Guidelines

The Foundation makes grants to support initiatives that address hunger and food insecurity through direct service programs and/or advocacy efforts.

Grants are made to organizations that are tax exempt under the IRS Code 501(c)(3) as well as public charities under IRS Code 509(a).

Types of support:

• Program/Project
• General Operating

Ideal candidates for general operating grants are organizations which focus on food access and/or food distribution as their primary mission (i.e. a food pantry; an organization that distributes meals; or a food growing or gleaning organization). Nonprofits with a mission that does not focus on food but that operate specific programming around food, such as a senior center that operates a congregate meal program, should submit a request for program or project support.

The Foundation’s focus is the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County, FL.

You can learn more about the Foundation’s mission and funding strategies here.

Application Deadlines

The Spring application deadline is January 15 at 5pm EST, for consideration at our April board meeting. The Fall application deadline is July 15 at 5pm EST, for consideration at our October board meeting. Applications will open on the Foundation’s online grantmaking portal at least one month prior to the deadline. We recommend regularly checking the portal beginning two months prior to the deadline.

If January 15 or July 15 falls on a holiday or weekend, the application will be due on the next business day. Organizations are permitted to apply for funding once every 12 months. Receipt of a grant does not imply future support.

Application Procedures

The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family Foundation only accepts applications, supporting documentation, and grant reports through our website.

Click on the ‘APPLY NOW’ button to fill out and submit an application. If this is your first time using our online grant making system, please click on the ‘APPLY NOW’ button to create a new account. If you have already created an account with our Foundation, please click on the ‘APPLY NOW’ button to log-in to our online system.

Application Requirements

You will be asked to provide the following information. This information will be used by the board to determine how well your request aligns with the foundation’s mission:

• Statement of the organization’s mission
• A brief description of the organization’s background and history
• A description of current programs and activities
• The type of funding (general or project) and the grant amount requested
• A description of the target population and geographic area served
• Evidence of need
• A full description of the proposed program, its goals, objectives, and expected outcomes
• An explanation of how you will evaluate outcomes and how you will measure success
• The current status of the program (date established and anticipated duration), if applicable
• Other funding sources of the organization (and the program, if applicable)
• The ways in which your organization includes the people it serves in its decision-making process
• The ways in which your organization’s leadership reflects its constituency
• Racial and ethnic demographics of the people your organization serves, as well as its leadership staff and board

Be prepared to upload the following required documents as part of your application:

• A copy of the organizations annual budget
• A copy of the program budget
• A list of current Board of Directors and Officers
• A copy of the current 501(c) (3) determination letter indicating the organization’s tax exempt status
• The most recent financial statement or 990 tax return

Reporting

Grant recipients must provide a detailed narrative and financial report on how the grant was spent within one year of receiving the grant. Grant report forms will be posted to your dashboard. Please click the “APPLY NOW” button above to logon to your account.