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Grant Making Guidelines

CURRENT AREAS OF INTEREST
The Lazar Foundation's specific environmental interests in the Pacific Northwest are listed below. The Foundation accepts inquiries for projects related to these interests, except from Alaska.

  • Conservation of large, biologically significant terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
  • Preservation of biological diversity.
  • Projects that broaden the environmental movement.
  • Projects that strengthen or increase the capacity of the environmental movement's ability to develop, shape, and communicate its message.

The Foundation has additional program interests for which proposals are accepted by invitation only.

GRANT RESTRICTIONS
The Lazar Foundation does not accept proposals for the following issue areas:

  • Toxics
  • Land acquisition or land trusts
  • Environmental education
  • Individuals
  • Computer-related expenses
  • Civic projects.
  • Endowments or capital campaigns.

In addition, the Foundation will usually not fund the following:

  • Film or video
  • Urban issues or suburban projects
  • Conservation-based scientific research, unless it directly supports a project that the Foundation is currently funding, and then only rarely.

GRANTS

2012 Lazar Foundation grants budget: $900,000
2012 environmental grants budget: $700,000

GRANT DEADLINES
The Foundation will award grants three times per year, at the end of March, July, and November. Full proposals must be in our office no later than February 15, June 15 and October 15. Early submissions are encouraged. Submit proposal as one PDF no more than 5MB large (multiple attachments will not be processed).

GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS
1) Letter of Inquiry (LOI) - To be considered for a Lazar Foundation grant, your initial contact should be a letter of inquiry (phone calls prior to submittal of LOI will not be returned). Please limit the letter of no more than one page and email to sybil@lazarfoundation.org with the subject line in the email stating only LOI. Organizations proposing projects that fit the Foundation's current areas of interest will be invited to submit a full proposal within one month of submittal.  If you receive no reply within one month your LOI is not accepted.

The letter of inquiry must include the following:

  • A description of the project and its expected outcomes as they relate to the Foundation's areas of interest.
  • A project budget with a funding plan (indicate any funds already received or committed).
  • The amount requested with an explanation of how the funds will be allocated within the project.
  • If you are applying for the first time, please describe your organization and provide proof of your tax-exempt status.

 

2) Grant Application - When a full proposal is requested in writing by the Executive Director, all applicants should submit the following information along with a completed Grant Application Form.

All applicants:

  • General description of the organization: mission statement, goals, long range plans and a brief description of other projects, if applicable.
  • Organization's current year budget and most recent audited financial statement.
  • Most recent 12 month cash flow projection in a month by month format with beginning and ending cash balance.
  • List of secured and pending funding for the organization.
  • List of all staff with bios for key staff.
  • List of Board of Directors with short bios.
  • Documentation verifying the tax-exempt status of the organization.
  • Copy of the contract between fiscal sponsor and sponsoree, if applicable.

For general support requests:

  • A discussion of the organization's specific goals and objectives for the period for which funds are requested.
  • A detailed funding plan for the organization that identifies foundation and non-foundation sources of support including pending, confirmed and to be applied for amounts. State clearly the amounts specifically requested of The Lazar Foundation.
  • A discussion of how the organization will measure success.

For specific project requests:

  • A discussion of the project's specific goals and objectives.
  • A complete description of the project including a workplan, timeline and budget. You must include specifics regarding what will be done and by whom.
  • A discussion of the anticipated outcome(s) of the project and how the organization will measure success.
  • An explanation of groups or individuals likely to oppose the project and strategies to deal with that opposition.
  • A detailed funding plan for the project that identifies foundation and non-foundation sources of support including pending, confirmed and to be applied for amounts. State clearly the amounts specifically requested of The Lazar Foundation.

The Lazar Foundation will acknowledge and review all grant applications received.  The Foundation's preference is that applications and proposals be submitted via email as one pdf attachment (no more than 5MB).  Review of an application will not begin until it is complete.

GRANT OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION
The Lazar Foundation measures the success of a funded project against the project's objectives as stated in the funding proposal. We fund organizations that have demonstrated the ability to both achieve stated objectives and report on accomplishments in a thoughtful and timely manner.

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