An Important Note for Prospective Applicants: The Shield-Ayres Foundation has paused its open application process. Only organizations that have previously received funding from the Shield-Ayres Foundation are eligible to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI).
Please carefully review the Foundation’s funding priorities and grant guidelines. If your project fits within these specifications, you are welcome to complete an electronic Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Due to the volume of requests received each year, we cannot accept requests in the form of letters, proposals, or presentations.
Important Dates and Deadlines
LOIs must be received by February 15 and August 15 to be considered at the first and third quarterly board of directors’ meetings, respectively (held in mid-March and mid-September). The LOI form is posted online 4-6 weeks before the submission deadline.
The Foundation will review all inquiries and you will be notified if a grant proposal is warranted. Only applicants who have received a favorable response to their LOI can access the application to submit a full grant proposal.
Please know that the Foundation is unable to fund all worthwhile requests. A decision not to fund a request is typically not a reflection of the value of the applicant or program, but a result of limited resources.
Apply Online
To create an account, you will need to provide basic information about the organization you represent and a brief description of your funding request.
If you’ve forgotten your password, select forgot your password while logging on and follow the prompts; please do not create a second account. You can start an application and save your progress for submittal later.