Applying for a Grant: Forms and Tools

While your program contact at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund will provide detail on what to include in a full proposal, the guidelines and documents here should be helpful as well. Please submit these forms only if requested to do so; each grant is different, and not all forms are required of all applicants.  If you have not been asked to provide a proposal, but are interested in submitting a grant inquiry, please see Apply for Funding.

What to Include in the Proposal

While your program contact at the Fund will provide you with details on what to include in your proposal, these guidelines are designed to facilitate your preparation of proposal materials as well as the RBF’s review of your request. These guidelines are not meant to be an outline for your proposal, but rather a list of key points to be addressed in your proposal.

Sponsored Project Information

If the entity conducting the project does not have 501(c)(3)status, and the project will be carried out under the auspices of another organization (sponsoring organization), the sponsoring organization will be the organization receiving the grant. Therefore, the cover letter and all proposal materials should be sent to the RBF by the sponsoring organization. 

Please also note that, if a grant is awarded, the sponsoring organization is responsible for all grant reporting requirements, and grant reports should be sent by the sponsoring organization. In this situation, it is important for the Fund to understand the relationship between the sponsoring organization and the project.  Please take note of the additional information required in the cover letter, proposal narrative, budget, and supporting materials.

Advocacy and Lobbying

The work of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund often includes funding organizations or projects that focus on policy and involve advocacy. If your project has an advocacy component, please review the relevant advocacy memo below and address these points in your proposal or cover letter.

Information for U.S.-based organizations on advocacy and lobbying

Information for non-U.S.-based organizations on advocacy and lobbying

Diversity Worksheet

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in its grantmaking. The Diversity Worksheet is designed to help us better understand how our grantees reflect on and address these issues. Please complete the form and submit it along with your proposal materials. To learn more about the Rockefeller Brothers Fund's commitment to diversity, please see the Fund’s Diversity Statement.

Diversity Worksheet (U.S. Organizations)

Diversity Worksheet (Non-U.S. Organizations)

Equivalency Affidavits for Non-U.S. Organizations

When the Rockefeller Brothers Fund needs to determine if your organization is equivalent to a U.S. public charity, the affidavits (foreign organization, educational institution) are to be completed by an authorized representative of your organization and returned to the Fund along with a copy of your organization's statutes (governing documents). The statutes must be accompanied by an English translation. RBF program staff will inform you which affidavit to submit. Please submit this only if requested by RBF staff.

Public Support Form for Non-U.S. Organizations

The Public Support Form will enable the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to ascertain the level of public support received by your organization. This in turn allows the Fund to determine whether your organization can be considered equivalent to a U.S.-based public charity. Instructions for completing the form can be found on the first tab of the document. You will need to have financial information from the past five years available to complete the form.