Types of Grants

The Foundation awards two types of grants -- Single Year Grants, which as the name implies are for a single fiscal year; and Trilogy Grants which award the grantee a grant of $7500 per year for three consecutive years. Only organizations that have recieved at least two major grant awards ($2000 or more, per grant) from the Foundation are eligible to apply for a Trilogy Grant. Only three Trilogy Grants will be awarded each year. An organization that is awarded a Trilogy Grant will be expected to provide yearly feedback and will be required to take one year off at the conclusion of the grant. Unsuccessful applicants for the Trilogy Grant will be automatically considered for a Single Year Grant.

Grant Application Process

Generally, the Foundation has one grant cycle per fiscal year for Single Year Grants and Trilogy Grants. Grants are awarded March 31st each year. Applications must be postmarked by December 1st of the previous year to be considered for the grant cycle. During the 2009-2010, fiscal year, however, the foundation will only be accepting applications for the Trilogy Grants.
For example, the key dates for the current Trilogy-Only grant cycle are as follows:

• Complete applications postmarked by December 1, 2009
• Site Visits during January to March 2010
• Grants awarded mid-March 2010.

The dates for the next full (all grant types accepted) grant cycle are:

• Complete applications postmarked by December 1, 2010
• Site Visits during January to March 2011
• Grants awarded mid-March 2011.

How to Apply

Trilogy Grants: Organizations interested in applying should contact the Foundation to discuss and request the Trilogy Grant Application.

Single Year Grants:

Letter of Inquiry:

Single Year Grant seekers new to the Foundation are strongly encouraged to begin the process by a letter of inquiry.  The letter (1-2 pages) should briefly describe the grant applicant and the project.   It should contain enough information for the Foundation to determine whether or not the application falls within its program interest areas.  Some key points are: 

• Brief history and goals of your organization.
• Brief description of the project for which you are requesting support including objectives and expected outcomes.
• The approximate schedule for the proposed project.
• The total amount of funding needed, the amount requested from the Foundation, and information about other sources of support both assured and requested.

Letters of inquiry should receive a response within two - three weeks of our receiving them in the Foundation Office (this time may be longer during the summer months).  The Foundation will 1) decline those requests that do not fit within our interest areas; 2) contact you for more information if the fit is unclear; or 3) contact you to encourage you to complete the entire application process.  Please be aware that due to our limited resources, our encouragement to send an application should not be taken as an indication of the final success of your request.   We are unfortunately not able to provide grants to all of the worthy applications we receive. 

Single Year Application

The Foundation application is based on, but is not identical to, the National Network of Grantmakers Common Grant Application.  For those organizations familiar with this common application, please note change/additions/deletions to several questions in the Narrative section. 

The Foundation will also accept applications in the AGM Common Proposal Format. If you are using the AGM format please note that you must also answer question 5A or 5B from the Ramsey-McCluskey Foundation Application and answer all of the questions in the EVALUATION section (more questions than required of the AGM format.

Please send one copy of your main application and 1 copy of attachments (double-sided pages are strongly encouraged) to: 

Margaret Ramsey
Managing Trustee
The Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation
P.O. Box 275
Lincoln, Massachusetts 01773

Download The Guidelines

Download The Single Year Application