Step 1: WORKING WITH COWELL
The S.H. Cowell Foundation takes a collaborative and hands-on approach to grantmaking. We view the organizations and communities we fund as partners, and we work hard to build mutual trust and respect.
An iterative application process
At Cowell, when we learn of a good idea, we explore its potential—and potential pitfalls. We get to know community representatives, including youth, residents, the applicant organizations, partner organizations, public officials, and neighborhood leaders.
We typically help prospective grantees through multiple drafts of their grant application in an effort to create a solid proposal and project plan with realistic deliverables.
Applicants should note that it takes a minimum of three to six months for an initial grant inquiry to develop into a full proposal. It is not uncommon for six months or even two years to pass from the time we receive an initial inquiry until a grant is approved by our board of directors.
Our team approach
Each grant proposal is assigned a program officer, but the entire program staff works together to assess a community's fit with Cowell's grantmaking strategy.
Our staff conducts initial site visits as a group to understand what it is like to live, work, play and attend school in a given community. We have found that this intensive early engagement with the community leads to more informed and collaborative decisions throughout the grantmaking process.
An involved board
In the same way, when our program staff brings a proposal to the Cowell board for approval, another round of critical thinking occurs. Our board closely reviews each grant proposal and funding recommendation made by a program officer. This means that not every request gets funded, but those that do have strong support to succeed.
Achieving grant results
Once a program or project is off the ground, program officers carefully review progress reports and work with the grantee if adjustments are necessary. We only consider future funding requests if grantees achieve significant progress toward mutually agreed-upon grant deliverables. If a multi-year grant is made, the release of payments depends on progress toward grant deliverables and any other conditions of the grant. If deliverables are not being met, grants may be cancelled.
Community commitment
Cowell's decision to invest in a given community represents a relationship and commitment that ideally grows over time. We usually start small. Then, if a certain level of momentum, collaboration, engagement and support by community stakeholders is achieved, we explore promising proposals in each of our program areas. When progress is not forthcoming, however, we may choose to discontinue funding in that community.
Because of finite resources our involvement in communities must be time-limited. Every community is different, but we find that meaningful change takes time. In communities where we have made the deepest investments we have stayed for about ten years. We reach the final stage of our involvement when grantees and communities have achieved significant grant deliverables. Well before that has occurred, we help our grantees plan and position themselves for long-term sustainability and success independent of Cowell.
