Process

The Rochester Women’s Giving Circle is eager to receive your proposal.

The beginning of our grant cycle is announced in December of each calendar year on the Rochester Area Community Foundation’s website. Proposals are due by March 1st and must be submitted via Rochester Area Community Foundation’s online grant portal. To register, login, or begin a new application, click here. You can also click here for a read-only copy of the application and supporting documents,

Please review our eligibility criteria on our Priorities page.

Our Grantmaking Committee reviews proposals with a focus on the following:

• Fit with our mission
• Well documented, unmet need
• Well-defined outcomes and measures
• Evidence of likely effectiveness
• Evidence of organizational capacity to implement the program

The Grantmaking Committee’s recommendations are ratified by our Steering Committee and general membership prior to awards being granted in June.

After a grant is awarded, the Giving Circle assigns a member to partner with each grantee and ensure open communication about the progress of the program. Grantees complete a report on the status of the program at the halfway point and at the end of the program. This enables us to assess the effectiveness of the program and provides our members with timely feedback on the impact of our dollars. A sample report can be found here.