The Carls Foundation has no formal application for grant requests. A letter of inquiry is not required and phone calls are welcome. A request for funds should minimally include the following:
- Cover letter signed by the chief executive officer briefly stating the reason and the amount requested,
- Project description and budget,
- Organization history,
- Pertinent financial data for the organization,
- Amount requested,
- Evidence of tax status; copy of the Internal Revenue Service exemption letter.
At your option, you may use the “Common Grant Application” form available through the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF). If you elect to submit the proposal in a letter format, you can refer to the CMF form for the type of information useful in reviewing any grant request.
In terms of total dollar amounts, recent grants principally have been allocated within the state of Michigan, for capital items, or for new and innovative programs. All grants have been made to non-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
The Trustees meet minimally three times per year. Requests are accepted at all times, but organizations are encouraged to submit requests well in advance of the scheduled meetings. The following schedule for Trustee meetings and consideration of requests is typical:
- January meeting – requests received by November 1st
- May meeting – requests received by March 1st
- September meeting – requests received by July 1st
The Carls Foundation Trustees would prefer to be in a position to approve all grant making requests falling within the Foundation’s programming interests. But since our resources are committed for several years ahead, many worthy grant proposals must be declined. Applicants should not view any action by the Trustees as a negative judgment on the merits of their proposals.