The Rose & Daffodil 

APPLICATION

Our Rose and Daffodil grants are Priority Programs from which the majority of our philanthropy is directed each year. While these programs share a preliminary application (LOI) process, they vary in competitiveness and scope of inquiry. Click below to review other applications and grant programs.

Before applying:

We encourage applicants to consider these recommendations before submitting a preliminary application.

  • We don’t want ineligible organizations to unnecessarily pursue a grant. Review our eligibility criteria here.

    Note, too, that organizations pursuing a Rose or Daffodil Grant must have an operating budget of at least $250,000. Learn more about program criteria here.

  • In a competitive process, it can be tempting to exaggerate data or reframe narratives to be more agreeable to our interests. We will not issue funding to (and will likely bar from future funding) applicants that knowingly or intentionally misrepresent data, narratives, or financial information.

  • We aren’t always looking for the “obvious” response. In fact, for a single prompt, many responses carry little value on their own, but are instead given value in the context of other responses. Selecting the prompt that you think we want, instead of that which is most accurate or applicable, may position us to misunderstand or wrongly interpret your work.

  • With hundreds of applications received each cycle, it is challenging for us to permit applicants to edit or change applications once submitted. Please review your submission for accuracy, including financial statements and other attachments, before you submit.

  • We use your organizational profile (in our grant portal) to learn about your Mission and collect other data points. Updating that profile — including address and contact information — ensures that you don’t have to repeat information later in the application itself, leaving more room for new information or a more abbreviated response.

  • While we work to clarify confusing or incomplete responses, we are sometimes unable to do so depending on the scope of clarification needed. We especially encourage organizations to review financial statements for accuracy and clarity. Organizations should also keep character limits in mind (listed below).

  • As artificial intelligence resources expand, we recognize the value of these tools in reviewing narratives, revising content to meet character counts, or proof-reading material. While we do not oppose use of these resources, we remind applicants that you are singularly responsible for the content of your submission. Mistakes or errors made on AI platforms are the responsibility of the applicant.

Process Overview

  • Visit our grant portal here to create or update your organization’s account. If your organization is applying to the Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation for the first time, you’ll need to create a new account. If your organization has previous applied for funding, but you do not have your own unique user account, please contact us at grants@marielamfrom.org and we will be happy to assist you.

    We use your profile in our evaluation, so ensure that key details, contact information, and links are accurate. Plus, if you include information in your profile, you don’t need to include it in your application, giving you more room and space to share other important details.

  • Review the preliminary application prompts and questions below. If you don’t have financial statements or budget data easily accessible, review the required information and connect with your finance team to get the information you need before you dive into the application. It may also be helpful to review our FAQs page here.

  • It doesn’t matter when you submit during the open application period, but given the volume of preliminary applications we receive, we can rarely accept late submissions. Ensure you have plenty of time to address each prompt and coordinate with colleagues as needed.

    While we are glad to answer questions as quickly as possible, our capacity to meet with all applicants is limited. The sooner you ask questions, the more likely you will be to receive support and submit with ease.

  • Be mindful of the submission deadline. We have extended our open preliminary application (LOI) period as long as possible to ensure all applicants have sufficient time to apply. Consequently, our evaluation period is brief, and we are unlikely to accept late submissions, as all submissions are typically closed and exported shortly after the due date.

    If you feel unable to complete an application for a given deadline, you are welcome to apply in the next cycle. When the time comes, let us know if we can help you to move information from your draft preliminary application into your new one!

  • We hope to update organizations on the status of their preliminary application within a month of the application closing date.

    Finalists will be notified and provided with instructions for the next steps in completing the final application. Those who are not further considered for funding will be notified via email.

    Please ensure that your contact information is up to date!

Note to Applicants

We include our preliminary application (LOI) questions on our website as a courtesy and in an effort to award applicants additional time to prepare. The questions and prompts included here are subject to change and may not be precisely identical to those in our application. Additionally, the lists below are not comprehensive, with drop down options and some administrative prompts (e.g. secondary instruction) excluded. If a prompt is unclear to you on our website, please kindly first review it in the application (once open) before contacting us for clarifications.

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION (or LOI)

Multiple Choice

Data Entry

Attachment

Short Answer

Applicant Basics

These are fixed-choice prompts that help us to understand your organization type, structure, and key operations. You will not need to craft your own custom response, but rather you will select the answer(s) that most accurately represent your organization..

  • Entity Type: Please select whether your organization is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) public charity, a government entity, or a Tribal government.

  • Confirming Eligibility: Review our eligibility requirements before proceeding with the preliminary application.

  • Priorities: Which of our six priorities most align with your work?

  • Oregon Focus: How much of your work occurs in Oregon?

  • Oregon Impact: Where in Oregon is your geographic impact?

  • Media & Public Perception: In the last five (5) years has your organization navigated any litigation, harmful media coverage, or significant turmoil?

  • Subsidiaries: Does your organization have subsidiaries or affiliated entities?

  • Stability: In the last twelve (12) months, has your organization considered closure, sought emergency funding, or conducted employee layoffs?

Impact & Strategy

These fixed-choice prompts help to us understand key constituencies, types of engagement, and areas of focus. You will not need to craft your own custom response.

  • Age Demographic: Does your organization primarily serve young people or adults?

  • Individuals Served: How many unique individuals did your organization serve directly last fiscal year (e.g. clients, patients, students, etc.)?

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): As it pertains to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which of the following best describes your organization’s commitment at this time?

  • Constituent Input: In the last twelve (12) months, how many unique surveys or assessments have you conducted with those you serve?

  • Critical Partners: How many Oregon nonprofit organizations, government entities, and/or businesses would you describe as critical or essential partners, such that they significantly impact the nature of your work?

  • Constituent Focus: Does your work focus exclusively and specifically on any of the following demographic communities or groups? Options include communities such as BIPOC, Queer, Immigrant, Elderly, and more.

People & Culture

Fixed-choice prompts help us to understand the organizational workplace, opportunities or challenges for personnel, and how the organization approaches its culture. You will not need to craft your own custom response.

  • Employees: How many full-time employees work at your organization?

  • Retention: We know that staff retention within the nonprofit sector has been extremely challenging. Tell us how you have experienced this over the past twenty-four (24) months.

  • Benefits: Which of the following benefits are provided to full-time employees?

  • Cost of Living: How often does your organization provide cost of living (or comparable) annual compensation adjustments for employees?

  • Staff/Volunteer Training: How often does your organization conduct trainings or exercises for staff and/or volunteers that address diversity, equity, and/or inclusion?

  • Professional Development: What types of professional development opportunities does your organization offer to personnel?

Leadership & Governance

Fixed-choice prompts help us to understand operational management, board engagement, and applicable oversight. You will not need to craft your own narrative response.

  • Executive Leadership: How long has your current Executive Director (or comparable executive) been employed by your organization?

  • Board Members: How many people serve on your Board of Directors?

  • Board Credentials: Do any of your board members maintain the following specializations or credentials?

  • Board Representation: What percentage of your board identifies as being from the community or communities you aim to serve?

  • Board Training: How often does your organization conduct trainings or exercises for the board that address diversity, equity, inclusion and/or belonging?

  • Board Meetings: How often does your Board of Directors formally convene or meet together

  • Financial Oversight: How does your board ensure the financial accountability of the organization?

Financial Position (All Applicants)

The following multi-type prompts help us to understand operational management, board engagement, and applicable oversight. You will not need to craft your own narrative response.

  • Unplanned Deficits: In the last five (5) fiscal years, how many unplanned budget deficits has your organization reported?

  • Recent Grants: How many foundation (private, public, or corporate) grants have you been awarded in the last twelve (12) months?

  • Recent Grant Details: Enter the three (3) largest total grants committed to the organization by foundations in the last twenty-four (24) months.

  • Government Grants: In the last twenty-four (24) months, has your organization received any government grants?

  • New Funding: Has your organization received any new sources of major funding (e.g. grants, donations, contracts) in the last twelve (12) months?

  • Lost Funding: Has your organization lost any sources of major, reoccurring funding (e.g. grants, donations, contracts) in the last twelve (12) months?

  • Individual Donors: How many unique individual donors did you report in your last complete fiscal year?

  • Current Operating Budget: Please upload your current operating budget.

  • Operating Revenues: What are your total anticipated operating revenues for your current operating year?

  • Operating Expenses: What are your total anticipated operating expenses for your current operating year?

  • In-Kind Percent: For organizations who include in-kind support in your budget, approximately what percentage of the revenues anticipated above are in-kind suppor

  • Importance of In-Kind: To what extent does your organization rely on in-kind support?

  • Balance Sheet: Please upload a recent Balance Sheet, dated January 1, 2025, or later.

    • Cash Balance: According to your balance sheet, what is your organization's cash balance?

    • Unrestricted Percent: What percentage of your cash balance above is unrestricted?

Financial Position (for those filing an IRS Form 990)

Since many applicants may not have updated public records (e.g. Candid profiles), the following helps us to understand your most recent filings with the IRS. You will not need to craft your own narrative response.

  • 501(c)(3) Status: How long has your organization been an independent 501(c)(3) public charity?

  • Form 990: Please upload your most recent Form 990 or 990-EZ.

    • Total Revenue: Enter the total revenue reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 12) or 990-EZ (line 9).

    • Total Expenses: Enter the total expenses reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 18) or 990-EZ (line 17).

    • Total Assets: Enter the total assets reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 20) or 990-EZ (line 25).

    • Total Liabilities: Enter the total liabilities reported in your most recent Form 990 (line 21) or 990-EZ (line 26).

Grant Program & Design

The following fixed-choice prompts help us to understand the type of funding you hope to pursue and will inform our discussions and evaluations if your Preliminary Application (LOI) is approved.

  • Project Name: Please enter a project name to be used as a unique identifier among your organization’s grant requests.

  • Ideal Funding Level: What level of funding would you hope to receive as your annual award amount? Select a range.

  • Preferred Distribution of Funds: If awarded, would you prefer a one, two, or three installments at the amount listed above?

  • Award Type: Would you prefer to receive an outright award or matching award?

Narrative Responses

We recognize that much of this Preliminary Application (LOI) is fixed-choice or data-driven. The following prompts give applicants the opportunity to share their values, impact, and needs in their own words. While we accept the use of artificial intelligence tools to meet word count requirements, we remind applicants that they are ultimately responsible for the content submitted.

  • Equity and Inclusion: How does your organization address the needs of underrepresented groups and ensure equitable opportunities and treatment in programs, policies, and practices? (1,000 character limit)

  • Operational Impact: Describe your organization’s impact and community achievements. What data or figures can you share that capture your present-day and long-term impact in the community? If applicable, please also share impact narratives that data may not adequately capture. (1,000 character limit)

  • Organizational Need: All of our applicants report a need for philanthropic support. What can you share with us that helps us to better understand and contextualize your need for financial support comparable to that of other applicants? If there are other organizations in your region or service area doing comparable work, how are you unique from them and how do you leverage that distinction to collaborate together? (1,000 character limit)

  • Additional Context (Optional): Please use this space if you’d like to provide any additional context or information related to any of the prompts answered above. (1,000 character limit)

FINAL APPLICATION

In general, our final application is unique in that the prompts and questions assigned to applicants are personalized to each organization.

We use your Preliminary Application (LOI) responses and other resources (e.g. website, Form 990) to curate specific questions relevant to our own learning. This eliminates time spent on irrelevant questions and expedites the application process. Final application questions will be assigned to applicants when the application is made available to them. Additional questions or prompts may be assigned by Program Officers during the evaluative process.

While much of the final application is unique, all of our applicants will be asked to address the following prompt, which helps us to understand where your organization is headed or what it aims to achieve in the year(s) ahead:

What is one strategic goal or objective that your organization expects to address during the term of this grant?