Educationally Related
Worcester Nonprofit Organizations
Application Guidelines
 
General Eligibility
The Trustees are guided by George Alden’s interest in doing good for his community of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his interest in education. Consistent with past practices, the Trustees seek to provide capital project grant support for important and timely efforts in the Worcester community and the major educationally related nonprofit organizations that are undertaking them. Some of these grants may be one-time special situations. In all cases, Trustees look for, and take into account, the educational components of the project and of the requesting organization itself.
              
An organization, if not previously funded, must contact the Trust before submitting a proposal. The Trust does not accept proposals from start-up organizations, public schools, or charter schools.

Grant Focus
The Trustees focus their grantmaking on capital needs. They primarily make outright grants, but occasionally will issue challenge grants with the goal of helping an organization generate increased and broader philanthropic support from its constituencies.

Intervals between Applications
Current policy is not to consider grant requests more frequently than three years from the date of the last grant award or one year from the date of the last payment, whichever is later. An eligible organization whose proposal has been rejected may normally apply again after one year.

Schedule of Distribution Meetings  
The Trustees consider proposals at four distribution meetings a year. One complete, hard copy proposal for the March, June, September, or December meetings must be received by the fifteenth of the month prior to the next quarterly meeting (e.g., February 15 for the March meeting). Note: The Trust does not accept electronic proposals.

Proposal Requirements
Please assure that:
  • Proposal narrative and project budget appear in no less than 10-point type; preferably 12-point
  • Each page of the narrative, including project budget, is numbered
  • Table chart format is used for attachments and includes three years of data
  • If you are close to a new fiscal year, include that coming year’s budget as well as the two prior years
Please include:
  1.  A summarizing cover letter, which includes the requested amount, signed by the CEO/ED of the organization. It is expected that the project for which funding is requested is among the organization’s highest priorities.
  2. The name, telephone number, and email address of a contact person
  3. The proposal, in brief narrative form, should help the Trustees understand the purposes to be achieved through the grant, the reasons why the proposing institution is capable of achieving those purposes, and specific information about the educational components of the project. In addition, the Trustees want to know how the grant will positively impact the Worcester community and help the institution to fulfill its mission.
  4. A project revenue and expense budget and implementation timetable
  5. Fundraising goals, success-to-date for the project, and specific plans for raising the remaining funds needed
  6. The institution's mission statement
  7. Summary of the organization’s strategic plan with progress achieved to date, and its key strategic priorities (up to three) going forward
  8. If the project is part of a capital campaign, information about the volunteer leadership
                                   
Required institutional information
 Three-Year Trends in Table Form                                          
  • Members/clients with demographic information to the extent available
  • Program participants with demographic information to the extent available
  • The total amounts raised in annual (unrestricted) and capital fundraising efforts
  • Board percentage participation rate to capital and/or annual (unrestricted) fundraising each year (expected to be 100%)
  • Member percentage participation to capital and/or annual fundraising each year
  • Endowment amount, investment return, and annual draw policies and practices
  • George I. Alden Endowment (if any), amount, investment return, and annual draw policies and practies 
                                  
Attachments                                             
  • Summaries of the two most recent fiscal year operating budgets and the next fiscal year board-approved operating budget, if available (with explanation, if in deficit)  
  • Copies of the audited financial statements from the two most recently completed fiscal years or the financial statements required by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office
  • List of current trustees with affiliations
  • Evidence of appropriate tax-exempt status
  • Optional: Such other information that the applicant believes may give the Trustees a better understanding of the organization, its distinctive mission, and its specific proposal (Up to three items)

                

Applicants should consult the Trust’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and are welcome to contact the Trust by telephone, email, or make a visit prior to submitting an application. Grant reporting requirements may be found in the FAQ section.

A first-time applicant must contact the Trust prior to making an application. It is often helpful to explore in advance the nature of the project, the need or opportunity that drives it, and the size of an intended request. The Trustees have found that such discussion generally results in the submission of a more effective proposal or forestalls a formal proposal for which there is little or no likelihood of success.


A single copy of the application and attachments is sufficient and should be submitted by mail to:

George I. Alden Trust
100 Front Street, 5th Floor
Worcester, Massachusetts 01608

Phone: (508) 459-8005   |   Fax : (508) 459-8305   |   Email: trustees@aldentrust.org
Photograph courtesy of Greater Worcester Community Foundation