Guidelines

Grant Guidelines

WestWind Foundation application process

one

Determine eligibility.

The WestWind Foundation accepts proposals for funding from its Environment Program and its Reproductive Health and Rights Program. For a complete description of both programs and a list of recent grants, please see the appropriate sections of the website. Grants made in the Building Better Communities program are made at the sole discretion of the foundation’s trustees, and the foundation does not accept proposals for this program. If your organization is working in a program area that is of interest to WestWind, and you believe that your organization is a good fit with the WestWind Foundation, please submit a letter of inquiry. Not sure if your NGO is eligible for WestWind Funding? Contact the foundation to discuss.

Please note that in order to be eligible for WestWind funding, your organization must have 501(c)(3) status.

two

Submit a letter of inquiry to the WestWind Foundation.

* Please note: For the 2024 grant cycle, the foundation has suspended its letter of inquiry submission process. 

WestWind does not accept unsolicited proposals. If your organization has never received funding from the foundation, you must first submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) to WestWind. To submit a LOI, please follow the link at the bottom of this section. The LOI form will prompt you for the following information:

  • Purpose and history of organization;
  • Goals and objectives of program or project;
  • Current status of project, including date the project was established and the anticipated duration;
  • Description how the organization will use the funds to further its objectives;
  • Organization’s annual budget;
  • Copy of the organization’s IRS exemption letter.

WestWind will only accept letters of inquiry that have been submitted online through the foundation’s website. Please do not send hard copies or additional information about your organization through the mail to the foundation unless requested by foundation staff. Please note that the LOI process is the same for NGOs seeking funding from either the Environment Program or the Reproductive Health and Rights Program (RHRP).

Please check the grant deadline page for current letter of inquiry and invited proposal deadlines.

three

Submit a proposal to the WestWind Foundation.

If your organization has never received WestWind funding, you will be able to submit a full proposal to WestWind only after your letter of inquiry has been approved. Current WestWind grantees are automatically invited to submit a full proposal for the next grant cycle unless notified by the foundation.

Each grantee or potential grantee will receive a letter from WestWind with instructions explaining how to access the WestWind online application form. While NGOs are encouraged to submit proposals at any time throughout the year, the final deadline for organizations seeking funding from the Reproductive Health and Rights Program is typically in the spring; organizations that seek funding from WestWind’s Environment Program typically must submit applications to WestWind in the late summer.