Grants

The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation accepts grant proposals from organizations that provide services to the residents of Palm Beach and Broward counties. Funding for organizations outside of this geographic area currently are not considered. Contributions also may be made to a limited number of national organizations whose missions reflect the mission and values of The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation.

Yes, grants are made only to organizations and institutions exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and that have completed three full years of operation from the date of receipt of its tax exemption determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. An organization’s IRS exemption determination letter must clearly state its 501(c)(3) status and its 509(a) status and must be dated no more than 10 years previous to the date of the application.

The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation awards grants ranging from a few thousand dollars to more substantial gifts. The size of the grant depends upon the purpose of the request, the scope and significance of the project, the overall budget of the organization, and the diversity of the organization’s funding sources.

Yes, but single-year applications are preferred. Multi-year proposals are considered when the proposed project requires more than one year to achieve its objectives and to become sustainable. Grants for a particular project or program are made on a one-time-only basis.

Pledges will not exceed a three-year period and the pledge for each year is dependent upon the successful completion of the previous year, compliance with the terms and conditions of the pledge, and the continued financial ability of The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation to fund the pledge.

Multiple grants in a 12-month period are discouraged. Organizations with a current grant are encouraged not to apply until after the current grant has been completed. However, exceptions may be made for unusual circumstances. Organizations desiring feedback on whether such unusual circumstances exist are advised to contact The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation to discuss the specifics.

Generally, grants are not made for routine operating expenses. However, grants have been awarded to expand innovative programs to serve more people or to continue effective programs for a limited time period (generally no more than six months) until ongoing funding can be stabilized. Organizations with questions about whether a specific request fits within these guidelines may contact The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation for more direction.

The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation does not fund:

• individuals, private foundations, or Type III supporting organizations defined under Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

• social, religious, fraternal or veteran groups for projects that primarily benefit their own members or adherents;

• the retirement of an organization’s accumulated debt;

• legislative lobbying or other political purposes;

• Proposals for endowments, trips or tours, scholarships, conference attendance, newsletters or other promotional materials, magazines or books, and television, video or audio production are discouraged.

In most cases, at the end of six months and after a year, The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation requires both a programmatic report compared to the objectives in the grant and a financial report compared to the budget line-items in the grant along with a supporting spreadsheet or accounting report. If grant dollars remain after that time, subsequent report dates and requirements will be determined as appropriate.

Letters of Intent are accepted anytime of the year.

If your organization is invited to submit a grant proposal, there are three grant cycles each year that have deadlines. Following the timely submission of a grant proposal, additional information may be required from the organization. After all the required information has been provided and the grant review process is completed, the Board of The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation will determine whether to provide funding. Deadlines for the submission of completed grant proposals and the time frames for their consideration are posted in the Deadlines section of this site. Pay close attention to these deadlines as they are subject to change. Late applications and incomplete applications may be denied.

The most common reasons a grant application is declined include, but are not limited to:

• Grant proposals that do not relate to types of projects funded by The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation.

• Grant proposals that do not follow general grant making guidelines of The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation.

• Programs or services are being provided by other organizations.

• Include requests that are more appropriately funded by another organization, either public or private.

• The organization does not have a viable plan for sustainability without reliance on grants.

• The organization does not have an independent audit for the most recently completed fiscal year.

• The subject of the request is of a lesser priority than other community needs, as determined by The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation.

• The request made is beyond the financial capacity of The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation.

If a grant request has been denied, reapplication for the same grant will not be considered unless the reason for the denial has been cured. However, if a new program or service has been developed that the organization thinks has merit and fits within the guidelines of the Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation, a new proposal may be submitted.

All grant proposals are screened for completeness, accuracy, and consistency with the stated guidelines. Grant proposals that are missing information, contain inaccurate information, or are outside the stated guidelines may be denied. Grant review meetings or site visits may be scheduled with organizations at the discretion of the Boards of Directors. Thereafter, the full Board of The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation deliberate and make a funding decision. The review process may take several months.

Depending on the content of a grant proposal, grant review teams from The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation will ask questions to understand if the project is integral to the mission of the organization and if it has been developed with the full knowledge of the board and staff of the organization. It is important that key board members and key staff members are present and able to participate fully in the discussion. Questions usually are asked about governance, financial management, staff capability, and program implementation and evaluation. Most grant review meetings last about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.

Yes. Grant seekers are encouraged to read the Guidelines, How to Apply, Deadlines, and Application sections of this site for more information to determine if they qualify for a grant. If additional assistance is needed, please contact The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation in advance of submitting application proposals. Our Grants Department is available to answer specific questions concerning completion of the grant proposals format.

No, an organization is notified in writing about the disposition of their grant proposal after they have been reviewed by The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation. Organizations are discouraged to seek or request additional feedback.