The Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation

Application Procedures

The Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation chooses to support some organizations and programs over a period of several years, making the review process for new applicants extremely competitive. In addition, because of a limited grants budget, not all proposals received are funded. Applicants are welcome to contact Foundation staff for guidance on whether to submit a proposal.

All applicants must submit applications on-line.

Deadlines and Application Review

For the Trustees’ summer grantmaking meeting, the application deadline is May 1. For the Trustees’ winter grantmaking meeting, the application deadline is November 1.

The Northern New Hampshire Foundation has a separate grantmaking cycle, so be sure to contact the Northern New Hampshire Foundation directly.

Receipt of all proposals will be acknowledged, and applicants will be notified by letter of the final grant decision.

Applicants are limited to one proposal per year and, if denied, must wait at least two years before reapplying for another grant. If an award is made, the applicant may apply again for further funding based on successful completion of the program and compliance with reporting requirements below.

Grant Reports

A report on the progress of the program or project, and on the use of grant funds, is due within one year of the date of the award. The report is submitted online as part of a new request for funding, and should restate the objectives of the grant and clearly document how and in what ways the objectives were met.

Online Proposal Submission Instructions

Prior to submitting a proposal through the Foundation’s online grants system, applicants need to complete a one-time registration. You will need to supply your contact information and create a password to log in to the system. The Foundation prefers that the principal investigator or primary contact register. Grant writers submitting proposals for more than one organization will need to supply a different email address and password for each organization.

If you have previously registered and submitted an online application to a GMA-affiliated Foundation, use the same username and password – but be sure to enter the “stearns” access code for this submission.

If you have not yet submitted an online application through the GMA Foundations website, please register now. Be sure to keep your password where you or others in your organization can find it again for future use. After you log in, enter the code “stearns” in the box labeled “Access Code.” Then click the “Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation” link to start your new application.

Important: If you want to exit your application before it is complete, click on “Save as Draft” at the top of the screen. You can then come back later and continue to work on your application by signing in with your password and clicking on the link for your draft. There is also a “print packet” button if you wish to create a printable document for internal review. When your application is complete and you are ready to submit it for review, click the “submit” button. This removes the application from draft status. After clicking submit, a new screen will appear confirming receipt of your application. Click “Apply Now” to begin.

All materials must be received by midnight on the day of the deadline – but please note that no one will be available to answer questions about this process after 4pm.