Funding Application

When submitting a funding request to The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, you will be asked to select whether you are a New Applicant, Returning Applicant, or requesting Emergency Funding. If you are a New Applicant, you will be asked to complete a brief Eligibility Quiz which will help to determine whether the request and/or organization fall within our scope of funding.

Additionally, organizations that are new to the Foundation are strongly encouraged to contact us directly to set up a brief introductory meeting. You may do this by reaching out to us via the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page.

The Foundation seeks to support organizations and initiatives that:

• Are focused on serving the needs of the citizens of Hampden County
• Offer creative responses to the community's most pressing needs and concerns
• Are preventative and far-sighted in their design and can articulate clear, measurable, and sustainable outcomes
• Empower individuals to acquire the skills needed to enjoy sustained improvement in their quality of life 
• Increase access and opportunities for people from low-income and under-served populations of the community
• Are committed to long-term change
• Assist local organizations to strengthen their capacity to fulfill their missions and sustain their work
• Foster collaboration among nonprofit organizations
• Have the potential to multiply dollars with support from other sources

Guidelines established by the Foundation usually preclude support for:

• Organizations located outside of Hampden County
• Individuals
• Scholarships/Internships
• Continuing support for current programs
• Debt reduction
• Multiple proposals per year from the same organization
• Endowments
• Program-related loans

Funding requests are considered for:

General Operating Funding. General Operating funding is awarded to help support an organization’s general operating costs and overhead rather than a particular project or initiative.

Capital Funding. Capital funding is awarded to support the purchase, construction, or renovation of a property, land and/or capital assets associated with the organization and the communities it supports.

Program Funding. Program funding is awarded to support a specific program, project, or initiative to be implemented by the organization with the goal of achieving measurable and meaningful projected outcomes. 

Capacity Building Funding. Capacity Building funding is awarded to support and/or improve an organization’s work and operations. These awards typically focus on the areas of strategic planning, fiscal systems review, board development, staff development, diversifying revenue streams, etc.

Emergency Funding. Emergency funding is awarded to assist an organization in a time of unexpected and sudden need. These requests are reviewed as quickly as possible, typically within two weeks, of receipt.