Introduction
The Office of Foundation Relations provides OSU faculty and campus units with support, strategic planning, and tools for developing and writing successful proposals to private foundations. Foundation Relations works closely with OSU's Office for Research Advancement to foster the development of high-quality proposals and to engage in outreach efforts with prospective private foundations whose interests align with OSU's and faculty's research interests and areas of expertise.
Seeking funding from private foundations may be appropriate for many reasons: pilot projects, high-risk/high-reward projects, and research led by early investigators are just a few. This website provides an overview of services, a series of pre-proposal tools, and information on post-award management services that Foundation Relations offers.
Getting Started
Our goal is to help you successfully secure the grant funds you need from private foundations. In order to do so, please see the following guidelines:
- If you are planning to apply to a private foundation or other philanthropic organization, we request a notice of 10 business days prior to the sponsor's deadline. See the Restricted Foundations list for additional guidelines and restrictions.
- If you need a narrative review of your proposal, we request a notice of six business days prior to the sponsor's deadline. Reviews are provided on proposals requesting at least $25,000. Please contact Emily Payne if your proposal requires special assistance.
- If you need minimal assistance with your proposal (an IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter or other OSUF information), we request a notice of three business days prior to the sponsor's deadline.
Following these guidelines provides our office with the ability to ensure there are no restrictions on a given private foundation. These guidelines also allow us to determine whether the proposal needs to be entered into Cayuse, the OSU grants management/approval system. Many private foundation proposals must still be submitted to Cayuse, and receive OSU approval, before submission or the transfer of funds.
If at any time you have questions about applying to a specific foundation for grant support, click here to send an e-mail to the Office of Foundation Relations.