FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Potomac Riverkeeper Network

The Cafritz Foundation may be reached at:

Phone: 202-223-3100
Email: info@cafritzfoundation.org

General Questions

What types of public charities are eligible to apply to the Foundation?

Grant recipients must be tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and not a private foundation as defined by section 509(a) of the Code.

What is the average grant size and how much should I request?

While there is no steadfast rule as to how much an applicant should request, typically the Foundation does not award a general operating grant that is more than 10% of an organization’s total budget. You can review recent grants to help you determine the range of awards made by the Foundation.

Does the Foundation provide continuous funding?

The Foundation does not guarantee continuous funding. All potential grantees may apply once per year for consideration of a grant award.

Does the Foundation provide emergency grants?

On occasion, the Foundation may award a small grant, off cycle, to a current grantee if circumstances warrant.

Do applicants need to submit a Letter of Interest or Inquiry?

The Foundation does not require a Letter of Interest or Inquiry prior to submitting an application for consideration. Please review the Application Process for details.

May an organization submit an application if requested information is missing (e.g., financial audit), then submit these materials once received?

It is recommended that all requested attachments be included with the application upon submission. If the requested attachments are not available, please upload a statement explaining this in place of the missing document.

If an organization is small and does not have an audit, what kind of financial information should be submitted?

In place of an audit, please upload a statement explaining this in place of the missing document. Additional financial statements may also be requested during the review process.

Once an application has been submitted, when will applicants be notified of the funding decision?

All organizations receive notification verifying receipt of their application. To ensure that each request is given fair consideration, the review and funding decision process generally takes four to six months from the deadline date for which the application was submitted.

May an organization apply again if it was turned down in the past? If so, when?

Yes, organizations are welcome to reapply, regardless of whether they receive funding. However, groups may apply only once within a 12-month period. Therefore, if an application is submitted for the November 1 deadline, organizations must wait until the following November 1 to submit another request.

If an organization is awarded a grant, are there specific guidelines for submitting progress and final grant reports?

Once approved, grantees must submit all progress and final reports as required in its grant agreement, unless otherwise specified.

How long should my proposal be and what attachments should I include?

The application does not have character or length limits. In general, the Organization narrative application can be completed in 4-6 single spaced pages. If you are also completing a Project application, an additional 4–6 pages may be necessary. Attachments are not included in this estimate.

The work my organization does falls under arts and education and health, how do I know which one to pick?

The Foundation does not require you to choose a single program area when submitting a grant application. You are only asked to confirm that the program or project falls within one or more of the Foundation’s funding priorities.

Is there a limit on overhead or management costs?

Most of the grant awards made by the Foundation are for general operating funds. Each grantee may determine how best to utilize a Cafritz Foundation grant. When a project grant is awarded, a grantee must utilize those funds in support of the project described, but the nonprofit organization may apply those funds in support of all costs associated with the project.

Can I receive feedback on past proposals that were not funded?

Please contact the Foundation for feedback on a proposal that was not funded.

Can you share an example of a proposal that was approved for a grant?

The Foundation will not share an example of a proposal that was approved. Each proposal we receive belongs to the submitting organization. Additionally, it is the uniqueness of your organization that we want to learn about, and that will help you stand out to reviewers.

Is there a budget template?

There is not a budget template. We can accept your budget in the format it is prepared. Feel free to add any narrative or other explanation to the budget if you think it will assist us in reviewing it.

Can I apply for capital support?

Capital support applications are now invite-only. A pre-proposal call with a Program Officer is required before you can be invited to fill out a capital request. Please contact the Foundation if you would like to set up a pre-proposal call.

What is considered a capital grant?

Capital support includes funds specifically for the purpose of purchasing, renovating, or construction of facilities or major equipment. If you have a question about whether your grant request constitutes capital funding, please contact the Foundation.

Online Grant Application Questions

How does an organization begin the online application process?

To begin the Cafritz Foundation’s grant application process, you must first create an account in the online application portal. A link to access the portal will be available here approximately one month prior to the application deadline. You can create a new account or login to an existing account using this link.

Does an organization have to create an account to access the online application?

Yes. An account is required in order to access and submit online. If you require assistance, please contact the Foundation

How can an organization retrieve a forgotten username or password?

The username is the same as the e-mail address used to create an online application. To retrieve a lost or forgotten password, go to the Account Login page and follow the instructions. Contact the Foundation if you need additional assistance.

What if an organization is unable to log into its account?

Often, clearing your browser cache is enough to resolve this issue. Instructions for this process are available for Google Chrome (recommended browser), and Mozilla Firefox. If you are still experiencing issues logging on, please contact the Foundation.

The person who wrote the grant application(s) is no longer with the organization. How can the account be accessed?

Contact the Foundation and provide the e-mail address of the person who created the account and the name, e-mail address and title of the person the account should be transferred to. The Foundation will send an e-mail indicating the account has been transferred.

I am being asked to start the eligibility quiz in the grant portal for the second time, how do I get to my application?

Please use this link: cafritzfoundation-portal.givingdata.com to go to your Account Page.

If an organization is in the middle of an application, can it be saved and completed later?

Yes. The online portal automatically saves information as you enter it into your application. You can simply close the application and all information entered previously should appear the next time you open it.

How can an organization retrieve an application from a previous session?

Please use this link: cafritzfoundation-portal.givingdata.com to go to the Account Page.

Why isn’t my application showing up in the portal?

The application portal opens one month prior to each deadline. A unique link to the portal will be available here when the application portal opens. If you would like to prepare in advance, you can find all the application questions and requirements in the “What You Need to Apply” section.

If an organization has a fiscal sponsor, how should it fill out the application fields?

In the “Organization Information” section of the application, complete the Fiscal Sponsor Legal Name, Fiscal Sponsor Tax ID, and Fiscal Sponsor Address fields. Under the “Attachments” section, submit the required budget attachments for the sponsored organization/project seeking funding. It is strongly suggested to submit the audit and 990 for the fiscal organization. Additionally, please provide a letter from the Fiscal Sponsor confirming the relationship.

How are attachments submitted in the online portal?

PDF is the preferred format for attachments. However, we can accept most file types except links to external documents. Please review all attachments for readability, formatting issues, and be sure to remove all password protections prior to submitting.

How much space is available when adding attachments?

There is no limit on the number of attachments. The limit on the file size of a single attachment is 20 MB. Applicants are advised to exercise discretion and moderation when including supplemental attachments.

An application was submitted without one of the attachments. What should I do?

If you forgot to submit an attachment, please e-mail it to apply@cafritzfoundation.org. Please include the organization name in the e-mail subject line.

How can I tell if an online application has been received by The Cafritz Foundation?

Upon clicking “Submit,” an e-mail confirming receipt of the application, along with a copy of the submission will be sent automatically.

Once an application has been submitted, can it be retrieved or edited by the applicant?

No. Once submitted, an application cannot be modified. The Foundation recommends printing a draft application and carefully proofreading the responses before submitting it.

What if my portal crashes while I am submitting my application online?

The online grant application portal has been designed to minimize the loss of information. All data is automatically saved as you enter it. If it crashes, you should be able to log back in and see the information previously entered.

Is an organization’s information secure when applying online?

The Foundation takes privacy very seriously. It does not rent, sell or share personal information about grant applications with other people or with nonaffiliated companies or organizations, without your prior permission. The Foundation uses GivingData, which uses an SSL certificate so that the data is encrypted and all traffic is encrypted as well.