Proposal Submission for the Virginia Program

General Grant Criteria and Documentation

  • VEE makes grants to nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organizations and institutions and governmental agencies.
  • VEE encourages requests for specific projects that promise measurable results to improve the environment.
  • In addition, VEE is interested in knowing how, if at all, your proposal might positively impact traditionally under-served areas, low income and socially vulnerable communities; engage people of color; and/or improve the environmental quality of life for these communities and individuals.
  • Applicants should describe specifically how they propose to measure the success of a grant project.
  • Grant funds are not provided for general support, overhead, indirect costs, capital projects, land purchases, building construction or renovation, endowments, lawsuits, or to individuals.
  • Projects are required to have matching funds in amounts equal to or in excess of the grant request.  Challenge grants may be offered to provide leverage in fundraising.
  • Proposals must be complete and submitted by the deadline.
  • Grants must align with the mission and priorities of VEE.
  • Proposals that are clearly outside the purposes and geographic limitations of our grant-making programs may be declined without further review.
  • Grantees are required to submit periodic reports of progress, expenditures, and results. Approved grants are paid in installments, generally on a reimbursement basis.
  • VEE does not reimburse project costs that are incurred before the authorization date of any grant that the Board awards.  Grants are typically awarded in October and April.
  • Each year VEE receives requests far in excess of available funds. In fairness to others, applicants are asked not to apply to the Virginia program more than once a year.
  • Proposals previously denied by VEE should not be resubmitted without prior authorization from the Endowment.
  • VEE does not accept unsolicited pure research proposals. VEE will consider proposals for applied research that have a direct tie to policy outcomes consistent with VEE’s priorities but only upon review of a one-page Letter of Intent received at least four weeks prior to the application deadline. After review of the Letter, VEE will notify an applicant whether it may submit a full proposal.

Required Documentation

  • A cover letter identifying the applicant, project title, grant request, matching funds, project schedule.
  • A project description, limited to five pages, clearly stating the need for the project, goals and objectives and how they will be achieved, how project results will be measured, and relationship to other work being done in the field.  It is suggested that the description include aspects of Collective Impact or collaboration, when applicable.
  • A description of the organization, names and qualifications of key project staff, a list of the members of the governing board, the current operating budget, and a copy of the current tax-exempt ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, if applicable.
  • A line-item budget for the proposed project, showing total project costs, the amount and proposed allocation of grant funds requested from the Endowment, and all sources and amounts of matching funds, which must be equal to or exceed the requested grant.
  • The project schedule, with specific beginning and ending dates for requested grant support. Board decisions about proposals are normally made in April and October.
  • A detailed plan for evaluating and disseminating project results, for continuing project activities, and for raising future financial support, if applicable.

Please email the proposal signed by the organization’s chief executive officer or board chair, along with a cover letter, by the application deadline to info@vee.org.  Please submit the proposal as a Word document.

Application Deadlines

Proposals must be received by VEE at info@vee.org by 5 p.m. (ET) on June 15 for the June round and December 1 for the December round.  When the date falls on a weekend or holiday, the following business day will be the deadline. VEE has a strict policy on receipt of complete proposals by the specified deadline. The Board normally makes its decisions on proposals in April (for the December round) and October (for the June round).

The Kanawha and Ohio River Valleys Program is closed to new applicants.

Email Address

info@vee.org