Submitting a Proposal
Because the Foundation does not have the staff to review lengthy submissions, it does not accept unsolicited grant applications that are already fully developed. The Foundation requests a letter of proposal describing the proposed project. Even if your organization has received funding from the Oberweiler Foundation in the past, a new letter of proposal must be submitted first. Proposals must be submitted as a stand-alone document separate from other communications like quarterly reports.
Letters of Proposal may not exceed two typed pages and must include:
- A description of the agency and its history;
- A mission statement;
- A project description including why the project is needed, how it will be carried out, who will be served and where, how success will be evaluated, and how the project relates to the Foundation’s targeted areas of giving;
- Financial overview including an indication of the amount and terms of the grant request, how the funds would be used, the grant amount compared to the total project budget, and any other sources of funding available
- Name and contact information
- Mail to the Oberweiler Foundation address noted under “Contact”
Proposal Review
The Oberweiler Foundation Executive Director will follow up with the contact named in the Proposal Letter with any questions. Assuming Executive Director approval, the proposal will be reviewed by the members of the Foundation’s Review Committee. All inquiries will receive a response either as an invitation to submit a formal “Grant Application” or an explanation of why the request was denied. Note: The Oberweiler Review Committee meets bi-monthly from February through October.
Formal Grant Application
Formal grant applications are only accepted if invited after the Proposal Review. No unsolicited grant applications will be considered.
The Oberweiler Foundation accepts the Chicago Area Common Grant application. All grant applications must be submitted in hard copy via regular mail and include the signature of an authorized officer of the prospective grantee organization.
Grant Contracts
Each successful applicant will be asked to carefully review and sign a grants contract. The contract spells out what the grantee can expect from the Foundation and what the Foundation expects from the grantee. Organizations not in compliance with the terms of the contract shall not be considered for future grants. View a sample grant contract.
Post Grant Quarterly Reporting
All grantees are required to submit quarterly updates.
Instructions for reporting are available on our Quarterly Reporting page.