Planning for Acquisition
Planning for Acquisition
In order to be considered for a grant, you must complete a Letter of Inquiry Application online by the January 15, 2013 or July 16, 2013 deadline.
Your Letter of Inquiry Application consists of the following:
1) Your answers to an Online Questionnaire.
2) Your completed 
Planning for Acquisition LOI Project Description Form, which requests more detailed information on your proposed project than the questionnaire.
3) The following additional attachments:
- A copy of your organization's IRS determination letter.
- A copy of your organization's most recent Illinois Charitable Organization Annual Report.
- A copy of your organization's current year summary budget.
- A map showing the location of the proposed planning area highlighting significant natural resources and previously protected natural areas.
Your Letter of Inquiry Application is the first step in our grant application process. The process is competitive. Some applicants may be invited to submit a Full Proposal at a lesser amount than originally requested, while other applicants may be declined at this stage altogether. The Full Proposal Application involves filling out another online questionnaire and uploading additional attachments. You will be notified by e-mail in two-months of whether your project was selected to move forward in the Foundation's grant application process.
The entire process last approximately four months from the time a Letter of Inquiry Application is received until awards are announced in early November.
Step 1: Review the Guidelines and Criteria prior to beginning your application.
Step 2: Gather the information that you will need to complete your Planning for Acquisition LOI Project Description Form and Online Questionnaire. It may be helpful to review the list of items below.
Items to Address in Planning for Acquisition LOI Application
- Click once to view the list. Click a second time to make the list collapse.
-
- The need for the proposed land acquisition planning project and a description of any previous land acquisition planning work in your focus area.
- The names of organizational partners who are committed to collaborating to develop the land acquisition plan or to work on the planning project proposed.
- The customers of your proposed work product, whether it be a plan or a map. Who specifically do you expect will use the results of your planning project to protect natural areas in Illinois?
- Your organization's history in purchasing and protecting natural areas in Illinois.
- Plans for ownership of the important natural areas to be highlighted for protection.
- Plans for public access to the sites which will be targeted for protection.
- Total project expenses.
- Proposed sources of funding and status of other applications.
Step 3: Download and complete the Planning for Acquisition LOI Project Description Form. Save it to your computer as you will need to attach it to your online application.
Step 4: Assemble digital versions of the following documents as you will need to attach them to your online application:
- A copy of your organization's IRS determination letter.
- A copy of your organization's most recent Illinois Charitable Organization Annual Report.
- A copy of your organization's current year summary budget.
- A map showing the proposed planning area highlighting signficant natural resources and previously protected natural areas.
Step 6: Review and submit your Online Letter of Inquiry Application. You will have an opportunity to review your materials before submitting your application. After you hit "Submit," you will receive an e-mail confirmation. If you do not receive an e-mail confirmation, please check your spam or junk folders for the message. If it is not there, please call the Natural Areas Program Area Officer at 312-372-5191 to ensure that we have received it.
Step 7: You may receive a follow-up e-mail or telephone call from the Foundation with additional questions regarding your funding request.
Step 8: You will be notified in approximately two months from the receipt of your application of the Foundation's decision on your LOI Application. After two months, some applicants will be asked to submit Full Proposals (also online), others will be asked to submit Full Proposals at lesser amounts than originally requested and some may be declined altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions related to the Foundation's Land Acquisition Grant Program.
Online Application Tutorial