Our Process and Approach

Our Grantmaking Process

There are a variety of ways organizations receive a grant from Barr. In most years, the majority of our grants support organizations we’ve previously funded. Yet, 15% to 30% of Barr grants help fund organizations we’ve never supported before. Learn about the different ways we make grant decisions at Barr below.

Building on Existing Partnerships

We consider deep partnerships essential to making a positive difference in the communities we serve, so we prioritize long-term relationships with organizations that share our vision and make a clear impact year-to-year. Many of our grants are multi-year commitments without set term limits. When a grant period ends, we often renew our support or fund new initiatives. Even when we don’t renew a grant, we remain in close contact and on the lookout for new opportunities to continue our partnership in the future.

Proposals Invited by Staff

To stay informed about needs and opportunities for impact, our team spends a great deal of their time in communities, engaging with leaders, residents, and experts. These conversations can lead to invitations by Barr staff to submit a grant proposal.

Requests for Proposals

On occasion, Barr issues open requests for proposals (RFPs), to provide broad access to opportunities, and to help us stay curious and open to new ideas and possibilities. To learn about RFP opportunities, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter.

Inquiries From Potential New Partners

Through the pathways outlined above, we aim to remain open to new ideas and partners. Yet, we know our networks have limits. So, we also welcome inquiries from people who’ve taken a look at our goals and strategies and want to introduce themselves to the relevant members of our team. We encourage you to review our program pages and submit inquiries via the forms you’ll find there.

What We Don’t Fund

Barr does not make grants to individuals or for scholarships. It is also rare for Barr to fund capital projects or event sponsorships, except on occasion for longstanding partners.