FAQ - Letter of Inquiry
I am coming to Miller for something funded by Miller in the past – do I need to fill out your LOI?
Yes. All organizations requesting over $25,000 will need to submit an LOI.
Can I run my idea by a staff member?
We have received project or capacity building from Miller in the past. Can we apply for general operating support? If so, for how many years?
Yes, you can apply for general operating funding for up to two years. We recommend you request annual amounts not exceeding 10% of your organization's annual budget. If you are requesting general operating support through a Letter of Inquiry, your organization must have an art- or education-focused mission that aligns with our funding priorities. You also cannot apply for general operating support if you are applying via a fiscal sponsor.
Can we submit multiple LOI’s? What if we have several projects and don’t know which to apply for?
You can submit only one LOI at a time. If the LOI is declined, you cannot submit another LOI for 12 months from your prior application date. If your LOI is declined because your organization's work is not a fit with our funding priorities, you will not be eligible to submit additional LOI's.
Our LOI was approved and we submitted a full application. Can we submit another LOI for another project?
No, you can have only one grant application during this temporary grant program.
We don’t have a full year budget – with everything so uncertain, we are budgeting in increments, depending on when we can open more fully – what should we submit with our funding request?
We understand that many organizations are budgeting with a variety of scenarios. Please send us the documents or budget numbers you are currently working with and which your board has reviewed.
We are an education organization and would like to apply for an innovative and experimental project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation is open to supporting new ideas and innovations during the pandemic. Our education funding focuses on K-12.
We are a relatively new organization. Can we apply?
Applicant organizations should have at least three years of active program/service delivery to the community. If your organization has less than three years of program delivery experience but otherwise are a fit for Miller support, you can consider applying through a fiscal sponsor. However, please note that only applications that can clearly demonstrate current, compelling community need and support will be competitive. If you are applying via fiscal sponsorship, you may not request general operating support.
Is there a grant request amount percentage that you would recommend? What is the likelihood of receiving our full request submitted in the letter of inquiry?
We recommend you request annual grant amounts not exceeding 10% of your organization’s annual budget. Please note, if you have received past funding from Miller, do not expect a significant increase from your previous annual grant amounts. It is unlikely, for example, that we would increase your funding from $25,000 per year in the past to $40,000+ per year at this time. Please be advised that an invitation to submit a full application is not an indication that your proposal will be funded at the requested amount.