Types of Grants

Grants are available for specific programs, general operating support, and capacity building. Requests up to $50,000 will be considered and grants generally will not be made for more than 50 percent of a project budget. Although awards are usually made for one year, we will consider requests for two-year grants. Program requests may include expenses related to specific initiatives or programs, while general operating support requests can cover staffing and other overhead expenses for an organization. Capacity building grants can fund costs associated with expanding the organization’s long-term planning and sustainability and/or to expand programmatically. Capacity building includes strategic planning, feasibility studies, fundraising staff, etc. Letters of inquiry are accepted twice a year for these types of grants and full proposals will be requested for projects of interest.

In addition to such grants, technical assistance grants of up to $10,000 are available year-round for current and recent grantees for activities that strengthen organizational infrastructure and effectiveness. Such grants should strengthen the long-term ability of an organization to achieve its mission and goals or to increase its scale of operations to address community needs. Technical assistance includes specific trainings, staff and board development, strategic planning, media outreach, leadership development, financial literacy, and other activities linked to work consistent with the Foundation's mission. Work with consultants should be focused on building internal capacity for the organization. Requests may be made by submitting a two-page letter and budget.

Limitations: Grants will not be awarded for direct support to individuals, budget deficits, religious organizations for religious purposes, construction or renovation of buildings, or general fundraising drives or events. We usually will not consider proposals from schools. In general, we do not fund projects implementing model programs from elsewhere, but will consider funding the expansion of locally-initiated projects to other parts of the region.

Funding Process

Eligibility: Funding is available only to applicants in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties that have IRS 501(c)(3) tax status or operate under the sponsorship of a qualified organization.

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they:
		Include the affected population in the planning and implementation of the project
		Work to create systemic change
		Build social capital and community capacity by engaging and empowering new participants in action for social change

If you are a new applicant, we strongly advise you to contact Executive Director Claudia Armann to discuss your project prior to submitting a letter of inquiry.

Please click here to see the Eligibility Checklist which you should use to determine your eligibility.

Submission for Program, General Operating Support, & Capacity Building:

Applicants are required to submit an Initial Inquiry letter of no more than two pages, describing the project/organization to be funded and demonstrating that the proposal fits within the Foundation’s funding guidelines.

The Initial Inquiry Letter should contain the following information:
		Program or project title
		Purpose and objectives of the proposal:
		• What will change as a result of this project? • Where did the idea for the project come from? • Who is leading and/or making decisions about the project? • What are your plans for engaging the community in the process? How will you build the leadership capacity of excluded populations? • How are you building social capital?
		Brief background of the organization and what makes it a grassroots organization
		Total costs of project and amount requested
		A copy of the IRS tax exemption letter should accompany the inquiry.

After reviewing the Initial Inquiry, the Foundation will advise the applicant of its interest in receiving a full proposal. At that time, a Grant Application form will be made available with full instructions. Once a complete application is received, a site visit will be scheduled. The project must be fully designed and ready to begin if approved. Grants must be claimed within 30 working days of being approved. Grantees will be required to submit two written progress reports that document the results of their efforts and assess the impact of their work.

Deadlines: Grants are awarded twice a year. Initial Inquiries must be sent to the McCune Foundation, P.O. Box 24340, Ventura, CA 93002-4340, and must be postmarked no later than January 13, 2012 for the first grant cycle of the year. Accepted applicants will then be asked to submit a full proposal due February 24, 2012, for grants to be awarded in May 2012. Initial Inquiries for the second grant cycle of 2012 will be due July 13, 2012. We prefer that you do not use costly FedEx, UPS, or Express Mail services when submitting letters or applications. Standard U.S. mail is preferred.

Submission for Technical Assistance Grants: Requests of up to $10,000 are accepted year-round from current or recent grantees. Application will be via a 1-2 page letter and should include a budget for proposed expenses. Letters should be mailed to McCune Foundation P.O. Box 24340, Ventura, CA 93002-4340. Requests will be reviewed and responded to by the Foundation within six weeks.