Park Foundation Grantmaking Program is sponsored by Park Foundation Inc.. The Park Foundation provides support across several key priority areas including Democracy, Civic Participation, Media, Environment, Animal Welfare, Sustainable Ithaca, Community Needs, and School Food & Nutrition. The foundation focuses on public interest media, environmental protection, and social justice. For new applicants, the process typically begins with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), while returning grantees can submit full proposals directly.

Geographic focus: National (with focus on NY State) and Tompkins County, NY (for local programs)

Focus areas: Democracy, Civic Participation, Media, Environment, Animal Welfare, Sustainable Ithaca, Community Needs, School Food and Nutrition

How to Apply – Park Foundation The staff at Park Foundation highly encourages the use of our web portal ( Full Proposal , Full Prosposal with Fiscal Sponsor , Letter of Inquiry , Letter of Inquiry with Fiscal Sponsor ) for all proposals and letters of inquiry. If you have extenuating circumstances, please email info@parkfoundation. org and it will be forwarded to the correct program officer to handle your situation.

New Grantee Submission & Report Portal Is Live! New grantee portal . Our current portal has transitioned to a new Blackbaud Applicant/Grantee Portal (now called Your Cause).

The updated portal has new features that should enhance the experience. For example, if you have multiple funders who use Blackbaud, you will be able to see all your information in one portal. Reporting Update: Simplifying Narrative and Financial Reporting: We have simplified reporting requirements with the goal of continuing to learn from your efforts and ensuring due diligence, while reducing burdens on your end.

Generally, the shift has moved from our former reporting requirements to a financial report that shows your organization expended funds as intended. We offer flexibility in narrative reporting with the new simplified form, allowing you to share verbal reports with your program officer instead of submitting a written narrative. If a report is due, you will receive an email indicating this, with a link to the new portal (now Your Cause).

Please note that if you have not previously accessed the new portal, you will need to create an account with a username and password (it will not recognize your credentials from the legacy portal). The changes outlined above are a first step—aiming to have immediate benefit—toward simplifying our practices, safeguarding our grantees, and maximizing the space for collective learning.

We continue to iterate internally on additional changes in service of these goals, and we welcome dialogue with others toward this end. We deeply appreciate your critical work and our continued partnership. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to info@parkfoundation.

org August 27, 2025: New portal launches. Grantseekers should start any new LOI or full proposals in this new system. August 31, 2025: The current portal, along with any existing applications and documents in it, will no longer be available.

Previously Submitted Applications or Reports: If you would like to maintain a copy of previously submitted applications or reports, you must access the current portal and download the documents before 8/31/25. Applications in Progress: If you started an application with the current portal, please complete and submit the application before 8/31/25 to avoid data loss.

Unfortunately, we are unable to transfer any in-process applications to the new portal. Park Foundation’s application process strives to minimize unnecessary work for prospective grantees while collecting the information needed to determine whether a project, program or organization has funding potential. Before developing a proposal, applicants should read through the program descriptions to determine the potential for funding.

Applicants are welcome to email program staff to help assess whether a project or organization is aligned with program priorities. Proposals and letters of inquiry are reviewed on a quarterly basis. For timely consideration, submit materials before the deadlines listed below.

* *Please note: Letters of inquiry are not required and should not be submitted by organizations that have previously received grants from Park Foundation. 2025-26 Proposal Deadlines Proposals are considered confidential communication between the applicant and the Foundation. The Foundation reserves the right to seek input from outside individuals as part of its review process.

This may include other funders, partner organizations, and members of the impacted community. Information obtained as part of this review is considered confidential to the Foundation but may be shared with the grantee if deemed appropriate and helpful to them. To reduce paper and insure timely submissions, we encourage applicants to submit Letters of Inquiry and full proposals electronically through our portal.

Prospective applicants may want to consider submitting a Letter of Inquiry as a preliminary step before submitting a full proposal.

Although a Letter of Inquiry is not required before submitting a full proposal, the Foundation does recommend it specifically for: when an organization is new to the Foundation if the applicant is unsure whether the request fits the Foundation’s guidelines If this is your first time applying through our electronic portal click one of the links below: If you do not have access to a computer and are unable to submit your proposal electronically, please use the application documents provided below and submit all written correspondence to : 140 Seneca Way, Suite 100 email: info@parkfoundation.

org The application instructions and form are downloadable here: Full Proposal with Fiscal Sponsor Full Proposal No Fiscal Sponsor The letter of inquiry form is available and downloadable here: If applicants have questions about the electronic forms or process, please call our office at 607. 272. 9124 or email info@parkfoundation.

org . Foundation staff may be reached at 607. 272.

9124, or questions can be directed to info@parkfoundation. org , and they will be forwarded to the appropriate staff for a response. Frequently Asked Questions Must I be a non-profit to apply for a grant?

Yes. Unless you have a fiscal sponsor, your organization must be recognized as a 501(c)3 or 509(a)2 under IRS guidelines. In addition, as a private foundation, we may not grant to an organization for a total of more than two-thirds of its annual budget (see "public support test" under IRS guidelines).

Entities without their own nonprofit status, or smaller nonprofits without a large operating budget, may need to apply through a fiscal sponsor to be eligible for a grant. How do I know if my organization is a good fit for a grant? Please review the program guidelines and contact the Program Officer (preferably by email) most closely associated with your area of work to ask any questions about program priorities.

If you are new to the Foundation, you are encouraged to contact the Foundation at info@parkfoundation. org before submitting an application. Should I submit an LOI first?

Before developing a proposal, prospective grantees should read Program Interests to determine the potential for funding. Emails to program staff are also welcomed to help assess fit with program interests. Proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis; please see the application deadlines.

Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are accepted at any time. Once an LOI is submitted, please do not submit a full proposal unless contacted by a staff member. If you have recently (within the last year or two) received a grant from Park Foundation, it is not necessary to submit an LOI before submitting a renewal proposal.

Please contact your Program Officer with any questions. What is the timeline for the review and award process? The Board generally meets 10 – 12 weeks after proposal deadlines.

You should hear within a few days of those meetings. In the case of a decline, an email will be sent notifying you of the decline. If a grant is approved at a Board meeting, a Grant Agreement will be sent out to the organizational contact for review and signature.

Upon return of the signed agreement, the funds are generally disbursed by check within a few weeks. How do I submit a proposal? To submit a proposal online go to our online portal and set up an account, then follow the steps to create your proposal for submittal.

Once your proposal is completed and submitted to the Foundation via our electronic portal, you will receive an email acknowledgment from our Grants Manager that informs you that your proposal has been received. If you have any trouble accessing the portal or submitting your proposal, please contact our Grants Manager for assistance.

Although we encourage you to use the portal on our website, if necessary, a proposal may be submitted by email (info@parkfoundation. org , or a last resort by mail to : 140 Seneca Way, Suite 100 Ithaca, NY 14850 How do I create a grantee portal or start a new application? To create an account go to the Grantee Portal fill in your email and click “New Applicant”, follow the steps to create a new account.

How do I get a new password to my portal if I forgot mine or need to transfer the account to a new employee? What are the reporting requirements? Please keep an eye out for upcoming changes, as mentioned above, with new reporting formats posted this Fall.

We seek to simplify reporting requirements with the goal of continuing to learn from your efforts and ensuring due diligence, while reducing burdens on your end. Generally, the shift will move from current reporting requirements to a financial report that shows your organization expended funds as intended.

We will offer flexibility in narrative reporting through the creation of a simplified form and the option to share verbal reports with your program officer instead of submitting a written narrative. Stay tuned for a separate communication with more details on this shift. At this time, if you have a report due, please send your financial report to info@parkfoundation.

org Whom should I speak to about other questions I have, outside of your website? If it is in regard to a specific program area, you can call or email the program officer in that program ( listed on our website .) General questions can be sent via email to info@parkfoundation.

org or by directly calling the main office number (607) 272-9124 and if necessary, leaving a message and someone will get back to you.