.) If the contact person for the proposal is different from the signing officer, please provide that information.
The proposal narrative should be concise and include the following information:
• Statement of need for the proposed program, including current supporting data
• Objectives of the proposal, including descriptions of persons or groups that will benefit
• Detailed work plan including collaborating organizations and timetable of activities
• Method of evaluating the project’s outcomes
• Plan for securing continued support beyond the initial grant period, including relevant potential sources of funding (public or private.)
The proposal budget should include the following information:
• A one page line-item budget for the proposed activity, including total cost, sources of income from other funders already committed (if applicable), the organization’s financial commitment, and the amount requested from the Foundation.
• A budget narrative that explains line items (if not obvious), and how amounts in the budget were determined.
Supplemental Information should include:
• Brief description of the history and mission of the organization
• Description of current programs, including program goals and persons served
• A list of the board of directors and officers including affiliations
• Current annual operating budget for the organization
• Tax exemption letter from the Internal Revenue Service under Code Section 501(c)(3)
• Most recent audited financial statements
• Draft memorandums of understanding in collaborative efforts
• Recognition plans
• Any other pertinent supplemental documents as discussed with the President of the Foundation.
Please note that submissions should be unbound except by a paper clip – no staples, folders, tabs, or ring binders. The Children’s Guild Foundation requires every recipient organization to submit evaluation report during and at the conclusion of the grant period. Information on reporting will be given on approval of the proposal. Grantees may also be asked to participate in site visits by the Foundation directors and staff and/or in formal presentations to the board of directors.
The applicant will receive written notice of the funding decision upon its review by TheChildren’s Guild Foundation Board of Directors. Please allow four weeks after submission of a full proposal before contacting the office at 716-362-9650 for determination of board review dates.
GRANT APPLICATIONS
General Grant Application (pdf) | (doc)
The Children’s Guild Foundation Medical Research Grant
$100,000 Purpose & Passion Grant Award
ORGANIZATIONS WE HAVE FUNDED
Bornhava Adaptive Physical Education Program
Buffalo Hearing & Speech
Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center
Camp Special Place, Town of Tonawanda
Cattaraugus Rehabilitation Center - Mental Health Coordination Program
Center for Hospice & Palliative Care (New Perinatal Service)
Child & Family Services
Cradle Beach Camp
E. Ann Yeh, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Co-Director, Pediatric MS and Demyelinating Disorders Clinic
Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted, MD Center for the Visually Impaired
Greater Niagara Frontier Council Boy Scouts of America
Hauptman – Woodward - Medical Research Institute, Inc.
High Hurdles Therapeutic Riding Program
Mid-Erie Counseling and Treatment Services Therapeutic Recreation Program
Moving Miracles Dance
Parent’s Anonymous Recreational Activity Program
People, Inc. and Buffalo Public School District
People, Inc.~ Kids on the Block
Robert Warner Rehab Center Adolescent Summer Adolescent Program
Roswell Park Cancer Institute - Down Syndrome Research
School 84
Spina Bifida Association of Western New York
St Bonaventure University
Summit Educational Resources
The ARC of Orleans County Camp Rainbow
The Center for Sports Therapy Research, Inc.
The Hunter James Kelly Research Institute
The Robert Guthrie Biochemical Genetics Laboratory.
The University of Chicago - Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo
University of Buffalo School of Engineering -Disabled Interactive Coordination Sensory Opportunities System (DISCO)
Young Audiences of Western New York
Lothlorien Therapeutic Riding Center (Scholarship Support)
Excalibur Leisure Skill Center (Program Operational Support)
Upstate New York Transplant Services - AUTISM TISSUE PROGRAM
Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo/Kaleida Health - Creation of Multidisciplinary Autism Center
Medaille College - Library Technology Program