Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FAQ Summary

How do organizations submit a proposal for a grant?
Which types of non-profit organizations are eligible for a grant?
Do you make grants to for-profit organizations?
Does the Foundation accept unsolicited requests?
Can I apply for a Koch Foundation grant for sponsorship or fundraising event?
If we have one Koch Foundation grant can we apply for a different Koch Foundation grant?
What is the Foundation’s total amount of grants awarded per year?
Where does the Foundation’s money come from?
What is the average size and duration of your grants?
How many grants do you award each year?
What are the most common reasons a proposal is declined?
Do you have formal application forms?
Can you share a copy of a successful proposal?
What is your deadline for receipt of proposals?
How long does it take for a grant to be approved?
What are the responsibilities of Koch Foundation grantees?
If my organization is awarded a grant but we encounter problems which delay the project beyond the one year deadline, what are our requirements of notification to the Foundation?
Will the Koch Foundation provide a grant to pay for my school fees?
When will I be contacted about the status of my proposal request? How will I know you received my proposal?
Does my on-line submission have to be in English?
What are the Patriot Act/Anti-Terrorism Laws?
What is a fiscal agent and do I need one to apply for a grant from the Koch Foundation?
How do I become a fiscal agent?

Q. How do organizations submit a proposal for a grant?
A. To learn more about our grant application process please read Grantmaking Guidelines information regarding the submission of grant proposals.

Q. Which types of non-profit organizations are eligible for a grant?
A. The Koch Foundation only provides funds to eligible Catholic organizations listed in the Official Catholic Directory. The project must focus on evangelization of the Catholic faith and fall within one of the following five categories: Direct Evangelization, Preparation of Evangelists, Catholic Schools, Mass Media, and Capital Expenditures. A complete list of our eligibility requirements can be found within our Eligibility Guidelines.

Q. Do you make grants to for-profit organizations?
A. No. The Foundation only provides grant awards to Catholic, non-profit organizations.

Q. Does the Foundation accept unsolicited requests?
A. Interested organizations must submit a Letter of Request before an application will be sent. Letters of Requests are accepted from January 1 through May 1 of each year.

Q. Can I apply for a Foundation grant for sponsorship or fundraiser for an event?
A. No. Per our Grantmaking Guidelines, we do not fund sponsorships or fundraising events.

Q. If we are currently implementing a project funded by grant from the Koch Foundation can we apply to continue the project in the following year?
A. The Koch Foundation typically awards only one grant per year to an organization with the expectation the project will be completed within the year. If the project is delayed the grantee must submit a progress report detailing the challenge encountered, the cause of the delay, and a revised timeline stating when the project will be completed. The Board of Trustees is very interested in ensuring an equitable distribution of funds in making decisions, so the grantee must weigh the effort of submitting multiple proposals with the decreased likelihood of funding.

Q. What is the total amount of grants awarded by the Foundation per year?
A. The Foundation typically awards approximately $10-12 million to Catholic non–profit organizations worldwide. In 2007, the Foundation awarded nearly 10 million dollars.

Q. Where does the Foundation’s money come from?
A. The Koch Foundation is a privately owned, family foundation that began in 1979 by Carl and Paula Koch. Mr. Koch sold his American Beauty Company and set aside a portion of the profits to fund a Foundation to promote the Catholic faith. Over the years, the investments have grown and with it so have the number of grants.

Q. What is the average amount and duration of your grants?
A. Amounts awarded have varied and depend on the scope and significance of the project. Over the years, we have made awards ranging from $500 to $1,000,000. The time period for a project has always been one year. The average award amount is around $25,000. (click here to search our annual report)

Q. How many grants do you award each year?
A. Approximately 700 awards are made each year.

Q. What are the most common reasons a proposal is declined?
A. There are several reasons the Foundation may decide to decline a proposal; however, some of the most common reasons proposals are declined are listed below.

The proposal did not fall within the guidelines of the Program Areas.
The proposal did not follow our general eligibility guidelines.
They did not fully explain the project.
The budget was not clear or did not correspond to the project description.

Q. Do you have formal application forms?
A. After successful completion of our Eligibility Questionnaire, we require that all applicants submit an online Letter of Inquiry using our standard format. If the organization’s Letter of Request is approved, the applicant will be notified to submit an online application.

Q. Can you share a copy of a successful proposal?
A. We do not share proposals as they are considered confidential documents.

Q. What are your deadlines for receipt of proposals?
A. We accept Letters of Request (LOR) from January 1st through May 1st each year. Organizations whose LOR’s align most closely with funding categories and the Foundation’s mission of evangelization will be invited to submit an application. It will specify the proposal due date. Please do not submit a full proposal without an invitation to apply. View the 2007 Grantmaking Guidelines.

Q. How long does it take for a grant to be approved?
A. The entire Grantmaking process (letter of inquiry submission, request for a full proposal, and notification of funding decisions) will take one year. The Foundation's Board of Trustees meets once a year to make final funding decisions. View the 2007 Grantmaking Guidelines.

Q. What are the responsibilities of Koch Foundation grantees?
A. Koch Foundation grantees are required to submit an evaluation upon completion of the approved project. These reports are treated as confidential documents. If the project is delayed, the grantee must notify the Foundation and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis regarding the return of funds or authorization to extend. Evaluation Reports are to be a substantive record of the activities conducted during the year of the grant, and how they met the goals set forth in the original proposal. In addition, final expenditure reports must be included detailing how the funds were spent and reporting any remaining funds from the grant. Any remaining funding must be reported to the Foundation.

Q. If my organization is awarded a grant but we encounter problems which delay the project beyond the one year deadline, what are our requirements of notification to the Foundation?
A. If your organization is granted an award and you are unable to complete the project within the required one year time line, you must file a progress report detailing the cause for the delay, stating when the project will be completed, and an expenditure report of the funds to date.

Q. Will the Koch Foundation provide a grant to pay my school fees?
A. The Koch Foundation doe not provide grants to individuals for any reasons. Congregation superiors or archbishops may request a grant to assist an individual member of his/her congregation/order or diocese.

Q. When will I be contacted about the status of my proposal request? How will I know you received my proposal?
A. After you have completed your online application and selected 'Submit,' you will receive an e-mail notifying you that the proposal request has been received. Reviews of Letters of Request generally take from one to three months to complete. Your organization will be contacted via e-mail if additional information or follow-up is needed. If your Letter of Request is approved, you will receive an email with a password that will allow you to access an application online.

Q. Does my online submission have to be in English?
A. Yes, the answers in the on-line application must be in English. Any application that is not in English will be declined immediately.

Q. What are the Patriot Act/Anti-Terrorism Laws?
A. Koch Foundation, and other charitable foundations and other entities that make charitable contributions or donations are now subject to an array of US based laws designed to prevent the funding of terrorist organizations. Although most of these laws existed in one form or another prior to September 11, 2001, new laws and Presidential Executive Orders since the terrorist attacks have been amended or supplemented the older laws in ways that must be adhered to by charitable foundations, and organizations like the Koch Foundation that are active in USA and international philanthropy.

Q. What is a fiscal agent and do I need one to apply for a grant from the Koch Foundation?
A. A fiscal agent is a Catholic organization that will accept responsibility to disburse funds awarded to foreign recipients. Upon submission of a Letter of Request all foreign applicants are required to identify a Catholic organization listed in the U.S. Official Catholic Directory to act as their fiscal agent should they be awarded a grant. The foreign applicant must request the fiscal agent submit a letter of support to confirm that they are familiar with the requesting organization and are willing to disburse funds to foreign grantees. Since 911 and the implementation of the Patriot Act, the Foundation must ensure only genuine Catholic organizations are receiving the funds.

Q. How do I become a fiscal agent?
A. Only Catholic organizations located within the United Stated and listed in the U.S. Official Catholic Directory may be considered as fiscal agents. The organization must be willing to accept responsibility to disburse funds to foreign recipients and must be knowledgeable of the grantee organization. The fiscal agent ensures the funds will be disbursed to a genuine Catholic organization. The organization must notify the Koch Foundation they are willing to act as a fiscal agent and must be able to show they are fiscally responsible and have the ability to disburse funds to foreign Catholic organizations.