|
Information Sources
In selecting organizations and projects to support, the Parker Foundation is guided by:
-
Biblical principles and standards;
-
The input of indigenous leaders and mission workers in the field;
-
Relevant research by leading scholars; A grant application process, including due diligence conducted by staff, personal interviews, input by advisors and deliberation by the Board;and,
-
Prayer.
Dates And Amounts Of Our Grant Cycle
The Parker Foundation makes rounds of grants at various times throughout the year, not following any set pattern. Similarly, the amount of grant funds given varies from round to round, and from year to year.
When To Submit A Proposal
Because the Foundation does not observe set grant dates, we accept proposals throughout the year. We require substantial lead time to understand organizations and projects that are new to us. We have a strong preference, therefore, for much prior contact and discussion with applicants about the timing and substance of proposals.
Keeping Us Informed
The Parker Foundation wishes for grantees to project results that will be produced by the proposed activities. We wish for applicants to provide, when possible, a high degree of specificity about projected outcomes. The Foundation will, then, hold grantees accountable for the outcomes they projected. By doing this, we seek to help grantees implement best practices in pursuit of constant program improvement. Of course, we always recall that our role is to be faithful to opportunities given to us, while recognizing that God alone gives success. (Proverbs 19:21)
Features Of Strong Projects
Among the many worthy and needy proposals it considers, the Parker Foundation has demonstrated a preference for projects with many or all of the following features:
- Complementary – the project complements and strengthens existing indigenous institutions and people, including local churches, para-church organizations, and workers in the field.
- Contextual - methods employed are culturally sensitive to the people being served.
- Leveraged – the project mobilizes resources (volunteers, money, supplies) beyond those of your specific organization or project.
- Scalable - the proposed model is designed to be effective, even as it grows dramatically.
- Replicable - the model is not dependent on certain conditions or people but can be replicated for outstanding results in other places and times.
- Planned – the project is thoroughly conceived and planned.
- Original – the project employs creative solutions to the problems being addressed.
- Viable – the project does not rely on any one funding source, including the Parker Foundation, for its survival.
What We Don't Fund
The Parker Foundation generally does not make grants to:
- Individuals
- Denominational concerns within the United States;
- Organizations targeting domestic localities, other than Richmond or central Virginia;
- Organizations of which the staff or Board of the Parker Foundation have no previous personal knowledge;
- Organizations expecting us to be sustaining donors
|
