APPLICATION PROCESS AFTER FIRST STEP

If your letter of inquiry is selected, Blue Ridge will ask you to provide more detailed information.  You will need to submit the following:

1) A proposal (~7 pages, no more than 10) describing your organization and its program model

Your proposal should:

(i) Identify the specific problem your organization will address;

(ii) Describe the strategies and program design your organization will employ to address the problem you identify;

(iii) Explain how your organization will improve upon existing efforts which focus on similar issues or how it will otherwise contribute to its field.  As part of your explanation, please list the three organizations that you believe are doing the highest quality work most similar to what you propose, and describe how their activities related to the vision you have for your organization;

(iv) Outline your goals for the organization’s first two years, and indicate how you plan to measure your progress and success.

2) A budget for the first two years of operation that you believe is necessary to meet the goals described in your letter.  Please include a list of any other sources of funding that you have received or expect to receive, if any.

3) A description of your financial model, and a projection of how you expect to sustain operations during the first 5 years.  This is a description of how you expect to fund the organization long term (through, for example, individual donors, government contracts, memberships, fee-for-service or other earned income models).

4) What specific needs beyond funding do you hope to receive from Blue Ridge?

5) How did you hear about Blue Ridge Foundation?

Organizations that are selected to submit a full proposal typically receive a follow up response within 6 weeks that may include being invited to meet with Blue Ridge staff.