Application Process

How to Apply

The Connelly Foundation is currently accepting applications from organizations working in three of four program areas—Catholic Education, Human Services, and Arts & Culture. The Civic Renewal program area is currently focused on investments the Foundation has made in projects designed to celebrate America’s 250^th in 2026, including the administration of the Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial. The Foundation is therefore not accepting unsolicited civic renewal proposals at this time.

Applicants can preview or print a complete copy of the application and required documentation before starting their request.

If this is the first time your organization is applying for a Human Services grant and meets our eligibility criteria, click the button to the right to schedule an initial discussion regarding submitting an application. At this time, pre-proposal discussions are not required for requests under Catholic Education, Arts & Culture, and Civic Renewal.

Funding guidelines

schedule an intro call for human services only

proposal process

Application Submission

The Connelly Foundation may take up to 90 days to make a decision after a completed application is submitted. The average response time is 60 days.

proposal process

Returning Grantees

Returning grantees must submit a report for their most recent grant before reapplying or have satisfied their final grant report requirement.

submission  & Required elements

The Connelly Foundation's online grant application can be viewed and printed before applicants start their request. The application consists of a series of questions and required documentation.

Proposal Process Overview

There are no submission deadlines.
Organizations that meet all eligibility requirements that are submitting their first request under the Human Services portfolio must schedule a pre-proposal phone call. Click here to schedule.
Returning grantees must submit a report for their most recent grant before reapplying.
Applicants are asked to add mail@grantapplication.com to their address books to ensure successful receipt of system generated messages.
Applicants receive an email acknowledgment confirming receipt of the proposal upon successful online submission.
Foundation staff may contact applicants to request a conference call or site visit.
If a grant is awarded, grant recipients must return a signed copy of the approval letter to confirm acceptance of the grant terms. Approval letters include due dates for reports.

Required Proposal Information

The Connelly Foundation requires all proposal submissions to include the following information:

Grant Proposal Narrative.
Organizational Budget for current Fiscal Year.
Current Profit & Loss Statement.
Project/Program Budget, including income and expenses.
Committed and Prospective Funders List. Amounts and sources of revenue should be identified, listing which sources are committed or pending.
Two most recent audited financial statements. If financial statements are not audited, an appropriate substitute with an explanation will be considered.
Most recent IRS Form 990 with all required schedules and attachments.
Current list of board members and their affiliations.
One-paragraph description of each key staff member and their relevant qualifications.
Latest annual report or summary of the organization's activities in the past year.
IRS determination letter.

NOTE: Capital requests require additional documentation.

Capital-Specific Requirements

For new construction or renovation of an existing space, expenses should include a complete breakdown of all costs, including final bids, financing arrangements (if applicable), and visual renderings.

Application Portal

New Applications

The Foundation prefers electronic submission of grant requests via our online grants portal. Please click here to begin a new application.

new applications

In-Progress Applications

If you have already started a new application and need to return to it, please use the dropdown menu in your portal and toggle to 'In-Progress Applications' or click below.

In-progress applications