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Annual Grant Reports
2007 | 2006 | 2005 [Click to download Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF format]
*for previous years, please contact the office

Grantmaking Guidelines
updated 07/02/08

Incorporated in 1991, the purpose of The Michelson Foundation is to promote healthy and successful outcomes for low-income, underserved children, youth, and adults. The Foundation supports public charities that serve Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties, and the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota. The Foundation’s focus areas include:

  • Educational Programs that provide scholarships and/or services to middle and high school students that encourage their academic achievement and position them to be able to go to college.

  • Theater Education Programs for children and youth that link theater-based education with academic achievement.

  • Early Literacy Programs for children 0-5 years old that support the healthy development of a child as well as healthy attachment with parents/caregivers.

  • Adult Residential Mental Health Programs that provide services to help clients regain independent living.

The board holds three distribution meetings per year, and all requests are answered with a written notice within a reasonable period of time.

General Guidelines

    1. Grants are not made to individuals, annual appeals, sectarian religious purposes, to cover deficits, or for conferences and events.
    2. Funding for endowments, capital campaigns, arts institutions, and other grants are made at the discretion of the board; proposals are not accepted for these purposes.
    3. Applications must be submitted within the periods listed. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged.
    4. Although the Foundation appreciates the time and effort that each organization spends in applying, not all requests can be funded, and all decisions are made at the discretion of the board.
    5. The Foundation may request to make a site visit to a program.
    6. Generally, multi-year grants are not made, but subsequent requests may be considered.
    7. A Grant Report must be submitted at the end of your grant period, or if you are reapplying, the grant report should accompany your application form.
    8. Only one request from an organization will be processed in a 12 month period.

Application Procedure

No unsolicited proposals are being accepted for the Fall meeting.

Proposals for the Spring 2009 meeting will be accepted in the new year, specific dates will be posted later
– please check back.

The Michelson Foundation does not have an application form. Applicants should submit a brief proposal for a specific amount:

Submit by email or U.S. mail:

A cover letter on your organization’s letterhead that briefly summarizes the request for funding, and lists the other pieces of the proposal that you will submit by email.

Submit by email (as much as possible):

Please send us a letter with the following information in a reasonable font size, which when printed out is no longer than 5 pages. Also, remember to put a header on each page which identifies your organization. (The financial documents and tax determination letter requested below are NOT part of the 5 page maximum.)

    1. Concise description of the organization including history, mission and type(s) of programs and/or services provided.
    2. Concise description of the project (if applicable) including purpose, goals/objectives and timeline.
    3. Financial statement showing actual revenue and expenses for the agency’s most recently completed fiscal year.
    4. Project budget (if applicable) detailing all proposed expenditures, and projected sources of funding.
    5. A list of other funders of the organization.
    6. A list of the members of the board of directors, if it doesn’t already appear in your other materials (such as on your letterhead).
    7. Copy of the agency’s IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination letter.

Proposals should be sent to Hector Melendez at the Foundation’s office listed below. Materials may be sent by email to hmelendez@pfs-llc.net, however if you don’t have the capability to send your letterhead or financial statements via email, please send hard copies by regular mail.

For environmental and economic reasons, please do not use binders, folders, or other binding for proposals, audits or supporting attachments, and please do not send audio-visual materials unless requested. Thank you.

Board of Directors

Ellen A. Michelson - President
Michael W. Michelson - Vice-President
Laura Merriam

Contact Information

Mary Gregory, Senior Program Officer (mgregory@pfs-llc.net)
Hector Melendez, Program Officer (hmelendez@pfs-llc.net)

THE MICHELSON FOUNDATION
1660 Bush Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, California 94109
(415) 561-6540
(415) 561-6477 (FAX)
www.pfs-llc.net

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