Eligibility Requirements

Eligible applicants include Tribal governments, Native 7871 organizations, Native-led 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and Native-led community organizations with fiscal sponsorship that serve the residents of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

*Potlatch Fund defines “Native”, “Native American”, “Alaskan Native” and “Native Hawaiian” as follows:

  1. Any federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, Nation, Alaska Native Village, or organized group or community or Indian group that has been formally recognized as a Indian Tribe by the State legislature, a State commission, or another similar organization vested with the State legislative Tribal Recognition Authority; or
  2. Any Indian group currently seeking State or Federal recognition.
  3. Be a member of a federally recognized or a state-recognized American Indian Tribe.

Potlatch Fund defines Native-led 501(c)(3) nonprofits and Native-led community organizations as follows:

  1. Any group or organization that demonstrates a board of directors and staff that are representative of the community to be served. Two-thirds (2/3) of the total board of directors and two-thirds (2/3) of the staff shall be Native American as defined above.

• Applicants that have previously received a Potlatch Fund grant, may only apply to this grant cycle if they have completed all past reporting obligations.

• Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be a federally recognized American Indian Tribal government agency; or
    Be a Native 7871 organization; or
    Be a 501(c)(3) Native-led nonprofit, in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service; or
    Be a Native-led organization that is fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in good standing, as determined by the Internal Revenue Service.
      Native-led organizations, that are fiscally sponsored by a nonnative 501(c)(3) nonprofit,
      will be reviewed case by case.
  2. Must serve Native peoples in Potlatch Fund’s four state region.
  3. Must be headquartered in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
  4. Must have a mission that is aligned with the mission of Potlatch Fund.
  5. May only receive funding for one Potlatch Fund grant per calendar year. Applications from different departments, within a Tribe, will be reviewed as separate organizations.

IMPORTANT: Going forward applicants that receive three years of consecutive funding must sit out one year. Count will start with 2018 grant awards.


Proposal Solicitation and Review Process

  • Potlatch Fund is issuing this request for proposal (RFP) through an open competitive process and will be solely responsible for making grant award decisions.
  • Applicants are expected to identify other funding sources as Potlatch Fund will not provide 100% support of the project costs.
Timeline
DatesActions
April 2, 2019Release of “Native Student Success” LOI / RFP
April 18, 2019Informational session for prospective applicants via teleconference
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time [RSVP]
May 1, 2019Informational session for prospective applicants via teleconference
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time [RSVP]
May 7, 2019Proposals due (or postmarked by) 4:59 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
Late applications will NOT be accepted for review or consideration.
July 3, 2019 Applicants notified of decisions and award checks issued
July 8, 2019Grant activities may commence
March 4, 2020Final report due

Proposal Submissions

  • If the applicant’s program is aligned with the identified goals and meets eligibility requirements, you are encouraged to submit a proposal (see below for additional details).
  • In order to ensure a competitive application please provide complete answers, in the narrative section of the request from proposal (RFP).

How to Submit your Proposal
    New Applicants

  1. Go to the online portal and set up account for your organization, which should take NO longer than ten minutes to complete.
  2. Complete a letter of inquiry (LOI), which should take NO longer than five minutes to complete. Click here to preview the LOI.
    It may take Potlatch Fund staff up to two business days to review your LOI.
  3. Complete a request for proposal (RFP). Click here to preview the RFP.

    Returning Applicants

  1. Log into the online portal using the eMail address and password associated with the organization’s account.
  2. Complete a letter of inquiry (LOI), which should take NO longer than five minutes to complete. Click here to preview the LOI.
    It may take Potlatch Fund staff up to two business days to review your LOI.
  3. Complete a request for proposal (RFP). Click here to preview the RFP.

    Paper Application

  1. A paper application will be made available upon request. Any application submitted via mail must be postmarked by 4:59 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) May 7, 2019, to be considered for review. Please eMail Potlatch Fund for additional details.

Support

  • If you have questions about the proposal submission process send, an email to grants@nullpotlatchfund.org or call 206.624.6076.
  • You may also wish to review our online reference materials: Journey to Successful FundraisingPotlatch Fund Grantmaking Manual.
  • If you have questions related to application content, we highly encourage your participation in the Information Sessions listed in the Proposal Solicitation and Review Process Timeline (above).