Grant Guidelines

Grants are awarded twice a year. The grant application process is fairly simple and is initiated by submitting a grant application using the Common Grant Application Web site. Specific advice about the types of grants that we will or will not fund and our deadlines is available below. Detailed information about all of the grants we have approved is available at on our Past Grants and our 990-PFs. This should give you an insight into our interests and how they have evolved over time. If you think your grant application will fall within our interests then the process for submitting a grant application can be found at Apply for a Grant.

 

Grant Guidelines & Deadlines

The foundation makes grants to US based qualified charitable organizations. To date we have funded organizations that address the following areas of interest: 

  • Environment (US headquartered organizations operating programs in the US or elsewhere in the world),

  • Human Services

  • Disaster relief (US headquartered organizations responding to disasters in the US or elsewhere in the world on an occasional basis),

  • Other (US headquartered organizations operating programs in the US or elsewhere in the world).

Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or public schools and libraries are eligible for contributions or grants.

We are okay if a portion of any grant that we award is used for reasonable indirect costs. 50% or lower would be reasonable for indirect costs.

Our foundation is based in Santa Monica, CA but has no geographical restrictions.

Our foundation has two grant cycles: June and December. A completed application must be submitted online, using the Common Grant Application, by midnight (23:59:59) Central Time (CT) on either April 30 or October 31.

Grant Amount and Types

  • Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

  • General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted.

  • In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

We don’t typically fund.

The foundation does not make grants to individuals, international charitable organizations that are not qualified in the US or to for-profit businesses.

The foundation does not typically make grants for the following purposes. Requests to fund the following purposes are likely to be denied: 

  • Computers or software,

  • Audio or video equipment,

  • Designing and producing videos, kiosks or promotional material,

  • Music programs or musical instruments,

  • Gardening programs or equipment,

  • Physical education programs or equipment,

  • Recreational programs,

  • Theater arts or performance arts programs or equipment,

  • Hospice or old age home programs,

  • Churches,

  • Religious, charter or magnet schools

  • Individuals for any purpose,

  • International organizations that do not have a qualified domestic 501(c)(3) representative,

  • Political lobbying activities or other political purposes,

  • Voter registration,

  • Private foundations,

  • Dinners, balls, or other ticketed events,

  • Purposes outside of the foundation's funding priorities as listed in the prior section.

Other than legal requirements, these lists are not absolute and may not always apply, but they provide some guidance about our interests.

Please also note that Program Related Investments are not currently made.

If you feel your organization is a match to our funding interests and priorities and would like to apply to our foundation for a grant then please go to Apply for a Grant for directions.

Also, please note, Lawrence is a common name and there are other Lawrence Foundations in the United States with different grantmaking focuses and interests than The Lawrence Foundation in Santa Monica, CA.