We are committed to keeping applicants informed throughout the grant application process and make every effort to let you know where you are in the process. We strive to review and evaluate grant applications as quickly as possible.

Foundation staff will respond by email to the primary contact listed on the grant application concerning additional materials or updates on the application. Once staff review and evaluate your application, your application will be either moved forward for grant committee consideration or declined.  In cases where the application is considered very incomplete, not competitive, or ineligible for support, staff may decline the request, without being reviewed by the Grant Committee. Organizations that receive a denial must wait one year until submitting a new application.

If your organization does not hear from us within two months of submission, please email [email protected].

If our staff determine that the application is incomplete, we will respond by email to the primary contact listed on the grant application, with a checklist of needed materials.

Please see the following grant application templates:

• General Grant Application Template
• Public K-12 Schools and School Districts Grant Application Template

Make sure to add [email protected] to your approved emails list to ensure important emails generated from our portal do not go to spam/junk.

If you have questions concerning your incomplete application, please us at
[email protected] or 831.649.1533 for assistance.

We may conduct a site visit to learn more about your organization. While we cannot visit all applicant organizations that apply, we are committed to visiting as many as possible.

Our Grant Committee members are committed to accompanying staff on site visits as part of their volunteer service. Site visits are designed to help us understand the work of the organization in greater detail and to allow for a two-way conversation between funder and nonprofit.

Please note that a site visit does not guarantee funding.

If a grant application is approved by the Grant Committee and Board of Directors for funding, an award email outlining the terms and conditions of the grant will be sent to the primary contact within a week of the funding decision.

If a grant application is declined, an email will be sent to the primary contact within a week of the Board meeting with staff available for a follow-up call. Organizations that receive a denial must wait a year until submitting a new application.

Grantees must use the funds awarded for the specific purpose outlined in the proposal, submitted budgets and award email. Any requests for changes in use of funds must be submitted in writing (email is preferred) and in turn, receive written approval from the Foundation. Funds not used in the manner specified in the proposal, submitted budgets and award email must be returned to the Foundation.

Grantees are required to complete a grant report through the grant portal by their listed due date (from the award email) and before a new grant application will be considered. Missing this date is likely to cause your agency to miss the next Grant Cycle application deadline.

Monterey Peninsula Foundation requires all grantees to complete reports for active (open) grants. Reporting requirements for matching or multi-year grants will be noted on the award email.

The online reporting system has two main components:

• Narrative Section – This section consists of the following questions:

What were the actual outcomes? What did your agency learn? How did your agency respond? How many constituents were served?

• Financial Documents – For Program or Capital grants, submit a budget to actual comparison: the budget that reflects the original request and the actual income and expenditures. A budget to actual is not required for Operating Support grants.

– The most common error in reporting is that agencies do not submit a budget to actual comparison based on the original request (including income and expenses).

Please see Grant Reporting Guide for reporting requirements and a sample budget format. This format is not required, but many agencies have found it helpful.

Grantees should make every effort to ensure their reports includes all financial attachments required in the reporting process. If a report is received incomplete, it may delay future application review or payment of multi-year award.

If you have not fully expended all MPF Funds by the report deadline, you must provide a written request for an extension via email. Extensions are approved on a case-by-case basis. Please send all extension requests to Nancy Enterline, VP of Philanthropy, at [email protected].

You cannot apply for a new grant without completing the report on a previous award.

Each Grant Cycle has a consistent reporting deadline each year: Spring Cycle – December 1 and Fall Cycle – June 1. In most instances the grant term for a one-year grant is 8 months. Please plan accordingly.

If you have questions concerning the reporting process, please contact:

Ambry Capistrano
Philanthropy Program Manager
[email protected] or 831.649.1533 for assistance.