Grant Request Process

UPX Request for Grant Application

Please use the following criteria to draft a proposal outlining your grant request and to provide the specifics of the program or initiative the requested grant would support. Your proposal should identify how the associated program or initiative aligns with the mission and values of the University of Phoenix Foundation. The concepts supporting the program or initiatives should reflect your organization’s area of expertise. Proposals should be no more than 5 pages in length.

NOTE: During its first year of funding (Sep 07 – Aug 08), the Foundation has determined that the maximum grant award will be $50K per year.

Organizational Profile/Information

  1. Provide the name of your organization, mailing address, phone and fax numbers, and Web site address.
  2. Provide a one- to two-sentence description of your organization’s mission.
  3. Provide your organization’s total operating budget and the fiscal year-end date. Please identify how your organization maintains financial sustainability.
  4. Provide your organization’s federal tax ID number and tax exemption date (a copy of the organization’s IRS determination letter must be attached).
  5. Provide the name, title, address, phone, fax and email address of your organization’s senior executive.
  6. Provide the name, title, address, phone, fax and email address of the primary contact for this request.
  7. Has this beneficiary received funding from the Foundation in the past? If so, how much and when?
  8. How does the beneficiary’s mission align with the Foundation’s mission?
  9. How do the beneficiary organization’s constituents align with the Foundation’s designated beneficiaries?

Program Overview

  1. Identify the area that best represents your program or initiative:
    • Promoting school readiness;
    • Improving educational opportunities for underrepresented populations;
    • Increasing the rate of underrepresented students receiving college or advanced degrees.
  2. Provide a brief overview of the program or initiative that will benefit from the grant.
  3. Describe the individuals that will most directly benefit from this grant.
  4. If this request is for sponsorship, please also answer the following questions:
    • Who will be attending the sponsored event?
    • How do the event’s attendees align with the Foundation’s designated beneficiaries?
  5. What are the overall goals of this program?
  6. What are the expected outcomes for this program?

Program Details

  1. How much grant funding is requested and how will the money be used to support the program?
  2. Who will manage this program and what measurement/reporting will be put in place to monitor success?
  3. What is the proposed schedule/timeline for this grant/program?
  4. What is the proposed budget for this grant/program, including other expenses and other sources of funding (please identify any requests for year-over-year funding)? Please explain how this program will be financial sustainable.

The following items pertain to the organization’s compliance with the best practices from the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector. An organization’s appropriate adherence to these standards will be taken into consideration when reviewing this grant requests. Please document the extent to which your organization complies with these standards, including any current initiatives underway.

  1. The board, or the audit committee reviews the nonprofit’s Form 990 tax return before submission.
  2. Nonprofits with $1 million or more in annual revenue have an independent audit conducted annually and have an established audit committee with financially literate membership.
  3. Nonprofits with annual revenues between $250,000 and $1 million have their financial statements reviewed by an independent certified public accountant.
  4. Nonprofits have adopted a strict conflict of interest statement that the staff and board annually review and sign.
  5. The full board of a nonprofit approves any change in the compensation of the CEO annually.
  6. Nonprofits have travel policies that provide clear guidelines on the types of expenses that can be reimbursed and the documentation required to receive reimbursement.
  7. A nonprofit has a minimum of three members on its governing board, and at least one-third of the members are independent.
  8. Nonprofits have policies and procedures that encourage individuals to come forward with credible information about illegal practices or violations of adopted policies of the organization.