FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION

• What do you mean when you say you fund a top priority of the president?  Are certain areas of more interest to your Trustees?
  

  Our Trustees are interested, literally, in funding a top educational priority of the president from the institutions seeking support (leading universities see below).  There is no restriction on how a president chooses to use a grant, recognizing that the president can best determine how to use grant funds to strengthen the educational experience.  The expectation is that presidents will seek the best possible leverage for Foundations' funding by choosing a priority that allows the Foundations relatively modest assistance to have the most impact.  In selecting among competing proposals from excellent institutions, the relative impact on the educational experience will be considered.
  

• Do you fund endowments or capital projects?
  
  Yes. Unlike some others, the Foundations have been receptive to requests to strengthen endowments for a top educational priority. Capital projects have been funded as well. However, as mentioned above, in selecting among competing proposals from excellent institutions, the relative impact on the educational experience will be considered. For example, a relatively modest request towards a $10+ million building project may be at a competitive disadvantage with more targeted requests for which a $250,000 grant would have greater leverage, lasting value and educational impact.
  
  
• Do you make exceptions to your published grant limit?
  

  No.  All grant requests within the Private Higher Education program should not exceed the current $250,000 limit.
  

• If you have no particular preferences for funding, how will our proposal be evaluated in competition with others?
  
  Our Trustees do have a particular preference for the type of institution that applies.  Their intent is to strengthen private higher education over the long term by supporting three categories of institutions: 1) leading universities, 2) strong residential liberal arts colleges, and 3) the strongest “underserved” institutions (Appalachian, HBCU, Native American, work colleges, and others with similar profiles).  In taking this “100-year” view, they aim to assist in making the good schools better within their respective categories and are willing to put their faith in the leadership of the colleges and universities with proven and sustained quality.  Therefore, within their designated categories and in competition with others that apply, grant evaluations focus on the overall quality of the requesting institution and the relative impact of a proposal on the the educational experience. A majority of funds awarded annually go to leading liberal arts colleges.
  
  
• Why must requests from leading universities focus on undergraduate education and have potential to influence other colleges and universities?
  
  Some of the most innovative developments in undergraduate education come from our leading universities, but Trustees only award a few grants each year to private universities.  Therefore, in order to maximize the impact on undergraduate education across the full sector, our Trustees prefer to fund presidential priorities for undergraduate education that also have the potential to serve as a model for others throughout higher education. 
  
  
• What should liberal arts colleges and underserved institutions include in their initial letter to the Foundations seeking support?
  
  The president's letter should make a case justifying the need for a grant and its impact on your academic mission.  Our Institutional Information form should be enclosed as well. Upon receipt of a qualified proposal, the Foundations' staff will evaluate the institution and the relative impact that president's request will have on the academic mission in relation to others seeking grants at the same time.  We always give the benefit of the doubt during this initial screening, but those determined not to be competitive will be declined.  Many fine institutions are declined at this stage.  Our intent is to preserve the time of the requesting institutions because the next step involves an extensive narrative response that requires considerable work. 
  
  
• What should leading universities include in their initial letter to the Foundations seeking support?

  Initial proposals should focus on the grant purpose and its potential to assist others.  Our Institutional Information form should be enclosed as well. Trustee decisions are based, ultimately, on both the quality of the institution and the proposed grant's potential as a model for undergraduate education beyond your university.

• You are asking for a good deal of data to be provided with an initial grant request. How can we determine if we have a chance to be competitive before committing the time to providing this?

  Without knowing what proposals we have in hand, it is very difficult determine how a potential request would fare against others. On the institutional side, however, the best way to gauge the competition is by comparing your college/university to past grantees, which can be found by clicking on the Recent Grants section above. Please understand that grants are provided in three competitive categories: residential liberal arts colleges, underserved colleges (Appalachian, historically black and tribal) and leading universities. This should allow you determine if your institution is competitive generally with the strength of past grant recipients' academic and financial profiles.

• If we receive a grant in higher education, how long should we wait before applying for a new grant?
  
  Because the Foundations give grants nationwide, past grantees are eligible to reapply no earlier than four years from the date of notification approving their most recent Private Higher Education grant.  Institutions that have been declined may submit proposals at any time but may wish to wait until financial and other quality factors have improved, making the college more competitive.
  
  
• May we apply for a grant during a leadership transition?
  

  Due to our emphasis on presidential leadership, Trustees do not award grants during a presidential transition.  A president should be in office for at least a year before applying for a grant.  For example, if a president takes office on July 1, eligibility for a grant begins the following July 1.  Past grantees that have completed their four-year waiting period but are in a presidential transition must delay until they meet this requirement.
  
  This rule also applies to grants that are in progress.  For example, should a President announce his/her resignation at any time during the grant review process, then the proposal will no longer be eligible for Foundations' support.  This applies even to long-tenured presidents.

Please click on the following links to see the FAQ sections for each program area.

General
Secondary Education
Religion
Health Care