Grant Application Procedures

Introduction

The Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County will make grants only to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and will rarely fund organizations outside Lake County. We give priority to specific programs rather than to general operating support. Grants will typically range from $25,000 to $100,000.

The foundation considers grant requests two times per year. Please see Submission Dates and Board Meetings section below for information about the foundation’s ongoing annual grant cycles.

How to Apply

Letters of Inquiry We require that you send us a letter of inquiry before you submit a full proposal. This will allow us to give you preliminary feedback concerning your request and its potential fit within our funding priorities. Letters of inquiry should not exceed two pages and should include a brief description of your organization, a description of the proposed program, and a program budget, including expenses and anticipated sources of support.

Proposal Application We do not use a grant application form. We accept proposals that adhere to the procedures described below.  Full proposals should not exceed ten pages and should contain the following elements:

  1. A brief history of the organization, including a general statement of its primary functions and goals
  2. A program description that includes:
    1. A statement of the need to be addressed and the population to be served
    2. A description of how the planned program will address the identified need
    3. A description of program activities that details what will occur during the grant period, including information about the type of activities planned, their frequency and duration
    4. Clearly stated goals and objectives
    5. Plans for assessing the results and impact of the program’s activities (Proposals should include descriptions of short-term outcomes and long-term impact. This will provide a picture of the intended effect. Program activities should lead to short-term outcomes that result in the proposed long-term impact.  By identifying tangible and realistic outcomes at the outset, an organization can conduct an informed assessment at the end of a program year and provide early feedback on a program's likely long-term direction.)
    6. A timeline for program activities
  3. An income and expense budget for the program during the grant period
  4. An operating budget for the organization with income and expense projections that pertain to the fiscal year in which the program will take place
  5. A list of current and projected funding sources and amounts (government, corporate, and foundation sources) for both the organization and the program for the fiscal year in which the program will take place
  6. A copy of the organization’s most recent audited financial report
  7. A list of the organization’s board members and their affiliations
  8. A list of professional staff of the organization and resumes of key personnel involved in the program
  9. A copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter from the Internal Revenue Service
  10. A list of other organizations with which the organization collaborates
  11. Additional validation materials, such as letters of support and newspaper clippings

Renewal Policy A grantee organization may receive up to five consecutive years of funding, at the foundation’s discretion.  After five consecutive years of funding the organization will be asked to take a year off in seeking support. During these five years, the organization may request up to three consecutive years of funding for an individual program. The foundation realizes that there may be unusual circumstances in which support for one additional year may be appropriate. While we wish to be flexible in recognizing the needs of our grantees, there will be few exceptions to this policy.

Submission Dates and Board Meetings The Board of Directors meets two times per year to consider requests for grants.

Proposal Deadline
Board Meeting
5 p.m. on August 1
November
5 p.m. on February 1
May

In the event that a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, requests may be submitted by 5 p.m. on the following business day.

Proposals and Letters of Inquiry should be sent to:

Leslie Mitchel Bond
Program Officer
Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County
114 South Genesee Street, Suite 505
Waukegan, IL  60085