Info for Grantseekers

Foundations often have their own giving priorities, e.g., they may only fund initiatives in the state of Washington or provide funding in their specific town. Foundations typically fund specific research or projects that align with their mission and priorities. When looking into a funding opportunity, conduct research on the foundation and make sure that your project aligns with their priorities.  

The Foundation Relations team can help with this research. Please email us to learn if there is an existing relationship between WSU and the foundation. 

Most foundations have a multi-step process:

1. The Foundation will issue an RFP (Request for Proposals): This document outlines the research or projects they want to fund, expected giving range, deadlines, and information on how to apply.
2. Letter of Inquiry (LOI): The LOI should be concise, professional, and clearly articulate your research/project’s needs and how they align with the foundation’s mission.
3. Writing the Full Proposal: After you receive an invitation to submit a proposal, you will move to the full proposal stage. Full proposal requirements, instructions, and templates often differ between foundations, and they may require detailed reports, letters of support, financial documents, and other additional documents. These supporting documents can be found within this packet.

OFR helps with all requests from WSU faculty. Proposals exceeding the $50,000 threshold will receive additional attention and coordination from our office. However, we encourage faculty working on both smaller and larger proposals to contact us for assistance. 

Most successful approaches to foundations typically span many months from start to finish before an award is granted. Additionally, after a successful proposal submission, many foundations require mid-point and/or final reports.

Find the most commonly required documents here. If the necessary information is not in this packet, please reach out to our general inbox and let us know what information the foundation requires.

A grant often has reporting and compliance requirements. The requirements may include intellectual property, line-item budget, specific project period, strict reporting requirements, project metrics, or a clause stating that unused funds may need to be returned to the foundation. 

Gifts often come with “no strings attached” and have specific intention by the donor to be a charitable gift.  

ORSO manages federally funded research proposals, along with grant awards, and related agreements. All research or scholarly project grant proposals with external funding must be processed through ORSO for all WSU campuses. OFR and ORSO partner closely on private grant awards. If you are interested in applying to a private foundation for a grant award, please notify OFR so that we can work with you on outlining the best path forward. To begin working with ORSO, visit their ‘Submit a proposal’ checklist.  

OFR is part of the WSU Foundation. We strategically coordinate partnerships with private grant-making foundations whose funding initiatives align with the University’s strengths in research, education, and outreach.  

OFR helps with all requests from WSU faculty. Proposals exceeding the $50,000 threshold will receive more attention and coordination from our office. However, we encourage faculty working on both smaller and larger proposals to contact us for assistance. 

Services we provide: 

• Identification, coordination, and research of potential foundation partners   
• RFP process guidance and support  
• Preparation for discussions and/or setting up meetings with prospective foundation funders  
• Proposal review 
• Planning and staffing support for on and off-campus site visits  
• Gift and grant stewardship and reporting support   

If a foundation requires a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to award the funds, then the proposal must be submitted by WSUF, on behalf of WSU, to meet this eligibility criteria. If the grant proposal names WSUF as the submitting organization, the PI must work with Foundation or Corporate Relations and the PI’s grant administrator to submit the proposal through ORSO for WSU approval, with WSUF noted as the sponsor on the eREX form.

ORSO provides policies, guidelines, and tools for budget development. Find the budget workbook template here. We also encourage you to reach out to the grants administrators for your college/unit to request their assistance with budget development. If the prospective foundation requires WSU to provide matching funds, please notify your Research Deans to secure approval prior to submission of any LOI or proposal.  Please note that all research or scholarly project proposals with external funding must be processed through ORSO. 

Normal F&A Cost rates will generally be applied on all proposals unless the funding agency prohibits F&A costs or limits F&A to a specific rate. F&A rates change annually; ORSO is the best resource to consult for questions related to budget or F&A costs. 

A 5% advancement fee is applied to gifts processed by the WSU Foundation to help offset direct operating costs related to soliciting, processing and stewarding private contributions, and to provide the resources necessary to encourage greater philanthropic support for WSU. This fee will not apply for a private foundation that has a written policy stating it will not pay gift fees. 

We recommend this guide by Candid. This free self-paced learning takes roughly an hour and goes over information like basic elements of a proposal, the “do’s” and “don’ts” of writing and submitting a proposal, and how to follow up with the foundation after submission. 

Generally, grants and contracts are awarded to the WSU Foundation or directly to the University and not to individual investigators, departments, colleges, campuses, or other administrative units. The funds will be deposited into a specific account established for this project. Project lead will draw from this account when they begin the proposed project. 

The accounting process will be handled through the Office of Foundation Relations if the grant is submitted under the WSU Foundation name. If you successfully applied and were awarded a grant, please let us know by emailing our general inbox. 

All requests for proposals that have indicated a limited number of applicants per institution must go through the Office of Foundation Relations prior to applying. WSU Foundation will initiate an internal screening process to determine which application(s) will be approved for submission to the sponsor. 

Please contact the Office of Foundation Relations if you are interested in applying to opportunities from any of the foundations listed here.  

The Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships (ORAP) supports WSU faculty applying to federal opportunities, as these RFPs may have different requirements compared to a traditional foundation grant. Please work with ORAP for assistance in finding or applying to federal grants.

Tamara LaFrance: tamara.lafrance@wsu.edu 

• College of Nursing 
• College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 
• Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine 
• WSU Spokane 

Donny Cozzi: donny.cozzi@wsu.edu 

• College of Veterinary Medicine
• College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences  
• Carson College of Business 
• WSU Tri-Cities 
• WSU Everett
• Graduate School
• Student Affairs
• Athletics
• Scholarships

Kristin Liszkowski: kristin.liszkowski@wsu.edu 

• College of Education 
• College of Arts and Sciences 
• David G. Pollart Center of Art and Humanities 
• WSU Global Campus 
• Honors College 
• Edward R. Murrow College of Communication 
• Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art 
• Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture 
• WSU Libraries 
• WSU Vancouver 

If you aren’t sure who to direct your question to, please reach out to our general inbox.