Grant Policies

GENERAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES

Overview of Proposal Evaluation Process

The Foundation staff will conduct an initial screening of all proposals to determine which are suitable for consideration. Organizations or individuals which do not meet the initial criteria will be notified within 6 weeks of receipt of their proposal. The evaluation for individuals will be conducted following the conditions noted in the General Requirements. The evaluation for individuals will not consider the applicant’s race, ethnic origin, religion or gender.

Rather than submitting a formal application with the supporting materials, the potential grantee may first wish to send a preliminary letter of inquiry to determine the Foundation’s interest in their request. This letter should briefly describe the background, program, personnel, and purposes of the organization and should briefly outline the project including the strategy, costs, and goals.

Proposals which meet the initial criteria will be evaluated more thoroughly and the staff may request additional information. The Board of Directors will review such proposals and make a decision to fund or not to fund the proposal. The decision of the Board will be final and will be submitted to the applicant in writing. All funding shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the Foundation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, nothing herein or in any other written materials produced by the Foundation, no statements or actions made or taken by any person associated with the Foundation (other than any formal Board action), and no action taken by any person or entity in response to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to result in any obligation or commitment on the Foundation.

Deadlines for Submission of Research Proposals

The Foundation Board meetings are held three times each year in the months of January, May, and September. Applications received by December 1st ordinarily will be reviewed the following January, by April 1st in May, and by August 1st in September.

Submission Process

All applications for research funding shall be emailed to the Executive Director at [email protected]

The subject of the email shall state “Grant application for the Paul S. Veneklasen Research Foundation (20XX)”, where 20XX is the year of submission.

The application should be emailed by the dates indicated in the section entitled Deadlines for Submission of Research Proposals above.

RESTRICTIONS ON ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING

Eligibility of Public Charities

Public charities, as defined in Section 509 (a) (1) or (2) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, are eligible for funding. Documentation of the project tax exempt status is required. The Foundation cannot review a proposal unless it is submitted by a tax-exempt organization that takes full legal, fiscal and administration responsibility for the request.

Eligibility of Organizations Other Than Public Charities

Grants to organizations which are not public charities (i.e. are not defined in Section 509 (a) (1) or (2) of the IRS Code) may be granted by the Foundation. In this type of grant the Foundation will exercise expenditure responsibility. The Foundation will make all reasonable effort to ensure that (1) the grant funds are spent solely for the purpose for which the grant was made, (2) the grantee prepares and submits to the Foundation full and complete reports on fund expenditures, and (3) the grantee prepares and submits full and detailed reports to the IRS.

Eligibility of Individuals

The Foundation will consider grants to individuals. Grants to individuals will be awarded on a non-discriminating basis following procedures approved in advance by the IRS.

The Foundation will consider grant requests from individuals under the following conditions:

1. The individual’s request follows the objectives outlined in the Mission Statement and submits a proposal following the guidelines specified herein.

2. The individual has shown by past work their interest and an advanced knowledge in acoustics.

3. The individual demonstrates a keen desire to learn and to complete the research they are proposing.

4. The individual agrees to the Foundation’s intent to publish the results of the research. Publication of the research will be in a publication approved by the Foundation. For exceptions to this requirement see “Dissemination to the Public”, below.

OTHER CONSTRAINTS AND ISSUES

Year-to-year Renewals of Grants

The Foundation will consider renewed funding at the end of the grant year. The Foundation does not make multi-year grants but the Board will consider renewal requests for up to 3 years (i.e. renewal for 2 years after the initial grant).

Acceptance of Funding Partners

The Foundation prefers to fund proposals alone but will consider funding projects in conjunction with other sponsors.

Mandatory Reporting of Research Status

The Foundation requires that a grantee submit reports which present the status of the ongoing research. The number and length of time between reports will depend on the project schedule. The reports shall be concise and shall relate the progress of the work to the schedule and the funds expended to the budget. Problems which may impact the schedule and the budget shall be delineated and corrective measures presented.

Dissemination to the Public

The intent of the Foundation is that the results of all funded research be made public. The proposal must include a statement that the grantee will adhere to this intent to disseminate the results of the research. If the results of the research are presented as a paper for publication in a peer reviewed journal, the paper will be submitted to the Foundation for review prior to submittal to a publication approved by the Foundation.

The Foundation acknowledges that some projects do not lend themselves to publication in peer-reviewed journals however dissemination to the public is desirable and when achieved will satisfy the Foundation’s intent as described in the Mission Statement. Other types of public dissemination may include posting on the Foundation’s website or any professionally produced media which present the history and results of the project.

Proposals Not Funded

The Foundation will not fund projects which, in the sole opinion of the Foundation, are not in keeping with the objectives outlined in the Foundation History and Mission Statement. Some examples of programs and applicants that would not be funded include the following:

a. Social services programs
b. Programs undertaken at government initiative
c. Economic development or training programs

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL APPLICATION

Cover Letter

The application must include a cover letter that summarizes the background and purpose of the organization or individual (applicant) requesting funding and how the funds will be used. This letter should include the legal name, address, and telephone number of the applicant and the name of the organization’s representative who can be contacted by telephone, letter, or e-mail.

Project Narrative

A project narrative and description must be submitted that explains the problem or issue the project addresses, how the project will respond to or resolve that problem, and why the proposed research strategy will be effective in resolving the problem.

Professional Resumes of Research Team Members

The application must include resumes of the people who will direct and do the work.

Project Schedule

A tentative project schedule must be included.

Additional Financial Reporting Requirements

Several financial and fiscal deliverables must be included.

1. A complete, detailed budget for the project must be provided.
2. Where applicable, documentation of the applying organization’s federal tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c) 3 of the IRS code must be included.
3. An audited financial statement of the organization (if available) and a Form 990 for the most recently completed fiscal year.