Traditional Grant Requirements

Step-by-Step Application Process:

1) Request Agenda PlacementPlease fill out this form to tell us a bit more about your school and to help us determine if your school is eligible for EE Ford funding.

2) Agenda Placement Call — If your school is eligible for Agenda Placement, we will schedule a phone call between your Head of School and the Executive Director of the EE Ford Foundation. This phone call will serve as an informal introduction and it will determine if Agenda placement is right for your school. No proposal can be considered from schools that have not reserved a place on an upcoming Agenda. If your school is placed on an Agenda, you will receive an Agenda Placement Confirmation with further instruction.

3) Head of School Meeting —Set up a 2–3 hour meeting between the Head of School and our Executive Director to be held in our Brooklyn office. The Preliminary Materials will be due one week prior to this meeting (see “Preliminary Materials” below). *

4) School Visit — Our Foundation office will make arrangements for the Executive Director to visit and tour your school. *

5) Final Submission — Deadline for submission of final materials is April 1 (see “Final Submission” below). When the Board makes its decision about a proposal, the Executive Director communicates this decision within days to the school head.

*Due to COVID-19, the Foundation is not requiring any meeting to take place in-person. Instead, meetings will be conducted via Zoom, unless all parties agree otherwise.

Required Materials:

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Preliminary Materials — due one week prior to the Head of School meeting

The following 3 items are due one week prior to the Head of School meeting with John Gulla:

1) First draft of the Online Application Form – This form is simply a tool for gathering quantifiable data about the school— a good faith effort to provide reasonably accurate numbers. There will be a chance to discuss any questions you or others at the school may have during the meeting with the Executive Director. Once we've confirmed a date/time for the Head of School meeting, we will send you a link to access this form.

2) College Placement List for the last 3 years – Please format with the following columns in portrait orientation: Colleges, years 1-2-3 and a column totaling the number of students that attended each college.

3) School Operating Budget – Please limit to one page which should include the current year’s operating budget, the last school year’s operating budget and the last school year’s actual budget results.

 

Final Submission — due April 1

The following 4 items are due after the Head of School meeting, no later than April 1:

1) Final draft of the Online Application Form

2) Project ProposalCombine the following 5 components (and ONLY these) into a single PDF document:

  • Proposal Narrative: Must not exceed 3 double-spaced pages, 1” margins, 12pt font. Please include the following:
    • A brief history of the school— please limit to one paragraph
    • Needs of the school for which the grant is requested
    • The amount requested
    • The proposed match and how the school plans to raise the match
    • Your proposal should focus on the 9th–12th grade division of the school
  • Grant Budget: Please limit to ONE page and describe how the school plans to use the grant and the match to meet the proposal needs. We would like to see a general budget that outlines, at least in broad categories, how the funds would be spent.
  • Comparative School Operating Budget: Please limit to ONE page and include the current year’s operating budget, the last school year’s operating budget and the last school year’s actual budget results. (This is the same item that we ask you to send with the preliminary application materials prior to the Head of School meeting.)
  • Statement of Activity & Statement of Financial Condition: Please DO NOT include the full audit. This section should consist of approximately 2-4 pages.
  • School Profile: This is typically the document sent to colleges with student applications.

3) Full Audit for the most recent school year

4) Internal Revenue Code Forms 501(c)(3) and 509aFor first time applicants only. If you have submitted a proposal to EE Ford in the past, you do not need to include these forms.