Grant Application Information

The TBM Foundation currently awards grants in the areas of education, healthcare and human services. Our objective is to support organizations that show a commitment to innovation and big ideas. As a general rule, the TBM Foundation does not support events.

Please contact Lisa Roy for initial conversation regarding funding.

Application Process

Innovation Planning and Implementation Grants

The Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation is inviting applications for planning and implementation grants, which are designed to encourage innovations in education, health or human services. By awarding grants to projects that lead to systems change in the planning or implementation stages, TBM Foundation aims to encourage the development of innovations that promise to benefit under-served, under-represented, low-income individuals and families living in metro-Denver in the areas of education, health or human services.

Two levels of awards are available:

Level I awards (Planning Grants) are small grants (ranging from $5,000 to $50,000) designed to fund brainstorming sessions and initial planning. Level I proposals should identify a problem or research question, explore a research agenda or discover appropriate methodologies. Outcomes for Level I projects would likely include reports, position papers and plans for subsequent steps and future development. Proposals should include specific plans for expansion.

Level II awards (Implementation Grants) are larger grants (ranging from $50,000 to $150,000) that can be used for more fully formed projects that are ready to be implemented or to demonstrate proofs of concept. Level II proposals should therefore include a more articulated plan of work leading to concrete and tangible outcomes, such as demonstration projects and expansion.

Level I Planning Grants

Support for crafting creative solutions in addressing issues related to:

Student achievement in high school
Student success in higher education
Healthcare pipeline
Family self-sufficiency

Proposals for Level I awards should be for the planning or initial stages of a program or project that assures the improvement of education opportunities or increased access and options in health or human services. These projects may involve research, new approaches or best practices including interdisciplinary collaborations involving several fields or disciplines. Applicants must propose an innovative approach, method, tool or idea that the applicant has not used before. Level I grants should result in strategic work plans and proofs of concept for long-term projects prior to implementation.

Grants will support full- or part-time activities for a period of up to one year. This support is available for various combinations of consultants, technical support and services.

Potential projects must be strategic and guide the development of new capacity to support innovation in education or health or human services within the organization. The project must position the organization and/or partnership for greater impact and must involve an evaluation/measurement component.

The planning grant must include a sustainability strategy, in which relevant funding sources to sustain the work are identified and steps are taken to access these resources. There should be a clear strategy for securing the core funding for the organization(s) and for securing the necessary gaps in funding for the potential project(s).

For Planning Grants, please complete the following questions:

What is the purpose of the proposed project? Describe the need that will be addressed and the objectives to be achieved? (Describe your target audience, those most impacted by your project.)
Why is the project important to your organization and/or your partners?
What will the project or proposal accomplish by the end of the time period specified?
Describe what your organization and/or partners plan to do in the planning project, including desired outcomes. (Discuss partnerships and collaborations and how each impacts the desired outcomes. Discuss plans for expansion.)
Why has your organization decided to undertake this planning project at this time?
Please describe the types of information, both internal and external, that will inform your planning process. (Include types of data.)
Who will provide leadership for the project and why is this individual best suited for this leadership role?
For requests that include a consultant or other external service provider, please answer the following:
1. How will you or did you select this individual/organization?
2. What capacity (knowledge and skills) will the organization and/or partners acquire as a result of their work?
Provide a detailed income and expense budget, including any costs of evaluation of the project.
Include your strategy for sustainability. Indicate sources of income that are pending or secured for implementing this project.

Level II Implementation Grants

Support for organizations as they implement their proposed creative solutions in response to information and data collected during a Planning Phase.

TBM Foundation has an online application for Implementation Grants. After checking in with the Executive Director, please use the following URL to apply – Application link (for applicants to begin a new application only)

When an applicant/grantee creates an account online for the first time, a system generated email that contains the My Account link will be sent to the applicant/grantee. That Account link should be referred to when retrieving saved applications. Applicants/grantees can access their account as well as draft applications): https://www.grantrequest.com/SID_1365?SA=AM

Guidelines

An organization requesting Planning Grant funds will complete the questions listed above and email the completed document to lisa@tbmfoundation.org (Deadlines to be determined).
An organization requesting Implementation Grant funds must complete the online grant application with all required documentation (Deadlines to be determined).
All new organizations will be required to have an initial site visit completed before further review of a request. Subsequent site visits will be done on repeat organizations as deemed necessary.
Requests are reviewed by the Executive Director and then forwarded to the Board for final approval or denial.
Multiple grant requests in a calendar year are not allowed. Only one approval per organization per year.
Grants that combine planning with implementation will not be considered.
Organizations will be notified in writing of the approval of the grant and will be required to sign an agreement and return it to TBM Foundation before a check is sent.
Interim reports are due within six months of receiving a grant unless the term of the grant is less than a year.
All organizations must complete a Final Report by the end of the grant period. Reports must contain a financial accounting of funds along with the results of proposed outcomes.
Subsequent grant applications will not be reviewed without an up-to-date final report on file.

Starting January 2013, TBM Foundation will implement application deadlines by grant type (Planning and Implementation).

Application Contact

Lisa Roy, Executive Director
lisa@tbmfoundation.org