General Program
2013 Guidelines
The
Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation's General
Program funds international projects by domestic 501c3 organizations.
Programs in
the following three areas that aid women and children are of special
interest.
Education
The Foundation supports projects that address the needs of at-risk
youth.
Environment, Conservation and Preservation
The Foundation supports forestry projects and projects that preserve
and protect the environment by using scarce resources
wisely.
Health
The Foundation supports projects concerning mental health (including,
chemical dependency) and family planning.
The foundation gives priority to projects which help women, girls, and their families overcome violence, poverty and other hardships. We believe our focus on women and girls can enhance their natural desire to prosper and stimulate their entrepreneurship. An African proverb states, “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.” We also note that micro-lending programs appear to work best for women, because 90% of what an educated woman earns she reinvests in her family. We emphasize investing in women and girls for these reasons.
We will support their projects for up to three years.While the Foundation will not commit funds for a three-year period without an annual review, it is our intent to continue funding successful programs for a second and third year. Projects that have been funded for a first year will submit a progress report and a grant request cover sheet in lieu of a “letter of interest” by April 1st for the second and third year and automatically advance to the full proposal stage. No project will be funded by the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation for longer than three years.
We favor well documented programs which hold up under rigorous evaluation and maintain good outcomes. Prospective grantees are encouraged to clearly identify the project’s goals and describe in detail how they will measure their progress towards those goals.
The Foundation will fund only U.S. nonprofits who are directly involved in international programs. The Foundation will not fund U.S. organizations that do not have a significant oversight of operations abroad.Restrictions
The General Program will not
consider
proposals in the following areas:
- Projects whose purpose is to create specific media, film, photography or books
- Capital projects, including land acquisition or the construction of buildings
- Grants to individuals
- Projects which attempt to change behavior by education of the general public
- Camps or cultural exchange programs
- Scholarships
- Lobbying activity
- Ongoing projects or general operating support for an organization, and
- Projects whose primary purpose is research.
Outcomes-Based Assessment
The Foundation has a particular interest in
measurable outcomes. Therefore applicants will be asked to clearly
state their
goals at the outset of each grant period, and to report on their
activities and
achievements at the end. The single most important question to be
addressed is:
What measureable improvements will occur in the participants’ lives as
a result
of the project or program?
Application Process
The Letter of Intent is the first step in the application process and
should
be no more than two pages. Please use 12 point fonts and no less than
one inch
margins. Please also provide the following:
- a one-page budget
- a list of board members
- an application Cover Sheet - General Program, and
- a copy of the applicant's letter from the Internal Revenue
The Letter of Intent should contain the following information in a concise form:
- Brief background on the applicant organization
- Need for the project
- Plan to address the need (Include an overview of the project model and evidence that shows the model's effectiveness.)
- Time frame, and
- Projected project outcomes that are clear and measureable.
Deadline
Letters of Intent for the General Program must be received by the
Foundation office no later than April 1, 2013.
In fairness to all applicants, the Foundation will strictly adhere to its deadlines. Material received after the established deadlines will not be considered.
Foundation Process for Decision Making
The Board of Trustees will review all Letters of Intent at their
meeting in
June and will notify applicants in July of the Board's decision
regarding the
initial application stage.
Selected organizations will be invited to submit a full proposal which must be received by the Foundation office no later than August 1, 2013. Grant decisions will be made in November and funds will be distributed at year end.
Each grant proposal must carry the signature of the appropriate administrative officer of the tax-exempt non-profit applicant.
Organizations receiving grants are expected to assume proper fiscal responsibility for the expenditure of grant funds as well as to assure the Foundation that the purposes of the grants are fulfilled.