FISA Foundation Grants

The FISA Foundation, based in southwestern Pennsylvania, is committed to advancing the health, safety, and inclusion of women, girls, and people with disabilities. Its grantmaking is guided by a set of equity-centered principles and strategic priorities, including the promotion of racial justice, disability inclusion, and gender equity. The Foundation explicitly prioritizes the needs of individuals with multiple marginalized identities, such as Black women and girls with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and immigrant communities. All grantmaking efforts align with three central approaches: improving individual lives, strengthening nonprofit organizations, and advancing systemic policy change. Grant proposals are only accepted from nonprofit organizations operating within a ten-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland. Eligible applicants must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or a qualified fiscal sponsor. FISA Foundation offers several types of grants, including general operating support, project-specific funding, capacity building, advocacy initiatives, and support for new or ongoing programs. All funded work must align with one of FISA’s three strategic priority areas: improving health and well-being, preventing violence, or removing societal barriers for its focus populations. FISA follows a structured, multi-stage application process beginning with a letter of inquiry (LOI), which is accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed monthly. LOIs should be 2–3 pages long and include a summary of the need addressed, a brief description of the project, and the requested funding amount. Submissions must be accompanied by a completed application form and emailed to info@fisafoundation.org. Within six weeks, applicants will be notified whether they are invited to submit a full proposal. Organizations invited to submit a full proposal will work directly with FISA staff to define the submission scope and deadline. Proposals typically include a cover letter, executive summary, narrative, project budget, and required attachments such as board demographics, executive leadership bios, and audited financials. FISA emphasizes diversity and transparency in governance and requires demographic information on board and staff leadership, including race, gender, and disability status. Full proposals must be submitted electronically, and applicants will receive confirmation upon receipt. The review process for grant applications involves both FISA staff and the Grant Review Committee, followed by consideration by the Board of Directors. The entire cycle from initial inquiry to final decision typically spans four months. Organizations receiving funding are required to submit post-award reports detailing the outcomes and evaluations of funded work, as specified upon grant approval. FISA Foundation does not fund individuals, political campaigns, religious purposes, travel, scholarships, aging-related disability services, mental health programs as a primary focus, accessibility renovations, or gender-neutral parenting programs. It prioritizes efforts with defined objectives and measurable outcomes that contribute meaningfully to advancing its strategic priorities in a historically underserved region.

Ensure projects align with strategic priorities; highlight evaluation methods and demographic inclusion; prepare attachments in advance.