KFF Online Proposal Introduction and Instructions

For organizations using a fiscal sponsor

Introduction

The Klarman Family Foundation strives to improve and enrich the lives of others. We focus on areas meaningful to the Klarman family, and where we believe we can make a significant impact. The Foundation takes a thoughtful and collaborative approach in its efforts to identify unmet areas of need and advance solutions to difficult problem areas.

The Foundation funds organizations that demonstrate a thoughtful and effective approach to meet their goals. In general, we use the following criteria to evaluate organizations:

Does the organization demonstrate the capacity to implement the proposed work through effective leadership, a strong board, solid planning, and sound financial practices?
Does the organization have clearly articulated goals, and a record of success in achieving them?
Do the organization’s mission and goals fit within the Foundation’s current areas of interest?

Instructions

Welcome to the Klarman Family Foundation’s online grant proposal. The following instructions will help you successfully complete your proposal. You can access these instructions by clicking the help button within the proposal, and the icon next to a specific question will give you more information or response examples. Please contact Erin Peterson if you have any questions during this process.

Please note that KFF will only make a grant to an organization that is qualified as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that is a “Public Charity” as defined in Section 509(a)(1) or (2) of the Code. Other organizations must have a relationship with a U.S. based fiscal sponsor that meets these requirements, and submit a copy of the fiscal sponsorship agreement. If you are using a fiscal sponsor, please be sure to complete the proposal with information about YOUR organization rather than the fiscal sponsor organization. We will contact your fiscal sponsor as necessary for their organizational information.

A few notes before you get started:

The online proposal may be completed in multiple sessions. At any time during the online grant proposal process, you have the option to save the information you have entered and finish your proposal later by clicking the “Save and Finish Later” button at the bottom of any page. As you switch tabs within the online proposal your responses will also be automatically saved.
Always return to your in-progress proposal by going to the “My Account” page at https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_1770 and log in using your e-mail address and password. Using any other link will create a NEW proposal rather than allowing you to return to your in-progress proposal.
We recommend that you compose your responses to the Narrative questions in a Word document first, and then copy/paste them into the online form. NOTE: the form does not accept any formatting (e.g., bullets, italics or underline). Please also be mindful of the word count limits for most questions.
All fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required and must be filled out before submitting your proposal.
The online proposal has five sections to complete: Applicant Overview, Budget Overview, Narrative, Attachments, and Review and Submit Proposal. You may switch between these sections by clicking the corresponding tab; you do not have to complete the sections in order.
To view the entire proposal on one screen, click the “Review My Application” tab at any time. Any required fields that have not been completed will be highlighted in red.
To print the entire proposal at any time, click the “Printer Friendly Version” link in the upper right corner.

Below is additional information about each section of the proposal:

Applicant Overview

General Information about your Organization: Please enter basic contact information for your organization, as well as the name of the Fiscal Sponsor organization that will sign grant agreements and receive payments on your behalf. NOTE: You will also be asked to upload a fiscal sponsorship agreement- see Attachments tab.
Organization’s Chief Professional: This is the person in your organization who has oversight of the organization.
Proposal Contact Person: Please leave this blank if your organization’s chief professional is also the primary contact for this proposal.
Staff and Governance: NOTE: You will also be asked to upload an organization chart and board list- see Attachments tab.
Strategic Planning: Please leave this blank if you do not have a strategic plan.

Budget Overview

Budget Information: NOTE: You will also be asked to upload budgets and audited financial statements- see Attachments tab.
Major Private Revenue Sources: A text box is provided for any additional information you feel we should know about your funding. Please list a source as Anonymous if the grant/gift was given anonymously. NOTE: You will be asked to upload revenue sources- see Attachments tab.
Please note that we do not ask you to make a specific funding request. If approved, the Foundation determines funding levels based on a comprehensive review of your organization.

Narrative

Organization Description: Here we are asking for your mission statement, a description of your core work, your participants, and the collaborators/networks with whom you work.
Goals & Key Activities: These are organizational goals. They answer the question, “What is your organization seeking to accomplish over the next one to three years?” Key activities are the actions you’re taking to achieve your goals. They answer the question, “What is your organization doing to achieve these goals?” Please note that if the Foundation approves your request for funding, we will ask you to report on your progress toward these goals annually throughout the duration of the grant.
Only if your organization has been invited to apply for a specific program/project, please also include program-specific goals.
Factors Impacting Your Work: We ask you first for internal (i.e., organizational) factors, and then for external (i.e., environmental) factors.
Additional Information: Please share any additional information you believe is important to communicate as part of the Foundation’s review of your organization.
Online Proposal Feedback: As we continue to refine our online proposal process, we’re interested in your honest feedback. In particular, please let us know how long it took you to complete the proposal, and any other comments you’d like to share.

Attachments

To attach files to your proposal, follow these steps:

Scroll down to the Upload section at the bottom of the Attachments page.
Select the type of attachment you want to upload from the drop-down menu next to the Title field (e.g., Organization Chart). Make sure you select the correct type of attachment. Failure to do so could result in the system flagging your proposal as missing a required attachment.
Click on the browse button.
The file upload window will pop open on your screen.
Locate the file that you want to attach to your proposal on your computer or network.
Click “Open” (in the file upload window).
Click Upload.
The page will refresh and the attached document will appear at the top of the page. You can click on the name of the file to view it and make sure that it is the file you intended to attach to your proposal.
Repeat these steps for each attachment, making sure to update the “Title” field to match the file you are uploading.

Review and Submit Proposal

Click on the “Review my Application” tab at the top of any page to review your entire proposal before final submission. Any required fields that you may have missed will be highlighted.
When you are ready to submit, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Submit.” You will receive a confirmation e-mail after you submit your proposal. You may go back to see your submitted proposal at any point in time. You can also print a copy of your proposal and save it for your records. Please note that you will NOT be able to change your proposal after clicking the Submit button.