Rochester Area Foundation

2 survey respondents

Location: 12 Elton Hills Drive Nw, Rochester, 55901 MN

EIN: 41-6017740

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What was the overall relationship with the funder?

How many hours did the grant application process take?

10 hours

Median

75%

25%

How would you rate this funder's accessibility?

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How successfully do you think the funder is accomplishing its current philanthropic goals?

Important Information

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Top descriptors for this funder

1Bureaucratic1Doesn't "get" nonprofits and issues1Builds relationships1Friendly1Gives more than money1Responsive

Advice from a Friend

Rochester Area Foundation

Aug 24, 2021

Reviewer 793 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2020

They have made some changes - significantly streamlined the pre-proposal, which is appreciated, but I was disappointed to learn that they require not just a board signature, but a board resolution approving the application, which is a huge barrier if your board meets once a month or less often. This requirement also invites micro-management from the board, whose responsibilities in most nonprofits is and should be focused broadly on financial management, not approving individual grant requests. We submit 5-10 grant proposals a month and if everyone required this, it would completely gum up the works. What is the purpose of this requirement anyway?

Pros

Gives more than money, Friendly, Builds relationships, Responsive

More Feedback

Dec 20, 2017

Reviewer 793 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017

The pre-application is almost as much work as a full proposal, so make sure you are a fit before you put the time in. There are a lot of steps in this process, so be prepared for multiple contacts, follow-ups, etc.

Cons

Doesn't "get" nonprofits and issues, Bureaucratic

More Feedback

Response from Rochester Area Foundation

Jan 07, 2020

RAF has changed our grant-making process since this review was written. We now ask for only a brief Letter of Intent that should take 15 minutes to 1/2 hour to fill out. Then, we invite a smaller cohort of project applicants to complete a full application.

There may be some confusion as to the purpose of the Grant Showcase, the event the reviewer referenced as a presentation. The Showcase is meant to leverage or attract additional dollars toward a grant award from donors in the community. If invited to the Showcase, the grantee has already secured a grant from the Foundation. The Showcase is a mechanism to add dollars to the grant award, often substantially. In 2019, the additional gifts were over 50% of the value of the initial award amounts.

The Foundation continues to reassess its programming and adjusts accordingly, using feedback from grantees and those who have not been grantees but are working to better the community. Our goal is to better enable the good work being done in greater Rochester, increase capacity of those groups doing the work, and encourage philanthropy from individuals and businesses to support this shared work.

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Rochester Area Foundation