Grants

SUPPORT US

Grant Process

HELPERS COMMUNITY cares deeply about nonprofits that enrich the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. Helpers Community is dedicated to supporting nonprofit agencies and individuals that help those who provide residential care, recreation, and job training programs to Adults with developmental disabilities. Helpers Community grants fund 501(c)(3) organizations that serve individuals with developmental disabilities, with priority given to those in the state of California.

 Organizations that qualify through their commitment to serve Adults with developmental disabilities can apply for grants for infrastructure and materials for specific programs or projects, including facility improvement projects, but not for general operating support and/or salaries.

New Changes/ Grant Process & Criteria:

  • Helpers Community Inc. changed its grant cycle from two cycles (Spring and Fall) to a single Fall cycle.

  • Our Grant Priority going forward is a focus on INFRASTRUCTURE projects and NEEDS.

  • Effective 2025, any organization that has received grant support from Helpers Community for the past two consecutive grant cycles is not eligible to reapply for the next grant cycle.

NEW timeline for Helpers Yearly Grant cycle and LOI Guidelines:

  • All Letters of Interest (LOIs) must be received NO LATER than June 30, 2026.
  • Organizations with approved LOIs must submit a grant application NO LATER than August 30, 2026. 

LOI Guidelines
The first step in our grantmaking process is the submission of a Letter of Interest. This brief summary allows us to better understand your organization, the community you serve, and the purpose of your funding request for an infrastructure/facilities/site need. This helps us get to know your organization, your community, and what you are hoping to accomplish with our support.

 The LOI must be no more than two pages in length.

 We ask that LOI applicants include:

  1. Contact informationand the location where the proposed services or project benefiting from the needed infrastructure will take place.
  2. A brief description of your missionand organizational history.
  3. An overview of what you do, who you serve, approximately how many individuals benefit annually, and how this infrastructure need is critical to your mission and services.
  4. A summary of your program impact from the last 2 years.
  5. The amount of funding requested, keeping in mind our typical grant awards range from $15,000 to $25,000, and if any other potential funders have been approached or have committed to fund a portion of this infrastructure need.

 Applicants may submit one LOI per year by emailing it to our Executive Director, Robert “Harry” Harrison at: harry@helperssf.org

  • AN ORGANIZATION’S LETTER OF INTENT MUST RECEIVE APPROVAL PRIOR TO BEING INVITED TO SUBMIT A FULL GRANT APPLICATION
  • If LOI is approved, your completed grant application must be received NO LATER than August 30th by completing the Online grant application found on the Helpers website. By clicking SUBMIT, your application is electronically sent to: harry@helperssf.org. Please remember to SAVE your application prior to submitting electronically.
  • Final Approval will be made by September 30th. Those organizations who have been approved for a grant by the Board of Directors of Helpers Community will be notified and grant funds disbursed electronically.

Additional NEW Grant Criteria:

– In the event that an organization does not spend the entire amount of its award grant (unspent funds):

  • The Grantees must notify Helpers at least 60 days before the end of the grant period if a project will have unspent funds. At that time, grantees may request a budget revision to support an additional capital infrastructure project.
  • This revision will be subject to Helpers’ approval of the use of any remaining funds.
  • It will be optional for the grantee to submit a budget revision for an additional project or to return funds.

Thank you for your continued support!

 

For further information and/or to submit a Letter of Interest and other documents, please email your  LOI no more than two pages in length, stating your case for support following the above guidelines, to our Executive Director, Robert “Harry” Harrison at: harry@helperssf.org.

If your LOI is approved, please click the button below to complete and submit the grant application.

Begin Grant Application