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www.herbblockfoundation.org/HerbBlockFo...

The Herb Block Foundation has 3 Grant Program Areas

• Defending Freedoms
  The Herb Block Foundation seeks proposals to safeguard the basic freedoms guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, and to help eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination and to assist government agencies to be more accountable to the public. Anti-discrimination projects which involve joint efforts of two or more organizations are encouraged. The Herb Block Foundation will also consider contemporary societal issues that may arise

• Pathways Out of Poverty
  This program will focus on helping needy young people and adults gain a quality education. For projects serving youth, The Herb Block Foundation seeks proposals which focus on improving student achievement and healthy development of young people of middle school age and above. Projects may include in-school and community-based educational programs, after-school activities, and mentoring programs. Programs designed to increase high school graduation rates are encouraged to apply. For projects serving adults, The Herb Block Foundation seeks proposals to provide literacy education and GED preparation, and to offer vocational training and job placement.

• Citizen Involvement
  The Herb Block Foundation seeks to help ensure a responsible, responsive democratic government through citizen involvement. Proposals may focus on citizen education and greater voter participation in the electoral process. All projects must be nonpartisan and may not involve lobbying for specific legislation or candidates.

The Herb Block Foundation¶

The Herb Block Foundation uses a two-step process for evaluating grant proposals:

Note: this includes current and past grantees

1. Organizations that wish to apply for a grant are required to first submit a Letter of Inquiry briefly describing, in two to three pages, the proposed project’s purpose, operation, target audience, timeline, costs, and anticipated impacts. (See below for the full list of items to be included in this Letter.)

2. If after reviewing the Letter of Inquiry, the Foundation selects the project for further consideration, a Full Proposal, using the Washington Grantmakers’ Common Grant Application, will be invited. Please note that a request for a Full Proposal does not guarantee that a project will be funded, and that only full proposals which have been invited by the Foundation will be considered.

Procedure for Submitting a Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

Letters of Inquiry must be received in The Herb Block Foundation’s offices at 1730 M Street, NW, Suite 901, Washington, DC 20036, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date listed in the Application Timetable below. Please provide two copies of the Letter of Inquiry to our Program Officers; one addressed to Marcela Brane and one addressed to Sarah Armstrong Alex. Letters of Inquiry must include the following:

• a brief statement of the issues to be addressed, and of your organization’s involvement with these issues,
• a brief summary of the activities for which you are requesting support, including an outline of your objectives and anticipated outcomes, and a list of potential partners,
• the population and geographic areas targeted,
• the planned starting date and duration of the proposed activities,
• the total amount of funding needed, the amount requested from The Herb Block Foundation, and the sources (both in-hand and requested) of other support,
• a copy of your organization’s IRS 501©(3) letter, and
• your organization’s current total Operating Budget and audited financial statement.

A brochure or newsletter describing your organization’s mission, goals, accomplishments, etc. may be included.

The Foundation’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.

We anticipate that The Herb Block Foundation will generally have three Board meetings per year reviewing grant applications, in January, May, and September. Grants will be considered according to the following schedule:

• January- Defending Basic Freedoms

• March- Providing Higher Educational Opportunities Through Scholarships & Promoting Editorial Cartooning

• May- Pathways Out of Poverty

• September – Encouraging Citizen Involvement

The Foundation’s fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.

Please contact the Foundation if you have any further questions. And please visit this website regularly for our latest information.

Thanks for your interest in The Herb Block Foundation.
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