How to Apply
The Gates Family Foundation generally confines its support to capital projects, which are typically building purchase, construction, expansion, renovation, and/or land acquisition.
Applicants should use The Capital Common Grant Application to submit requests to the Foundation. Prior to submitting a proposal, many applicants find it useful to call a program officer of the Foundation to review the substance of the proposed project. Alternatively, applicants may submit an initial inquiry by completing the Narrative in Section III of the Capital Common Grant Application. If the information in the narrative appears to dovetail with the Funding Priorities of the Foundation, staff will request a completed Capital Common Grant Application.
Grant applications are accepted at any time throughout the year; however, funding decisions are made quarterly when the Gates Family Foundation board of trustees meets. In order for each proposal to be thoughtfully studied, it is important for the applying organization to have its proposal in the hands of the Foundation staff at least eight weeks prior to the trustees' meeting. Please do not use binders or notebooks. Only one copy of the proposal is requested. It should be noted that the Gates Family Foundation receives far more proposals each year than it is able to fund.
Proposal Deadlines:
- January 15 (Trustee review in early-April)
- April 1 (Trustee review in mid-June)
- July 1 (Trustee review in mid-September)
- October 1 (Trustee review in mid-December)
Notification:
The Gates Family Foundation will send letters outlining all trustee decisions within two weeks following each quarterly meeting.
In the case of organizations which have had grants approved, the Foundation respectfully requests that all proposed press releases be cleared with the Foundation. It also requests that no statues, plaques, or framed certificates be presented to the Foundation for its support of projects or organizations.
