How to Apply
All organizations interested in applying should please
1. Review our Eligibility Requirements before submitting an application. Always feel free to contact the Trust at (610) 293-2225, or email oe@hfctrust.org, with any questions about funding priorities or procedures before you apply.
2. Note our Letter of Intent (LOI) and application deadlines. All deadlines are firm. Proposals submitted after their respective deadlines will automatically be considered in the next quarter.
3. Review our Applicant Resources to download required forms and find helpful documents for your proposal.
4. Submit an application. We only process applications submitted via our online portal. Please be sure to save your online application draft intermittently as you work through it. Once we receive your application, program staff will contact you if we require additional information or a site visit. The review process will be expedited if your application is complete and data is current and accurate.
We Are Here To Help
The Trust wishes to support potential grantees in the application process. Please call our office at (610) 293-2225 or email oe@hfctrust.org with additional questions about any phase of the application process or login procedure.
Eligibility Requirements
Please select one of the tabs above to learn more about how we fund these programs.
Who Is Eligible for our Funding
Please carefully review the following criteria for HFCT eligibility in Philadelphia, PA before you submit an application.
1. Financial Documents
- 501(c)(3) status: first-time applications must provide documentation verifying tax-exempt status. For organizations that are part of a larger group, such as a religious affiliate, the ruling organization’s 501(c)(3) will suffice.
- Project Budget
- Organization Overall Operating Budget
- Audited Financial Statements: Organizations with revenue over $100,000 but less than $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative internally prepared, reviewed, or audited financial statements. Organizations with revenue over $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative financial statements audited by a CPA.
- IRS Form 990: Applicants must submit the organization’s IRS Form 990. IRS Form 990 should not be older than 10.5 months after your most recent fiscal year-end.
2. Geographical Focus
- Programs supporting children and youth in Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, and Camden Counties
3. Population(s) Served
- Children and youth in grades K-12 in under-resourced educational environments and communities — more than 70 percent of all participants in the organization should be eligible for free or reduced-rate lunches in schools.
4. Program Focus
- Data-driven literacy-based programs focused on developing robust reading and writing skills with a strong history of success. These can be programs that:
- Take place during school hours, after school, or during the summer.
- Take place across school systems, but the funding can support only nonsectarian programming including within a religious institution.
- Grades K-8 programs should devote at least 70 percent of their time directly to instruction and activities in reading and writing.
- Grades 9-12 programs should provide innovative approaches to students in under-resourced areas for success in higher education, from the college admission process and acceptance through to completion.
- Youth workforce development programs that focus on quality career exploration and preparation initiatives.
- College programs are not funded.
Outside Our Mission
The Trust does not provide funding for:
- Individuals
- Capital Projects
- Human Services
- Programs focusing on/serving: school assembly, religious education, or college or university students
- Endowment funds
- Other foundations or family trusts
- Entry fees for museums or other cultural institutions
- Projects with unpaid teaching artists
- Political candidates, parties, or PACs
- Debt-reduction programs
- Pilot programs
Notes For Applicants
Please carefully review the following criteria for HFCT eligibility before you submit an application.
Size of awards
- First-time grants vary in range up to $25,000.
Things To Consider
- First-time grants: generally designated for program support. The Trust rarely funds new staff positions for initial grants.
- Continuing partners: generally made for either programmatic or operational support.
- Multi-year grants: requests are typically reserved for grantees with five (5) years or more of consecutive funding from the Trust. Multi-year grants require approval prior to application submission. Approval is generally communicated in response to the LOI.
Frequency
- An organization may only apply to the Trust once per year.
- Consecutive applications: The Trust may request that an organization which has received funding for three continuous years (or more) delays any further applications for support for a year (or more), to expand opportunities for other potential grantees.
- Reporting: The Trust requires that (within a year of receiving the grant) each grantee provides an evaluation report and financial report on how funds were spent. The Trust is unable to process any subsequent grant proposals or renewal requests until the grantee has provided an interim report through our Grant System.
Who Is Eligible for our Funding
Please carefully review the following criteria for HFCT eligibility in Palm Beach County, Florida before you submit an application.
1. Tax-Exempt Status and Financial Documents
- 501(c)(3) status: first-time applications must provide documentation verifying tax-exempt status. For organizations that are part of a larger group, such as a religious affiliate, the ruling organization’s 501(c)(3) will suffice.
- Project Budget
- Organization Overall Operating Budget
- Audited Financial Statements: Organizations with revenue over $100,000 but less than $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative internally prepared, reviewed, or audited financial statements. Organizations with revenue over $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative financial statements audited by a CPA.
- IRS Form 990: Applicants must submit the organization’s IRS Form 990. IRS Form 990 should not be older than 10.5 months after your most recent fiscal year-end.
2. Geographical Focus
- Programs supporting children and youth in Palm Beach County, FL.
3. Population(s) Served
- Children and youth in grades K-12 in under-resourced educational environments and communities — more than 70 percent of all participants in the organization should be eligible for free or reduced-rate lunches in schools.
4. Program Focus
- Data-driven literacy-based programs focused on developing robust reading and writing skills with a strong history of success. These can be programs that:
- Take place during school hours, after school, or during the summer.
- Take place across school systems, but the funding can support only nonsectarian programming including within a religious institution.
- Grades K-8 programs should devote at least 70 percent of their time directly to instruction and activities in reading and writing.
- Grades 9-12 programs should provide innovative approaches to students in under-resourced areas for success in higher education, from the college admission process and acceptance through to completion.
- Youth workforce development programs that focus on quality career exploration and preparation initiatives.
- College programs are not funded.
Outside Our Mission
The Trust does not provide funding for:
- Individuals
- Capital Projects
- Human Services
- Programs focusing on/serving: school assembly, religious education, or college or university students
- Endowment funds
- Other foundations or family trusts
- Entry fees for museums or other cultural institutions
- Projects with unpaid teaching artists
- Political candidates, parties, or PACs
- Debt-reduction programs
- Pilot programs
Notes For Applicants
Please carefully review the following criteria for HFCT eligibility before you submit an application.
Size of awards
- First-time grants vary in range up to $25,000.
Things To Consider
- First-time grants: generally designated for program support. The Trust rarely funds new staff positions for initial grants.
- Continuing partners: generally made for either programmatic or operational support.
- Multi-year grants: requests are typically reserved for grantees with five (5) years or more of consecutive funding from the Trust. Multi-year grants require approval prior to application submission. Approval is generally communicated in response to the LOI.
Frequency
- An organization may only apply to the Trust once per year.
- Consecutive applications: The Trust may request that an organization which has received funding for three continuous years (or more) delays any further applications for support for a year (or more), to expand opportunities for other potential grantees.
- Reporting: The Trust requires that (within a year of receiving the grant) each grantee provides an evaluation report and financial report on how funds were spent. The Trust is unable to process any subsequent grant proposals or renewal requests until the grantee has provided an interim report through our Grant System.
Who Is Eligible for our Funding
Please carefully review the following criteria for HFCT eligibility in Aquidneck Island, RI before you submit an application.
1. Tax-Exempt Status and Financial Documents
- 501(c)(3) status: first-time applications must provide documentation verifying tax-exempt status. For organizations that are part of a larger group, such as a religious affiliate, the ruling organization’s 501(c)(3) will suffice.
- Project Budget
- Organization Overall Operating Budget
- Audited Financial Statements: Organizations with revenue over $100,000 but less than $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative internally prepared, reviewed, or audited financial statements. Organizations with revenue over $750,000 must submit their most recent two-year comparative financial statements audited by a CPA.
- IRS Form 990: Applicants must submit the organization’s IRS Form 990. IRS Form 990 should not be older than 10.5 months after your most recent fiscal year-end.
2. Geographical Focus
- Programs supporting children and youth in Aquidneck Island.
3. Population(s) Served
- Children and youth in grades K-12 in under-resourced educational environments and communities — more than 70 percent of all participants in the organization should be eligible for free or reduced-rate lunches in schools.
4. Program Focus
- Data-driven literacy-based programs focused on developing robust reading and writing skills with a strong history of success. These can be programs that:
- Take place during school hours, after school, or during the summer.
- Take place across school systems, but the funding can support only nonsectarian programming including within a religious institution.
- Grades K-8 programs should devote at least 70 percent of their time directly to instruction and activities in reading and writing.
- Grades 9-12 programs should provide innovative approaches to students in under-resourced areas for success in higher education, from the college admission process and acceptance through to completion.
- Youth workforce development programs that focus on quality career exploration and preparation initiatives.
- Recreational programs with a strong academic component.
- College programs are not funded.
Outside Our Mission
The Trust does not provide funding for:
- Individuals
- Capital Projects
- Human Services
- Programs focusing on/serving: school assembly, religious education, or college or university students
- Endowment funds
- Other foundations or family trusts
- Entry fees for museums or other cultural institutions
- Projects with unpaid teaching artists
- Political candidates, parties, or PACs
- Debt-reduction programs
- Pilot programs
Notes For Applicants
Please carefully review the following criteria for eligibility before you submit an application to the Trust.
Size of awards
- First-time grants vary in range up to $25,000.
Things To Consider
- First-time grants: generally designated for program support. The Trust rarely funds new staff positions for initial grants.
- Continuing partners: generally made for either programmatic or operational support.
- Multi-year grants: requests are typically reserved for grantees with five (5) years or more of consecutive funding from the Trust. Multi-year grants require approval prior to application submission. Approval is generally communicated in response to the LOI.
Frequency
- An organization may only apply to the Trust once per year.
- Consecutive applications: The Trust may request that an organization which has received funding for three continuous years (or more) delays any further applications for support for a year (or more), to expand opportunities for other potential grantees.
- Reporting: The Trust requires that (within a year of receiving the grant) each grantee provides an evaluation report and financial report on how funds were spent. The Trust is unable to process any subsequent grant proposals or renewal requests until the grantee has provided an interim report through our Grant System.
Application Deadlines
In 2025, the Trust will begin the process of shifting its grantmaking from four times per year to three times per year. This transition will occur over the 2025 calendar year when the Trust has only two grant cycles. By 2026, the Trust will have completed its process and will fully implement the plan to approve grants three times per year. Please continue to monitor our website for 2026 timeline updates.
| Grant Cycle 1: 2025 | Grant Cycle 2: 2025 | Grant Cycle 3: 2025 | Grant Cycle 1: 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter of Intent Submission Timeframe | We will not accept any new C1 2025 LOIs due to the shortened timeline. | December 2, 2024 to January 3, 2025 | April 7, 2025 to May 9, 2025 | July 1, 2025 to August 15, 2025 |
| Application Deadline | No application deadline (only accepting eligible C1-2024 extensions). | March 5, 2025 | July 1, 2025 | October 15, 2025 |
| Board Meeting Schedule | February 12, 2025 | June 11, 2025 | September 17, 2025 | February 18, 2026 |
| Required Grantee Orientation Dates | Q&A as needed | June 18 & 19, 2025 | September 24 & 25, 2025 | February 25 & 26, 2026 |
The Trust generally notifies each applicant within five (5) business days of each board meeting.
Applicant Resources
Use the links below to download required forms and find helpful information.
Applicant FAQs (currently unavailable)
HFCT Proposed Program Budget Template
HFCT Prior Program Budgets Template
Submit an Application
Ready to apply? Please log in to our Grant System.
Note for first-time users: When you begin the application, the system will ask you to create an account with an email and password. This will be the username and password for all future applications and support documentation.