FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please carefully review the 2012 GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS AND GUIDELINES before preparing your Letter of Intent. We encourage you to take a close look at our initiatives that will be of particular interest to the Foundation.

If you have a question that is not addressed below, please submit your question in writing to lmcd@orsingerfoundation.org. You will receive a written response.

What is the grantmaking focus of the Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation?

Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation is a family foundation that is committed to providing a chance for people to improve their lives by supporting organizations and institutions that foster lifelong learning and self-reliance, use the fine arts to enhance quality of life, and support healthy lifestyles.

Where can I get more information about applying for a grant?

Our website, www.orsingerfoundation.org, contains the 2012 GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS AND GUIDELINES. The process requires a Letter of Intent (LOI) that must be submitted by the deadline of October 1, 2011, in order to be considered for a Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation grant. Following the review of the LOIs, the Foundation will issue an invitation to selected agencies to submit an application.

What are the application deadlines?

The LOI will be due by 11:59 p.m. on October 1, 2011. Should your organization be selected to submit an application, you will receive an email by December 1, 2011. The deadline for submission of the application is 11:59 p.m. on February 1, 2012.

How much do you plan to award in grants? What is the foundation’s funding range?

The foundation will be awarding grants from $5,000 to $20,000 for 2012. You can learn more specific detail on our IRS 2009 990PF (2010 990PF will be posted in July) by either clicking on the links tab on this website and then clicking on our 2009 990PF link or by visiting GuideStar to view past 990PFs.

Who does the foundation fund?

Grant applicants must be tax exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code and not classified as private foundations under Section 509(a) of the Code. Organizations also may submit applications through a sponsoring organization, if the sponsor has a 501 (c)(3) status, is not a private foundation under 509(a) and provides written authorization confirming its willingness to act as a fiscal sponsor. We do not fund 509(a)(3) organizations or international agencies.

What activities are not funded by the foundation?

The Foundation does not provide grants to individuals or for scholarships, debt reduction, start-up, capital campaigns, endowments, fundraising events or sponsorships. The Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation is committed to the principle of equal opportunity, and therefore, will not support organizations that discriminate against individuals on the basis of age, gender, race, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, or religious belief in administration of its employment or service policies.

What are the geographic restrictions for funding under the new guidelines?

The majority of grants are for programs operating in Bexar County.

Mrs. Orsinger’s original geographic scope was Central Texas. For grants outside of Bexar County, we have established a RFP with emphasis on the use of fine arts in curriculum delivered to children ages 0 to 5 years old for areas in the following counties: Guadalupe, Hayes, Kendall and Travis counties.

My organization received a Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation grant in 2011. Are we still eligible to submit a LOI?

Yes – having a recent or current grant relationship with the Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation does not preclude you from submitting a LOI. However, we will expect the 2011 grant final report on the previously stipulated due date.

May an organization submit a LOI for a multiple year grant?

We do not normally fund multiple year grants unless it is of special interest to the Foundation.

May we submit multiple LOIs under the One Grant process?

No.

If my organization submits a grant application, is it possible that the organization may be awarded less money than requested?

Yes.

If we create a collaborative partnership between multiple agencies, does each agency need to submit a LOI?

No. If you choose to create a collaborative partnership between agencies to submit an LOI to the Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation, then you need to select a “Lead Agency” who will agree to manage the grant funds and subsequent grant reporting requirements for all parties. That “Lead Agency” should submit the LOI on behalf of the partnership.

How competitive will the LOI process be in applying for grant funds?

Historically the Foundation receives many more requests than it could possibly fund. Our board will review each LOI and application to find the best fits for our available funding.

May we call you to ask questions as we prepare our LOI?

We ask that all questions regarding the process be addressed in writing to lmcd@orsingerfoundation.org. We will provide you with a written response.

May we submit a letter of recommendation or promotional materials such as brochures, audio visual presentations, etc?

No.

What will improve our chances of having our LOI approved?

Pay close attention to the initiatives of particular interest to the Foundation and only request funding for those projects or programs that are critical to your organization. Follow the instructions for the LOI process carefully. Be concise and specific in your answers.

If our LOI or Invited Application is declined, will we be able to receive feedback from the reviewers as to why we were not selected?

We will do our best to provide feedback to those who request it.

Regarding the “Population Served” question on the LOI, if our organization serves more than one population, should we just select the one choice that fits best with our program?

This question refers to the project for which you are requesting funding. If this request from your organization serves more than one population, please select the one that fits best with your request. This response also applies to Grant Purpose, Program Area of Project, Population Served, and Geographic Area.

Does the Foundation fund salary support?

We will not fund more than 50% of salaries on either Program or organizational General Operating support requests. The 50% of salaries refers to the amount of the grant request, not 50% of the total project budget.

If our organization is collaborating with another organization, do I need a letter stating that they are involved in the program?

If you identify an organization as a collaborative partner in your LOI, you do not have to include written verification of your partnership in the LOI unless some portion of the funding is to be shared with the partner.

If awarded a grant, what is the distribution date?

With one funding cycle, it will vary according to several factors; i.e., when an organization’s funded program starts, when all grant paperwork is received or at the start of the organization’s new fiscal year. Payments are given in 2 equal amounts. Once the criteria for the program is established as to the start date (see above), we will send out the first check. Then, once we receive an expenditure report for the first check and have a site visit of the program/organization, we will distribute the second check. All funds must be allocated by December 15th of that calendar year.

THE GENEVIEVE AND WARD ORSINGER FOUNDATION
Attn: Linda McDavitt, President/CEO
P. O. Box 90987
San Antonio, Texas 78209
(210) 590-0535 or (210) 378-6614

EMAIL:  lmcd@orsingerfoundation.org