Frequently Asked Questions
A. DEFINITION
1. What is the Los Angeles Region?
The Los Angeles Region consists of the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and Orange.
2. In what program areas does the Foundation award grants?
The program areas listed on our web site are: Business and Economics (includes employment), Education, Demographics, Elections, Local Government, Natural Resources (includes Environment), Public Personal Services (includes Social Services), Public Safety, Transportation, and Archival/Public Information. Please note that program areas are assigned only after a grant is awarded and thus the program area designation plays no role in the selection process. The purpose of assigning program areas is to streamline searches for previous Haynes grants in a particular program area or areas.
3. Are there areas in which the Foundation does not make grants?
Examples of areas where funding is not provided are: fundraising events, dinners and mass mailings; direct aid to individuals; scholarships; conferences, seminars, workshops not related to Haynes-funded research; sectarian, religious or fraternal purposes; federated fundraising appeals; support of candidates for political office or to influence legislation.
4. How many grants are awarded each year?
The Foundation distributes a total of about $3M annually for new and existing grants and new fellowships.
5. How often are proposals considered?
The Foundation’s Board considers major research grant proposals four times a year; archival grants, doctoral dissertation fellowships and faculty fellowships are each considered once each year.
6. When and how will I know if my proposal has been accepted or rejected?
All proposals are acknowledged upon receipt. Proposals submitted to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees typically take two to three months for consideration from the applicable proposal deadline and all proposers will be promptly notified in writing of the result by the Board.
7. To whom should proposals or questions be addressed?
The John Randolph Haynes Foundation, 888 West Sixth Street, Suite 1150, Los Angeles, CA 90017, Telephone: 213-623-9151, info@haynesfoundation.org
8. Can you help us write the grant proposal?
No. Applicants should follow our guidelines in preparing a proposal and contact the Foundation if they have a question.
9. Does the Foundation have specific formal requirements for proposals?
Yes. The requirements differ for each type of grant and fellowship, so consult the “How To Apply” section of the website, as well as any supporting Guidelines that are provided. Among the requirements, please note that: all types of proposals should be printed double-sided; fellowship proposals have specific page limitations and must be double-spaced in 12 point type face; and grant proposals do not have specific page or spacing requirements, but must be printed on three-hole punched paper, with 12 point type face preferred but not required. All submissions should consist of five (5) packets or copies (formerly, the requirement was 15).
10. Can you send me an application form?
There is no application form. See our “How To Apply” section on-line.
11. Are there limits to: a) the length of a grant proposal? b) the duration or the amount of a grant? c) the amount of a grant?
Regarding Grants, a) the proposal should be as long as it needs to be to describe the proposed project, but no longer, b) the duration of a grant depends on the complexity of the proposed project; the duration of most grants is one to two years, and c) the amount of the grant should closely track the proposed statement of work and should be described in the proposed budget. The principal topic of expenses should typically be the direct costs of the researcher(s).
12. Are there limits to: a) the length of a fellowship proposal b) the duration or the amount of a fellowship c) the amount of a fellowship?
Regarding fellowships, a) the proposal for a faculty fellowship should be two pages and for a doctoral dissertation six pages, b) they are typically awarded early in a calendar year (year 1) and a final report is due by August 1 of the next year (year 2), and c) the faculty fellowship award is $16,000 and the doctoral dissertation fellowship award is $26,000. See the guidelines for more detailed regarding Fellowships.
13. Do applicants for grants or fellowships require to possess any specific academic credentials?
An applicant for a Faculty Fellowship must be a full-time faculty member at a four-year college or university located in the Los Angeles Region. An applicant for a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship must be accepted as a candidate for a Ph.D. at one of the seven universities in the Los Angeles Region that grant a Ph.D. in the social sciences. An applicant for a Major Research Grant or an Archival Grant is not required to possess a particular academic degree. However, the Foundation considers the applicant’s academic achievements as one factor in its review of the applicant’s proposal.
14. Can we meet with someone to discuss a possible proposal?
No. Due to limited resources, the Foundation staff does not meet with applicants prior to the submission of written materials. Also, all proposals are reviewed and acted upon solely by the Trustees. Unlike many other foundations, the Haynes Foundation does not utilize program offices, nor does it pre-qualify applicants.
15. Where can we find a list of representative grants the Foundation has recently made?
Highlight data is available on-line at “Search Archive” and “News” at the Foundation’s website.
16. How can I get a copy of the Foundation’s latest Annual Report or latest Newsletter?
Copies of these documents are available on-line in the “News” sections.
B. FUNDS/FUNDING
1. Whom does the Haynes Foundation fund?
The Foundation supports innovative and comprehensive academic social science research into public policy for the Los Angeles Region. The majority of the Foundation’s funding is devoted to the direct costs associated with the work of the Principal Investigator(s) and supporting researchers, including post-doctoral students.
2. Is there a quota for grants in specific areas of funding?
No. Successful grants are assigned to a program area only after the proposal has been reviewed and approved.
3. For accepted grants and fellowships, what payment arrangements does the Foundation use?
For grants, the Foundation’s payments are made periodically during the proposed duration of the effort. Payments are made at six-month intervals. The last payment, which constitutes at least 20% of the total grant, will be made after the receipt of an acceptable final report. For fellowships, the specified payment will be made to the institution, up-front, in a lump sum. An acceptable final report is due to the Foundation by August 1st of the year following the award. The timing is important because all final reports are reviewed by the Board in the Fall of each year.
4. I intend to apply soon to the Haynes Foundation for a Major Research Grant, but I must start budget and schedule the project now to conform to my institution’s academic calendar. What start date should I use in my proposal?
The Haynes Foundation will fund approved grants on the payment schedule described in the above FAQ. The earliest start date should be the first day of a month and should be at least six weeks after the due date for submitting the proposal.
5. What types of expenses does the Foundation generally fund and not fund?
When considering and preparing a grant proposal budget, applicants are reminded that the Foundation does not fund expenses for general operations, significant air travel, commercial subcontracts, infrastructure, capital, training, or dissemination of results (e.g., conferences, films, book publishing). However, the Foundation will periodically consider supporting the dissemination of results of completed studies that were funded by the Foundation.
6. Does the Foundation fund overhead costs?
The Foundation will reimburse the institution annually for overhead at the rate of 10% (replaces 15% figure beginning in Fiscal Year 2010-2011) of the grant and fellowship payments made to the institutions during the Foundation’s previous fiscal year (September through August).
7. Does the Foundation seek to fund projects relating to Medicine and to the Arts, such as film, music or dance projects?
The field of interest of the Haynes Foundation is innovative and original Social Science research related to public policy for the Los Angeles region. In many cases, art and medical projects have only an incidental relationship to public policy research. However, other Foundations have chosen medicine or art as their principal field of interest. A useful reference on US foundations and their fields of interest is the Foundation Directory, published by the Foundation Center. It is available in many public libraries.
8. My organization is interested in obtaining funds from the Haynes Foundation; my organization will in turn award their funds to deserving organizations and individuals. Does the Haynes Foundation support this approach?
No. With only a few pre-existing, special exceptions, the Foundation’s Board prefers to review individual proposals and make awards to support the principal investigators and their organizations, and not other contractors.
9. Does the Haynes Foundation ever make research grants to professors in other states who are investigating policy issues of LA?
The Haynes Foundation does accept proposals for major research grants and archival grants from qualified non-profit institutions anywhere in the US, as long as the focus of the research is the Los Angeles Region. However, with regard to the Foundation’s faculty and doctoral dissertation fellowship program, applicants should note that these programs are specifically targeted to faculty and Ph.D. candidates at certain schools in the Los Angeles Region and like the Foundation’s other programs, seek innovative research into local data that has the potential to impact public policy and public policy makers in the Los Angeles Region.
10. I have received a grant or fellowship and would like to request additional funding from the Haynes Foundation
As a general rule, the Haynes Foundation does not provide follow-on funding. If such follow-on funding is requested, such requests will be treated and should be submitted as completely new proposals. The new proposal can reference the past work performed pursuant to the original proposal. However, the new proposal should focus on the work that the principal investigator hopes to accomplish under the new proposal. No work that was proposed or funded in the original proposal should be proposed to be accomplished in the subsequent new proposal.
11. Do you give grants to individuals?
No. Grants are awarded only to qualified non-profit institutions.
12. Will the Haynes Foundation consider loans?
No. Loans, or program related investments, are not provided by the Foundation.
13. Does the Haynes Foundation grant money to commercial businesses?
No. The Foundation does not fund for-profit organizations or businesses.
C. PREPARATION/PROCESSING
1. Are guidelines available for grants and fellowships?
The Foundation website, www.haynesfoundation.org, contains information about its grants and fellowships and how to apply. The web site also contains the latest annual report and newsletter.
2. The Foundation’s current Guidelines call for submission of 5 copies of the written proposal, as well as a single PDF copy of the entire proposal. May the PDF be treated as my official proposal?
No. The five (5) written copies of each complete proposal are required and constitute the official proposal. However, along with the 5 written copies, the single PDF file of the complete proposal assists the Foundation in processing and storing the official proposal.
3. Do you also require that an electronic Proposal Information Form (PIF) be submitted at about the same time as the proposal?
Yes. While the PIF is not a part of the proposal package, the PIF ensures that the Foundation has, in electronic form, the basic data it needs to process the proposal.
4. Do you require a notice of intent before submitting a proposal?
No, the Proposal Information Form (PIF) serves as a Notice of Intent to apply. Please complete this online form as soon as possible so the Foundation knows that a proposal is on its way.
5. I am applying for several different grants or fellowships. If successful, I may have to decline an award from the Haynes Foundation. Should I wait to decline until after the Haynes Foundation notifies me of an award?
No. By applying, each applicant (e.g., the principal investigator, the institutional representative, the institution) assumes the obligation to advise the Foundation promptly whenever the applicant becomes aware that a prospective or current award will be declined. Letters of acceptance are not necessary and are discouraged.
6. Is it desirable to include technical jargon in the proposal?
No. All accepted proposals are personally reviewed by the Trustees. All proposals should be written for the educated layperson, who is informed but is not necessarily familiar with terms of art used only within fields of academia. Technical jargon should be avoided.(Option: Having a layperson provide comments on a draft may be useful). Applicants are also encouraged to review the backgrounds of the current Trustees.
7. Should we wait to hear from you before applying to others?
No. It is a good idea to submit applications to multiple sources of funding.
8. We have applied for or received other grants to fund the same work. Should we disclose that information in our application?
Yes. Our Guidelines require that applicants specifically identify other support being received by the Principal Investigator for the proposed work, and for related projects.
9. After a grant is awarded, may the principal investigator substitute the name of a different organization to receive the funds?
No. The identity of the grantee is an important element of the proposal and should be discussed and decided before the proposal is submitted.
10. Are proposals accepted by fax or e-mail?
The applicants are requested to submit a PIF on-line and to provide a single PDF file of the complete application via email, along with 5 hard copies via mail.
11. May a single institution submit multiple proposals for a single deadline?
Yes. There is no institutional quota on proposals or grants.
12. I am considering submitting an archival grant proposal; what issues should I address in my proposal?
Please review the “Program” and “How To” information regarding the archival grants program which is found on-line at the Foundation’s web site. In your proposal, it is useful to address the social science significance of the archive, the number of items in the archive, whether the archive is still collecting materials or whether it is closed, and whether other private or public sources of funding have been considered and what was the result of that consideration. Historically, Trustee decisions have supported archives that: are of significant value to the social science community; are closed and their creator defunct; and lack alternative sources of funding.
13. Would you accept electronic submission of the proposals?
Yes, applicants are asked to submit a single PDF file of the complete application via email, along with 5 hard copies via mail.
14. I am planning to deliver the 5 required proposal packets by hand. Is this acceptable?
Yes but mail is preferred. The address is: 888 West Sixth Street, Suite 1150, Los Angeles, California 90017-2737. All proposals are due at our office by 3 pm on or before the applicable deadline date.
15. I am applying for a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and my faculty advisor would like to forward his/her letter of support in a sealed envelope, is this acceptable?
The author should send a PDF of their recommendation letter to info@haynesfoundation.org referencing the applicant’s name and title of the proposal.
16. Should we send letters of support with our letter of intent or with a proposal?
Specific letters are required in support of Fellowship applications. See our “How To Apply” section on-line. As for Grant proposals, while they are not necessary, a well-written, focused and authoritative letter can in fact strengthen a request.
17. The Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship application requires a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s faculty advisor with an estimation of the completion date. Is the content of this letter important?
Yes, this letter is an integral part of the application. Experience has shown that this letter can be an important part of the proposal process if it is specific, focuses on the research and the researcher, and adds content and context that will aid our Trustees in their review. Please note that the DDF Guidelines now call for the faculty advisor to send a PDF of their recommendation letter to info@haynesfoundation.org referencing the applicant’s name and title of the proposal.
18. As part of the fellowship procedures, applicants are asked to include a “written indication of institutional support.” What information is needed in this letter?
The Foundation uses this letter to confirm in advance the name of the specific institution, the institution’s acceptance of administrative and fiscal responsibilities resulting from an award, and the name of the administrative/fiscal point of contact, that is separate and distinct from the PI. The Foundation makes payments to qualifying organizations, never to Principal Investigators or individuals.
19. In the section titled “Organization Information,” the PIF asks for the name of a contact. What type of contact is this?
The contact we seek is a person at your institution who would have fiscal and/or administrative responsibilities with regard to the award of a grant or fellowship.
20. We recently submitted a proposal and were declined. May we re-submit?
An immediate resubmission of essentially the same proposal is unlikely to result in a grant.
21. Our proposal was declined. Can you tell us why?
Competition for grant funds is intense and a number of factors determine if a proposal is declined. Most frequently, it is because we are unable to fund every request we receive. The staff and Board of Directors look for exemplary programs and projects that best meet the Foundation’s areas of interest.
22. We received a grant or a fellowship and we are preparing the required reports to the Foundation. To whom should the report be addressed and what format should we follow?
A final report should be written for and addressed to the Trustees of the Haynes Foundation, Dr. Jane G. Pisano, President. The format in terms of type size, spacing and readability should be similar to the format of the original proposal. In terms of content, the final report should, at a minimum, connect the research and results to the hypothesis and plan of action laid our in the proposal.