Application Guidelines
Our Timeline & Process
The Sartain Lanier Family Foundation has two grantmaking cycles each year, spring and fall, with three required steps for all organizations seeking funding:
- Submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through our online portal.
- If requested, host a site visit.
- If invited, submit a full application.
If your organization is focused on serving children and youth in metro Atlanta, we welcome the opportunity to meet with your organization ahead of your LOI submission to discuss areas of alignment. We are especially interested in funding organizations focused on literacy instruction, afterschool and summer programs, and college and career readiness for K-12 students in metro Atlanta public schools and will prioritize meeting with those organizations.
We are committed to a clear application timeline and a transparent decision-making process. After reviewing our approach to grantmaking, the guidelines on this page and our online application, please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or feedback.
Grant Application Timeline
| SPRING GRANT CYCLE | FALL GRANT CYCLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Final day to submit Letter of Inquiry | February 1 | September 1 |
| Notification of invitation to submit full proposal | March 7 | October 7 |
| Final day to submit full proposal | April 1 | November 1 |
| Board Meeting | Early May | Early December |
| Notification of Grant Award | 72 hours after board meeting | 72 hours after board meeting |
| Payment Initiated | By end of May | By end of December |
If your organization’s LOI or grant application is declined, please wait one year before submitting another Letter of Inquiry. We will reach out via email to communicate the status of your application following the timeline above.
Submitting an LOI
Start a new application here – Online LOI Application.
Once you access the URL, you will be prompted to do to the following:
- Enter your tax identification number
- Create a user account or log in if you have an existing account.
- Complete the application.
In your LOI, you will be asked to share basic organization information, and in 750 words or less, (1) the purpose of the organization, (2) the population being served, and (3) the focus of the funding request.
Submitting a Grant Application
If your organization is invited to apply for funding, a link to the full grant application will be shared with the ‘primary contact’ listed in your organization’s Letter of Inquiry. Information from the LOI will automatically populate in the application. The grant application includes a request for a copy of your most recent strategic plan, board roster, breakdown of revenue and expenses, and additional information on how your organization measures success and recent results.
Multi-Year Funding
We have learned that multi-year funding is a key to strengthening nonprofit effectiveness, capacity and impact. Most of our grants are committed over multiple years. If your organization requests funding over multiple years, please note the “Request Amount” in the grant application is the total gift amount (i.e., if the ‘Request Amount’ is $30,000 and ‘Length of Grant’ is 3 years, the Foundation would make one payment of $10,000 annually for 3 years).
