Frequently Asked Questions | 2024 Funding Opportunity

General Questions
FAQ for General Eligibility
FAQ for Faith-Based Organizations
FAQs for Collaborative Projects
FAQs for Fiscally Sponsored Applicants
FAQ for the Grantee Portal
Troubleshooting the Application Form
 

General Questions About This Funding Opportunity

What are Meyer’s funding priorities for this call for proposals?

This funding opportunity is for Meyer’s three issue-based portfolios: Our Resilient Places, Our Empowered Youth and Our Collective Prosperity. Visit our program page to learn more about the unique goals and strategies within each of these priority areas. 

Can I apply under multiple portfolios? Do I have to choose?

We understand that your organization might work across multiple portfolios, goals, and strategies. However, for this opportunity, we ask you to choose the single portfolio, goal and strategy that best aligns with your work.

My organization supports BIPOC communities, but that is not our primary focus. Can we still apply?

We recognize there are many ways an organization can promote racial, social and economic justice. Meyer centers BIPOC communities in all our grantmaking, but we understand that not every grant will reach only those communities. In this application, we will want to know who your service community is and what strategies you have in place to reach and support communities of color.

How much funding can I request?

The maximum grant request is $200,000 per year for up to 2 years. Meyer estimates that most of the grants awarded will be between $75,000-$100,000 and 1 year duration. We will accept proposals for funding that is below this range.

Which organizations are eligible to apply for multi-year support?

Organizations that have received funding from Meyer in the past three years are welcome to apply for up to two years of support through this opportunity.

What types of grants will be awarded? 

Meyer will offer operating support and project support grants. Operating support is an unrestricted investment in the whole of an organization’s programming and operations; therefore, we look for especially strong alignment with Meyer’s approach when awarding operating support. 

Will Meyer fund capital support?

Capital support grants are not offered under this funding opportunity.

How many applications can an organization submit?

Each organization is limited to one application for its own work. We will also accept one additional application from organizations that are serving as the lead in a collaborative proposal.

When can I apply? When are applications due?

Applications will be accepted Monday, August 12th through 5:00 PM PST on Monday September 23rd, 2024.

When will grants be announced/paid?

Grants will be announced in early 2025, and grants will begin and start paying out between January and March 2025.
 

FAQ for General Eligibility

What types of organizations are eligible for this funding opportunity?

501(c)(3) public charities
State, local, and tribal government entities (including public schools)
Faith-based organizations
Fiscally sponsored charitable organizations

What are Meyer’s general eligibility requirements?

Please click here or visit https://mmt.org/apply/who-we-fund to see Meyer’s general eligibility requirements and nondiscrimination requirements for all applicants.

Will Meyer fund work in southwest Washington or other states outside of Oregon?

No, all work must have a significant focus on impacting Oregon’s lands and peoples.

Can organizations that also work outside of Oregon apply?

Yes, regional or national organizations are welcome to apply for project support for their work in Oregon. 

How do I know if my 501(c)(3) organization is classified by the IRS as a public charity?

Your IRS exemption determination letter will list your organization as either a 501(c)(3) private foundation or a 501(c)(3) public charity. Private foundations are not eligible under this funding opportunity. You can also look-up your organization in Publication 78 and review the deductibility code here. The PC deductibility code indicates public charity status.

My organization recently received our IRS exemption determination letter but we aren’t showing up in the organization search in the application form. What do we do?

Sometimes the IRS falls behind on posting Publication 78 updates to the online database of tax exempt organizations, so your organization may not show up in the Grantee Portal organization search if you recently received your determination letter. In this situation, please manually enter your organization’s legal name and EIN, and upload a copy of the determination letter to the Supplemental Materials section of the application form.

My organization is registered as an Oregon charitable organization, but we haven’t yet received our exemption determination letter from the IRS. Can we still apply?

Yes, your organization can apply with a fiscal sponsor. 

My organization is registered as an LLC and we have a fiscal sponsor. Can we apply with our fiscal sponsor?

No, for-profit organizations are not eligible recipients under this funding opportunity, including when fiscally sponsored. 

I’m an unincorporated individual/group of unincorporated individuals with a fiscal sponsor. Can I/we apply?

No, individuals are not eligible for Meyer grants, including when fiscally sponsored. Fiscally sponsored groups must be incorporated with the State of Oregon.

 

FAQ for Faith-Based Organizations

My organization is faith-based and does not require adherence to religious/faith beliefs as a condition of service or employment — except in the case of our spiritual leader(s) (e.g. imam, pastor, rabbi, etc). Do we meet Meyer’s requirements for faith-based organizations?

Yes, so long as other staff or volunteer positions (besides faith leaders) do not require adherence to religious faith beliefs as a condition of employment.

My organization is faith based and also is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Can we apply for a general operating support grant?

No, faith-based organizations are only eligible for project support grants from Meyer. This is due to the directive in Fred Meyer’s will that established Meyer Memorial Trust: he did not wish to support proselytizing of any sort, and Meyer Memorial Trust continues to honor his wishes. Meyer recognizes the important work that faith-based organizations accomplish in many communities and can support specific charitable programs/projects by faith-based groups as long as they do not require attendance or participation in religious or faith activities as a condition of service delivery or employment.
 

FAQs for Collaborative Projects

What are the eligibility requirements for collaborative partners?

Meyer will only provide funding for collaborators that fall in one of the following organization categories:

501(c)(3) public charities
State, local, or tribal governments
Faith-based organizations

In addition, all collaborators must meet Meyer’s other eligibility requirements for this funding opportunity. See the eligibility information in the Call for Proposals for more details.

Can we include a collaborator who is otherwise not eligible if they have a fiscal sponsor?

No, all collaborators must be eligible to receive a grant directly from Meyer.

Can organizations that are part of a collaborative also submit applications for their own organizations' work?

Yes, an organization can submit one application as lead on a collaborative and one application for its own work.

One of our key collaborators is not eligible to receive Meyer funding under this call for proposals. Can we still include them in the application?

Only eligible organizations should be collaborators for this funding opportunity. Collaborators may also select consultants or contractors who are not eligible to receive a grant or subgrant as a collaborator. If selected as a contractor or consultant by the collaborative, these individuals or organizations can support the goals of the project by providing services (including their expertise); but they will not be responsible for overall planning, decision-making or evaluation of the project, including involvement in grant reporting. It is optional whether to name them in the application, since selection of contractors or consultants will be entirely at the discretion of the collaborators.

What are the expectations for the lead collaborator organization?

The lead collaborator will receive the grant from Meyer, so must have the capacity to manage the administrative and financial aspects of the work and ensure the grant funds are used only for their intended purpose. They should execute subgrant agreements with the collaborators prior to disbursing grant funds. They also must ensure that any grant reporting requirements are met.

What are the expectations for the non-lead collaborator organization(s)?

Meyer requests that all collaborators enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clarify and agree upon roles and responsibilities prior to applying for Meyer funding. The non-lead collaborators should contribute to the project as outlined in the application and the subgrant agreements if the grant is awarded. 

What’s the difference between a collaborative and a fiscal sponsorship?

In a collaborative, Meyer expects that all collaborative partners are contributing significant work and decision-making in carrying out the project and will likely receive a portion of Meyer funding through a grant or subgrant.

A fiscal sponsorship is an agreement between two organizations — one tax-exempt, the other generally not — where the tax-exempt organization provides oversight, financial management and other administrative services to help support mission-aligned, charitable projects. While the fiscally sponsored entity generally does most, if not all, of the work, the fiscal sponsor has overall control of the grant funds. 

Can folks from multiple collaborative organizations access and work on the same application form in the grantee portal?

Unfortunately, no. Prior to submission, the application form can only be accessed by the grantee portal user who created it. The application form can be downloaded and shared at any point during the application process, so we encourage the collaborators to coordinate content outside of the system and agree upon which person will be responsible for submitting the application in the grantee portal before the deadline. 
 

FAQs for Fiscally Sponsored Applicants

The Call for Proposals says that “certain charitable fiscally sponsored groups or programs” are eligible to apply. What does this mean?

Meyer will accept applications from organizations that are incorporated for a charitable purpose and which are fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) entity, such as:

Social welfare programs/(501(c)(4)s.
An organization that is a registered Oregon charity and is awaiting their IRS tax exemption ruling.

Which organization should submit the application?

The applicant organization should be the sponsored group that will carry out the proposed project. A person from either the sponsored organization or the fiscal sponsor can be the one to submit the application. Both will be required to contribute information and approve the content of the application.

Can people from both organizations access and work on the same application form in the portal?

Unfortunately, no. The application form can only be accessed by one grantee portal user prior to submission. While an individual from either organization may create and submit the application, Meyer expects that the fiscal sponsor will have approved the substance of the proposed charitable project and the project budget, and will provide the requested information about their organization. The application form can be downloaded and shared at any point during the application process, so we encourage the fiscal sponsor and sponsored group to coordinate content outside of the system and agree upon which person will be responsible for submitting the application in the grantee portal before the deadline. The application submitter will be asked to certify that the fiscal sponsor has approved the content of the application.

Is a fiscal sponsorship arrangement the same as a grantee/subgrantee relationship?

No, a significant difference is that the fiscal sponsor is not expected to perform substantial work towards the proposed project. Rather, they provide administrative, financial and legal oversight of the grant funds in support of the work by the sponsored group.

Can Meyer help us find a fiscal sponsor?

Meyer is unable to help match fiscal sponsors with applicants. A good resource to learn more about fiscal sponsorships is the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors.

According to the eligibility requirements, my organization can’t apply unless we have a fiscal sponsor. Can we wait to see if the application is funded before we secure a fiscal sponsor?

No, in order for your application to be considered for funding, an active fiscal sponsorship agreement must be uploaded to the application form. Meyer weighs information about the fiscal sponsor, sponsored group and their relationship in the fiscal sponsorship agreement when making funding decisions. 

Our organization is a 501(c)(4)/501(c)(3) combo. Which organization should apply and should we submit a fiscal sponsorship application?

If the 501(c)(3) entity will conduct all of the work for the requested project, then only they need to apply. If the 501(c)(4) will be doing some or all of the work and using the 501(c)(3) as a fiscal sponsor, then please follow the instructions for submitting a fiscally sponsored application. Please keep in mind that Meyer cannot fund the lobbying activity of the 501(c)(4).

Does it matter who my fiscal sponsor is?

For a fiscal sponsorship arrangement to meet IRS and Meyer guidelines, there must be a fiscal sponsorship agreement or MOU between the two organizations outlining how they will work together and giving authority over the grant funds to the fiscal sponsor organization.

The fiscally sponsored organization and fiscal sponsor must have aligned missions, the board of the fiscal sponsor must approve of the sponsorship and the fiscal sponsor must have the capacity to sponsor a project. Both organizations need to have the capacity to meet agreed upon terms in the fiscal sponsorship MOU. 

It is important for these items to be in place in order to ensure that an applicant is not “borrowing” another organization’s tax-exempt status and remember that it is the fiscal sponsor who will ultimately control and be responsible for the funds received from Meyer.

Does my fiscal sponsor need to be based or operating in Oregon?

No, the fiscal sponsor must be incorporated domestically as a 501(c)(3) public charity but can be based in any state in the U.S. 

My organization’s previous grant from Meyer was fiscally sponsored. However, we have since received our tax-exempt status and are eligible for a direct grant from Meyer. What should we do?

Your organization may apply without a fiscal sponsor. If your IRS tax exempt ruling was recent, it may not show up in the organization search in the grant application, so you can manually enter your organization’s information and attach a copy of the IRS ruling letter in the Supplemental Materials section of the application.

 

FAQ for the Grantee Portal

What happened to GrantIS/what is GivingData?

Prior Meyer applicants may notice that Meyer’s old grants management system, GrantIS, is no longer available. In March 2023, Meyer transitioned to a new system called GivingData. Applicants and grantees will access this system through GivingData’s Meyer Grantee Portal. 

I don’t have a Meyer Grantee Portal account. How do I start an application?

Anyone can start an application by clicking on the link provided on Meyer’s Apply page. You will be prompted to create a grantee portal account password and will receive an email with a link to activate your account. Please make sure to complete account activation before it expires (in 30 days). Check your spam folder if you don’t see the email in your inbox. You may also need to safelist the email address (or add it to your address book) mail [at] givingdata.com (mail[at]givingdata[dot]com).

I have an active Meyer grantee portal account. How do I start an application?

Starting August 12, there will be a link to start an application on Meyer’s Apply page. You will be prompted to log in using your existing grantee portal username and password.

I had an account in Meyer’s previous grants management system, GrantIS. Do I need to re-register?

Yes, you will need to create a new account for the GivingData Grantee Portal. GrantIS usernames and passwords will not work in the Grantee Portal. Please also note that unlike in GrantIS, each person in your organization who needs access to the grantee portal should register and activate their own account.

Can multiple people in my organization access the same application form?

No, unfortunately, the GivingData software cannot support multiple portal users accessing and working on the same application form for this funding opportunity. If multiple people in your organization need to contribute to the application, we recommend that you draft your responses to the application questions outside the system and then copy and paste the answers into the form.

My username and/or password aren’t working. What now?

If you believe you have activated your account but have forgotten your password, click on the "forgot password" link to receive a password reset email. Check your spam folder if you don’t see the email in the next few minutes. Please make sure to safelist the email address mail [at] givingdata.com (mail[at]givingdata[dot]com).

Grantee portal accounts must be activated within 30 days of creation or access will expire. If you received an account activation email from Meyer staff previously and did not complete the activation in the 30-day window, you will need assistance from Meyer. Please contact grantops [at] mmt.org (grantops[at]mmt[dot]org) to request a new account activation email. Allow 1-3 business days for a response. We appreciate if you can provide a screenshot of any error messages you received when attempting to log in.

Will Meyer staff set up an account for my organization in GivingData?

No, you can immediately start working on an application by clicking on the link on Meyer’s Apply page. Meyer will screen organizations for eligibility (and set up new organization accounts as-needed) after applications are submitted. We encourage folks to pay careful attention to the funding opportunity’s eligibility criteria before investing the time in preparing an application. In order to start an application, you will need to complete an Eligibility Questionnaire which will help you understand if the organization meets our general eligibility requirements. 

How do I associate my application form with the correct applicant organization?

If your grantee portal account is already associated with existing organization record(s) in Meyer’s system you will have the option to select from those organizations from a drop down list. 

Otherwise, you will be prompted to enter the applicant organization one of the following ways:

Type in the organization’s legal name and EIN, which will be vetted by Meyer after application submission.
Search for and select the organization in the IRS database widget in the form. Note: This option won’t work for organizations that aren’t included in the IRS database, such as those applying under fiscal sponsorship, or for government entities.

What happens if I answer the eligibility quiz incorrectly?

Answering in a way that indicates you are not eligible will end the application process. To try again, you must start a new application. Please carefully read the eligibility requirements to make sure your organization is eligible. Meyer will screen organization eligibility after application submission and will not accept applications that don’t meet the basic requirements.

Can I save my application and return to it later?

Yes, once you start an application and pass the eligibility quiz, your application will be automatically saved in the grantee portal. You can return to it later by clicking the application URL on the Meyer website or by logging into the Grantee Portal.

I’m still stuck, how do I get help? 

For questions about accessing the grantee portal, please contact the Grant Operations Team at grantops [at] mmt.org (grantops[at]mmt[dot]org)

For questions or assistance related to the content of the application, eligibility or funding priorities, please contact our Programs support team at questions [at] mmt.org (questions[at]mmt[dot]org).

We anticipate a high volume of communications during this time, so responses may take 1-3 business days. We apologize for any inconvenience and encourage folks to start their application process as early as possible.
 

Troubleshooting the Application Form

I’ve filled out the application form but I’m unable to submit it.

All steps of the application form must be completed and all flags must be removed before the system will allow the form to be submitted. Please check the navigation sidebar on the right side of the screen which will show you any flagged or incomplete steps.

I’ve filled out the Contact Info page but it’s still showing as incomplete.

Please click the Edit button (a pencil icon) next to each contact record and make sure you have completed all required fields marked with a red asterisk (phone number, email address, etc).

The contact information displayed for my organization is incorrect. How should I fix it?

If you need to add a new point of contact for your organization, please create a new contact record by clicking “Add New Contact,” rather than overwriting an existing contact record for another person. Meyer maintains individual contact records which are tied to each person’s unique username for the grantee portal.

What are flags?

Flags are optional markers that allow you to keep track of steps you want to revisit later. All flags must be removed before submitting the application. You can flag or unflag a step at the bottom of each page of the application.

I’ve logged into the Grantee Portal and I can’t find the application I was working on. Where do I look?

Your application draft should be accessible by clicking on your organization name in the upper left corner and selecting it from the drop down menu. 

Can I submit my application as a video or attach an application that I submitted to another funder?

Not at this time. While Meyer has supported alternate application formats under other funding opportunities, the anticipated volume of applications under this funding opportunity do not make this feasible.