FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1.  What is 501 (c)(3) status? And what if we do not have it? 501 (c)(3) status is the U.S. Department of the Treasury designation given to qualified not-for-profit organizations in the United States. We require that a copy of the 501(c)(3) ruling accompany all proposals. If you do not have 501(c)(3) status, we can not fund you directly. If you have not received the 501(c)(3) ruling, you will need to affiliate with a qualified 501(c)(3) organization that is willing to accept expenditure responsibility. 2.  What if our organization does not have an audited financial statement or annual report? In lieu of an audited financial statement, you may send the Foundation an organizational budget which itemizes all of your income and expenses for the most recent calendar year. If you do not have an annual report, please include any brochures, newspaper articles, newsletters or related materials that are available. 3.  Can I email our proposal to you? No. We need five copies of the final proposal. Please send us your proposals by postal mail. You will find our postal address on the Home page as well as on our Guidelines. However, you may email us a one page summary or letter of inquiry if you are not sure if your project is a "fit" to our guidelines. 4.  Can I apply for a multi-year grant? Yes, but the Foundation seldom makes multi-year grants. When multi-year grants are made, the second and subsequent years of funding are contingent upon the grantee successfully completing the required final report, which is due one year from the original award date. 5.  What if my request benefits children and adults, can I still apply? Yes, but the majority of beneficiaries must be children. Please submit a letter of inquiry on this matter before submitting a full proposal for qualifying purposes. 6.  I have never written a proposal before, can I get help? Yes. After reading your letter of inquiry and feeling your project may be considered for funding, the Foundation staff will help you with the necessary information and supply you with a general format for your proposal. 7.  Do you except phone calls? Yes, we are nearly always on hand to answer phone calls during eastern time zone business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. 8.  How long does the review process take? A decision is usually made within three months of its receipt. You will receive notification by email or postal mail within one month after the decision by the Board of Trustees. 9.  Do you have application deadlines? No. Proposals are being considered on a regular basis. However, if you do want to be considered for the next Board meeting, a proposal should arrive to our office by the first of the month prior to the meeting date. For example, if you want to be considered for the February meeting, your proposal should be in our hands by January 1. 10.  How can I find out the status of my proposal? If you have not heard from us for more than three months since you mailed your proposal, you may contact us by phone or email about the status of your proposal. After reviewing your proposal and if we need additional information, we will contact you. 11.  Can we make an appointment to meet with you? If you would like to meet with staff in the Rochester, New York office, you are welcome to contact us to make an appointment. However, an office visit is not necessary in order to be considered for a grant. 12.  Do you make site visits as part of the application review process? While the Trustees and Foundation Executive make occassional site visits, a site visit is not always a condition of the application review process.