American Savings Foundation offers a number of Frequently Asked Questions to aid you in your research regarding available grants for your Connecticut organization. Please review this information before contacting the Foundation.
The Foundation is a broad-based funder, with a special emphasis on the needs of children, youth and families. Our general funding priorities are Education, Human Services and Arts & Culture. These are not rigid categories, and many of our grants overlap more than one. We focus on direct service programs that help those with highest need, and where our funding can make a direct, measurable impact. Our Grant History helps grantseekers understand our priorities.
Requests may include administrative overhead. We do not have a set formula; however, we apply an industry rule-of-thumb of about 10-15%. Some budgets incorporate overhead within categories (e.g. rent, utilities, supervisor salary). Other budgets apply a percentage to the bottom line. You must indicate in the budget template one method or the other, but not both. Our grants committee carefully considers whether overhead in a submitted budget is appropriate for both the program budget and the agency’s budget and if the amount requested from the Foundation is proportional to the overall program budget. Call the Foundation staff if you need further clarification.
We consider the term "general operating support" to refer to "unrestricted grants", which we will not provide. We only fund direct service programs. However, some agencies only operate one core program, so all agency costs are considered part of that program's costs. For agencies that operate multiple programs, general support costs may be broken out to the various programs. An agency may apply to the Foundation for administrative overhead so long as it is appropriate to the proportionate costs of the program.
No. The Foundation reviews requests on a year-by-year basis only and renewed funding is never automatic.
With very few exceptions, the Foundation does not provide funding for what is traditionally considered to be municipal services (police, fire, k-12 school budgets, public parks).
As a local funder, we recognize that we are not able to replace lost federal, state, or municipal grants without jeopardizing our support for existing funding priorities. Therefore, it has long been our policy that we do not accept requests to replace lost state or federal grants or contracts, fill budget deficits, or provide bridge or emergency grants. As always, we will continue to accept applications for direct service programs that meet our grantmaking guidelines and align with our mission during our open application periods. We do consider applications where private funding can help leverage other sources of funding.
As the nonprofit community continues to navigate the changing environment, we will continue to evaluate areas of need and how we can best support the programs and services that are most closely aligned with our mission. This may include one-time funding requests from agencies to support new strategic partnerships, mergers, or “out-of-the-box” ideas that would allow essential services to continue, perhaps under a new host agency. We recognize that there may be new challenges and new opportunities in the years ahead, and our board will continue to listen, learn, and adapt as needed.
The Foundation is accessible to grant seekers by email, phone, or in person (by appointment). We encourage first-time grant seekers to call or email the Foundation to discuss a potential grant. Site visits might be conducted during the review process when it is appropriate to do so.
We regularly conduct site visits during the grant period for programs we have funded.
A grant amount less than requested may be awarded. In this case, the Foundation will require a modified budget and revised program plan reflecting the amount awarded.
The most important consideration should be your organization’s priorities and needs. Foundation staff will not make that choice for you, but you are welcome to call to discuss whether a specific program or project fits. However, we strongly encourage you to review our Grant History first for guidance.
Foundation staff assesses requests for completeness and eligibility. The Board of Directors meet 4 times a year - March, June, September and December. A decision on your application will be made at the upcoming meeting after a complete application is submitted. Staff may contact you during the review process if we require additional information.
Grant requests are reviewed by a committee of volunteers, which makes recommendations to the Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for all grant award decisions. Many of our volunteers were employees of the former American Savings Bank and have been involved with the Foundation from its beginning in 1995. Others have joined the committee more recently and represent the communities we serve.
Typically, we fund only one program at an agency in a given year.
Yes, depending on your overall program funding plan. Indicate in which fiscal year you will apply the requested funding, and explain how it connects to your agency’s overall operating budget.
For program grants, a final report is typically due one year after the grant is awarded or when the project is completed, whichever comes first.
New grant requests will not be considered until a final report for any previous grant has been received. If your proposal is a request for renewed support before a final report can be completed on a current grant, you must submit an interim report.
Average daily attendance is number of youth you will serve on a typical day. Your program budget needs to show the cost of running a program that is appropriate to the your average daily attendance. This is more important than the raw number of individuals that you might enroll throughout the program year. We do not endorse any one formula for cost per student, but your costs should be realistic given the scope and design of your program plan.
The Foundation expects all after-school programs to take and report attendance. It is critical that youth attend on a regular basis over the course of the school year. A key guideline: each youth you enroll should attend at least 50% of the days your program is open. New Britain agencies that we fund all use the “A-Plus” system. Outside of New Britain, we do not require a specific method; it is up to each program to decide.
The Foundation has always encouraged genuine collaborations and partnerships, but there are no specific expectations or requirement. Where it is planned as an integral part of your program, it should be explained, and demonstrated with letters of support.
A program that operates after-school programs in multiple sites serving the same age group in the same town should submit only one proposal. If you plan to operate different programs, you may submit more than one proposal. This is a highly competitive process. If you are not sure what to do, call first.
American Savings Foundation strives to be accessible to anyone seeking information about grants. If you did not find the answers you were looking for in our FAQs, please get in touch today.