Overview

 

The Square One Foundation welcomes applications from organizations that align with our mission and the funding guidelines described below. We have a two-stage process that begins with a Letter of Inquiry. This Letter of Inquiry process is designed to introduce new organizations to the Square One Foundation in a way that minimizes the time and burden on applicants. We do this by following the practices and recommendations of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. These practices are intended to demonstrate our commitment to equity through the very processes and mechanics of how we make our grants as much as what we fund. 

Mission

Square One Foundation’s mission is to break down barriers and promote expanded access to economic and social opportunity for all Chicagoans. We strive to strengthen organizations and bring together people from all over the city to ensure everyone has a voice in shaping their future.

Please see other sections of the website for additional information about our history, values, and guiding principles.

Eligibility

We strive to be open and accessible for prospective grantees that work in our two Focus Areas: Pathways to Opportunity and Strengthening Democracy. We discourage organizations that are working in other areas from applying in the interest of preserving their valuable time and resources (e.g., social services; arts and culture; health; environment; etc.).

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Align with the guiding principles, approaches, and focus areas of the foundation

  • Be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or have a fiscal sponsor that has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status

  • Have audited financial statements or external financial reviews

  • Have been in operation for at least three years

  • Operate in and primarily benefit the city of Chicago

Exclusions

The foundation does not support:

  • Grants for individuals

  • Fundraising events or sponsorships

  • Capital or endowment campaigns

  • Capital projects or equipment purchases

  • Religious activities

  • Political organizations or campaigns

  • Lobbying or activities to influence elections or legislation

  • Debt reduction or operating deficits

Focus Areas

The Foundation will only consider applications in our two focus areas: Pathways to Opportunity and Strengthening Democracy.  Within these two areas, we have specific priorities:

Pathways to Opportunity:

  • Improving and reforming urban education systems in order to provide better educational outcomes for children in grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

  • Preparing students not just to enter college but also to persist, succeed and graduate.

  • Equipping young adults who are not college bound with the skills sets and career prospects that will enable them to lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Activities may span a wide spectrum of approaches, including having a direct impact on individuals’ lives; creating, implementing, proving and disseminating systems and tools that improve urban school systems; and promoting systems and structural change.

Preference will be given for organizations that demonstrate:

  • An innovative approach to problems that seem intractable;

  • A commitment to assessing impact for the purpose of continuous learning and improvement;

  • The potential to have a far-reaching impact beyond itself if successful;

  • Square One Foundation involvement can make a meaningful difference.

Strengthening Democracy:

  • Protecting and enabling the rights of all people to be active and informed participants in democratic processes that govern their lives;

  • Upholding critical pillars of a just and healthy democratic system, such as public participation,  free and fair elections, authentic representation, media, and rule of law;

  • Elevating and facilitating the voices of historically marginalized populations and communities in decision-making and resource allocation;

  • Pushing our civic and public institutions toward greater public participation, inclusivity, accountability, transparency and responsiveness to Chicago's residents;

  • Fostering dialogue and work across boundaries to build stronger, well-connected communities that have a voice in Chicago’s larger power structures.

Additional criteria

The foundation recognizes that many, if not all, of the problems it addresses in these two focus areas are rooted in deep systemic and structural racism. The foundation prioritizes applicants who are working to change systems of inequality and structural racism and demonstrate commitment to advancing racial justice, equity, and inclusion within their organizations, communities, and broaden the systems in which they work.  We prioritize action-oriented solutions that seek to prevent or intervene early in addressing a challenge. We desire to work with partners who have big ambitions and bring an “activist mindset” to their ideas.

Other things we look for among all prospective grantees:

  • Is the work community-driven? The people most affected by any issue must be at the center of leading the solutions and change agenda.  In our focus areas, this means that the voices, needs, and perspectives of low-income communities of color must be evident in everything the applicant does, from strategy to implementation and evaluation.

  • Does the work build civic engagement? Activities should enable the development of tangible, transferable civic skills among constituents. This may employ grassroots organizing, advocacy, and education to build power for the transformation of communities.

  • Will the work advance structural solutions? Applicants should articulate a clear and strategic vision for advancing an equitable system. They should also demonstrate an awareness of the broader field and best practices in bringing about change.

  • Is the work collaborative and/or innovative? The foundation is interested in filling gaps in existing strategies or solutions by testing new approaches through pilot/demonstration programs.   It is also committed to help forge new coalitions, work across disciplines, and take risks.

  • How does the work demonstrate impact? The foundation wants to learn with and from grantees about how they define and observe success.  We adhere to the principles of the Equitable Evaluation Initiative in our approach to assessing impact.

General facts about our funding

  • Types of grants:  The foundation will consider requests for general operating support or project support.

  • Size of grants: Grants typically range between $25,000 and $75,000.  Requests exceeding $100,000 are unlikely to be considered.

  • Multi-year grants:  The Foundation may consider multi-year grants after the first year of support.  Multi-year grants are rarely made to first-time applicants.

  • Budget size: We prefer to support small- to medium-size organizations with budgets under $3 million annually. 

We offer these details in order to be as transparent as possible and to conserve the valuable time of potential applicants.  We strongly encourage grantseekers to adhere to these parameters for the best chances of further consideration.

For new applicants

The Square One Foundation invites new applicants to submit an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) for your Pathways to Opportunity or Strengthening our Democracy project. Please see the funding guidelines above before applying. The Foundation reviews all funding requests according to the schedule below.

 

For Current Grantees seeking renewed support

In addition, the Square One Foundation invites current grantees to submit a Renewal Report—in place of a final report and a renewal application—according to the schedule below.