Focus Area Overview

The term “umbrella organization” refers to associations of organizations joined by a common mission. These groups typically provide resources and services to member organizations and are well positioned to understand members’ needs.  In this role, they are capable of proposing interventions that will build the effectiveness of member organizations.

We support umbrella organizations and similar networks in their efforts to provide technical assistance and build the capacity of direct-service providers. As with all of our human-services work, these investments are focused on organizations that help individuals and families move out of poverty.

Our categories of investment include:

• Improving programs – for example, the design and implementation of tools that promote comprehensive service delivery, or collective engagement in advocating for policy reform.
• Enhancing infrastructure – such as support for information technology, performance assessment or added communications capacity.
• Bolstering people – including the development of management and leadership skills.

Within this focus area, we also invest in applied research projects and activities that:

• Elevate the study of organizational effectiveness, resilience and sustainability for direct human-service organizations that serve low-income populations.
• Promote the study of strategic alliances on the resilience of direct human-service organizations.
• Identify promising or best practices and models for co-located or integrated services.
•  Explore broader systematic context, large-scale or public programming.
• Inform public policy or catalyzes public dialogue. 

Funding Methods

We award grants and make program-related investments. Some grants are awarded for a single year, others are for multiple years. Taken together, our grantmaking and investing methods constitute our funding toolbox.

Our funding toolbox consists of:

• Operating support grants
• Project support grants
• Program-related investments

Our funding goal – through grants and investments – is to help organizations that are advancing our programmatic priorities fulfill their missions and become sustainable over time, often growing or developing in the process.

Eligibility

Who may apply?

• U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations with audited financial statements that are not classified as private foundations. Audits must be independently prepared following Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or Government Auditing Standards (GAS).  Financial statements prepared on a cash, modified cash, compilation, or review basis do not qualify.
• Government entities.

Who will be competitive?

Organizations that:

• Are guided by a mission that includes moving people out of poverty.
• Represent largely multiservice organizations working to move people out of poverty.
• Can clearly articulate how their work adds value to their memberships and that have established working relationships with members.
• Have track records of taking what they learn from their members and affiliates and working on systems and policy change.
• Are data driven, knowledgeable about promising practices and consistent in applying that knowledge to policy-reform and systems-change work.
• Function at the state, regional or national level.
• Can clearly articulate the outcome their proposed activities would advance.
• Propose interventions that would help direct-service agencies better cope with the difficult economic environment facing the human-services sector.
• Have leadership and personnel representative of the communities they serve.

Applied research projects and activities that:

• Are supported by a network of researchers, nonprofit organizations and engaged community members.
• Engage in applied social science research, including social policy on poverty and the effectiveness of anti-poverty human services organizations and networks.
• Have track records of translating research into promising practices, promoting policy solutions and developing technical assistance tools (such as publications, curricula and training).
• Pursue applied research that attends to the broad systematic context, shapes large-scale or public programming, informs public policy or stimulates public dialogue.

Who may not apply?

• Individuals.
• Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.
• Organizations that require membership in certain religions or advance a particular religious faith. (Faith-based organizations may be eligible if they welcome and serve all members of the community regardless of religious belief.)
• Programs operated to benefit for-profit organizations.

Application Process

An application has two parts:

1. Part 1, the preliminary application, contains a data-entry component and several attachments, including a narrative.
2. If a program staff member determines your request has potential for funding, he or she will ask you to provide additional information. This will constitute Part 2 of the application process.

We accept and review inquiries on an ongoing basis.