The Community Grants (New York and Pennsylvania Regions) program is a grant from the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund that supports nonprofits working in Monroe or Yates County, New York, or Lackawanna or Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Grants average approximately $28,000 and can range from small amounts to six-figure commitments for program or operations support.

Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations whose work addresses the foundation's goals. First-time applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) before applying. The April 2026 application deadline has passed; inquiries are also accepted on a rolling basis for future cycles.

How to Apply - William G. McGowan Charitable Fund Prepare for the application You are eligible to apply if: Your work addresses our goals You are applying for either program or operations support Neighborhoods of Austin and North Lawndale LOIs are accepted by invitation only . Organizations in these regions may submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) only if they have received an invitation from us.

There is no process to request an invitation. Invitations are issued solely at our discretion and cannot be requested or solicited. Grant requests focused on Food Insecurity in this region are only eligible to submit a Letter of Inquiry following an invitation.

Invitations cannot be solicited. Are you a new applicant or a repeat applicant? An organization that has not applied for and received a competitive McGowan Fund Grant Award in the past three years.

If you have only received funding through our (invitation only) discretionary, matching, or sponsorship grants programs, you are considered a new applicant. An organization that has received a competitive McGowan Fund Grant Award in the past three years, and has submitted a final report.

If you have only received funding through our (invitation only) discretionary, matching, or sponsorship grants programs, you are not considered a repeat applicant. LOI Deadline (New Applicants Only) Letters of Inquiry and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To be considered during a specific grant cycle, your LOI or application must be received by 11:59 p.

m. CT on the deadline date. If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, LOIs and applications may be submitted by 11:59 p.

m. CT on the following business day. *On the rare occasion that an application is unable to be reviewed during the expected grant cycle, you will be notified and your application review will be automatically carried over to the next meeting.

The Letter of Inquiry is an online form for new applicants that helps us determine whether your organization and project fit our criteria. If approved, you will receive electronic notice within two weeks and you will be invited to submit an application.

You’ll provide information about: Name, address, and purpose of the organization Purpose of the grant request Demographics of the people you serve If your LOI is approved, all questions filled out on the LOI automatically roll over onto the application.

Prepare for the application This form collects the specifics of your organization (mission/purpose, structure, financials); population you serve; and your program(s) structure, narrative, goals, theory of change, inputs/outputs. It includes significant space for narratives.

This form serves as a self-evaluation of the success and challenges of the program(s) funded and offers grantee and grantor the opportunity to reflect and grow by examining the past year. Repeat applicants: Final reports must be submitted prior to applying for new funding. If you do not have access to your past applications to complete this step, please contact us for assistance.

Once you have reviewed the information above and have determined that you are eligible, you may apply.