Eligibility

At least serve a 9–12th grade program.

Be a full member of NAIS.

Have a mission to serve a diverse population.

Have a current Head of School who is serving in at least their 2nd year (Traditional Grant) or 3rd year (Leadership Grant) before a proposal from the school can be considered and must plan to remain in the role for the period of time specified to raise the match.

Not have applied for funding from the EE Ford Foundation within the last 4 years.

Withdrawal After Agenda Placement. If for any reason your school should need to withdraw from the Agenda, please notify our office as soon as possible. According to the Board’s policy, a school that withdraws late in the process, without compelling reasons for having to do so, is required to wait a four-year period before seeking another place on an Agenda.

If a school has received a grant from the EE Ford Foundation in the past, it must have shown that it has been a good steward of our prior philanthropy. This includes timely submission of stewardship reports and appropriate accounting for any past grants that included funds for permanently restricted endowments.

For schools with significant financial resources, there is an expectation that the school will seek funding from the Foundation to “leverage its unique talents, expertise and resources to advance teaching and learning” more broadly and not just to benefit the school itself.

Have a proposal that supports the work of students and faculty in independent secondary schools, grades 9-12. Support will not be provided for administrative expenses of the Association.

Have a current Association Executive Director serving in at least their 2nd year.

Not have applied for funding from the EE Ford Foundation within the last 4 years.

Independent School Associations. National, regional, state and local independent school associations located in the United States and other similar member associations where a majority of the member schools are otherwise eligible to make proposals to the Foundation, may be eligible to apply for a Traditional Grant as a part of the June Agenda. Other domestic associations or organizations pursuing significant work in the independent school world can be considered upon the recommendation of the Executive Director to the Board.

Collaborative Proposals. Proposals developed collaboratively by more than one Association can be considered.