Application Process

Who Can Apply for a Grant?

Our grant making process is designed to focus our grants and staff time on existing partnerships that we have with Dallas area nonprofits. In addition, each year we invite a small number of additional organizations to submit applications for grants. The organizations are invited based upon our knowledge of these organizations through contact between the organization and members of our Board of Directors. Organizations who have previously received funding from the Hawn Foundation as well as those specifically invited to apply by a member of our Board of Directors are invited to submit a Letter of Inquiry for a grant. We do not accept, review or consider unsolicited proposals.

Before submitting a letter of inquiry, organizations applying for a grant should carefully review our grant guidelines and grant application timeline to determine if your agency is eligible for a grant and if the timing of you project coincides with our grant cycle.

Letter of Inquiry Requirements

Organizations eligible to apply for a grant from the Hawn Foundation should submit a Letter of Inquiry. We do not require that the Letter of Inquiry follow a specific form or format, but we do require specific information to assist us in evaluating the request. The letter should be no more than three, single-spaced typewritten pages and should include the following information:

• Name, address and other contact information of the organization and responsible employee or officer in charge of the application.
• Brief statement of the organization’s purpose and history.
• Short description of the organization’s programs, including number of individuals served, demographics of individuals served and geographic area served.
• Type of funding you are seeking: program, capital or operating funds and funding period of the grant.
• Brief description of the problem or issue to be addressed by Foundation funding and expected outcome.
• Total budget for the program or project and amount of funding sought by this request.

In addition, a copy of your IRS Letter of Determination should be attached to the letter of inquiry.

Letters of inquiry are accepted from January 1 through March 15 each fiscal year. All letters of inquiry must be postmarked on or before March 15 and should be mailed to:

Hawn Foundation, Inc.
8226 Douglas Avenue 
Suite 520
Dallas Texas 75225

If you have questions regarding our grant process or submission of required documents, please contact us at (214) 696-6595. The Foundation discourages calls for meetings with Board members or Foundation employees and prefers to schedule meetings and site visits at the Foundation’s request.