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(Page last updated May 16, 2013)
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Mission Statement
The mission of The W.L.S. Spencer Foundation is to fund activities, anywhere in the world, which foster new and innovative ideas in education. We hope the initiatives we fund embrace and encourage creativity and risk taking.
We like the leverage that arises from seed grants, challenge grants and matching grants.
Program Areas
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Arts: We fund the educational activities, publications and outreach associated with innovative art and/or contemporary art exhibitions, especially those focusing on contemporary Asian Art. We are interested in projects that encourage knowledge about art and culture, foster international understanding, and are supported by academic scholarship.
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Education: We fund programs that are innovative and that motivate children to stay in school, do well academically and continue their education beyond high school (to college or other higher education opportunities). In this area, we may continue to fund programs that we believe in, and we may fund replication of a successful program in a new site. We tend to fund programs that are national or regional in nature, but which have a chapter in San Francisco. The foundation does not fund individual schools.
Restrictions
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We will not fund individuals, films, or events.
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We will not fund an organization based outside of the United States unless it has 501(c)(3) status in the U.S. or is affiliated with an organization that does.
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We only fund endowment at the discretion of the board; proposals are not accepted for this purpose.
Guidelines for Submitting a Letter of Inquiry
Grant seekers should send a one page letter of inquiry on the organization’s letterhead, with contact information (name, email address) describing the:
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proposed project
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purposes and activities of the sponsoring agency
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estimated budget of the organization
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total amount of funding needed for the project
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amount requested from the Foundation
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information about other sources of support, both assured and requested
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approximate starting date and duration of the proposed activities
Guidelines for Submitting a Formal Proposal
(Please note: The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals—please send a letter of inquiry first.)
There is no grant application form, but the proposal should include:
Description of the Project
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An explanation of the relationship of the proposed project to the Foundation's mission statement and to the mission and programs of your organization.
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A description of the proposed work and how it will be conducted, with clearly stated objectives.
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A description of the people and groups the project is to serve.
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An outline of the results you expect to have achieved by the end of the funding period, and a description of how you will measure the project's effectiveness.
Financial Information
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A detailed project budget, that also shows other sources of funding and the amount requested from the Foundation.
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Most recent audited financial statements and a breakdown of present means of organizational support including public and private sources.
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Copy of the agency's IRS 501(C)3 tax-exempt determination letter (required).
Please send the Letter of Inquiry or the Proposal and the attachments by email to:
Mary Gregory
Administrator
The W.L.S. Spencer Foundation
mgregory@pfs-llc.net
If there are other materials that you feel are important to send, you can mail those to:
Mary Gregory
Administrator
The W.L.S. Spencer Foundation
1660 Bush St. #300
San Francisco, CA 94109
Proposal Review Process
Foundation representatives try to meet with applicants and visit project sites whenever possible. Often, we will want to see the latest annual report. We may request additional information on matters where we have questions. Since we are a small family foundation, we have no deadlines for submitting applications, and we will respond to requests as soon as we can.
Forms
Contact Information:
THE W.L.S. SPENCER FOUNDATION
Attn: Mary Gregory (mgregory@pfs-llc.net)
1660 Bush Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, California 94109
(415) 561-6540 x204
(415) 561-6477 (FAX)
www.wlsspencerfoundation.org