Please note: the following information is only for Watershed Protection program. If you are seeking funding through the Creative Communities or Great Learning programs, please click the corresponding hyperlinks to visit each webpage.
Due to our ongoing strategy revision process, we will not be developing or accepting proposals for new work related to the Great Learning or Watershed Protection programs through the end of summer 2024. Please visit the Strategy Revision page on our website, and sign up for our emails via our homepage, to stay abreast of our progress. We will announce when we have new priorities, guidelines, and application forms and deadlines. Please direct any general questions to
grants@williampennfoundation.org.
The Foundation welcomes grant submissions from the community and actively seeks opportunities for funding partnerships. We rely on our expert staff to research and recommend grant proposals that offer creative and measurable solutions to community challenges aligned with Foundation interests. Our program team evaluates the strategic fit and benefits of the proposed work and guides applicants through the application and grant development stages. Funding will not be considered to any organization that discriminates based on race, ethnicity, creed, gender, or sexual orientation in policy or practice.
Prior to contacting Foundation staff about a funding request, we ask interested grant seekers to thoroughly review the What We Fund sections of our website to learn about the Foundation’s strategic areas of interest, eligibility guidelines, process for selection, and to meet our program staff. Applicants may contact relevant program officers via email to discuss projects for which you are seeking funding.
General questions about portal navigation, or the grantmaking process may be directed to grants@williampennfoundation.org.
The following links provide an overview of what to expect during the grant development process:
Review of Foundation’s Strategic Priorities and Guidelines
William Penn Foundation staff are interested in hearing about new projects and ideas to potentially support. Prior to making an inquiry, we ask grant seekers to please visit the What We Fund pages of our web site to better understand the Foundation’s strategic priorities and consider how projects for which they are seeking funding align with these priorities.
If you think your project is a strong candidate for funding consideration, please reach out to the Watershed Protection team to schedule a time to connect with a team member to discuss your idea further as a first step.
Process to Submit a Concept or Full Proposal
The process listed below pertains to submissions for the Watershed Protection program. Information on the Creative Communities and Great Learning application processes can be found on that program’s corresponding How to Apply webpage.
Grant development is an iterative process between the Foundation and applicant organization and may take up to four months before a request is considered for approval. Program staff may invite either a concept document or a full proposal from the applicant organization to gain a deeper understanding of the proposed work.
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Concept: Concept documents are short pre-proposal questionnaires that broadly summarize the scope of a proposed project, its projected cost and duration, and the anticipated funding amount. The Foundation uses it to determine the strategic fit and appropriate next steps in the grant development phase.
Program staff send to the applicant an invitation email that provides the link to access the portal, an explanation of the submission process, and the due date. Concepts must be submitted by the due date, and an email confirmation is sent when the concept is submitted. Once submitted, the applicant cannot edit concept content.
Submission of a concept does not guarantee that Foundation staff will invite a full proposal for funding consideration.
Grant ideas must be discussed with a program team member prior to submitting a concept through the Foundation’s online portal.
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Full Proposal: A full proposal provides program staff with a detailed description of the proposed work, the chosen approach, the projected use of funds, and the amount requested. It includes the following sections:
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Proposal Narrative – responses to questions describing the proposed work and chosen approach, organizational capacity; financial information, research, and evidence to support the work; and risks.
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Result, Milestones, and Activities (RMAs) – an anticipated result that the grantee expects to achieve through successful completion of the grant, as well as the key activities and milestones that will be critical to achieving that result.
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Project Budget – how the grant funds will be used to complete the project.
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Funding Sources – description of other committed or prospective sources of funds toward the project
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Contacts – a list of people relevant to the proposed project, including consultants, project implementers, communications, and administrative personnel.
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Required Documentation to be Attached:
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Audited Financial Statement – for the most recently completed fiscal year
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Internal Financial Statements – Current Year-to-Date Statement of Financial Position/Balance Sheet and Statement of Activities/Income Statement
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IRS Form 990 – most recent
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Operating Budgets – current fiscal year and one year previous
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Board of Directors list
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Additional Documentation as determined by program area requirements or relevant to the proposed work.
Full proposals are by invitation only following discussion of a grant request with program staff and can only be submitted through the Foundation’s online portal. Program staff will send to the applicant an invitation email that provides the link to access the portal, an explanation of the submission process, and the due date. Proposals must be submitted by the due date, and an email confirmation is sent once the proposal is submitted. Once submitted to the Foundation, the applicant cannot edit the proposal content.
Submission of a full proposal does not guarantee funding will be awarded or awarded at the requested level.
Communicating with Foundation Staff Post Submission of a Full Proposal
Applicants can expect to communicate several times with Foundation staff once a concept or proposal is submitted. Communications occur primarily with program staff to refine or clarify programmatic content or objectives of the proposed work, anticipated results, milestones, and activities intended to be achieved through the successful completion of the grant or to finalize the expected project budget. Because this is an iterative process, the application may require edits and resubmission. In addition, staff may “reopen” the application record so changes or updates can be made. Applicants should make the needed changes as advised and resubmit the application promptly.
Other Foundation staff may also contact applicants for information about the request.
Proposal Review Timeline
Due to our ongoing strategy revision process, we will not be developing or accepting proposals for new work related to the Great Learning or Watershed Protection programs through the end of summer 2024. Please visit the Strategy Revision page on our website, and sign up for our emails via our homepage, to stay abreast of our progress. We will announce when we have new priorities, guidelines, and application forms and deadlines.
Please direct any general questions to grants@williampennfoundation.org
Using a Fiscal Sponsor
Applicants may use a fiscal sponsor for fiduciary oversight of a grant with these considerations:
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The fiscal sponsor must submit the full proposal and associated required documents.
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All Foundation records will be in the name of the fiscal sponsor.
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The grantee for the project is the fiscal sponsor; they will be responsible for all terms and conditions of the grant and will be expected to execute the Grant Agreement, a legally binding document.
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The fiscal sponsor will be responsible for all reporting required. Payments are made directly to the fiscal sponsor.
If a fiscal sponsor will be used, please contact grants@williampennfoundation.org before starting a concept or full proposal so our records can be adjusted accordingly.
General Operating Support
It is Foundation policy not to fund more than 25% of an organization’s operating budget. The Foundation rarely makes exceptions on a case-by-case basis under limited circumstances, subject to approval by its Board of Directors.
Overhead/Indirect Costs
The Foundation’s Watershed Protection program provides funding for projects rather than general operating support. Direct costs can include funding for staff, materials, and other organizational costs related to the project. We also encourage organizations to include funding to support related indirect costs (or overhead). The percentage allowed for indirect costs to support a project cannot exceed 25% and is determined at the discretion of the Program Officer; program staff work with applicants on a case-by-case basis to determine what is reasonable and appropriate and in proportion to the organization, scope of work, and level of reporting required under the intended grant. The amount of indirect expenses should be allocated over the term of the request and entered as part of the Project Budget.
Additional Reviews Done on Every WPF Application
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Financial Review – The Foundation conducts an in-depth financial review to assess the financial health of each applicant organization to ensure the prospective grantee has the business capacity to carry out the work during the grant period. The assessment identifies potential risks and determines the level of WPF financial exposure. Finance staff uses the financial statements provided to make this assessment. In addition, the Foundation’s finance team members may contact the applicant organization directly to clarify or request further information if needed.
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Legal Review – Proposals may require comprehensive legal review, especially for advocacy requests or if lobbying activities are included in the proposed work. (Please refer to our Advocacy and Lobbying Guidelines). The legal review may also be necessary on more complex grants such as those with unusual grantee structures, recoverable or expenditure responsibility requirements, supporting organizations, or grants of a very significant amount. These may require communications with our legal representatives or the grants management team to ensure potential grants align with IRS requirements.
Advocacy and Lobbying Guidelines
If a funding request supports advocacy efforts and/or lobbying activities included in the project, please follow these guidelines.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prohibits private foundations from earmarking grant funds for “lobbying.” However, the IRS allows private foundations to fund projects undertaken by section 501(c)3 public charities that include lobbying activities so long as the private foundation demonstrates that its grant funds are not earmarked for any lobbying activities and the grant satisfies the “Project Grant Rule.” The Foundation uses the Project Grant Rule as set forth in the IRS Regulations. Under the Project Grant Rule, the total grant requested from the Foundation cannot exceed the total non-lobbying portion of the project.
The Project Grant Rule pertains to lobbying as defined by the IRS in section 170(c)(2)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Using the IRS definition of lobbying, applicants should estimate the cost of lobbying and non-lobbying activities for the proposed work and provide the expected lobbying budget for each project year. The full project should be considered to determine lobbying costs, not just the portion of funding to be requested from the Foundation. The Foundation cannot fully and appropriately review the proposal until this information is provided.
If lobbying activities are included in the project, the Foundation cannot be the sole source of funding for the project. Therefore, adequate sources of other committed, pending, and anticipated funding should be available and indicated on the "Other Funding" tab of the application form. This support must reflect donations or pledges of cash; the IRS will not consider in-kind support for Project Grant Rule purposes.
To use the Project Grant Rule, applicants must have enough non-WPF funds to cover the full amount of the lobbying allocation before the request is considered for approval. Program staff will work with applicants to resolve any issues if enough funds are not available by this time.
Also note that under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office violate the prohibition against political campaign activity. Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes.
If your organization has questions about how the Project Grant Rule or Campaign Intervention regulations apply to your project and organization, please contact your organization’s legal or tax advisor.
