Applications only available and accepted between JULY 1 and AUGUST 31.

Each grant we receive must be reviewed to ensure it is complete, and can easily be summarized and categorized. As this is a very time consuming process, we greatly appreciate your attention following the format in the grant application below and staying within the limits set forth.

Additionally here are a few things to remember:

• Our focus is on groups within the Adirondack Park that serve year-round residents of the Adirondack Park, though we do consider (and fund) groups based outside the park boundary whose primary impact of the grant will be within the Adirondack Park.
• In general we do not fund capital campaign grants.
• In general we do not fund grants that are solely for staff salary.
• Receiving funding one year does in no way guarantee any future funding.

Grant Application Questions, Suggestions, and Explanations.

Our grant application is available for two months prior to our deadline at the end of August. Typically we sent out notifications to applicants by the end of October after our annual meeting. 
Below is an outline of what we ask for and why which may be helpful in completing the online grant application.

• Who are you:
  • Organization name.
  • Contact person – who we go to with questions and grant notifications.
  • Email for the contact person above.
  • Phone number.
  • Organization’s mailing address – where the check will be sent if granted.
  • Federal Tax ID number.  We only grant to non-profits.  We do need the tax ID number as we check them each year prior to our grant discussions to be sure they are valid.
• What are you trying to accomplish? The big picture:
  • What aspect of quality of life in the Adirondack Park is your organization concerned with?
• What do you propose to do?
  • How do you propose to address the issue you’ve identified above?
  • How much do you project the total project / program may cost? Dollar value.
  • How much are you requesting for this grant? We know that in many cases you may use several sources to receive the funds you need, while in other cases we may be the only place you are asking for funds. This helps us understand where a potential grant from the Pearsall Adirondack Foundation fits in with your overall plan to fund the project / program.
  • How will you use the funds? This is the item we see incorrectly completed most frequently.
    • Please explain in one sentence how you are going to use any funds granted. This summary helps us clearly understand the specific items / project / program for which you are requesting funds. To think about it in another way, imagine someone in your organization or community heard you were applying for a grant and asked what it was for – how would you answer it briefly and succinctly?  We do not need a full accounting of what your organization is doing, or extra language on how this ties to our mission – there is a previous question addressing  that above.  This one sentence comes down to a very simple description of  “how will the money be spent?”. This one sentence is critical to us in understanding where the money will go, and how we can remember it during discussion of potentially 80 or more other applicants.  Short and to the point is more effective and appreciated.
• How will you measure your progress?
  • What do you hope to achieve with these goals (goals specific to this grant)?
    • List stated goals, bullet points are acceptable and often more effective.
  • Success criteria.
    • What objective, measurable criteria will you use to determine the success or failure of this effort (bullet points are acceptable).  Our foundation hopes that whether your effort is successful or falls short of your expectations that your organization can learn from it and more effectively deliver your mission in the future.  Having goals and criteria for success can sharpen your plan as well making your organization more impactful regardless of how things go.
• Financial Snapshot. Overview
  • Start of fiscal year.
  • End of fiscal year.
• Financial Snapshot. Revenue
  • Total revenue.
  • Breakdown (percentage) of where revenue comes from (should add to 100%)
    • Membership / admission fees 
    • Annual fundraising
    • Contributions from Board Members
    • Earned Income
    • Government Funding
    • Private Grants
    • Withdrawal from endowment
    • Other
      • Description of Other Income / Revenue
• Financial Snapshot. Expenses
  • Total expenses
    • Breakdown (percentage) of expenses (should add to 100%)
      • Staff (total cost including benefits)
      • Building (rent / mortgage)
      • Administrative costs (phone, postage, copying, equipment, etc…)
      • Programming
      • Other
        • Description of Other Expenses