In response to a third-party evaluation conducted during its twentieth anniversary, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust now accepts online Letters of Inquiry for small grant proposals in the amount of $10,000.00 or less. First time applicants or applicants seeking a grant larger than $10,000.00 must comply with The Trust's regular procedures for submitting a Letter of Inquiry via United States mail. For an organization to qualify for a small grant, it must:
- Be a previous recipient of support from The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust and be in compliance with reporting requirements;
- Be exempt from income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and be one described in Sections 170(c)(2), 509(a), 2055(a), and 2522(a) of the Code;
- Serve residents of Chicago and Cook County;
- Have a budget of $2,000,000.00 or less;
- Have at least one full time employee; and
- Not have a pending proposal before The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust.
Procedures and Time Line:
Letters of Inquiry will be accepted on an on-going basis. A response will be mailed by U.S. mail to your organization in approximately one to two months from receipt. If approved to continue in the small grant proposal process, your organization will receive a Request for Proposal, which will state the amount and purpose of the application, along with a copy of the Small Grant Full Proposal Guidelines and Application Process.
Please note that The Trust performs an initial review of a Full Proposal during the first month immediately following the month in which The Trust receives the Proposal, e.g., if The Trust receives a Proposal in January, then it will perform an initial review in February. The initial review may result in a request by The Trust, either during the month of initial review or in a month subsequent, for a site visit and/or production of additional information and follow up materials. The Co-trustees meet during the first month of each calendar quarter to review the status of all pending Proposals and to take final action on those Proposals for which The Trust has successfully completed its review, including performing a site visit, if any, and obtaining additional information and follow up materials. The Trust makes every reasonable effort to adhere to this schedule; the time period from the receipt of a Full Proposal, completion of its review, and action by the Co-trustees can last anywhere from six to nine months.
How to Apply:
Submit a Letter of Inquiry online by selecting Small Grant Letter of Inquiry, a one page fillable form. If approved, a Request for Proposal will be issued.