Leer acerca del proceso de becas en español
The grant application process:
Nonprofit organizations, or groups working with a fiscal sponsor, located and working in the United States with budgets of $250,000 or less are eligible for a grant from Mary’s Pence. Review full list of eligibility requirements here.
Step1: Submit an Initial Funding Inquiry (IFI). Organizations submit a short Initial Funding Inquiry Form. The purpose of the IFI is to confirm eligibility and ensure that the organization and Mary’s Pence align well.
Step 2: Initial Funding Inquiry Reviews. The IFI is reviewed and organization/group is notified as to whether or not they have been invited to submit a full Grant Application. We have recently changed our Initial Funding Inquiry review process. While, we will accept inquiries at any time, we will review them from April to June for the Spring Grant Cycle and from October to December for the Fall Grant Cycle.
Step 3: Submit a Grant Application. The invitation-only application is a more in-depth look at your organization and its work. It’s a chance to tell us all about your organization’s leadership, activities, impact and more.
Step 4: Grant Application Reviews. Submitted grant applications are reviewed by the women of the Mary’s Pence Board of Directors Grants Committee and occasionally community volunteers.
Step 5: Grant Award Notifications. Organizations are notified about the Grants Committee award decision. Mary’s Pence staff meets with grant applicants about Grants Committee feedback when requested.
Descarga aquí el Formulario de Evaluación Inicial para Becas de Mary’s Pence.
The Grant Cycle:
1. Grant Award Notification and Grant Agreement Contract. Accompanying the award notification letter is a grant agreement to be completed by you and/or your fiscal sponsor. The Agreement outlines the terms of the grant and requests the details for payment.
2. Grant Agreements, Payment Details Submitted and Payment Issued. Upon receipt of this information, your grants payment is processed. The grant period is one year from the date of the agreement.
3. Grantee Communications. Mary’s Pence staff will periodically send information about funding, learning, and capacity-building opportunities. If there are general questions, requests for assistance, Mary’s Pence staff are available to provide support.
4. Capacity-building Grants. Mary’s Pence grantees are offered the opportunity to submit a request for one-time funding of up to $750 to support capacity building initiatives. The funds must be used for activities that strengthen the organization/group and should not be spent on programmatic activities. Examples of capacity-building activities are: nonprofit leadership training, board/staff retreat and training, hiring someone to assist with website development or updates, purchasing office equipment, hiring a videographer or video editor, etc.
5. Mid-Cycle Check-in. Around the midpoint of the grant cycle, a virtual visit is arranged with the grantee. This is an opportunity for Mary’s Pence staff to hear about grantee accomplishments, goals, changes, challenges, and more.
6. Grantee Gathering. Mary’s Pence hosts an annual Grantee Gathering for new grantees or returning grantees, who have not yet attended a gathering or retreat. This working “retreat” brings grantees from across the U.S. together to the Twin Cities metro. This all-expenses paid convening is the perfect opportunity for networking with fellow grantees, sharing experiences and insights, participating in workshops and discussions, learning from inspiring guest speakers, supporting one another, and celebrating the impact we have made together.
7. Final Report. At the end of the grant cycle, Mary’s Pence requests a simple Final Report summarizing the activities, achievements, and challenges experienced during the Grant Cycle. For grantees seeking grant renewal,* it is advised to submit the Final Report with the renewed Grant Application. Doing so provides the Grants Committee with an update about the work that has already been funded. An IFI is not required for renewing grantees.
*Grantee organizations and groups working with a fiscal sponsor may receive a grant from Mary’s Pence up to three times. This total number of grants does not include the capacity building grant.