Application Guidelines
The JiJi Foundation's next deadline will be Friday, April 20, 2012.
As of January 2011, the California grantmaking program will have only two deadlines -- Spring and Fall. The Baja California grantmaking program will accept proposals at any time.
Spring -- application deadline in March, board meeting in April
Fall -- application deadline in November, board meeting in December
How to Apply
There are two ways for an organization to apply for a grant from the JiJi Foundation -- submit a letter of request ($3,000-10,000) or a letter of inquiry ($10,000-50,000).
An individual can also apply for a small grant ($1,000-3,000) for travel and research related to coastal sage scrub, chapparal, and desert ecosystems in Baja California, Mexico.
Interested nonprofits or individuals are encouraged to contact the Program Officer, Anne McEnany, at contact@jiji.org to ask questions, get more information about foundation priorities, or to submit a letter. Submitting by email will have a faster response time from JiJi Foundation. For letters of inquiry, this contact is required.
The JiJi Foundation has received an overwhelming number of grant requests in the past year and we anticipate the trend will continue. Only 30% of requests were funded in the California region, and 40% of requests were funded in the Baja California region. Please keep this in mind as you consider whether your organization is a good match for the JiJi Foundation's grantmaking objectives.
The JiJi Foundation requests that each applicant include a cover sheet (download Word 2007 template here or if you need Word 2003 version here). This will not be counted toward the 4 page maximum.
Letter of Request
A letter of request should be no more than four (4) pages and should outline current and future activities, plus a project budget. We accept applications for general support. This request should be for one year only. Please include contact information, but do not send attachments unless they are directly related to your request.
This letter should be simple--something a staff person could complete in an afternoon. Please see the JiJi Foundation's home page for more information on geographic and programmatic priorities.
For Baja California requests, an operational budget is required.
Letter of Inquiry
A letter of inquiry will receive a higher level of scrutiny and is the first step toward submitting a larger proposal to the foundation. Please see the JiJi Foundation's home page for more information on geographic and programmatic priorities.
Please do not apply at this level if you are not a current JiJi Foundation grantee. If you decide to submit a letter of inquiry, you must contact Anne McEnany at contact@jiji.org in advance to discuss your project.
Letters of inquiry should be no more than four (4) pages and should outline the program or project activities; please include a project and operational budget.
Letters of inquiry will be reviewed throughout the year, but proposals will only be considered once a year (typically in the spring grantmaking cycle). If your letter of inquiry is accepted, you will be notified with proposal guidelines and a timeline for submission.
Requests may be multi-year. Please note that multi-year grants will require a financial and narrative report, which can be submitted at any time. This report will be reviewed and formally accepted before second year funds will be released.
For Baja California requests, an operational budget is required.
Individual Grants
The JiJi Foundation will approve small grants ($1,000-3,000) for travel and research in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and desert ecosystems in Baja California, Mexico. Please refer to the home page for more information. Individuals that are not affiliated with an institution may also apply.
Note that any application for a small travel or research grant must demonstrate how the project is directly related to the goals of the foundation for Baja California, Mexico. Please submit a brief letter, in English or Spanish, describing the proposed research or travel need and email them to contact@jiji.org. Small grants to individuals will be evaluated according to the impact expected within Mexico, and are primarily directed to Mexican citizens and residents doing work in targeted ecosystems in Baja California. The JiJi Foundation will not be funding any work in island ecosystems or on the Gulf of California coastline at this time.
In order to comply with US regulations, any individual grantee will have to prepare a detailed financial and narrative report to the foundation on how grant funds were used. Note that some grants to non-US citizens for travel to and within the US, and for meetings in the US, are subject to tax withholding by the US Internal Revenue Service, and the rate of taxation varies from 14% to 30%. Please see http://www.irs.gov/publications/p515/ar02.html#d0e4293 for details. Because of this, the foundation prefers to make grants for research and meetings in Mexico. If a grant is awarded that appears to be subject to withholding, JiJi Foundation will add the appropriate amount to the grant, will pay the tax to the US Internal Revenue Service, and will report the withholding to the grantee.
Decision-Making Timeline
Your submission may take as long as four months to be reviewed, so please outline any time constraints or deadlines in your letter. Once a decision is made, you will be notified by email and/or letter as to the board's decision.
Baja California grants can be accepted at any time.
Overhead/Indirect Cost Recovery Policy
The JiJi Foundation recognizes that there are indirect costs to every project. Our policy states "the JiJi Foundation does not pay more than 6% overhead or indirect cost recovery on any grant." Please remember that our grant requests are very competitive and including an indirect rate may affect your competitiveness. The JiJi Foundation offers general support grants if operational support is needed.