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Apply for a Grant

GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

 
This grant process applies if you're applying for a grant in one of Siebert Lutheran Foundation's three funding priorities. Please review what we fund before submitting an LOI.
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We invite you to consult with program staff prior to submitting a Letter of Intent, especially if your organization has not submitted a grant application to Siebert over the past three years or if this is the first time you are submitting a request for a specific program. 

Applying for a Grant

  1. Review our funding priorities to determine if your program may qualify.

  2. Review Siebert Lutheran Foundation's policies, which are available here (PDF).

  3. Follow the steps for the type of grant you're applying for:
     

    • Grant Process for Funding Priorities (steps are on this page, below Grant Cycles):

      • Growing the Body of Christ by investing in Lutheran leaders, ministries and evangelism.

      • Educating while Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ by funding high-performing Lutheran-affiliated schools and other education programs that provide children and youth in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities a path to Christ-centered academic success, empowerment and hope for themselves and future generations.

      • Serving as the Hands and Feet of Christ by supporting effective strategies at Lutheran churches and church-affiliated organizations to meet the basic short-term needs of disadvantaged people, and to create pathways toward greater self-sufficiency and empowerment for all people.

    • Seminary Financial Aid for non-traditional paths to ordination.

    • Pastoral Leadership Development continuing education for ordained pastors.​

Grant Cycles

Siebert has two grant cycles per calendar year, which we call Spring and Fall based on when the grant decisions are made by our Board of Directors. We now accept building-related, capital requests exceeding $50,000 in the spring and fall grant cycles. Outlined below are the details of our process and the related deadlines. Please note that applicants are always encouraged to submit prior to the deadlines. Please feel free to contact the Siebert Lutheran Foundation office with any questions: (414) 269-2832.

Grant Cycle
Letter of Intent (LOI) Due
Grant Application Due
Decision Date
Payout Date*
2024 Spring
12/01/23 (LOI window opens 10/27/23)
01/12/24
Mid-March
End May
2024 Fall
05/31/24 (LOI window opens 04/29/24)
07/12/24
End September
End November

Please note: Capital amount requested on LOI/Application should not exceed 10% of the project budget.
*Can vary based on payment schedule and grant conditions.

Grant Process

This grant process applies if you're submitting an application for a grant in one of Siebert Lutheran Foundation's three funding priorities. Please review what we fund before submitting an LOI.

  1. All grant applicants must register as a new user with Siebert's online grant portal. You will answer a series of questions related to your organization and the program or project for which you are seeking funding.

  2. Register or login to your existing account on the online grant portal. 

    • Organizations may only have one profile. If you're not sure if a profile exists for your organization, please email us or call 414.269.2832 before creating a new profile.

    • An organization may have more than one user/contact assigned to its profile. Please contact us to add additional users to your organization's profile.

  3. If applicable, submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

    • ​​​LOI Submission Guide

    • ​​Select the grant process that is applicable to your program/project and complete a Letter of Inquiry (LOI).

      • Grant process options (more information about these funding priorities is available here or contact us / 414.269.2832 if you need guidance on which process to select):

        • Growing the Body of Christ by investing in Lutheran leaders, ministries, and evangelism. Click to preview the LOI questions.

        • Educating While Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ by funding high-performing Lutheran-affiliated schools and other education programs that provide children and youth in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities a path to Christ-centered academic success, empowerment, and hope for themselves and future generations. Click to preview the LOI questions.

        • Serving as the Hands and Feet of Christ by supporting effective strategies at Lutheran churches and church-affiliated organizations to meet the basic short-term needs of disadvantaged people, and to create pathways toward greater self-sufficiency and empowerment for all people. Click to preview the LOI questions.

    • Siebert will review your LOI and respond in approximately five business days after the LOI deadline for the grant cycle. You will be informed via email if your LOI is approved or denied with the necessary information for completing a full grant application if approved.

  4. Submit a Grant Application

    • Grant Application Submission Guide

    • ​Preview the grant application questions (PDF) that are applicable to your program/project:

    • Complete your application before deadline dates. If you anticipate not being able to meet a deadline, contact us as early as possible and we will advise. 

    • After submitting, you'll receive an email confirmation and Foundation staff will contact you with follow-up questions, to request a site visit or meeting if necessary, etc.

    • Foundation staff will determine when and if the grant application is ready to present to the Board of Directors. An application submitted in a timely manner does not guarantee presentation to the Board of Directors at its next meeting or, in some instances, at all.
       

    • ​Online Application Tips

      • ​Bookmark the grant application login page or the Siebert Online Portal page.

      • We suggest you develop your grant application in Word first, in order to utilize the built-in spell check function and to also count characters to comply with character/word count limits. After you have completed the application, you can cut and paste from Word into the online grant application fields. Utilize the grant application question PDFs listed above for the application process that is applicable to your program/project.

      • Periodically scroll to the bottom of the screen and click "Save as Draft." If you do not, your information may be lost after a period of inactivity.

      • Remember to click "Submit" when you are finished.

  5.  Decision Making and Notification

    • The Board of Directors make funding decisions based on the schedule in the table above.

    • ​Foundation staff will advise in writing of the Board's decision regarding your application.

    • If approved, you are required to sign and return the Foundation's Grant Agreement prior to distribution of funds.

  6. Outcomes Reporting

    • After a grant request is approved and funds disbursed, the organization is required to report on progress toward expected results.

    • A final outcomes report will be required at completion of the project. In some instances, interim reports during the lifetime of the project will also be required. This will be detailed in the terms of the Grant Agreement. These reports are completed in the online grant portal. 

    • Follow-ups assigned for grants approved before May 1, 2019, will be submitted via Siebert's legacy grant portal. Grant applications submitted after May 1, 2019, will have follow-ups assigned in the new grant portal.

    • An organization may only have one Siebert Lutheran Foundation grant working each year. However, in special circumstances, permission is given to submit a proposal for a new project or program. Follow-up reports must be submitted prior to applying for new funding. 

Grant Process
  • Why is Siebert Lutheran Foundation now working with donors and prospective donors like me?
    We believe greater resources will grow the Kingdom and glorify God. We want to help you increase your impact by leveraging our four decades of grant-making expertise.
  • What are the benefits of partnering with Siebert (versus what I’m already doing)?
    Siebert brings knowledge, relationships and evaluation capabilities that few, if any, Christian funders can replicate. Since 1976, Siebert has granted $135 million to Lutheran-affiliated organizations, primarily in Southeastern Wisconsin and Greater Milwaukee, and affected countless lives for Christ.
  • What is Siebert’s asset level?
    At the end of 2019, Siebert had nearly $107MM in its portfolio. Granting approximately $4MM per year, Siebert has consistently been listed as one of the most active Milwaukee-area foundations.
  • What are Siebert’s priorities?
    Siebert focuses on three important funding priorities: Growing the Body of Christ … by investing in Lutheran leaders, ministries, congregations, and innovative evangelism in Wisconsin. Educating while Sharing the Gospel … by funding high-performing Lutheran-affiliated schools in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities within Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, and Waukesha Counties. Serving as the Hands and Feet of Christ … by supporting effective strategies at Lutheran churches and organizations to meet the basic short-term needs of disadvantaged people, and to create pathways toward greater self-sufficiency and empowerment in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities within Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, and Waukesha Counties.
  • How can I support one of these programs?
    Private and family foundations can partner with Siebert to create a smooth administration and process for vetting grants to organizations that match the foundations’ and Siebert’s funding priorities Individuals can give unrestricted current or planned gifts for one of our three Gospel Impact Funds Individuals can also create a named Endowed Fund encompassed by one of the three funds ($50,000 minimum).
  • What kinds of gifts does Siebert accept?
    You can give now to support our grantee partners who may have special needs during COVID-19 and/or you can consider an endowment gift to help our mission into perpetuity.
  • What is the minimum gift that Siebert will accept?
    Siebert is focused on growing your Gospel impact, so a donor can offer any gift, though a named Endowed Fund has a minimum of $50,000 and a pass-through gift has a minimum of $25,000.
  • What is Siebert’s fee structure for working with donors?
    Siebert realizes that each donor has unique needs – so there is no “one size fits all” solution or fee structure. We partner with individuals and families to do what is fair, with the goal of maximizing contributions to the chosen ministries. (A pass-through fee is generally 2%.)
  • What are gifts I can give right now?
    Use appreciated assets - Stocks, bonds, mutual funds - Privately held business interests or partnerships - Appreciated real estate Give a gift and receive an income back with a charitable trust Give part or all of a Required Minimum Distribution from an IRA (for those over 72; note that RMDs do not need to be taken in 2020) (directly to a Siebert grantee) Make a Gift from your Donor Advised Fund (directly to a Siebert grantee) Give a pass-through grant to programs and organizations that align with one or more of Siebert’s three Gospel-focused priorities and mission Participate in our Innovative Collaborators’ Event being piloted during 2020: join with others to increase your collective impact.
  • What are gifts I can give through my estate?
    Gifts through a Will Gifts through Contracts—add Siebert as a beneficiary to a life insurance policy or an IRA (or 401(K) or 403(b) plan).
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ACCESS THE ONLINE GRANT PORTAL

Submit Letters of Inquiry and Grant Applications
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