1. Who is eligible to apply for a grant from the Kline Foundation?
Kline Foundation accepts grant applications from non-profit organizations that are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Organization cannot be a private Foundation under Section 509(a). Grants are made to non-profit organizations that are located in or provide their primary service in South Central Pennsylvania, with an emphasis in Dauphin and Cumberland Counties.
No grants are made to individuals and no grants are made to organizations for purposes of propaganda, lobbying, attempting to influence legislation, or for participating in any way in a political campaign.
2. Can I come see/visit you?
The Kline Foundation Secretary is available to meet with your organization to discuss possible funding opportunities available, prior to submission of a request. These meetings must be scheduled in advance, to allow for proper discussion of your organization’s needs, and are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please call our office at (717) 561-4373 if you desire to schedule a meeting.
3. How do I request funding from the Kline Foundation?
All grant requests must be in writing, using the “Grant Application” available on the homepage and must include all of the requested attachments and supporting documentation, as listed on the application. The grant application is set up for you to auto-fill on your computer. Once you have completed the application, either print it to be mailed, or save it to your computer to be emailed (PDF). (See FAQ #13 for instructions to email a grant application packet).
4. How often does the Kline Foundation issue grants?
Kline Foundation has two (2) funding periods per calendar year and awards grants at the end of each funding period. Funding decisions are made semi-annually when the Kline Foundation Board of Directors meets. The first funding period ends in May and the awards are issued after June 1st. The second funding period ends in November and the awards are issued after December 1st.
5. How do I know if the purpose/needs for my organization’s grant funding request are in line with the mission of the Kline Foundation?
Kline Foundation specifically grants funding for benevolent (charitable), cultural, scientific, literary and educational purposes. Your organization and your specific need(s) requested will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you feel that your organization qualifies for a grant, it is suggested that you submit a grant application for review and consideration.
6. If our project qualifies under the mission of the Kline Foundation, does that mean that we will receive a grant?
No, we get many requests each year that fall within our mission guidelines. Unfortunately, we are unable to fund all requests that we receive. Each request is reviewed and considered at our Gift Committee meetings on its own merit and funding level considered.
7. What happens after I submit a grant application to the Kline Foundation?
All grant applications are thoughtfully reviewed by Foundation staff. After review, we may contact you for further information. All grant applications for that funding period are presented to the Kline Foundation Gift Committee members to review and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. Subsequently, the Board of Directors meets to review, discuss, and make final funding decisions.
8. When will I find out whether my grant application has been approved or denied?
You will receive a letter indicating whether your grant application was approved or denied after June 1st for the first funding period and after December 1st for the second funding period. Please do not call the Foundation for grant results, unless a reasonable amount of time has elapsed and you have not yet received a letter indicating approval or denial of your request.
9. How does the Kline Foundation decide which organizations to support?
First, the organization must fit within the mission of the Kline Foundation. Then, the Foundation reviews the organization as a whole, along with the specific purpose of the request, as well as how efficiently it uses grant funding. Decisions to make a grant to an organization are based solely on the discretion of the Kline Foundation Board of Directors.
10. What are the Kline Foundation grant proposal deadline dates?
Grant applications are accepted at any time throughout the year; however, funding decisions are made semi-annually when the Board of Directors meets. The deadline dates for each funding period typically fall within the second week of April and October of each year. Since the actual dates vary slightly from year-to-year, you can confirm the deadline dates before submitting a grant application by clicking on the “Grant Application Deadline Dates” section of this website, located on the homepage.
11. What happens if I submit a grant application to the Kline Foundation past the deadline date for any given funding period?
If the Kline Foundation receives a grant application after the deadline date for any given funding period, we will simply hold the application until the subsequent funding period. You will be mailed a confirmation letter, indicating that your application was received and that it will be held until the next funding period.
12. How often am I permitted to submit a grant application to the Kline Foundation?
Eligible organizations may only receive grant funding once per year; however, if your organization is denied for any given funding period, you are permitted to submit another grant application for the subsequent funding period.
Special Rules for Colleges and Universities – the maximum grant awarded that Colleges and Universities can receive from the Foundation is $150,000 which is normally payable over a 5 year period at $30,000 per year. After the 5 year period expires, the College or University cannot apply for another grant for a period of 2 years. After the 2 year waiting period is over, a new request may be submitted.
13. Do you accept grant applications electronically?
Yes, we accept grant applications via email, regular mail, and in person. All grant requests must be in writing, using the “Grant Application” available on the homepage and must include all of the requested attachments and supporting documentation, as listed on the application. If emailing your completed grant application package to us, please use the following email: info@kline-foundation.org. If mailing or hand-delivering your completed grant application package, our mailing and physical address is:
Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation, 515 South 29th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.
Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. You may call (717) 561-4373 to confirm that we are available to receive your application package, if hand-delivering.
14. Is it beneficial to include “Outcomes and Results” relating to our organization on the application?
Yes, any numerical outcomes including the number of individuals served and the types of needs addressed are beneficial and have their own section on our Grant Application. It is not necessary for the organization to pay a professional to create these organization outcomes and results reports if they are not readily available. Any additional information on how your organization benefits the community that includes quantitative reports would be helpful but is not required.