Guidelines
The Parkinson Family Foundation chooses to pursue its mission by concentrating on three main areas of focus: Food & Water, Faith & Evangelism, and Health & Humanitarian Efforts. The Foundation also recognizes the power and potential in education & community outreach and may be able to engage in grantmaking in these areas, though such efforts will be very targeted. In addition, we would favor organizations that promote American ideals such as freedom, liberty and justice.
Admittedly, there is a good deal of overlap in all these areas and a tremendous amount of philanthropic and charitable activity is covered. Therefore, the Foundation must be extremely selective in choosing with which organizations it will partner. Those groups with whom the Foundation has been able to develop a relationship will often receive greater consideration.
Declinations are not a slight, but a sign of the tremendous need worldwide and a result of determined priority for the Foundation, its members and its particular efforts in light of very limited resources. What drives our mission is the Greatest Commandment, but it does not limit our consideration of organizations that are not faith-based.
Requests should be made through the online application form.
Frequently-asked Questions
• How do we know if our organization is a good fit?• Can I speak to someone about how best to partner with this initiative?
• We have several programs that may be of interest. How do we decide which is the most appropriate?
Due to the high interest in funding, the Directors are currently unable to have one-on-one conversations with all interested parties. The foundation's administrator can help with technical questions about the application process but is unable to provide guidance on the fit of the grantee or the structure of the request. If, after reviewing the guidelines, you believe your organization is a good fit, then go ahead and submit an application. If you are unsure which project is the best one, the Directors offer the suggestion: “Apply for the one with the greatest need.”
• Should I send a Letter of Intent or seek preliminary approval to apply?
No. The online application is the appropriate first step in approaching the Foundation. If, after reviewing the guidelines, you believe your organization is a good fit, then proceed with the application process.
• Do you award grants to individuals or foreign charities/agencies/NGO’s?
No. Only organizations actively recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) non-profits can be considered.
• My organization is not a 501(c)(3), however we do hold a similar tax exempt status. Can we apply?
Only schools, state governments and churches will be allowed to apply without a valid 501(c)(3) status.
• What are the funding ranges?
• How much should we request?
• Is funding available for multi-year commitments or only single-year commitments?
Grants may range from $1,000 up to several thousand dollars. In unique circumstances, the Foundation does consider a more significant grant for a program having a major impact in one or more of our areas of interest. We defer to the expertise of the applicants to educate us on the funding needed to run a successful program. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, focused on outcomes and impact. The request amount must reflect the effectiveness of the proposed program and consider the specific needs and challenges of the communities involved. The Foundation does not, generally, fund 100% of a program or organization. The Foundation generally will not approve a grant for more than a three-year commitment.
• How do I submit a new application?
• I have logged into my account, but cannot find a way to start a new application.
• What is the difference between the Account and Application links?
Whether you are a new or returning applicant, use the Application Link to begin a new application. Returning applicants would sign in with their existing account information. New applicants will have the chance to create an account by clicking on the "New Applicant?" link under the email box. The Application Link is only for starting a brand new application. The Account link is where you will find saved/partially completed applications, as well as historical applications. Please note: you cannot create a new application within your Account; you must go to the Application link itself. The username and password information will be the same for both Account and Application login pages.
• How do I log in to my account?
• I have forgotten my password. How do I reset it?
• How do I view previous applications?
• How do I access a saved application to complete it?
Go to the Account Login Page. On that page there is a “Forgot Password?” link if you are unable to access your account. Once logged-in, you can view previous applications & partially-completed applications, you can transfer your account into a new email address and you can update your password.
• How do I know my application was received?
• Why am I not receiving any emails after submitting an application?
• Why am I not receiving any emails after clicking on Forgot Password?
• Why won’t the system recognize my password even after I reset it?
After you submit an application, an email notification is sent stating that the application has been received. Sometime within the next week or so, you will receive another email stating that the request has been successfully processed. If you do not receive either of these emails please be sure to check your Spam or Junk email folder in your Inbox or ask your email administrator about SPAM filter settings. Emails from "@grantapplication.com" and "@fsllc.net" domains must not be blocked. The same holds true if you are trying to generate a new password and are waiting for the New Password email. If your password will not work even after a password reset, it is possible that your organization has another account recognized by our system. If you are unable to confirm or resolve this, email us for more assistance.
• We don’t have a clean copy of our Determination Letter from the IRS.
If possible, please do not submit a photo of your Determination Letter; scans to PDF are much preferred. Depending on how recently your organization received its 501(c)(3) status, you may be able to find a copy from the IRS at https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/. These will be TIF image files. If you can, please convert these to PDF files before uploading to the application form.
• If I receive a grant, does the foundation require a follow-up report?
The board would appreciate hearing back on the uses of an approved grant at least once (or once per year). The board leaves the format and structure of any report up to the discretion of the grantee. You can mail, email or upload your report. If your organization does not have a standard report and would like some ideas for consideration, you can download a sample template. An alternative option is to request a link to an online page where you can upload the text of a report. The benefit of this option is that the report would then be connected directly to the request & approval in the foundation's systems and thus easier to manage.
• Can I spellcheck the narrative I include on my application?
• Can I copy and paste into an application that I have started?
• Do you have tips or recommendations for formatting our budgets?
While working on an application, there is a red checkmark icon (where available) that allows you to spellcheck your narrative. If you would like, you can type out your answers elsewhere and cut & paste them into the appropriate locations in the application. Be aware, however, that doing so could impact the word-count feature, making it inaccurate. We kindly ask that you preview the formatting of your budgets prior to uploading. See our Budget Prep Guide if you need assistance.
• I received an error message. What do I do?
• I am stuck and cannot proceed. What should I do next?
Consider trying an alternate web browser. Switching browsers has proven to be an effective solution on a number of occasions. If you still encounter issues, please send an email and we will help you resolve the issue.
• How do I email receipts, updates and reports?
• How do I notify you if information changes after I submit my application online?
You can send information and documents to us by clicking HERE.
• How do I check on the status of my application?
We kindly ask that applicants be judicious with requests for status updates. The confirmation email you received when the request was submitted should contain an anticipated response time. However, there are numerous reasons why an answer may take even longer: meetings & responses may be delayed due to extenuating circumstances, consideration of a particular request may need to be deferred until the next board meeting, vacations & illnesses can create lags in the process (just to name a few). If you have not received an answer by the time of the next anticipated board meeting (about 4 months or so after the date listed in the email), please contact us at that time for an update on the status of your application.