The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation Grant Guidelines

The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation awards grants to organizations that are exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3), not classified as a private foundation as defined in Section 509(a), and either located in the greater Richmond region or having a direct impact in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please ensure that you meet these criteria before submitting a grant application.
** We now accept grant applications via our online application portal only. You must register and submit a Contact Form (and speak to the Executive Director) two weeks before the submission deadline.
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Application Deadline Information

Applications must be completed online by 5 pm EST on the following dates:
  • Spring Cycle: Contact Form must be submitted by Feb 28. Application must be submitted by March 17 (Foundation response Early June)
  • Fall Cycle: Contact Form must be submitted by August 29. Application must be submitted by September 15 (Foundation response Early December)
If these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted until 5:00pm on the first business day following.
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Grant Basics

Please be aware of the following before you begin your application:
  • Typically our grants fund no more than 1/3 of a project’s cost.
  • Grant awards are made on a challenge or matching basis.
  • Grantees must meet all conditions stated in our award letter within 12 months of approval, and failing to do so may result in grant withdrawal.
  • In the case of a construction grant, we will likely require the commencement of construction before we fund the grant.
  • As a condition of funding, the Board of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation expects that 100% of the grantee’s organizational board be contributing to the organization.

Before You Begin Your Grant Application

The following information will be needed to successfully complete the online application.
Document Checklist:
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Cover Letter
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List of the Organization’s Current Governing Board and its Officers
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IRS Determination letter
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Project Budget
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Organization’s Current Operating Budget
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Recent Financial audit

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Recent IRS 990
Questions Include:
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Contact Information
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Organizational Details
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The demographic makeup of your board and the community members you serve
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Project Description
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A detailed financial plan for the project
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Highest Level Seal of Transparency your organization has earned from Guidestar by Candid (if applicable)

Instructions and Support:

Once you have started an application, you may click the “Save Application” button at the bottom of the page. Click the “Submit Application” button once you have completed the application. You will receive an email confirmation when the Application is successfully submitted.