FAQs
Question: What types of grants do you make?
Answer: We invest in projects and initiatives that help children, young people, and communities thrive. For specifics and background information about our grantmaking priorities, please review: Grantseeker Support.
Question: What communities do you serve?
Answer: We make grant investments in the communities where our founder, Mr. Chester E. Dekko, had an interest. For more information please review: Where We Invest.
Question: When are your application deadlines??
Answer: We do not have grant application deadlines. However, we help grant seekers with their timing by asking that they send their application at least 90 days before they would like to have a decision from our board of directors. Our board considers grant proposals six times each year in January, March, May, July, September and November. For more information, please visit Grant Application Deadlines.
Question: How soon after I apply can I expect a response?
Answer: We expect that all of our grantseekers will use our online application. As soon as you send in your application you should receive an email response. If you have questions about whether we’ve received your application (or any other communications) you are welcome to call our grants manager at 260-347-1278 or send us an email. After that, it will take about 90 days for our staff and board of directors to research and consider your grant proposal and give you an answer to your proposal.
Question: Do you have an online application?
Answer: Yes, and it can be found here.
Question: Can I partially complete an application and then come back later to finish it?
Answer: Absolutely! PLEASE NOTE: This is the only way to save your grant application. After you’ve created an account, you will receive an email confirming your password and containing a new link to access your saved application.
Question: May I change or delete an application after I send it in?
Answer: While it is not possible for you to change or delete an application electronically, you can certainly talk with our staff to address any problems or changes with your application. Please feel free to call our grants manager at 260-347-1278.
Question: What if my project fits into more than one of your grantmaking areas of interest?
Answer: If you think your project fits into more than one of our grantmaking areas of interest, just select the one that you think is the best fit. When we review your request we will determine if we need more or different information than you provided.
Question: Can we upload documents or attachments to include with our application?
Answer: Absolutely. Before you complete your grant application you will have an opportunity to upload your project budget as well as financial information about your organization. We can accept documents in any of the following formats: Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) Microsoft Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Rich Test files (rtf) or graphic files (TIF, GIF, or JPG).
Question: I filled out the online application, saved it, and when I tried to return to finish and send it in, the application was blank. Have I lost all of my information?
Answer: Probably not! You might have accidentally opened a new grant application. Try clicking here to access your online account.
Within your online account you will find:
- Any applications that you are working on but have not yet sent to us.
- Your application history.
- The opportunity to view and send required reports for previously awarded grants.
Question: I forgot to include attachments before I sent in my application. Can I still send them?
Answer: Please email your attachments to our grants manager. Please put your organization’s name and the words “Application Attachments” in the subject line.
Question: Some of the information I’d like to include is not in an electronic format. What can I do?
Answer: Through our application, we ask for most of the information needed to consider your grant request. You will have an opportunity to share other information during a visit with our program officer.
Question: What if I have applied but didn’t hear back from you?
Answer: When you complete your grant proposal, you should receive an immediate email response letting you know that we’ve received your proposal. If you don’t get this email, please call our grants manager at 260-347-1278 or send us an email.
Question: Do you make multiyear grants?
Answer: We do consider multiyear grant investments. We think that multiyear arrangements use everyone’s time and resources wisely. Typically, we make multiyear investments in organizations and projects that are mature and impactful. Our opportunity to offer multiyear investments is always subject to our financial ability to make such a commitment.
Question: We are not a nonprofit organization. Can we still apply?
Answer: Organizations that apply to our foundation must either be a nonprofit organization or must have secured a fiscal sponsor relationship with a nonprofit organization. The fiscal sponsor must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and must have a formalized working relationship with the applying organization. Please note that in these cases grants are paid to the fiscal sponsor, and the fiscal sponsor is responsible for the proper expenditure of funds and all reporting requirements.
Question: Is the information we’ve submitted private?
Answer: Absolutely. We never share information about organizations or their grant applications with anyone outside of our staff, Grant Review Committee, and board of directors.
Question: I still have a few questions. May I contact someone directly?
Answer: For any remaining questions, please feel free to call us at 260-347-1278 and ask to speak to a program officer, or email dekko@dekkofoundation.org.