Strategic Alliance & Partnership Grants

A unique avenue of funding that encourages non-profits to reimagine their work through collaboration, partnerships, or mergers with other non-profits.

The Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation’s Strategic Alliance & Partnership Grants are intended to help non-profits providing services in southern Chautauqua County strengthen their philanthropic efforts by finding ways to work with other, mission-aligned non-profits. Through this grant program, we award funding to support boards and staff in exploring, negotiating, and executing strategic partnerships or corporate restructuring between two or more organizations.

 
 

  • This grant will fund activities like assessment, exploration, feasibility, negotiation, and implementation for:

    • Partnerships: Joint programming, joint earned income ventures, administrative consolidation, shared facilities, public/private partnerships

    • Strategic Restructuring: Mergers, parent-subsidiary structures, joint venture corporations, management service organizations, dissolutions

  • Grant funds may be used for technical assistance, consultation, facilitation, legal and fiscal review and support for pre-negotiation, negotiation, and the development of implementation plans. Funds may also be used for expenses associated with the implementation of a new partnership or organizational restructuring.

  • Yes. Grant funds may not be used for capital expenses related to equipment or facility renovations to implement a partnership or restructured organization(s). Please apply for a traditional grant to cover these expenses.

  • Yes. This grant program is independent of the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation’s traditional quarterly grant program. You may apply to one or both grant programs in any given year.

  • Applications for Strategic Partnership and Restructuring Grants will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Co-applicants must select one organization that will serve as the lead applicant for purposes of submitting the grant application and acting as fiduciary for any funds awarded.

    There are two steps to the application process:

    1. Submit the online Letter of Intent. We will conduct a full review of your letter.

    2. Submit a full online application. With successful review of your LOI, we will invite you to submit a full application. Award decisions are made promptly.