FUNDING INTERESTS
We are interested in:
- Finding innovative and promising ideas that demonstrate how art is or can be a catalyst, an anchor, or entry point into activism or civic engagement.
- Leveraging the power of arts, and the artistic or cultural community to mobilize young people.
- Taking a risk on unconventional or untried approaches. We want to be surprised.
This is what we want from our investments:
- A legacy. Whatever we support should exist and be useful beyond our financial support.
- Initial success with the potential for replication
- Articulated and demonstrated impact with limited, focused financial resources
- Ability to attract “mezzanine” funding, with some targeted help from us
Criteria for investment
The work must clearly convey the power of art and culture as a catalyst for civic participation.
The work work must seek to engage previously non-engaged young people in the civic process. We are agnostic on the kind of artistic discipline you might employ.
We are particularly interested in organizations or projects that:
- Have current broad reach, or significant potential for scale at reasonable cost
- Leverage an existing community
- Have budgets of under $100,000
- Demonstrate a thoughtful and effective strategy
Eligibility
You must have an IRS 501 (c)3 status and be classified as "not a private foundation" under Section 509(a), or have a similarly qualified fiscal sponsor.
We do not make grants to individuals or to the following:
- individuals or scholarship programs
- capital campaigns
- state agencies
- religious programs
- international or foreign-based programs
- social service programs
Review Process
Rappaport Family Foundation will be making grant decisions in December 2009.
We anticipate the following schedule for the December cycle:
| Final Day to Submit LOI to RFF | Friday, November 6 |
| Short list of organizations invited to submit full proposals | Monday, November 16 |
| Full proposal due to RFF | Monday, December 7 |
| Decisions announced | Friday, December 18 |
| Agreement letters to RFF; checks disbursed | Monday, December 20 |
| Interim grant report due to RFF | June 30, 2010 |
To submit an LOI, click here.