See if your project and organization qualify. You can review grant approvals to get a sense of our types of funding and grant amounts.
A representative from your organization should reach us by email (info@cooperfoundation.org) or telephone (402-476-7571) to provide information about your proposal. The Cooper Foundation offers four grant cycles per year and only accepts letters of inquiry and applications from nonprofit organizations that have communicated with us in advance. Be prepared to discuss your organization, the purpose for which you want to apply, the difference it will make, your budget and funding plans, and how you will measure success.
We receive many proposals and are limited in the number of requests we can take in each grant cycle. Please contact the Foundation well in advance of your funding needs.
The grant process spans 3 months from the time an applicant submits an LOI through the approval stage. Grant payments are scheduled according to the information provided in the Application.
If your proposal is a good fit for our funding, Cooper Foundation staff will provide access to our online application system, how to register, and apply.
We have a two-stage process in our online application – LOI Form (Stage 1) and an Application Form (Stage 2). Applicants are notified shortly after the LOI is submitted that their request has or has not moved forward for a full Application.
To learn more about the information required in the forms, and our funding considerations:
LOI DEADLINE
FUNDING DECISION
January 15
March
April 1
June
July 1
September
October 1
December
The 4th quarter grant cycle starting October 1 is suspended for 2023.
We have four application cycles per year. The LOI Form deadlines do not change (if the date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline for the LOI is the next business day). Deadlines for the Application Form vary, but are set about 4 weeks after the LOI. Funding decisions are made at the end of the quarter and applicants are notified immediately.
We will provide the specific deadlines, decision dates, and more information in our instructions to invited applicants.
Notice to Grant Applicants about Confidentiality
The Cooper Foundation understands the importance of confidentiality in grants applications, however, by submitting a grant application, you acknowledge and agree that information in your application may be shared with our staff, board, consultants and other individuals as needed to properly evaluate applications. We assume no legal obligation to maintain strict confidentiality of the information contained in your application. If you require any information in your application to be kept confidential, please contact the Cooper Foundation President to discuss before you submit your application. Grant applications will not be returned and all materials you provide us will be held and destroyed according to our document retention policy.
Foundation staff review the application materials before sending them to our board of trustees, which makes grant decisions at quarterly meetings. Staff will set a time with the applicant during the review period to discuss the application.
Applicants are encouraged to contact the Foundation after the Application is submitted if there are substantial updates or changes to the proposal or program.
