FAQs
What We Fund
Q: What does Piper Trust fund?
A: Piper Trust makes grants to projects that intervene in the following areas:
• Arts and Culture
• Children
• Education
• Healthcare and Medical Research
• Older adults
• Religious Organizations
The Trust’s particular interest lies with projects that benefit young children, adolescents and older adults in Maricopa County, and with making grants to faith organizations so that they can serve these target groups in a manner consistent with program guidelines.
Eligibility
Q: What types of organizations does Piper Trust fund?
A: Piper Trust makes grants to actively operating Section 501(c)(3) organizations in Maricopa County. These organizations must have been in operation for at least three years prior to the date at which they apply for a grant. The Trust does not fund individuals, private foundations or ineligible Type III supporting organizations.
Q: Does Piper Trust have a regional focus?
A: Because Piper Trust funds organizations that principally serve residents of Maricopa County, Arizona, it does not seek applications from organizations principally serving residents of other parts of Arizona or other U.S. states. Piper Trust does not make international grants.
Types of Grants
Q: Piper Trust typically awards grants of what size?
A: Over the past year Piper Trust has awarded grants that have ranged from a few thousand to several million dollars. Search Grants provides a detailed list of grants the Trust has awarded.
Q: Does Piper Trust consider multi-year grants?
A: Piper Trust considers multi-year terms for proposed projects whose objectives require more than one year to achieve.
How to Apply
Q: How often can I apply for a grant?
A: Piper Trust asks that applicants submit no more than one request per year. This time limitation helps both applicants and Trust staff to prepare and review proposals with greater thoughtfulness.
Applicants whose project Piper Trust declines to fund may submit another request 12 months after the date of the previous submission. The Trust asks that any organization with an active grant refrain from reapplying until 12 months after the date of the active grant’s expiry. The Trust makes exceptions for organizations whose project it has initiated and application it has invited.
Q: Does Piper Trust have application deadlines?
A: Piper Trust imposes no deadlines on initial proposals, and it accepts and reviews letters of inquiry throughout the year. If the Trust asks for a full proposal, its disposition depends on its completeness and the meeting schedule of the Piper trustees.
Q: How does an organization apply to Piper Trust for a grant?
A: Piper Trust asks that applicants complete an online grant summary form and attach a two-page letter of inquiry.
Q: What grant review process does Piper Trust employ?
A: Under normal circumstances Piper Trust staff will review the initial inquiry and request any further information within six weeks of receiving it. A program director may ask for a site visit and full proposal. After staff complete their review of proposals the trustees review staff recommendations at a following meeting. The Trust sends applicants written notification of the disposition of their request after this meeting. The application and review process can take between two and six months, depending on how fully developed a request is when submitted and on trustees’ grant review schedule.
Online Grant Summary Form
Q: How does Piper Trust’s online grant summary form work?
A: The process differs slightly depending on whether applicants are first-time or returning users and whether they represent a nonprofit organization, church or governmental entity.
Q: What if applicants forget to attach a letter of inquiry to the online summary form?
A: Applicants who forget to attach a letter of inquiry may email it to grants@pipertrust. The email message subject line must contain the organization’s name. This allows staff to attach the letter to the proper summary form in preparation for review.
Q: Which browsers does Piper Trust’s online application process support or require?
A: The online application process requires that browsers allow cookies. The Trust’s website supports the following browsers:
- Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC and Mac)
- Internet Explorer 6.0 (PC)
- Netscape 7.02 (PC)
- Opera 7.11 (PC)
- Safari 1.0 (v85) (Mac)
Q: How does an applicant return to a Grant Summary form whose completion remains in progress?
A: Applicants returning to a form completion in progress should go to Online Log-in and click on “I am a returning user.” The site will ask for applicants’ email address and password. Once these are entered, an account page listing all open grants and submitted forms should appear.
Q: How do applicants create a new application?
A: New applicants should go to Online Login and click on “I am a new applicant.” The system will ask that applicants enter their email address and create a password. Once these have been entered, applicants will be asked to enter their Tax ID number, which the system will use to generate an application. The system saves this application to applicants’ account page.
Q: May applicants submit their applications to Piper Trust in hard copy?
A: Though Piper Trust continues to accept hard copy grant requests delivered to its offices by hand or by mail, it strongly encourages applicants to submit grant requests online, as it is the Trust’s belief that this method eases the submission process. The Trust welcomes any feedback concerning improvements that might be made to the online submission method.
More Information
Q: May applicants phone Piper Trust staff with questions regarding prospective requests or requests for which funding was declined?
A: Piper Trust encourages applicants to phone program staff with questions about a prospective project, because this allows staff to determine whether the project accords with the Trust’s guidelines. (Grant proposals submitted online without any prior contact with Trust staff run the risk of falling outside of these guidelines.) And Trust staff stand ready to give specific reasons as to why a project was declined funding.
Q: May applicants meet Piper Trust staff to learn more about program guidelines and the application process?
A: Piper Trust holds “Piper 101″ public information sessions in the Trust’s offices the first Wednesday of each month, these sessions introduce new grantseekers to the Trust, its program guidelines, and its application process. In addition to reiterating the information presented on the Trust’s website, these sessions allow attendees to ask specific questions of Trust staff.
The Trust limits attendance in order to encourage an informal exchange of information. Reservations for each session are therefore required.