Our grant process
- Grant proposals are by invitation only. Unbound does not accept unsolicited applications.
- Unbound identifies organizations it is interested in funding. It then invites a limited number of those organizations to submit, in the first instance, a short letter of inquiry (up to five pages) and accompanying budget, on-line (See "Submit a Letter of Inquiry").
- Unbound's staff and a board member review each letter of inquiry. If they agree to further consider funding an organization, Unbound invites that organization to submit a full grant proposal.
- The invited organization submits its proposal on-line. That proposal must include, among other things, mutually agreed (i) set of aims for the project, (ii) benchmarks or milestones, (iii) work plan, (iv) method of reporting and evaluation, and (v) various financial documents. (Unbound may permit a grantee organization to include the cost of grant evaluations in its grant budgets (for large grants only)). Detailed requirements for the proposal are explained on the website.
- An invitation to submit a proposal does not imply or guarantee funding.
- Unbound conducts a financial assessment of each organization that submits a proposal, including a review of an organization's financial health, its operating and project budgets and plans for filling them. Unbound may request submission of additional financial documents not included among the proposal requirements.
- Unbound's board of directors review and discuss each proposal. If the board members agree to fund an organization's proposal and agree on the grant amount and term, then Unbound engages in discussions with the organization to request any final modifications to the proposal that the board may require as a condition of the grant. The organization will then re-submit any such modified proposal on-line.
- Unbound and the organization then enter a written contract that sets forth the terms and conditions of the grant award. Thereafter the organization receives its grant letter and grant check.
- Grantees will be subject to interim and final narrative and financial reporting requirements. In some cases Unbound will condition second or subsequent grant installments on receipt of satisfactory reports.