grant application guide

Utilizing leading practices in trust-based philanthropy, below are the guidelines for the Open Hearts Foundation grantmaking program: 

• In alignment with the Open Hearts Philosophy, the Foundation seeks to fund nonprofits founded by an individual or small group of volunteers who have faced adversity and are turning that adversity into possibility, by helping others through their work 

• Grant funds will range between $15,000 and $25,000 per nonprofit on an annual basis 

• The Open Hearts Foundation only funds 501c3 nonprofit organizations directly serving communities in the United States of America 

• Nonprofits which have demonstrated responsible use of funds and effective program outcomes with a minimum of two years of fiscally healthy operating programs and successful outcomes since its founding 

• Nonprofits with an annual budget of $1 million or lower are our priority. The Foundation will consider nonprofits with a larger budget who are beginning a new initiative that meets a new need within their communities 

  The Foundation will NOT fund:  

• Direct aid to individuals 

• Governmental Agencies or Organizations Influencing legislation or elections 

• Faith based programming, sectarian religious organizations, or churches 

• Organizations that discriminate based on age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion 

• Building plans, improvements or capital campaigns 

• You can learn more about our previous grantmaking efforts and partners here: Grants Provided — Open Hearts Foundation 
   
  How to Apply:   
  Step 1: Complete Your Eligibility Questions and Letter of Intent (LOI) on our grant application platform at the link below.   
  (link goes here)  
  To access the full application, you must first: 

• Answer the eligibility questions 

• Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) 

  Your LOI should include: 

• Your organization’s mission statement and strategic goal 

• A summary of your program, project or initiative, the community it serves, and the impact you expect 

• How your nonprofit’s origin and purpose align with the Open Hearts Philosophy: who founded it and why 

Once submitted, our team will review both the LOI and eligibility responses to confirm you're eligible to proceed. 

Step 2: Submit Your Grant Application 

If approved, the next phase includes: 

1. Answering questions about your funding request  

2. Uploading all required documents through the portal, including: 

3. IRS Form 990 

4. Annual budgets for the past two fiscal years 

5. An itemized budget for your proposed program/service showing revenue (received and pending), expenses, and how requested funds will be used 

A complete application must include all required information and documentation to be considered.   
For this cycle, you will be notified by September 20th at the latest regarding the outcome of your grant application.  Please note that we will not be accepting phone calls to discuss the details of individual grant decisions.  However, if you have any questions about the application process, feel free to contact us at info@openheartsfoundation.org and we’d be happy to answer them. 
 
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