KFF Online Proposal Introduction and Instructions

Introduction

The Klarman Family Foundation strives to improve and enrich the lives of others. We focus on areas meaningful to the Klarman family, and where we believe we can make a significant impact. The Foundation takes a thoughtful and collaborative approach in its efforts to identify unmet areas of need and advance solutions to difficult problem areas.

The Foundation funds organizations that demonstrate a thoughtful and effective approach to meet their goals. In general, we use the following criteria to evaluate organizations:

  • Does the organization demonstrate the capacity to implement the proposed work through effective leadership, a strong board, solid planning, and sound financial practices?
  • Does the organization have clearly articulated goals, and a record of success in achieving them?
  • Do the organization’s mission and goals fit within the Foundation’s current areas of interest?

Instructions

Welcome to the Klarman Family Foundation’s online grant proposal. The following instructions will help you successfully complete your proposal, and you can also click the i icon next to a specific question for more information or response examples. Please contact Erin Peterson if you have any questions during this process.

A few notes before you get started:

  • The online proposal may be completed in multiple sessions. At any time during the online grant proposal process, you have the option to save the information you have entered and finish your proposal later by clicking the “Save and Finish Later” button at the bottom of any page. As you switch tabs within the online proposal your responses will also be automatically saved.
  • Always return to your in-progress proposal by going to the “My Account” page at https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_1770 and log in using your e-mail address and password. Using any other link will create a NEW blank proposal rather than allowing you to return to your in-progress proposal.
  • We recommend that you compose your responses to the Narrative questions in a Word document first, and then copy/paste them into the online form. NOTE: the form does not accept any formatting (e.g., bullets, italics or underline). Please also be mindful of the word count limits for most questions.
  • All fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required and must be filled out before submitting your proposal.
  • The online proposal has four sections to complete: Applicant Overview, Budget Overview, Narrative, and Attachments. You may switch between these sections by clicking the corresponding tab; you do not have to complete the sections in order.
  • To view the entire proposal on one screen, click the “Review My Application” tab at any time. Any required fields that have not been completed will be highlighted in red.
  • To print the entire proposal at any time, click the “Printer Friendly Version” link in the upper right corner.

Below is additional information about each section of the proposal:

Applicant Overview

  • General Information about your Organization: Please use your organization’s legal name to be used for grant agreements and any checks issued to your organization. NOTE: If using a fiscal sponsor, please upload a fiscal sponsor agreement- see Attachments tab.
  • Organization’s Chief Professional: This is the person in your organization who has oversight of the organization, is authorized to sign documents and will receive all formal correspondence (e.g. grant agreements, payments)
  • Proposal Contact Person: Please leave this blank if your organization’s chief professional is also the primary contact for this proposal.
  • Staff and Governance: NOTE: You will also be asked to upload an organization chart and board list- see Attachments tab.
  • Strategic Planning: Please leave the date fields blank if you do not have a strategic plan, but explain why in the text box provided.

Budget Overview

  • Budget Information: NOTE: You will also be asked to upload budgets and audited financial statements- see Attachments tab.
  • Major Private Revenue Sources: A text box is provided for  any additional information you feel we should know about your funding. Please list a source as Anonymous if the grant/gift was given anonymously. NOTE: You will be asked to upload revenue sources- see Attachments tab.
  • Please note that we do not ask you to make a specific funding request. If approved, the Foundation determines funding levels based on a comprehensive review of your organization.

Narrative

  • Organization Description: Here we are asking for your mission statement, a description of your core work, and the collaborators/networks with whom you work.
  • Goals & Key Activities: These are organizational goals. They answer the question, “What is your organization seeking to accomplish over the next three years?” Key activities are the actions you’re taking to achieve your goals. They answer the question, “What is your organization doing to achieve these goals?” Please make sure these goals are specific and actionable (click the i icons for examples). If the Foundation approves your request for funding, we will ask you to report on your progress toward these goals annually throughout the duration of the grant.
  • Only if your organization has been invited to apply for a specific program/project, please also include program-specific goals.
  • Factors Impacting Your Work: We ask you first for internal (i.e., organizational) factors, and then for external (i.e., environmental) factors.
  • Additional Information: Please share any additional information you believe is important to communicate as part of the Foundation’s review of your organization.

Attachments

To attach the requested files to your proposal, follow these steps:

  • Scroll down to the Upload section at the bottom of the Attachments page.
  • Select the type of attachment you want to upload from the drop-down menu next to the Title field (e.g., Organization Chart). Make sure you select the correct type of attachment. Failure to do so could result in the system flagging your proposal as missing a required attachment.
  • Click on the browse button.
  • The file upload window will pop open on your screen.
  • Locate the file that you want to attach to your proposal on your computer or network.
  • Click “Open” (in the file upload window).
  • Click Upload
  • The page will refresh and the attached document will appear at the top of the page. You can click on the name of the file to view it and make sure that it is the file you intended to attach to your proposal.
  • Repeat these steps for each attachment, making sure to change the “Title” field to match the file you are uploading.

Review and Submit Proposal

  • Click on the “Review my Application” tab at the top of any page to review your entire proposal before final submission. Any required fields that you may have missed will be highlighted.
  • When you are ready to submit, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Submit.” You will receive a confirmation e-mail after you submit your proposal. You may go back to see your submitted proposal at any time using the link https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_1770. Make sure to change the drop down menu on the right of the screen to show Submitted Applications. You can also email a copy of your proposal from this screen. Please note that you will NOT be able to change your proposal after clicking the Submit button.