Help For Children uses a two-stage process for the grant application:
STEP 1: Letter of Intent
Organizations that meet the geographical criteria in the What We Fund section above complete and submit the Letter of Intent (LOI). Deadlines for the Letter of Intent vary by geographic area.
After internal review, selected organizations are invited to submit a full proposal. Declined Letters of Intent are acknowledged.
Note that current grantees skip the Letter of Intent stage if they are reapplying for the same program. While current grantees are encouraged to reapply, they are not guaranteed continued funding.
To submit an LOI for the 2025/2026 grant year, please fill out this online LOI form: 2025/2026 HFC Letter of Intent
Upon completing and submitting the online LOI form, download the project budget here: 2025/2026 HFC Project Budget Form and send it completed to grants@hfc.org with the subject 2025/2026 LOI Submission & Project Budget. Please do not fill out the Project Budget form online. You should download it and complete the form offline.
The deadline to submit both the LOI and Project Budget to be considered for the 2025/2026 grant cycle is January 15, 2025.
STEP 2 (by invitation only): Request for Proposal
Complete the Request for Proposals and submit as directed, along with the supporting documentation.
All proposals are reviewed by a Grants Committee, made up of Help For Children staff, Board members, and the Academic Consultant.
Site visits are scheduled with potential grantees. Grantees might be requested to do a presentation to the Grants Committee.
The Grants Committee, with the guidance of the Academic Consultant, makes the final funding decisions and grants are awarded.
Applicants are notified of their grant status the month before the grant year begins.