The Heising-Simons Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals in any of its grantmaking areas. If you have been invited to submit a letter of inquiry or a proposal to the Foundation, please contact your program officer for additional instructions.

FAQ

It is the Foundation’s policy that the grant under consideration will total direct costs plus indirect costs, where indirect costs cannot exceed 15 percent of direct costs. Please see our full policy here.

The Foundation supports work that is charitable, educational, and for scientific purposes, regardless of the tax status of the grantee.

Yes, the Foundation permits organizations to use fiscal sponsors if the proposal includes:

  1. a completed Fiscal Sponsor Proposal Cover Sheet
  2. a signed fiscal sponsorship certification letter, and
  3. an explanation of the fiscal sponsor relationship outlining the discretion and control of the sponsored project either in a cover letter on fiscal sponsor letterhead, or outlined in the proposal narrative.

Proposals are reviewed by Foundation staff, consultants, and on occasion Board members. In addition, staff will often contact other individuals for comments on review of a pending proposal. This may include individuals in the community or the relevant field, other funders, or other Foundation grantees. If you prefer that we not do so, please let us know.

The Foundation reviews proposals on a rolling basis. Please work with your Foundation contact to determine the best date to submit a proposal.

The entire process from proposal development and submission to approval varies. Timelines vary depending on grant: amount, program area, the scope of work, and whether the proposal is new or a renewal.