FAQS for Applicants
Who can apply for an Opportunity Fund grant?
The Opportunity Fund awards grants to organizations that have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and to certain governmental entities.
The Opportunity Fund does not make grants directly to groups without 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or to organizations located outside of the United States. We cannot make grants to individuals.
Can groups that do not have 501(c)(3) status apply through a fiscal sponsor?
Yes. However, because the Opportunity Fund can only award grants to 501(c)(3) organizations, the entire grant request must come directly from the fiscal sponsor. In the Full Application, the fiscal sponsor must also submit a copy of the written sponsorship agreement executed with the sponsored group. It must be dated and signed by both parties. For more information about fiscal sponsorship, check out the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors.
The following is some additional guidance for entities applying with a fiscal sponsor:
- The LOI (and full application, if invited) must be submitted through the fiscal sponsor’s account on the Opportunity Fund online grant system. Check with your fiscal sponsor to see if they have an account, as many already do.
- Ask your fiscal sponsor to start an LOI, and then invite you to “Collaborate.” Please read these detailed instructions about inviting, and being, a collaborator.
- Fiscal sponsors, we recommend choosing the “Can Edit” permission so that the final submission comes from you as the fiscal sponsor.
- Once the LOI (or full application) is complete and everyone has reviewed it, the fiscal sponsor can submit.
Does the size of my organization matter?
Yes, if your organization is applying for arts funding. The Opportunity Fund focuses its arts funding on small to mid-size arts organizations, which we classify as organizations with annual budgets of $1.5 million or less.
That said, any nonprofit organization may apply for social and economic justice funding, regardless of its size.
My organization does not focus on and/or is not located in the greater Pittsburgh community. Is it still eligible for funding?
Yes, but only on a very limited basis and by invitation. Special priority is given to projects that benefit the greater Pittsburgh community. A minimum of 75% of our yearly awards are granted to organizations serving this region. We define the greater Pittsburgh community as Allegheny County and its surrounding area. If you have specific questions, contact Tiffany Wilhelm at twilhelm [at] theopportunityfund.org.
What types of activities does the Opportunity Fund support?
The Opportunity Fund offers both project-based grants and operational support. As a new funding entity, Opportunity Fund is continually finding and adjusting its focus. As such, past grants are not entirely indicative of what will be funded in the future.
Do art-related proposals that have social justice (or social praxis) components receive special consideration?
No. We believe in the inherent value of art. While our funding categories (the Arts, and Social & Economic Justice) may intersect, it is not a requirement that they do so. Further, no special priority is given when they do.
What does our focus on craft mean?
Our visual arts funding has a focus on craft. Our definition of craft emphasizes the handmade and the custom. It is centered on the concept of materiality, by which we mean the materials used and the skill in using them, both manually and conceptually.
Craft artists work with materials associated with folk and/or contemporary craft traditions: clay, glass, fiber, wood and metal. We celebrate practices rooted within a common ethnic heritage, geographic region, religious affiliation or occupation, just as we do those that expand upon these traditions through non-traditional materials, new technologies and experimental approaches.
What does our focus on Black-Led Movement Work mean?
The Opportunity Fund seeks to support activist organizing and movement work that:
- is led by a significant majority of people who are Black, African American, and/or of African descent;
- originates from Black-led community organizing and remains grassroots and community-centric;
- challenges, disrupts, and transforms existing power structures, when those power structures lead to disparate and unjust outcomes: benefitting some, disadvantaging others;
- is led by people who directly experience the disparate and unjust outcomes of those power structures, or by those whose work is deeply informed by directly affected people; and
- is structured to resist institutional pressures that often work to dilute visions and tame power.
We fund these movements’ visions, capacities, and strategic activities to work towards social and economic justice. This is our working draft definition of ‘Black-Led Movement Work.’ If you would like to suggest any changes, please share your thoughts.
How do we make grant decisions at the Opportunity Fund?
After each LOI deadline (January 15 or July 15), the Opportunity Fund’s staff team of three reads all of the submitted LOIs and meets to discuss which ones to invite to write a full proposal. We primarily look at eligibility and alignment with Opportunity Fund’s focus areas and values. We always receive more aligned LOIs than we can review in the full application process. Knowing this, if you apply and your proposal doesn’t get invited to the next step, feel free to feel free to ask us for feedback and guidance about whether it would be worthwhile to apply again in a future cycle.
Each cycle, we invite approximately 70 applicants to submit a full application, which is substantially fewer than the LOIs we receive. After the full applications are received, the staff team reviews them to check for missing information and/or any questions we might have. Then, each full application is reviewed by one of the following: an arts community panel, a social & economic justice community panel, or the Opportunity Fund’s Board of Directors who review both arts and social & economic justice applications. We may be in touch with you at any point during the process if questions arise.
Each group discusses approximately 23 full applications during a day-long process using a set of criteria. The process includes going through each application one by one. Then the panel splits into small groups who make recommendations for funding amounts. The Opportunity Fund staff is not present for these small group conversations. The groups come back together to decide on final recommendations that then go to the Opportunity Fund staff for final reconciliation. Ultimately, the board approves the full list of grant awards.
Following three days of decision-making, the Opportunity Fund staff calls all applicants to let them know the outcome of our decisions. We’re happy to share feedback at this time, or anytime afterwards.
What is a typical award amount for Opportunity Fund grants?
Our grants typically range between $7,500 – $15,000. A $20,000 grant is large for us. If you wish to apply for an amount higher than that, please contact us first to discuss: twilhelm [at] theopportunityfund.org, (412) 362-1300.
Does the timing of my project or program impact when I should apply?
Yes. We recommend that the activities included in your program or project request take place after the award notification date. If you have a time-sensitive request, contact Tiffany Wilhelm at twilhelm [at] theopportunityfund.org. The timing of general operating request is more flexible. Contact us if you have questions.
If we receive a grant, how will we report back to the Opportunity Fund?
Final reports can be submitted in several ways.
- You can complete the Final Report in the Opportunity Fund’s online grant system.
- You are welcome to request a phone or video conversation instead of a written report. Contact us at info [@] theopportunityfund.org to schedule a date and time. Conversation topics will be modeled after those from the written form. You will still be required to submit a written Financial Summary and Project Budget Variance.
- Send us a report that you have prepared for another funder. The report must be applicable to the purpose and timing of the grant from the Opportunity Fund.
- If you are planning to apply again and your report deadline is near (within about a month) the January 15th or July 15th LOI deadlines, you may submit the final report as part of a new LOI submission.
What if things change during the grant period?
The Opportunity Fund understands that shifts may occur over the course of a grant period. If there are significant changes and/or you need to extend your grant End Date, please contact twilhelm [at] theopportunityfund.org in as timely a manner as possible.
Does the Opportunity Fund offer multi-year support?
Potentially. We recommend contacting us with specific questions: twilhelm [at] theopportunityfund.org.
Does the Opportunity Fund have a policy regarding overhead for university programs?
Yes. Any university that applies to the Opportunity Fund for financial support of one of its programs may allocate up to 10% of the awarded grant funds to support the university’s general overhead expenses.
How often can an organization apply for and/or receive funding?
Organizations may receive up to one grant from the Opportunity Fund in any given year (365-day period). For example, if an organization receives funding during Cycle 1 of the current year, they must wait until Cycle 1 of the following year to apply again. Generally, grant partners can apply to receive new funding around the time their final report for the current grant is submitted. Please reach out to us for clarification regarding the optimal timing for your organization.
An organization that applies for, but does not receive, funding from the Opportunity Fund is eligible to apply again the very next cycle.
How often can an organization acting as a fiscal sponsor apply for and/or receive funding?
In any given cycle, an organization acting as a fiscal sponsor for others may submit applications for an unlimited number of sponsored groups—and one to support its own work—as long as none of them have received funding from the Opportunity Fund within the last year (365 days).
Are you interested in being a grant review panelist with the Opportunity Fund?
We’d love to learn more about you and your interest here. Many community panelists are local to Pittsburgh, and some from elsewhere, both national and international. We invite panelists who have experience related to the proposals and who, together, create a diverse group of people with a wide range of identities, ages, and experience. Panelists receive a stipend for their time and contributions. We’re grateful to the many past community panelists who have supported our grantmaking since 2019.
What if I have trouble using the online application?
If you have problems, contact us for assistance: twilhelm [at] theopportunityfund.org, 412-362-1300