Frequently Asked Questions

 

How do I know if my organization is qualified for funding from the Hearst Foundations?

Please thoroughly review the Funding Limitations, Funding Areas (Culture, Education, Health and Social Service) and Grant Recipients Database to evaluate organizational eligibility and grant request alignment with Hearst Foundations’ priorities.

 

How do I apply?

All applications must be submitted via the Hearst Foundations’ online application portal. The Hearst Foundations no longer accept applications or materials through the mail. Please use these links to access the instructions and online application. Please use the instructions to guide you through the process. The Hearst Foundations have a year-round, rolling application process; there are no deadlines. For further information, please see the How to Apply page. 

 

Instructions

Endowment Application

Program Application (all non-endowment requests)

 

What is the process after I submit an application?

Once submitted, every request goes through an evaluation process by the staff that generally spans four to six weeks. The process includes proposal review, financial analysis and team discussions. For those organizations being considered for approval by the Board of Directors, a site visit (virtual or in-person) and further due diligence will be conducted. The Board meets to approve grants in March, June, September and December. The average time from proposal submission to grant award is six months. For further information, please see Grant Request Evaluation Process.

 

How will I be notified of a decision?

Applicants should receive an email confirmation of receipt of the proposal. Due to the email security settings of organizations, in some cases, the emails may not be received and you can track your proposal’s progress using the Open Items and Closed Items tabs on the portal’s Dashboard. Please note that applications will be transitioned from the Open Items tab to the Closed Items tab when Declined.

 

How do I determine whether to apply for program or endowment funding?

The Foundations have a preference for program grants. The Foundations consider endowment grants in cases where organizations have existing endowments with the Hearst Foundations and a track record of strong performance and consistent stewardship.

 

Can I send extra items such as video/audio tapes, newspaper articles, DVDs, etc?

The only applications that will be reviewed are those submitted through the online application. Please do not mail in any materials. Please only provide those materials that are requested as attachments on the online application.

 

Do the Foundations make site visits?

The Foundations view a site visit as an integral part of the due diligence process. All requests brought to the consideration of the Board of Directors will have been evaluated through program staff review, further due diligence and a site visit (virtual or in-person) by a program officer.

 

What are the sizes of grants (i.e., how much should we request)?

Please refer to the Grant Recipients Database to see the types and amounts of grants the Foundations have awarded in the recent past to comparable organizations. The minimum grant size is $100,000.

 

If I have received a grant, when can I reapply?

Grantee organizations must wait a minimum of three years from their grant award date before the Foundations will consider another request.

 

If I have been declined for a grant, when can I reapply?

Declined organizations must wait one year from the date of their notice of decline before the Foundations will consider another request.

 

If I am part of a large institution, how do I apply?

Proposals from institutions with multiple departments (e.g., universities, medical centers, etc.) should be coordinated through the institutions’ central development offices such that only one proposal will be submitted to the Hearst Foundations.

 

What is the relationship of the Hearst Foundations to the Hearst Corporation?

The Hearst Foundations are independent private philanthropies operating separately from the Hearst Corporation.

 

Can the Foundations suggest other resources that may be useful to nonprofit organizations?

Please visit the websites for these organizations:

 

Candid 

Council on Foundations

Independent Sector