FAQs
Yes. Unless you have a fiscal sponsor, your organization must be recognized as a 501(c)3 or 509(a)2 under IRS guidelines.
If your organization is a non-profit charitable organization but is not currently recognized as a 501(c)3 under IRS guidelines, you may be eligible for a fiscal sponsor. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a fiscal sponsor. Check with an attorney to determine the best course.
Briefly, tipping refers to an IRS requirement that an organization receive more than one-third of its support from a variety of sources. It is intended to demonstrate that an organization has public support and is not solely reliant on a single donor (or very few donors). It is the applicant’s responsibility to determine whether a grant from Park Foundation could lead to tipping. It is highly recommended that organizations be familiar with tipping guidelines and the IRS Public Support test and consult accounting/legal counsel as necessary. Please check out the IRS website - https://www.irs.gov/ - for more information.
In the case of a small or new organization with not many assets, a simple budget will do. It should include a list of Expenses, Income and funding sources. In the case of larger organizations, a project budget, most recent organizational budget, and audited financial statements (if available) should be included.
It is the general practice of Park Foundation not to pay indirect administrative expenses for grants to colleges and universities. Instead, grant funds go directly to the programs and projects we support.
Yes, Park Foundation accepts proposals requesting general operating support. However, the availability of general support funds depends on a number of factors including an organization’s fit with program priorities. Please carefully review our Program Guidelines and reach out to program staff with questions if considering a request for general operating support.
Yes.
The current year deadlines are available on the How to Apply page.
Go to the How to Apply page on our site and click on the link to set up an account. Once your proposal is completed and submitted to the Foundation via our electronic portal, you will receive an email Acknowledgement from our Grants Manager that informs you that your proposal has been received. If you have any trouble accessing the portal or submitting your proposal, please contact our Grants Manager for assistance.
We encourage you to use the portal on our website. However, if necessary, a proposal may be submitted by email to info@parkfoundation.org, or as a last resort by regular mail to: 140 Seneca Way, Suite 100 Ithaca, NY 14850.
Ideally, it is best to submit only one application at a time, but more than one can be submitted if the proposals are for entirely different projects or programs.
Unless invited, before developing a full proposal, prospective grantees should consult Funding Priorities to determine the potential for funding. Calls or emails to program staff are also welcomed to help assess fit with program interests. Proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis; please see the application deadlines below. Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are accepted at any time. Once an LOI is submitted, please do not submit a full proposal unless contacted by a staff member.
Before developing a proposal, prospective grantees should consult Funding Priorities to determine the potential for funding. Calls or emails to program staff are also welcome to help assess fit with program interests. Proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis; please see the application deadlines below. Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are accepted at any time. Once an LOI is submitted, please do not submit a full proposal unless contacted by a staff member.
If you have recently (within the past year or two) received a grant from Park Foundation, it is not necessary to submit an LOI before submitting a renewal proposal. Please contact your Program Officer with any questions.
Proposals should be submitted on or before the quarterly deadlines listed. In general, proposals and letters of inquiry are reviewed by staff and trustees on a quarterly basis. If submitting an LOI, no need to submit a full proposal by the deadline unless contacted by a Program Officer.
There is some leeway for receiving late proposals but it is best to contact the office to determine whether a late application can be accepted, or if an application should wait until the next deadline for submission. If a proposal is received too far into our quarterly review process, it may automatically be held for consideration in our next quarter.
Letters of Inquiry are reviewed by trustees quarterly. Should trustees determine that a full application is warranted, you will be contacted. Please be aware that this could be a few (10-12) weeks after submission but be assured that every LOI is reviewed and considered.
The Board generally meets 10 – 12 weeks after proposal deadlines. You should hear within a few days of those meetings. In the case of a decline, an email will be sent notifying you of the decline.
Once the grant is approved at a Board meeting, a Grant Agreement will be sent out to the organizational contact for review and signature. Upon return of the signed agreement, the funds are generally disbursed by check within a few weeks.
The start date of the grant period generally begins on the last day of the month in which the grant was approved by the Park Board and terms are laid out in the Grant Agreement.
Yes. Final reports are due at the end of the grant period and currently include a narrative and financial report. Grantees that applied to the Foundation via the online portal will find the required report form available through their account. We also provide copies of the report form on our Reporting webpage. In the case of multi-year grants, an interim report may be requested as well.
Please review the program guidelines and contact the Program Officer (preferably by email) most closely associated with your area of work to ask any questions about program priorities. If you are new to the Foundation, you are encouraged to contact the Foundation at info@parkfoundation.org before submitting an application.
It depends on the program area – grants range in size depending on how new an organization is to the Foundation, its fit with programmatic priorities, and an assessment by Foundation staff and trustees about what is practical and reasonable given our program budgets. Please review our Grants Awarded list for more information.
Please go to the Grantee Portal fill email and click “New Applicant”, follow the steps to create a new account.
If you are a new applicant follow the steps above to create a new account.
If you are a returning grantee that has previously applied through the portal go to the Grantee Portal, go to the 3rd bullet point and click on the appropriate application, then follow the steps.
Forms and directions can be found on this page Reporting, or in your online portal where the electronic version would be stored.
On the PF portal sign-in page click “forgot password”. A page will appear where you can enter the email you used to set-up the account. An email will be sent to you with a temporary password. Once you sign in with your temporary password, steps will appear showing you how to create a new password.
You will need to contact our office in order to transfer the account. Email us at info@parkfoundation.org.
If it is in regard to a specific program area, you can call or email the program officer in that program (listed on our website.) General questions can be sent via email to info@parkfoundation.org or by directly calling the main office number (607) 272-9124 and if necessary, leaving a message and someone will get back to you.
