The Foundation encourages letters of inquiry for public-interest advocacy efforts that will help make the Golden State a place where all Californians can fully provide for themselves and their families and fully participate in society.
 
Applicants will only be considered if they can show their strategy:

• is attuned to the social and political climate and trends of the relevant jurisdiction (local, state, or national)
• is capable of improving the lives of a large number of Californians within the next decade
• includes all constituencies whose support is required for success
• uses communication strategies that encourage support from the broadest range of people
• is appropriate to the scale of their organization or group of organizations

Letters of inquiry for preliminary research and planning also will be accepted.
 
Letters of inquiry should be limited to one to two pages and should include the following information:

• Description of project and its objectives
• Description of sponsoring organization
• Total request amount, project amount, and size of agency budget
• Nonprofit status

Exceptions
Please note that while the Foundation does occasionally make grants for the development of effective leaders and institutions, they do not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry in this area.
 
Please address all letters of inquiry to Linda Moll, Business and Grants Manager at the address below.
 

Review Process
Applicants selected from the letter of inquiry process to apply for a grant will be contacted and given instructions for submitting a full proposal. Proposals are reviewed by Foundation staff and acted on by the board of directors at meetings throughout the year. The Foundation must act selectively to ensure that the Foundation's limited resources are used most effectively.