Before applying, please be sure to read the ABOUT US page of this web site site to gain a sense of the Foundation’s areas of interest.
The Foundation's application form is available in PDF format and requires the use of Adobe's Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe web site.
Click here to download the required application form.
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS & LIMITATIONS
The Foundation awards grants only to organizations headquartered in and providing services for residents of Washington, DC and the Maryland & Virginia suburbs that abut it. The Foundation does not award grants to national organizations, even if they serve these preferred communities.
The Foundation prefers not to award grants to individuals, national health organizations, government agencies or public school/charters. It does not fund medical research or the arts, except for intensive arts-in-education programs that directly benefit at-risk children and youth. It does not sponsor events.
The Fowler Foundation accepts, but does not require, the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers application format. Non-WRAG format applications should be in the form of a concise (three-four page) narrative requesting general operating support or describing the project for which funding is sought and the need for it. There also should be a brief statement (three-four pages) regarding the history of the organization, its purposes, current activities and evidence of its effectiveness. All proposals must include Fowler's application form, available here or by telephone request. A proposal package must include:
- A copy of the organization's IRS determination letter (no application will be considered without this)
- Financial statements, i.e., balance sheet, income statements, audit (bound or stapled); if the organization does not have this information, explain why and provide the latest Form 990. In cases of organizations with budgets in excess of $500,000, the Foundation looks for an audit or a review by an outside source
- A current operating budget, including income source
- A project or capital budget, if appropriate
- A board of trustees list, with their affiliations
- Resumes of key staff
Proposals should be signed by the applicant's executive director or CEO, sent via regular U.S. Postal Service, and addressed to:
Richard H. Lee
President
John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation
4340 East-West Highway
Suite 206
Bethesda, MD 20814
Incomplete proposals will not be accepted.
There are no deadlines. Applications are processed in the order received. An acknowledgement will be sent upon receipt of an application. Do not submit letters of inquiry; succinctly written proposals are the best way to explain your program. The Foundation does not accept electronic submissions. The Foundation rarely conducts interviews or makes on-site visits as it does not have full-time staff. The Board of Trustees meets four or five times a year to discuss and vote upon applications. Depending upon the volume of requests, it can take at least six months for an application to reach the Board. Declined applicants will receive either a postcard or letter and may not reapply until at least 18 months after the declination date. Declined applicants may telephone the office to discuss the reasons for declination and to inquire about the suitability of reapplying in the future.
Grantees may not apply for a new grant until at least 18 months after receipt of an award, and not until a final report has been submitted.
Grant requests are studied by the Foundation's grant consultant, Suzie Loungeway, who is at the office twice a week. Should you have questions not answered here, you can leave a telephone message at (301) 654-2700, and Suzie will return your call as soon as possible.
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