Applicants should note that this description of procedures and policies is a companion to the Funding Interests that the Foundation updates each year.
Please Note, the Foundation may not accept or respond to unsolicited letters of intent or other requests for funds.
Application Process
- Formal invitation by Foundation staff to submit a letter of intent or concept paper.
- Formal invitation by Foundation staff to submit a full proposal.
- Submittal and review of a full proposal.
- Notification of the Foundation’s decision.
Prepare a 1-2 page letter of intent that includes:
- A brief description of the applicant organization.
- The program to be funded.
- The corresponding match between the Foundation’s guide lines and the request.
- The amount requested and the estimated total project budget.
- Include the name and address of the organization, and the name, phone number and e-mail address for a contact person.
You will be given a deadline for a requested letter of intent.
Please consult the Foundation’s funding priorities carefully prior to your submittal.
If specifically invited, send the letter of intent to:
Christine Avanti, President
Jonathon D Fischer Foundation
212 26th Street, Suite 213
Santa Monica, California 90402
United States of America
Or:
Email:cavanti@jdff.ca
*If emailing please include ‘letter of intent’ in subject line
Grants – To Apply
Upon receipt of an invited letter of intent, Foundation staff will formally acknowledge receipt by e-mail or letter. Staff may contact you to discuss the project and in some cases, may schedule a site visit. If the request is clearly outside the current program or geographical focus of the Foundation, a decline letter will be promptly sent informing you of this determination. Certain applicants may be asked to participate in an intermediate step, which is to submit a 3-5 page concept paper. Should this request be made, staff will provide format and content guidance. Concept papers are usually reviewed by the entire Board.
Formal invitation by Foundation staff to submit a full proposal
Generally, applicants will receive a response to a letter of intent within 60 days of a letter’s receipt. It is possible for a letter’s review to be deferred, and notification will be provided in writing or via e-mail. The final response will either be a decline of the letter or a formal invitation to submit a full proposal.
Submittal and review of a full proposal
If you are formally invited by Jonathon D Fischer Foundation staff to submit a full proposal, you will use a format supplied by the Jonathon D Fischer Foundation. The Foundation requires that a volunteer serving on the Board sign the application. Staff will inform you of the deadline for submitting the full proposal. Meetings are scheduled with most applicants at this stage of review. It is preferred that a volunteer serving on the Board of Directors of the applicant nonprofit should participate in the meeting.
Notification of Trustees’ decision
The trustees meet 4-5 times each year to consider grant proposals. Written notification of the Foundations’ decision regarding a grant proposal will be sent within ten days of the meeting. Organizations awarded grants will receive written notification of grant conditions, payment dates and reporting requirements.