Grant Guidelines

The Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation is the embodiment of a philanthropic legacy that endures. The Foundation continues this legacy through its support of organizations that deliver services to underserved communities with an emphasis on education. More specifically, the Foundation seeks to provide support to New York City organizations by investing in:

  • Capacity-building grants for community organizations,
  • Results-based educational programs,
  • Professional development for teachers,
  • Innovative, digital education solutions,
  • After-school and out-of-school programs.

The Foundation only considers grant requests outside of these guidelines to organizations that have been supported by the Foundation or the Dodge family over many years.

Limitations on Grant Categories

There are certain general limitations in Foundation grant-making:

  • The Foundation will only fund organizations that have a 501(c)(3) determination letter from the United States Internal Revenue Service.
  • The Foundation is prohibited from funding political campaigns and legislative lobbying efforts.
  • As a rule, the Foundation does not fund the following:
      1. Direct donations or grants to individuals
      2. Grants for endowments
      3. Hospitals, medical research, healthcare, or health-care training initiatives
      4. Universities or independent schools except existing legacy relationships
      5. Organizations outside the New York City metropolitan area, excluding legacy relationships

The Grant Process

REGISTER YOUR ORGANIZATION

Please register your organization using the “online registration” button before submitting your Letter of Inquiry.

LETTER OF INQUIRY

All applicants are asked to submit a brief Letter of Inquiry, not to exceed 3 pages describing the grantee organization and the proposed project. Please include your organization and program budgets with the Letter of Inquiry. Email the Letter of Inquiry and budgets to: connect@chdodgefoundation.org. Letters of Inquiry are welcomed at any time.

NEXT STEPS

If the proposal is a project the Foundation has an active interest in, you will be contacted with a follow up request for a formal grant submission. The grant package will include a completed Philanthropy New York Common Application Form and additional materials upon request.

GRANT APPROVAL TIMETABLE

The Foundation’s Board of Directors has two grantmaking meetings each year, in June and November. Grant decisions are announced after each meeting.