Funding Process: Eligibility
Funding Process:
The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation invests in initiatives and organizations that help people and communities in Hampden County thrive across six funding areas: Early Childhood, Youth Literacy, Innovation & Excellence in Education, Youth Development, Economic Development & Mobility, and Community Support.
The Foundation does not fund:
- Work that does not serve or benefit individuals living in Hampden County
- Initiatives that do not have multiple funding streams supporting the work
The Foundation rarely funds:
- Endowments
- Start-up organizations or projects that cannot provide at least one year of financial information on a full Form 990. A 990-N or 990-EZ is not sufficient, as these simplified filings don’t provide enough financial detail for our grant review process.
- Capital funding to support facility construction, equipment purchases or other physical capital improvements
Eligibility Self-Assessment
The following self-assessment can help organizations determine whether they are eligible for Davis Foundation funding.
- Geographic Alignment
- Our work directly serves individuals living in Hampden County.
- We can clearly demonstrate how Hampden County residents benefit from this work.
- Organizational Status and Finances
- We are a 501(c)(3) public charity, or we have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3).
- We (or our fiscal sponsor) have filed a full Form 990 (not a 990-N or 990-EZ) for the most recent fiscal year.
- Our organization or initiative has multiple funding sources.
- Program or Project Fit and Alignment
- Our proposed work provides clear, practical benefits to Hampden County residents.
- We can describe measurable outcomes, evidence of impact, or indicators of success aligned with the Foundation’s funding areas.
- Our work aligns with at least one of the following funding areas:
- Early Childhood
- Youth Literacy
- Innovation & Excellence in Education
- Youth Development
- Economic Development & Mobility
- Community Support (typically grants of $25,000 or less)
- We can describe how our work advances outcomes in the selected funding area(s).
- We serve the populations and needs identified within these areas.