THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
LETTER OF INQUIRY
ELIGIBILITY, GUIDELINES, AND INSTRUCTIONS
Please read carefully before beginning the LOI process. More info: www.mdbf.org
Organizational Eligibility Requirements
 Organizational expenses of $5 million and under.
 501 (c) (3) must be located in NC or NY. If the organization’s 501 (c) (3) is in another state
with operations in NC or NY, the organization is not eligible to apply.
 Projects must be for the benefit of NC or NY residents.
Ineligible requests
 General operating support.
 Support for ongoing programs or projects. Projects that have been operating for 4 or more
years are considered ongoing.
 Capital requests: construction, renovation, or purchase of a building; endowments.
 Projects that will be substantially completed when funding decisions are made.
 Grants to individuals.
 Season support for performing arts organizations.
 Health/human services projects, even if for less advantaged groups.
Grant range: $3,000-$5,000
Current Funding Interests: The foundation is particularly interested in the arts, youth
education, and programs that serve less advantaged populations. We particularly encourage
collaborative efforts and projects that blend our funding interests.
Annual Deadlines, Timeline, and Process
March decision
Advance Conversations
September 1-September 30
LOIs accepted
October 1-October 25
LOI response
*October 30
Full proposal deadline
*December 1
*or next business day
Grant decision
March 15
September decision
March 1-March 31
April 1-April 25
*April 30
*June 1
September 15
The foundation welcomes conversations to discuss projects in advance of the LOI period. Please
call 919-493-5591 to schedule. We will respond by the end of the LOI month to let you know if a
full proposal will be considered. Accepting a full proposal does not imply funding.
LOI Instructions
 Please complete the attached LOI form and email it to info@mdbf.org.
 Font must be Times New Roman 12 point and margins 1 inch.
 The completed document will consist of the cover page and a 1-page LOI detail. We will not
accept any other information.
 You may change the amount of space within the 4 project questions if you need more space
for one question but less in another. However, the LOI detail may not be more than 1 page.
THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
LETTER OF INQUIRY
Organization Name:
(if using a fiscal sponsor, please give both organizations’ names)
City/State:
Contact name and title:
Contact email and phone:
Date:
REQUEST OVERVIEW
Project Title:
# of people served:
Amount requested:
Project cost:
Grant start/end dates:
How long has the project been operating?
Funding area(s): (check all that apply)
Arts
Youth Education
Less Advantaged
LEAVE BLANK
THE MARY DUKE BIDDLE FOUNDATION
LETTER OF INQUIRY
1. Describe the purpose of the project or need to be addressed. Who does the project
serve?
2. Please summarize the activities/methods to be undertaken to address the project’s
purpose/need. Please indicate the frequency and duration of the activities. EG:
participants meet weekly for 2.5 hours for 10 weeks.
3. Describe the anticipated results of the project.
4. How would grant funds be used? If the requested amount will not fully cover the cost,
what are the other sources of funds?