The Golden Rule Foundation does not fund unsolicited applications. Only 501(C)(3) organizations may apply for grants – the Foundation does not fund individuals.
Applicants must be recommended by a GRF Board Member. That Board Member is their primary contact with the foundation. Applicants should not contact the administrator unless authorized to do so.
Please do not send unsolicited materials to the Golden Rule Foundation. They will be discarded without review.
DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS ONLY:
All submissions must be completed on-line. Mailed submissions/materials will not be accepted.
CALENDAR:
Grants can be submitted, digitally, from November 1st to June 4th, in two rounds of deadlines (see below).
Round 1
- Proposal Submission Deadline: January 22rd.
- Signed Letter of Agreement Deadline: In 2025, the deadline is February 19th.
- Grant Funds are mailed no later than the early days of March.
Any approved grant in process but uncompleted in Round 1 will automatically move into the Round 2 schedule.
Round 2
- Proposal Submission Deadline: June 4th.
- Signed Letter of Agreement Deadline: Date to be set each year. In 2025, the FINAL deadline for all grant submissions is July 16, 2025.
PLEASE: do not miss this deadline as your grant will then not be funded. - Grant Funds are mailed no later than the early days of August.
Please read the grant process outline below as there is an additional step for the grantee, after submission – signature and return of the Letter of Agreement.
GRANT PROCESS:
Submission: Once an applicant has been recommended to submit a grant proposal, please read and follow the instructions on the Preparation page. This page outlines materials you should prepare before filling in the online Proposal Form.
Then submit, using our online Proposal Form. Immediately following submission, you will receive a copy of your submission, by email. This confirms receipt. If you do not receive this, your submission has failed and you need to troubleshoot/resubmit.
GRF Review: Upon digital submission with the required attachments, your application will be reviewed. If there are missing items, you will receive an email and the submission will be on hold until these are resolved.
Letter of Agreement: Once the Proposal submission is approved, you will receive an emailed Letter of Agreement, between your organization and the Golden Rule Foundation, confirming the details of the grant request and the terms of the grant. It requires that you dispense the funds in the form and schedule which you have requested, and states that you will file a final report by the end of the Golden Rule’s fiscal year, October 31st, in which you receive funding.
Agreement Letter Signature: The Letter of Agreement will be emailed only to the fiscal sponsor contact at the email listed in the proposal form. This Letter of Agreement must be signed by the fiscal sponsor in order to initiate funding. Instructions on how and by when to digitally sign will come with the email enclosing the Letter of Agreement. No software will be required for signature.
Grant Final Report: You will have until the end of the fiscal year in which you have applied to fill out and submit a Final Report detailing how your project was executed and how the grant funds were used. The Final Report is a digital submission.
You will need a new username and password to access that page on our website – the person who recommended you for this grant will have that information. You will also need the ID# noted in your Letter of Agreement.
Following submission, you will receive a copy of your final Grant Report by email – this is your confirmation.