The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation funds organization grants

Our funding impacted
776 organizations last year!

We give careful consideration to the many requests we receive. Please make sure your request aligns with our eligibility criteria. The Prepare section below will help you decide.

Our cycles

We open for the coming spring cycle
in fall of the previous year.

We open for the coming fall cycle
in spring of the same year.

Watch our home page for specific opening dates

Application Steps

All eligible organizations must submit:

  1. a letter of intent (LOI);
  2. an application, if invited to apply;
  3. all required materials through our online application portal.
  4. Check our home page for specific open and close dates.

submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

Access our online portal during open LOI cycles and submit your LOI.

if invited apply

If invited, return to the online portal to complete and submit a grant application.

Prepare

Make sure your request aligns with our grant eligibility before you submit an LOI.

Organizations must meet the following criteria. If not eligible, please do not submit an LOI.

  • Have IRS Tax-Exempt Status
  • Grantees must have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.
  • Grantees must organize and operate for charitable purposes.
  • Serve the geographic locations we support

Organizations should serve communities in the counties we serve. Requests for grants serving counties other than these are by invitation only.

  • Work in our focus areas
  • Education (including scholarships)
  • Human services
  • Health and medicine
  • government agencies
  • for-profit business
  • special events or conferences
  • endowments
  • the fine arts
  • organizations outside our geographic areas (with invited exceptions)
  • labor organizations
  • lobbying or political campaigns
  • organizations outside of the United States (with invited exceptions)
  • sports or athletic organizations
  • sectarian religious causes
  • individuals except through our scholarship programs
  • Not a recent grant applicant

Organizations may apply for funding only once a year. For example, if you submitted an LOI in the spring, you must wait until the next year’s spring cycle to again submit an LOI.

The Minnesota and Florida counties listed below remain important to the family. While we fund some national programs, our priority is to invest in these counties.

  • Anoka
  • Carver
  • Dakota
  • Hennepin
  • Ramsey
  • Scott
  • Washington
  • Charlotte
  • Collier
  • Glades
  • Hendry
  • Lee

We partner with efficient and results-oriented organizations. Organization proposals should be focused on measurable results in one of three areas.

LOI

  • Leaders that make a difference,
  • Successful,
  • Sustainable, and
  • Do work with long-lasting impact in our focus areas.
  • We review submitted LOIs weekly.
  • You’ll know your next steps within 21 days of LOI submission.

Apply

  • Open and close dates for LOIs and applications are published here.
  • Don’t miss a cycle! Bookmark our home page and visit it often.
  • Dates are not flexible due to the volume of requests received.
  • If you miss a cycle, you are eligible to submit in the next cycle.
  • Review our Resources for Organization Grant Writers to:
    • preview our application or download practice forms,
    • learn about writing S.M.A.R.T. objectives,
    • learn about challenge and matching grants,
    • update your contact information (for returning grantees), and
    • understand category descriptions.
  • To save you time, your submitted LOI will auto-fill some data to your application.
  • When you’re ready to apply, head to our online portal.

Our review process takes about six months. Here’s what happens.

  1. We review submitted applications.
  2. Program officers schedule and conduct site visits.
  3. Program officers make funding recommendations to the board.
  4. The board makes funding decisions during that cycle’s board meeting.
  5. Program officers contact grantees about the board’s decision.
  1. Awarded grantees receive an email with directions to accept the award.
  2. Award checks mail within six-eight weeks of acceptance.
  3. Six-month check-ins provide a progress update on your work.
    • Could be a chance to meet with your program officer again.
    • Good time to review and revise your original objectives, if needed.
  4. A final report is due at the end of grant year.
    • This report is a final update on the work you said you would do.
    • Timely final reports keep you in good standing.