General FAQs

Do I have to be on a special list maintained by RWJF or otherwise be pre-qualified to respond to a call for proposals?

No. Any organization is welcome to respond to a call for proposals (CFP), although prospective applicants should read the CFP and sample of the proposal carefully to ensure that they meet eligibility requirements. To learn when CFPs are released, sign up to receive RWJF Funding Alerts or add a feed of CFPs to your news reader.

What types of organizations do you fund?

The vast majority of our funding is to nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Historically, a small percentage less than one percent of our funding has been to for-profit organizations, and always in instances where the institution's project is an excellent fit with our strategies and we felt they were best suited to do the work.

May I apply for this funding opportunity even if I am already funded by RWJF?

Yes, applicants that have other active RWJF grants may apply.

Can you share a copy of a successful proposal?

No, we consider proposals the intellectual property of the applicant and do not share them outside the Foundation.

If we are not chosen for this funding opportunity, will we still be eligible for other RWJF grant opportunities?

Yes, interested applicants may apply for other RWJF grants. To learn when CFPs are released, sign up to receive RWJF Funding Alerts or add a feed of CFPs to your news reader.

How long does it take for a proposal to be approved?

If a two-step process is used, which involves submitting a brief proposal and then a full proposal, the review and approval time is between four and seven months. When only a full proposal is required, the review and approval process is about three to four months. For award details regarding a specific call for proposals (CFP), please check the key dates outlined in the CFP.

Do you accept unsolicited proposals?

No. RWJF awards most grants through request for proposals or call for proposals.

Do you fund organizations and projects outside the U.S.?

We recognize that good ideas have no borders. We occasionally offer funding opportunities open to organizations outside of the United States that can help us learn from and adapt global ideas that can help build a Culture of Health in the United States. Organizations outside of the United States should check the eligibility requirements within the particular funding opportunity of interest to determine if the funding is limited to organizations in the United States and its territories.

To learn more about our global learning efforts visit Global Ideas for U.S. Solutions and sign up for email alerts to be notified when new solicited global funding opportunities are available.

Where can I view a sample Grant Agreement for my institution or organization?

Click on the links below to preview a grant agreement specific to your institution/organization.

Organizations that are Public Charities, Exempt Operating Foundations and Governmental Entities
Private Foundations Other than Operating Foundations
Private Operating Foundations
Organizations Not Exempt Under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)
Grants to Individuals

What changes were made to the grant agreements?

RWJF Grant Agreement—Summary of Key Changes

We have updated the terms of the agreements that govern our grants. This summary of key changes is intended to highlight some of the changes we have made. It is not a comprehensive list of the changes, so please be sure to review the applicable grant agreements carefully. When you review the updated grant agreements, please note the following:

• Intellectual Property
  • Because we want research we fund to be freely available to all upon publication, we have added an “open access” requirement to our grant agreements, which is applicable to any peer-reviewed publications resulting from our grants. Specifically, peer-reviewed publications must be made publicly available immediately upon their publication under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) or an equivalent license agreed to by us. More information about our open access policy is available here.
  • We have added a provision to make clear that our grantees continue to own any pre-existing intellectual property they use in connection with a project we fund.

• Conduct Standards and Notices. Because we seek to work with organizations and individuals who perform at the highest levels and who share our commitment to ethical conduct and practices, we have added:
  
  
  • Conduct standards to help ensure that our grantees seek to provide tolerant and civil workplaces, maintain adequate financial controls and systems, and, where conducting research or other academic activities, conduct that work in an ethical and honest manner; and
  • Provisions requiring notice to us if certain matters arise that raise significant legal and reputational concerns and may have a material impact on a grantee.

• Reporting Requirements. We have increased the time in which required reports must be delivered to us to sixty days (from thirty days);

• Form of Agreement. We have worked to simplify language throughout the grant agreements where possible and also have reorganized sections to provide an easier-to-read agreement, with added hyperlinks to make it easier for grantees to reference external materials that relate to the grant agreements. In addition, to be clearer as to what they are, we have changed the name of each form to “grant agreement” (from Letter of Agreement).

Because the new grant agreements address many changes frequently requested from grantees, organizations that may previously have negotiated changes to the terms of their grant agreements will be asked to use the new grant agreements going forward.

Does the Foundation make expenditure responsibility grants?

Yes. In these instances, additional documentation and reporting requirements are required. If selected for funding, details on reporting requirements will be provided.

What are my reporting obligations to RWJF?

Grantees of RWJF are responsible for reporting to the Foundation through financial reports, narrative reports, and a bibliography. Refer to your grant agreement and award letter for information on reporting requirements. Additional information on reporting obligations (including financial and narrative reports) is available in the Grantee Hub.

If you do not use Grantee Hub for reporting, please send an email to grantreports@rwjf.org.

If you are a grantee of a national program, these instructions are in addition to and do not replace the reporting requirements of your national program office. For information on those requirements, contact your national program office.

If you have questions about RWJF’s reporting requirements, please contact us.

How do I submit my reports and products to RWJF?

If you use Grantee Hub for reporting, please refer to your grant tile for instructions on how to submit reports and upload products.

If you do not use Grantee Hub for reporting, please send reports and products to grantreports@rwjf.org.

What financial reports do I need to file?

Please refer to your grant agreement and award letter for information on the financial reporting requirements.

What reporting should I do if my project changes or if I need to extend my grant?

If you use Grantee Hub for reporting, please refer to your grant tile for instructions on how to initiate a conversation to; request a grant extension, request a budget revision, or request a report extension.

If you do not use Grantee Hub for reporting, please send an email to grantreports@rwjf.org.

If the scope or objective changes, contact your RWJF program officer or your national program office if your project is funded under a RWJF national program, to determine what, if any, formal approval is required.

What if the project director transfers to a new organization, or the current organization can no longer provide support to the project, or the project itself becomes a separate organization and wishes to complete grant activities under its own name?

You may shift the responsibility for conducting grant activities from one grantee organization to another if the present grant has a balance of $20,000 or more in uncommitted/unexpended funds, and if both organizations involved agree to the transfer. Please refer to Transfer Grant Guidelines for more information.

To whom do I direct a request for a renewal grant?

Requests for renewals should be directed to your program officer.

How do I notify the Foundation of any changes to my contact information, or if I need to add, update or delete a grantee staff member?

To make any changes to contact information or update a grantee staff member, please contact your national program office or Foundation program officer.