General Grantmaking Procedures
The Foundation's grant making policies reflect the wishes of Harry and Jeanette Weinberg, the legal requirements governing private philanthropy, and the inherent limitations on the Foundation's ability to respond favorably to many of the grant requests it receives each year.
Eligibility
To be considered for funding, an organization must meet several requirements:
- Applicants must submit evidence of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- Applicants must carry on their work principally to serve lower-income individuals in the communities in which they reside
- Applicants must be committed to assisting vulnerable and at-risk populations
Note: If you previously submitted a Letter of Inquiry to the Foundation and the request was declined, please do not submit a 2nd Letter of Inquiry for the same project unless there are substantial changes that would make a new submission appropriate.
Program Interests
The Foundation provides support for programs and direct services (including general operating grants) and capital projects that assist financially disadvantaged individuals primarily located in Maryland, Hawaii, Northeast Pennsylvania, New York, Israel, and the FSU.
The Foundation does not provide funds for the following:
- Individuals
- Debt reduction
- Annual appeals and fundraising events (in most cases)
- Endowments (in most cases)
- Publications
- Arts and culture
- Colleges and universities
- Political action groups
- Academic or health research
- Scholarships for higher education
- Think tanks
Application Process
Any potential applicant must initially consider whether its proposal agrees not only with the basic eligibility criteria but also with the Foundation's program interests and grant making policies. If these initial requirements are met, then a letter of inquiry should be submitted to the Foundation. The Foundation has an ongoing review cycle; there are no deadlines for the submission of a Letter of Inquiry.
Foundation staff will promptly confirm the receipt of the letter of inquiry. Then, after that notification, within approximately 30 days, the Foundation will notify the applicant about whether a full grant proposal should be submitted, or, if not, the status of the grant request. If a grant proposal is requested, then the applicant will be asked to complete the applicable full grant application, a copy of which is on the Foundation website (www.hjweinbergfoundation.org). Foundation staff will be pleased to answer any questions throughout the application process and provide whatever other assistance is appropriate.
The Foundation welcomes telephone inquiries throughout the year about funding, Letters of Inquiry, and, when invited, grant proposals. Inquiries and grant applications pertaining to programs in Hawaii should be made directly to The Weinberg Foundation's Hawaii office. All other inquiries and applications should be addressed to the Foundation's Baltimore office at 7 Park Center Court, Owings Mills, Maryland, 21117, USA.
Letter of Inquiry Guidelines
Submitting a Letter of Inquiry is the first step in the grant review process. After the Directors of the Weinberg Foundation review your letter, you will receive correspondence stating whether you will be invited to submit a full grant proposal.
Length: No more than 3 pages (please do not include a cover letter or exceed the three page maximum)
Format: The Letter of Inquiry should be completed on official letterhead and should be typed in Times New Roman or Arial font, and the font should be 11 point or larger with at least 1" margins.
Deadlines: None (Letters of Inquiry are typically reviewed weekly)
Address Letter to: Grants Intake Manager
The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
7 Park Center Court
Owings Mills, MD 21117-4200
The Weinberg Foundation provides grants for general operating support, specific programs, and capital projects (including building construction, renovation projects, and purchase of equipment). We need separate information and have somewhat different criteria for each. Please review the applicable letter of inquiry guidelines based upon the type of grant request.