THE ALLEN FOUNDATION
Grant Information
Important Steps
1.
Grantseekers should begin by reviewing the Allen Foundation’s Areas of Interest below.
Areas of Interest - Updated for 2024
Historically, The Allen Foundation has concentrated on strengthening communities in Wisconsin, with special emphasis on Rock County and Janesville, Wisconsin. In recent years, however, the Foundation has elected to consider applications from other geographies within the United States, as long as the potential Grantee is engaged in activities consistent with the Foundation’s Areas of Interest.
Generally, our goal is to meet charitable needs of an emergency, new, or innovative nature, and generally to fulfill needs and develop programs in health, welfare, and other charitable fields, including the field of providing activities for senior citizens.
While this goal allows for a wide range of organizations to be considered, and The Allen Foundation is willing to consider charitable needs of a “new or innovative nature,” the following examples will be useful for Grantseekers to consider:
Quality of Life:
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Arts and Culture; Museums and Visual Arts; Performing Arts
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Children and Youth Services
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Human and Social Services
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Religious Organizations
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Scientific Research
Senior Care:
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Senior Centers; Social Interaction
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Healthcare Navigation
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In-Home Care Promotion
Animal Safety:
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Rescues and Well-Being
Healthcare:
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Healthcare Institutions
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Medical Research
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Specific Disease States
Educational Development:
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Scholarships
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Financial Aid
The Grantseeker will be able to articulate individual areas of Foundation interest (ideally, multiple areas).
2.
If you believe that your organization qualifies for Grant consideration based on these Areas of Interest, the next step is to send us a Letter of Inquiry (optional) for the Foundation’s review and consideration.
Guidelines for Letters of Inquiry
Your Letter of Inquiry should, in your own words, include at least the following information:
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A brief summary of your organization’s history goals, current programs and activities, and recent accomplishments.
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Describe the purpose of the Grant you are requesting; i.e., what issues you are trying to address, how you identified them, your objectives to address them, and how you will accomplish them. Be sure to include ways that your success in reaching your objectives can be measured.
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Anything else you want to tell us related to this Grant request?
How to Submit Letters of Inquiry
Your Letter of Inquiry can be submitted electronically. Simply visit the “Contact” area of this website, and follow the instructions to upload your Letter of Inquiry.
What Happens Then?
Your Letter of Inquiry will be reviewed in a timely manner by our Board of Governors in conjunction with our Institutional Trustee, after which a representative of the Foundation will contact you – hopefully to guide you in the process of submitting a formal Grant Application, or to advise you that the Foundation is unlikely to issue a Grant based on the information in your Letter of Inquiry.
3.
Submitting a Grant Application (Required)
Regardless of our response to your Letter of Inquiry, or if your organization prefers to proceed directly to the Grant Application, the process is the same: The link below will take you to the Allen Foundation’s site of our Trustee, JPMorgan. Once you are there, you’ll be guided with steps and required information to set up an account and access the Online Grant Application.