Social-Impact Investment (SII) Application is sponsored by Richard King Mellon Foundation Dtd 01-01-47. Funding for mission-driven for-profit companies creating charitable social and environmental impacts alongside financial returns. Investments may include equity, loans, or other program-related investment (PRI) structures.

Geographic focus: National (Conservation); Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, PA (other programs)

Focus areas: Conservation, Economic Development, Economic Mobility, Health & Well-Being

Apply - Richard King Mellon Foundation Scroll down to learn how to submit an application. Nonprofit General Application The General Application is our most flexible application option. The General Application does not have deadlines, so you can submit at any time throughout the year.

Through the General Application, you can apply for general operating support or project-specific support. You can also seek funding for planning and innovation, implementation, or scaling activities. Ideas must align with the Foundation's program areas in Conservation, Economic Development, Economic Mobility, or Health & Well-Being.

Economic Development, Economic Mobility and Health & Well-Being proposals must have an Allegheny and/or Westmoreland County focus. Already started an application? Login Here Requests for Proposals (RFPs) focus on a specific initiative within our 2021-2030 strategy.

RFPs enable us to spotlight critical issues and cultivate diverse partnerships. The Foundation currently has the following RFP open: Enhancing Young Adults' Economic Mobility through Social Capital Already started an application? Login Here For-Profit General Application The General Application is our most flexible application option.

The General Application does not have deadlines, so you can submit at any time throughout the year. Ideas must align with the Foundation's program areas in Conservation, Economic Development, Economic Mobility, or Health & Well-Being. Economic Development, Economic Mobility and Health & Well-Being proposals must have an Allegheny and/or Westmoreland County focus.

Already started an application? Login Here Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness Application Funding through the Foundation’s Organizational Effectiveness program is reserved for organizations that have an active grant with the Foundation, or that have been funded within the past three years. Funding is focused in four Investment Areas - Leadership and Governance, Human Capital Management, Strategy and Learning, and Communications.

Already started an application? Login Here Requests for Proposals (RFPs) focus on a specific initiative within our 2021-2030 strategy. RFPs enable us to spotlight critical issues and cultivate diverse partnerships.

The Foundation currently has the following RFP open: Enhancing Young Adults' Economic Mobility through Social Capital Already started an application? Login Here View the most frequently asked questions from non-profit and for-profit applicants. View FAQs 04 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ: Applying for Funding My organization uses a fiscal sponsor.

Should they submit our application? Yes, your fiscal sponsor should submit the application. Your fiscal agent should also submit their financial statements, audits, board of directors, other information requested in the “Organization Information” and “Executive Certification” sections of the application.

The fiscal sponsor should clearly indicate in the executive summary that they are acting as a fiscal sponsor and that you are the agency leading the work. I have additional questions about the application. Can I meet with the Foundation staff prior to submission?

Any questions about the application may be submitted via email to [email protected] . We will be responsive to all thoughtful inquiries. Is it difficult to file an SII application?

The Foundation’s SII application is the starting point for a rigorous due diligence process which will be pursued as expeditiously as possible. Applications may be submitted at any time. Your company may incur legal fees during this process, for which the Richard King Mellon Foundation cannot provide reimbursement.

Also, your leadership team and other staff will need to dedicate time to meeting with Foundation staff, providing materials and answering questions. The first step in the process is for you to submit an application through the SII application portal on our website. In the application, you will provide information about your company and how your company contributes to broader social good.

We will also ask for information about where that proposed charitable benefit will occur, along with further detail about your business plan and the charitable benefit that your organization seeks to create with funding. If we determine that your initial proposal is a good candidate for further consideration, we will reach out to schedule time to meet and initiate our diligence process.

During this meeting, our staff will address questions around impact, executive leadership and management, business models, financial projections, operations and strategy, among other areas of importance. If necessary, staff may conduct site visits or require further diligence inquiries to determine whether an investment is appropriate. Our business is headquartered outside the Pittsburgh region.

Are we still eligible to apply? Yes. You may submit an application if your company is based anywhere in the United States.

Unfortunately, we are not able to entertain applications from companies not incorporated in the United States. For ideas focused on Economic Mobility, Economic Development, or Health & Well-Being, if your company is located outside the Pittsburgh region, please be sure to address within the application how your idea will positively impact Allegheny and/or Westmoreland counties.

If your proposal is related to our Conservation program area, the positive impact you seek to generate can be anywhere in the United States. Our organization is based outside of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, but we’d like to bring our programs to these counties. Would the Foundation still consider our application?

Yes, we consider applications from organizations that are not based in Allegheny or Westmoreland counties. In your application, you should be clear about why and in what ways the project will serve economic development in these counties. Does the Foundation fund Economic Development initiatives outside of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties?

To receive Foundation funding for an Economic Development application, the initiative needs to focus on economic development in Allegheny or Westmoreland counties. If your organization has an idea to economically activate lands the Foundation has historically conserved to promote sustainable rural economic development, please consider applying through the Foundation’s Conservation program.

What types of arts and culture applications are you accepting? Arts and culture organizations are pivotal economic drivers in the region. The Foundation has historically focused on enhancing the cultural experience in Downtown Pittsburgh, but will also consider applications from organizations outside of Downtown that support the region’s economic development.

Can we re-grant funds or provide technical assistance to other individuals or organizations? The Foundation will not fund ideas that include regranting to individuals. The Foundation may fund applications that include regranting from a lead agency to other agencies who are identified in the submission as participants in a collaboration.

In this case, the regranted funds are solely to support the collaborative activities described in the submission. We will consider ideas in which organizations provide technical assistance in areas where they have expertise or are working with pre-identified partners, who will then assist with the implementation of the proposed project. Do you have a recommended direct/indirect expense ratio?

For organizations that are eligible to receive support for indirect expenses, we do not have a recommended ratio. Can your funding be used for indirect expenses? Yes, you can include indirect expenses in your proposed budget if your organization is not a postsecondary or research institution.

We define indirect expenses as those expenses categorized as “Management and General;” “Administrative and Management;” or “Fundraising” according to the IRS and FASB functional expense allocation guidelines. Do you provide general operating support? Yes, the Foundation provides general operating support for organizations that are not postsecondary institutions or research institutions .

In the application, you will encounter a question about the type of support that you are seeking. You can select from the following options: Capital Support; General Operating Support; Land Acquisition; Project Support . Do you provide multi-year grants or PRIs?

The Foundation is generally not providing multi-year grants at this time. The majority of our grants are twelve to eighteen months . Our organization’s application was declined.

Can I talk with someone about that? Questions about a declined application may be submitted via email to [email protected] . The Foundation aspires to reply to all inquiries but, given the volume of applications the Foundation receives, we cannot commit to answering every such inquiry.

How soon will I hear about my application once it is submitted? You will immediately receive an email confirming that your application was successfully submitted. There are not specific timelines associated with the review of a funding application.

What should I do if I have difficulties with the online application portal? Please reach out to Nikki Pirain, Senior Information & Grants Manager at [email protected] for assistance. What if my organization does not have audited financial statements?

If you do not have audited financial statements, you may upload the type of financial statements required by Pennsylvania law based on your gross annual contributions. What types of organizations are eligible for funding? Your organization must have a valid U.S. IRS Tax ID.

We do not consider applications on behalf of individuals or from outside the United States. How do I know if I need a fiscal sponsor? If you do not have an IRS tax determination letter confirming charitable or tax exempt status, or your organization does not have the infrastructure to manage its finances and operations independently, then you may want to consider working with a fiscal sponsor.

What is a fiscal sponsor? A fiscal sponsor is a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service that acts as a funding steward for a project that does not have 501(c)(3) designation. Can we collaborate with other organizations on a proposal?

Yes, please make sure that you have signed MOUs, letters of support, or other documents indicating commitment to participate and upload those as “Additional Documents” in the final section of the application. What is the timeline for submitting applications via the General Application? The General Application accepts proposals on a rolling basis.

Requests for Proposals (RFPs) have specific timelines for submission that are indicated in the detailed guidance on our website. Can my organization apply to both the General Application and an RFP? Nonprofit and public sectors organizations can apply to one or several RFPs and submit via the general application for other activities.

Each application should be substantively different from the others. What is the first step in the application process? How do I set up a meeting at the Foundation?

Foundation staff will reach out to you after reviewing your proposal if they have questions. If you have questions, please email [email protected] . Can I meet with a program officer before submitting an application?

In general, program officers are not available for a discussion until after a proposal has been submitted. You can also email [email protected] with questions. What organizations are eligible for Organizational Effectiveness grants?

Only nonprofit or public sector organizations that have received general operations or project support funding within the past three years are eligible for Organizational Effectiveness grants. My organization would like to submit an application that spans several funding programs. What’s the best way to do that?

We welcome proposals that span funding programs. In the application, you will encounter a question titled “Funding Program. ” Select the Foundation program that addresses the majority of your proposed outcomes.

When you say region, what do you mean? Each program focuses its funding on different regions. Conservation funds nationally.

Economic Mobility and Health & Well-Being exclusively fund efforts that serve Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Economic Development and Social-Impact Investments mostly fund efforts that serve Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. These programs will occasionally, on a case-by-case basis, consider funding projects based in other western Pennsylvania counties.

Please refer to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service: https://www. irs. gov/charities-non-profits/lobbying What activities won’t you fund?

The Foundation does not fund lobbying, advocacy, or political causes or events. We comply with all laws and regulations, including prohibitions on funding terrorist activities. How do I determine which funding program my application is most likely to align with?

Please review our 2021-2030 strategy and our Funding Programs to understand our priorities and how your application might align with them. You can also visit our Grants page to view previously awarded grants. We also encourage you to read our Annual Report to learn more about our strategy and funding programs.