Encouraging Citizen Involvement Grant

Encouraging Citizen Involvement Grant is sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation. Supports nonprofit organizations in promoting civic engagement and voter participation in a nonpartisan manner.

Encouraging Citizen Involvement | The Herb Block Foundation Encouraging Citizen Involvement The Scholarship Application Scholastic Art & Writing Awards How to Analyze an Editorial Cartoon Report on Editorial Cartooning Tuesday, September 8, 2026 Encouraging Citizen Involvement Program LOI's Due Full Proposal Invited Full Proposal Due Proposed Board Meeting Defending Basic Freedoms 10/06/26 11/18/26 12/17/26 1/26/27 Pathways Out of Poverty 2/03/27 3/18/27 4/15/27 5/18/27 Encouraging Citizen Involvement 6/04/26 7/16/26 8/13/26 9/22/26 ECI Board Meeting: 09/15/2026 Here is the link to our application - Applicant Portal The Herb Block Foundation seeks to help ensure a responsible, responsive democratic government through citizen involvement.

Proposals may focus on citizen education and greater voter participation in the electoral process. All projects must be nonpartisan and may not involve lobbying for specific legislation or candidates. In addition to providing grants in this area, The Herb Block Foundation has initiated an annual public policy lecture program featuring prominent speakers on issues of national importance.

Eligibility Requirements for All Grant Programs Applicants must be nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) organizations by the Internal Revenue Service. Applicants for the Defending Basic Freedoms and Encouraging Citizen Involvement Program areas may be national.

Applicants for the Pathways Out of Poverty Program must be located in /and or provide services in the greater Washington, DC region which we define as the District of Columbia, the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, and the city of Alexandria in Virginia and Montgomery, and Prince George's counties in Maryland. Grants will not be made for capital or endowment programs, nor for sectarian religious purposes.

Grants in the range of $5,000 to $25,000 will be considered. Grants will be considered for one year's funding. No more than 10% of a grant may go to indirect costs (outside of those for general operating support).

Grants cannot be used for lobbying or other partisan purposes. The Herb Block Foundation uses a two-step process for evaluating grant proposals: a Letter of Inquiry and a Full Proposal. 1.

Organizations that wish to apply for a grant are required to first submit a Letter of Inquiry. A Letter of Inquiry briefly describes (roughly in two to three pages) the proposed project's purpose, operation, target audience, timeline, costs, and anticipated impacts. Go to the panel "Application Forms" for examples list of items to be included in the online application.

NOTE: All applicants, including current and past grantees , must submit a Letter of Inquiry if you expect to apply for the next fiscal year. 2. The Foundation selects projects for further consideration with an invitation for a Full Proposal.

Please note that a request for a Full Proposal does not guarantee that a project will be funded, and that only full proposals which have been invited by the Foundation will be considered. All organizations who send in a letter of inquiry, online or by mail, will receive an email letting them know if the Foundation is requesting a full proposal or not.

See the panel "Application Forms" to see the requirements for the Letters of Inquiry and for the online applications. We anticipate that The Herb Block Foundation will generally have three Board meetings per year reviewing grant applications, in January, May, and September.

Grants will be considered according to the following schedule: January: Defending Basic Freedoms May: Pathways Out of Poverty September: Encouraging Citizen Involvement The Foundation's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. Please contact the Foundation if you have any further questions. And please visit this website regularly for our latest information.

Thanks for your interest in The Herb Block Foundation. NOTE: All applicants, including current and past grantees , must submit a Letter of Inquiry if you expect to apply for the next fiscal year. To apply (click on this link) Online Letter of Inquiry Application .

Online applications must be submitted by midnight of the deadline date listed in the Application Timetable. Online applications must be submitted by midnight of the deadline date listed in the Application Timetable.

Letters of Inquiry typically include the following: a brief statement of the issues to be addressed, and of your organization's involvement with these issues, a brief summary of the activities for which you are requesting support, including an outline of your objectives and anticipated outcomes, and a list of potential partners, the population and geographic areas targeted, the planned starting date and duration of the proposed activities, the total amount of funding needed, the amount requested from The Herb Block Foundation, and the sources (both in-hand and requested) of other support, a copy of your organization's IRS 501(c)(3) letter, and your organization's current total Operating Budget, and audited financial statement (if available).

A brochure or newsletter describing your organization's mission, goals, accomplishments, etc. may also be included. NOTE: All applicants, including current and past grantees , must submit a Letter of Inquiry if you expect to apply for the next fiscal year. Full Proposal Applications may be sent only upon a request by the staff of The Herb Block Foundation after reviewing Letters of Inquiry.

Please note a request for a full proposal does not guarantee funding for your project.

Program LOI's Due Full Proposal Invited Full Proposal Due Proposed Board Meeting Defending Basic Freedoms 10/06/26 11/18/26 12/17/26 1/26/27 Pathways Out of Poverty 2/03/27 4/18/27 4/15/27 5/18/27 Encouraging Citizen Involvement 6/04/26 7/16/26 8/13/26 9/22/26 To assist The Herb Block Foundation in monitoring the work of its grantees, each recipient is required to submit progress report at the end of each six-month grant period and a final report.

The requirements for each report are found below. Those that apply online will be able to submit their 6 month and final reports online, we will email links a month before the due date. Once we email the link, then access will be available on the site until the report is submitted.

However, those past and current grantees who submitted their Letter of Inquiry by mail must continue to submit their reports in hard copy. Again, online reporting is only for those who submitted online and they will find a link to the reporting when they login about a month before the deadline date.

Program Board Meeting Progress Report Due Final Report Due Encouraging Citizen Involvement 9/17/25 10/**/27 Progress Report: Include the name of your organization, the address, phone and fax numbers, the project director's name and the project goals or objectives. Include with your report a detailed financial accounting of all grant funds. Your report should address each of the items below.

Answers need not be lengthy; three pages for the report are often adequate. What challenges are you facing as you move forward with this project? How are you approaching these challenges?

What changes in plans or personnel have there been? Please explain. What progress have you made toward achieving your objectives?

Please address each stated objective. Do you anticipate any difficulties in completing your project in the timeframe outlined in your proposal? NOTE: All applicants, including current and past grantees , must submit a Letter of Inquiry if you expect to apply for the next fiscal year.

Include the name of your organization, the address, phone and fax numbers, the project director's name and the project goals or objectives. Include with your report a detailed financial accounting of all grant funds. Your report should address each of the items below.

Answers need not be lengthy; three to five pages for the report are often adequate. What was accomplished in connection with this project. Please address each stated objective.

If any project objectives were changed, please also explain the circumstances leading to the modification of the objective(s). What challenges did you face in connection with this project? How did you address these challenges?

What were the most important lessons learned? What advice would you offer to help another organization that is thinking about undertaking a similar project? NOTE: All applicants, including current and past grantees , must submit a Letter of Inquiry if you expect to apply for the next fiscal year.

Herb Block is among the world’s best known and most admired political cartoonists. Born on October 13, 1909, the native Chicagoan spent his 72-year career fighting against abuses of the powerful.

Learn More About Herb Block The Herb Block Foundation is committed to defending the basic freedoms guaranteed all Americans, combating all forms of discrimination and prejudice and improving the conditions of the poor and underprivileged through the creation or support of charitable and educational programs with the same goals.

The Foundation is also committed to providing educational opportunity to deserving students through post-secondary education scholarships and to promoting editorial cartooning through continued research. All efforts of the Foundation shall be in keeping with the spirit of Herblock, America's great cartoonist in his life long fight against abuses by the powerful. 1730 Rhode Island Ave, NW, Suite #507, Washington, DC 20036