Application Process
The
first step in placing a grant request in front of the Tapestry Foundation
board is to draft a brief 1-2 page letter describing the work to be
supported. Because important information about the Foundation is covered
throughout the sections of this website, it is recommended that potential
applicants review all six sections prior to drafting their overview
letter.
The Foundation does not have an application form per se but rather believes it can gain the greatest understanding of the applicant’s ideas if they are able to describe the request in their own words. That said, the following points should be addressed in the letter:
- Brief statement of the need/issue that is to be addressed
- An overview of what the applicant is proposing to meet that need (the goals of the project)
- A justification of why the applicant is the appropriate entity to take on this work (as well as acknowledgement of their non-profit status)
- An estimate of the total cost of the work and what portion of the budget is being requested from Tapestry (if other funders have already made commitments, please include that information)
- Contact person’s name for email acknowledgement of receipt and to contact with follow-up questions
Again, these questions should be answered thoroughly enough so that the Foundation has a basic understanding of the request, but the details regarding each of the points should be held until the formal proposal is submitted (upon invitation). If the Foundation has questions regarding any of the information submitted, the applicant may be contacted for clarification. All letters should be addressed to:
M. Carmel Borders
President
Tapestry Foundation
Austin, Texas
The letters of no more than 2 pages should be submitted
electronically on organizational letterhead to: info@tapestryfoundation.org by
close of business on June 15, 2009. Acknowledgement
of receipt will be made by email within two weeks.
Applicants whose plans appear to hold promise for meeting the Foundation’s interests and priorities will be invited to submit a full proposal and be sent proposal preparation materials via email. Invitations to submit a full proposal should be viewed only as an opportunity to present the request plans in detail to the Foundation for further consideration. Completed applications must be received via email by close of business on September 15, 2009. All steps of the application process are to be completed electronically. Once the proposal is in the review process, the Foundation may contact the applicant for further information or clarification and may, on occasion, request a site visit. Decisions of the Tapestry Foundation Board of Directors will be finalized and announced in early December. Thus, applicants need to prepare their requests with a start-up date of no earlier than January 1 of the next calendar year.