Grant Guidelines

The Foundation's Board meets monthly. Organizations will be notified of approval within 60 days of recieving a completed proposal.
Applications are limited to one request in any twelve month period (from the date of acceptance or rejection), irrespective of whether the original request was approved or declined.
Recipients who have been awarded a grant with a multi-year payout may not submit another request until the multi-year grant has been fully satisfied

Foundation Mission

The Grace and Franklin Bernsen Foundation was created in 1968 to provide grants in support of charitable, educational, literary, religious, scientific purposes or, for the prevention of cruelty to children. By policy, the Foundation limits grants to non-profit organizations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the home of Grace and Franklin Bernsen for more than six decades.

Eligibility and Process

Submiting an abstract is the first step to being considered for a grant. The organization must have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

In both the abstract and the proposal, grant requests must demonstrate a need, a defined benefit, a population to be served, where the proposed services will be provided, how, and at what cost, as well as how said program will be evaluated. Capital, building, and program funding are eligible for support. Ongoing operational requests are occasionally considered.

Applicants must first complete and submit the Abstract Form. Those whose abstracts are deemed eligible will receive an invitation to submit a full proposal.

Please note: the Foundation discourages grant requests from individuals or for reduction of existing debt. Multi-year-commitments for significant projects are possible at the discretion of Foundation Trustees.

Abstract Directions

Please download and save the PDF abstract form to your computer. If you don't have software to complete PDF forms, you may download the free PDF viewer, Adobe Acrobat Reader from the link below. After you have completed and saved the file for your records, please attach it to an email and send it to apps@bernsen.org. You may also print the form, fill it out, scan and return it via email to apps@bernsen.org. Abstracts will be reviewed and your Contact person listed on the form will be contacted within thirty days of submitting.

Please click here to download the abstact form. [Revised August 2024]

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

Proposal Directions

If you have been invited to submit a proposal, please include all information listed below in narrative form. Put all documents (scan if needed) into one PDF and attach it to an email with the subject line: Organization Name - Proposal and send to apps@bernsen.org. If the Audit or 990 is too large to include in the proposal .pdf, you may send it separately with the subject line: Organization Name - Audit and/or Organization Name - 990.


Organization:

  • Legal Name and DBA if other
  • Mailing address
  • Executive Director/CEO
    • Name, Title
    • Tenure (years in that position)
    • Phone
    • Email
  • Primary Contact Person for the Grant Request
    • Name, Title
    • Phone
    • Email
  • Mission Statement
  • In 100 words or fewer describe your organization's core programs and services.
  • Organization type, geographic area served, and approximate population served
  • Does your organization follow Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination policies

 

Grant Request

  • Amount Requested
  • Project Title
  • Project Description (500 words or fewer) The case for financial need, including other sources of funding on hand or being sought elsewhere. A list of corporate and foundation donors who have already donated or pledged funding for the proposed project should also be included.
  • Total project annual operating budget
  • A description of how the applicant plans to support the project after the GFBF grant period
  • Cash reserves
  • Total organization's annual operating budget
  • Current Endowment Market Value and what percentage of endowment can be used for general operating expenses
  • Describe any major changes in the organization or its program in the last year. (Change in mission, leadership, location, loss of major funding, significant staff or board turnover, expansion or downsized programs, etc..)

 

Attachments

  • IRS 501(c) (3) tax-exempt letter
  • Line item project budget
  • Most recent audit (If there is not one, please note why)
  • Year-to-date balance sheet
  • Prior year budget to actual income statement
  • Organization's latest 990
  • Last year's major donors with amounts
  • Officers and Board Members


After an initial review, the Foundation may request additional documentation, arrange a meeting with the applicant, and/or request a site visit. Understanding the organization, its financial position, its clients, programs, and achievements are important for the review process.

Please note: Guidelines are subject to change and exceptions may be allowed, solely at the discretion of the Trustees.

If you have any questions, please email info@bernsen.org