TG Public Benefit Grant Program

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Sample Grant Agreement
Adobe Acrobat pdf document (122k)

Want to know more about the TG Public Benefit Grant Program? Call (800) 252-9743, ext. 4518, or send an email to public.benefit@tgslc.org.

Grant Application Guidelines

TG's Public Benefit Program will support efforts by non-profit entities that declare intent to use grant funding to improve student persistence and completion in postsecondary education. TG's first priority is that the primary beneficiaries of these efforts, either directly or indirectly, be students who are from low- to moderate-income families. Populations of focus include Latino/Hispanic students, students who are from other groups that are traditionally underrepresented in higher education, or students who are the first in their families to attend higher education. TG neither lends nor grants money directly to individuals through this program.

Grant categories and priority areas

For proposals received in 2012, TG will consider applications for projects in the following three public benefit categories:

  1. Direct services to students and families
    Within this category, priority will be given to proposals that address the needs of the primary populations of focus noted above and that aim to improve retention/persistence in postsecondary education. Applicants providing direct services primarily in the area of pre-college outreach are eligible to apply, but must be able to demonstrate how programming relates to and supports postsecondary completion.
  2. Education research
    Within this category, priority will be given to research proposals that inform policies and practices affecting:
    1. Postsecondary retention and degree completion among the populations of focus noted above;
    2. Student financial aid, to include self-help aid, such as student or parent loans; or
    3. Transfers, persistence, degree attainment and career placement for community college students including examination or evaluations of promising practices for community college advising.
  3. Organizational capacity
    Within this category, priority will be given to proposals from organizations that are ready to take existing programs to scale, but need to strengthen an aspect of the organization or its infrastructure in order to grow successfully. Examples of potential areas of funding may include
    1. Development of strategic business plans and funding development plans (e.g., professional services for organizational assessment and design, community needs assessment, market studies, identification of potential donors and structuring of fundraising campaigns);
    2. Program feasibility studies or program development planning;
    3. Staff development — may include resources for volunteers;
    4. Data management/tracking systems;
    5. Program evaluation.

Evaluation of proposals

In reviewing the proposals received, TG evaluates the strength and ability of the applicant to ensure that:

  • There is a compelling rationale and need for the proposed project.
  • The project's goals/objectives are clearly and directly tied to measurable deliverables/outcomes/expectations, identified by each applicant as a part of its proposal.
  • There are collaborative partnerships to help augment the impact of the grant and that the efforts will promote increased coordination among organizations and institutions within the community. Letters of support or copies of memoranda of understanding must be included with the full application for any proposed organizational partners.
  • There is sufficient institutional/organizational or other support to ensure that the efforts will be implemented and continued if the project intends to remain in place beyond the grant period.
  • The efforts have the potential to inform practices or policy development, increase knowledge across the higher education community, or that could be adapted by other organizations or institutions.

In general, TG will not make grants for purposes of:

  • Annual fund-raising events or general sustaining drives
  • Performances or competition expenses
  • Building infrastructure, physical plant, and/or brick-and-mortar construction
  • Motor vehicles
  • Endowments
  • Debt retirements
  • Indirect costs
  • Lobbying efforts, to include attempts to influence specific legislation

Grant application process

  • Determine if the proposed project is a match with one or more of the three public benefit categories and populations of focus.
  • Complete and submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), using the appropriate online form, on or before 11:59 p.m. (CST) on January 31, 2012.
  • Respond to TG's request for additional information or a site visit, if necessary.
  • Complete the full application, if invited to continue in the competition, on or before March 20, 2012.

Please note: Applying organizations are limited to two LOIs per competition. University applicants are encouraged to coordinate applications through their respective sponsored projects, corporate/foundation relations, or advancement/development offices. If TG receives more than two applications from the same organization, we will notify the organization and ask them which proposal(s) they wish to withdraw.

Information for higher education institutional applicants

Although TG has been explicit about the rationale and guidelines for this program from its inception, it is worth reiterating that the Public Benefit grant program is open to all schools and non-profit organizations regardless of their participation in the federal education loan programs. Successful grantees are selected pursuant to a performance metric established for the grants program.

All nonprofit institutions eligible to participate in the federal financial aid programs, as authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, are also eligible to apply for a TG grant. In addition, the program accepts applications from community-based, non-profit organizations that also aim to improve success in higher education.

Moreover, there is no correlation between our selection of grant awards and an institution's business relationship with TG. The Public Benefit Grant program does not subscribe, nor impose, any quid pro quo condition. TG personnel associated with administering the grants program are expected to strictly adhere to this standard. If any prospective or current applicant receives any communication from TG staff or any other person that implies that a quid pro quo condition may exist, please notify TG by calling TG's ethics hotline at (877) 842-6675 or by calling the Chief Ethics Officer directly and confidentially at (800) 252-9743, extension 4966. TG's Chief Ethics Officer will respond to and act upon any concerns received. Calls to either number may be made anonymously.

Information required on the full grant application

The following information must be included on the required application form (applies to organizations invited to participate in stage two of the grant competition):

  1. Project title, organization name, name of entity to sign a grant agreement, contact information, and brief description of organization.
  2. Written description of the proposed project, including a statement of need and well-defined project objectives/goals.
  3. Identification of specific deliverables or anticipated outcomes.
  4. Amount of funding sought from TG.
  5. Actual start date and end date for the project.
  6. Primary beneficiaries of the project.
  7. Project budget attachment. (See additional information below)
  8. List of organization's board of directors, trustees, and officers.
  9. Copy of the most recent audited annual financial statement, IRS determination letter, and copy of most recent IRS Form 990 (state-supported postsecondary education institutions are exempt from this requirement).
  10. Names and contact information of other financial partners.
  11. Letters of support or memoranda of understanding for any organizational partners.
  12. Sources of future support, if applicable.
  13. Affirmation that the applicant has reviewed the sample grant agreement and can comply with the terms; and that the organization is in compliance with the federal Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity requirements referenced therein (see Grant Agreement section below for additional information regarding this requirement).

Project budget (applies to full grant applications only)

When preparing the project budget to be submitted with the full grant application form, please include all expenses for which TG funding is being requested, as well as any in-kind or other contributions which will be used to support the project. Please note that TG will not consider requests to cover indirect costs. All costs for which TG funding is requested must be incurred solely for work on the proposed project and be specifically documented as such by recordkeeping on invoices and timesheets. A budget template will be made available to applicants.

The following guidelines are meant to serve as a reference only. The proposed budget should reflect the nature of the project and may include additional line items or omit line items listed here:

  • Personnel salaries/wages/fringe benefits
    Include current salaries and wages for personnel whose time will be dedicated to the project. If these costs are being covered through in-kind contributions, or as indirect expenses that would otherwise be covered by your organization, indicate that on the budget.
  • Equipment
    For purposes of TG's grant program, equipment is defined as nonexpendable, tangible property that exceeds a cost of $1,000.
  • Supplies
    General office supplies are not typically included in TG-funded grant budgets, as they are likely to fall into the category of indirect costs. However, certain types of supplies may be needed, based on the nature of a particular project. In these cases, funding may be requested for supplies for project participants (e.g., school supplies for student participants), communication/telephone/fax, long-distance charges, computers/printers purchased specifically in support of the project, and peripherals. Printing and duplication costs may be included only if these expenses can be directly attributed to the proposed project.
  • Travel
    If travel is essential to the proposed project, please include estimates and calculations for all related costs involved (e.g., airfare, ground transportation, per diem, conference registration fees, lodging, mileage for personal vehicle usage, etc.) For travel guidelines, see Guidelines for Travel Expenses.
  • Grants/scholarships/stipends
    This line item relates to those grant proposals seeking to provide tuition support, books/materials, or participation stipends. Please designate the type of support involved and the number of students or participants to be supported.
  • Other expenses
    Please limit the use of this category. If used, please provide detail and justification for any items that are expected to be funded through TG in this category.
  • Indirect costs
    Any indirect costs, including F&A, attributed to the project can be noted, but TG funding cannot be used to cover these costs. It is permissible for the applicant organization to demonstrate in-kind or other support for these costs.

Grant agreement

Organizations whose proposals are approved for funding must execute a grant agreement with TG. A sample of this document can be found online at www.tgslc.org/pdf/GrantAwardAgreement.pdf.

TG is required by federal law and U.S. Department of Labor directives to include the Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Program notification (set forth in Section 8.10 of the Sample Grant Agreement) in all its contracts, including the Public Benefit Grant Agreements. Applicant organizations should review this section carefully to determine whether the provision applies to their organization and, if so, whether their organization is in compliance with the section's requirements. TG is not able to delete or revise the language in this section; accordingly, if an organization is unable or unwilling to comply with the requirements, TG will not review any grant applications submitted from that organization. Please note that this provision is related to employment practices, not admissions-related criteria.

TG requires applicants to thoroughly review the sample grant agreement prior to submitting a grant proposal and to certify that the applicant can comply with the terms of the agreement. TG is not likely to consider significant amendment to the Grant Agreement.

Application deadline and format

The initial LOI template must be received by TG before 11:59 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, January 31, 2012. Applicants must use the form provided. If a prospective grantee is invited to continue to the next stage of the competition, the full application for funding from the TG Public Benefit Program must be received by TG on or before Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Applications must be submitted in an electronic format using the application form that TG will provide.

Grants period and awards schedule

TG intends to notify successful applicants of its funding decisions by June 30, 2012. For applications in the Direct Services category, TG may approve a request for a grant period up to 36 months, within a timeframe of August 1, 2012 through September 30, 2015. For grant projects in other categories, the end date should fall on, or prior to, September 30, 2013; however, TG will consider approving no-cost extensions up to 12 additional months, if requested in writing by the grantee and if a determination is made that the extension will improve the project's potential for success.

TG does not automatically renew grant funding. Applicants must reapply for additional funding in subsequent grant competitions. Please note that receiving grant funding for a prior year does not guarantee or place the applicant in a preferred position to be awarded additional grant funding in subsequent years. It is also important to note that grant proposals to continue funding for the same program are limited to no more than 25 percent of the total project budget. That is, current grantees applying for a second or third grant for the same or similar project must demonstrate that 75 percent of the total project budget will be funded from sources other than TG's Public Benefit Program.

Site visits

TG may conduct a site visit to the applicant organization before making a funding decision. TG may also conduct site visits to successful applicant organizations after a funding decision has been announced.

Requirements of grantees

Successful applicants will be required to submit to TG at least two progress reports on the status of the project. Multi-year projects will be required to submit more than two progress reports. Reports must include details on progress made toward project objectives, and an accounting of funds expended. Successful applicants may also be invited to share their project's efforts, experiences, and successes, through presentations and publications, as requested by TG.

Prior grant awards funded

In total, TG has awarded approximately $34 million in grant funding through the TG Public Benefit Grant Program. For listings of prior grant awards, please visit the links at left.

Inquiries regarding the grant program should be sent to public.benefit@tgslc.org.

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