When applying for a grant from the Carver Trust, a series of steps should be followed before submission of a formal proposal. The first is to determine eligibility. To accomplish this, the prospective applicant should review the Trust’s grant policies and procedures to gain insight into the Trust’s philosophy and eligibility requirements. It is also advisable that the prospective applicant consider if the project fits within the areas of Trust interest before submission of any written materials, to further determine if the proposal truly meets the funding objectives of the Trust. While we recognize that organizations may occasionally enlist the assistance of outside, professional fund-raising firms in order to approach prospective sources of support, it is not a practice that we endorse as a necessary component of the application process to the Carver Trust. If necessary, an applicant may contact the Trust by telephone to speak directly with staff for guidance in advance of the written inquiry.
Occasionally, the Carver Trust publishes separate guidelines covering special Trust-initiated programs and projects. Written materials regarding these activities will be provided to prospective applicants upon request, or can be reviewed in detail by visiting the Current Trust-Initiated Programming and Guidelines section of this web site and viewing the specific program guideline pages that apply before submission of an application.