The Parsons Foundation’s two-stage application begins with a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Instructions for submitting an LOI through our online application system can be found on our “How to Apply” page. The Foundation accepts LOIs on a rolling basis (daily, no deadlines), and applicants can expect a response within approximately six weeks. Due to funding constraints, we are able to consider only one request per organization annually. If your request is declined, your organization will be eligible to apply again 12 months after the date of your declination.

If invited to submit a full proposal, applicants will receive instructions to access the online application and will have 60 days to complete their request. Once submitted, a full proposal may take up to six months to review before a funding decision is returned. Applications are generally considered in date order of receipt.

During our review, Foundation staff will reach out to request additional information and arrange follow-up conversations as needed. Review of your full proposal will likely include a site visit with a program officer, as we believe that this is an important way for us to better understand your work.

Our program officers are generalists, broadly knowledgeable about the nonprofit sector, and we have found that our work benefits from fresh and different perspectives. As a result, the program officer assigned to a nonprofit may change over time, and a program officer who works with an organization on one grant may not be involved in a future request.

If your request is approved, our “Acceptance of Grant” document will outline the terms of your grant and any reporting requirements. Additional information and instructions for submitting grant reports can be found on our “Reporting Guidelines” page.

Reports are due at the end of your grant period and provide a means to share progress, learnings, and feedback with the Foundation. Through your reports, we hope to develop a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing your organization (and perhaps the larger nonprofit community), as well as continually adapt our practices to be more responsive to the needs of those we support.

Grantees must submit their final reports and be at the end of their grant period in order to apply for consideration of a new request.

The Parsons Foundation values transparency and responsiveness in our grant application process. Our review process is rigorous, and we strive to be accessible and helpful at every stage. If you have questions that are not answered on our website, you are always welcome to call the Foundation at 213.362.7600 and speak with a program officer.