The following frequently asked questions are intended to help applicants know more about the process and content of Brindle Foundation’s grant-making. If these questions and answers do not address your concerns, please reach out to Mary Nell Wegner, Brindle’s Executive Director, or William Townley, program officer, at staff@brindlefoundation.org.
Questions about eligibility to apply for a grant
Q: If my organization has never applied for a grant from the Brindle Foundation before, is there any kind of screening or pre-application process that I need to do?
A: Yes. Please contact Brindle staff to schedule a conversation so we can confirm that your organization’s priorities align with Brindle’s. Email our staff at the address above and be prepared to briefly discuss your project, program, or service idea, as well as your geographic location. If there is strong alignment, we will email you a link to the foundation’s portal so you can begin your application.
Q: If my organization has submitted a proposal in the past to the Brindle Foundation, are we eligible to apply again?
A: Yes. Regardless of whether an earlier proposal was funded, Brindle Foundation does not limit the number of times an organization may apply for a grant.
Q: My organization addresses early childhood through work in pre-K. Do you fund any pre-k programming?
A: Brindle Foundation’s primary focus in its Early Childhood Initiative is prenatal to age 3. However, if you can show that your organization’s work also addresses needs before pre-K, you are welcome to apply.
Q: My agency works only in direct service for children 0-3 in a NM county other than the seven northern counties mentioned (Colfax, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos) and also not on tribal land. Are we still eligible to apply under the direct services track?
A: No. Eligibility for direct services work is limited to the counties listed above and to tribal lands statewide.
Q: We are an organization that offers direct services in indigenous communities that cross over into other states. Are we eligible to apply?
A: Yes. Brindle recognizes that county and state boundaries are artificial and that the way these lines were drawn has a problematic history. As long as the services provided on tribal land include a portion of New Mexico, contiguous territory is also considered eligible, even if it crosses into neighboring states. Tribal lands that are physically separate from New Mexico are not eligible.
Q: If my agency gets public as well as private funding, are we eligible to apply?
A: Yes. Brindle Foundation considers nonprofit and public-sector organizations eligible to apply if they are recognized by the IRS as nonprofit, work with a fiscal agent or sponsor that is recognized as nonprofit, or are a U.S. government or tribal government entity. If you work with a fiscal agent, the portal will ask for information identifying that organization, a key contact, how the check should be written, and where it should be mailed if your application is successful.
Q: My organization is a nonprofit with a religious focus. Are we eligible to apply?
A: Brindle funds organizations affiliated with religious institutions, but the foundation does not fund programs with an explicitly religious focus and programs must be inclusive of people regardless of faith.
Q: We would like to apply for Brindle support but do not have an organizational non-discrimination policy. Can we still apply?
A: If your organization does not yet have a non-discrimination policy, you will be asked to submit a written policy signed by the board chair and executive director before being deemed eligible to apply. We offer ideas for what this could look like here.
Questions about funding
Q: Is there a maximum amount of funding we may request?
A: First-time applicants are usually eligible to request up to $20,000. The amount depends on the size of the organization and the work proposed. Organizations that have already received Brindle funding and successfully met the goals outlined in their proposal may request more funding.
Q: How many applications may one organization submit in a given year?
A: An organization may submit two applications per year: one individual application and one partnership application. For example, if organization A forms a partnership with organization B, organization A may submit one proposal on its own and one proposal as part of the partnership.
Q: How do we apply as a collaboration or partnership if we also want to apply as an individual organization?
A: The registration process is the same whether you apply as an individual organization or as a partnership. If your organization already has a login, you will need to register a separate profile for the partnership. Choose a different username from your existing email login. The same email address may be used in the email field for both applications; only the username must be unique. One organization must be identified as the primary partner responsible for the collaboration. The portal will ask you to name that organization and provide its contact details.
Questions about two-year grants
Q: Does the Brindle Foundation ever fund multi-year grants?
A: The Brindle Foundation funds both one- and two-year grants. If interested in a two-year grant, please explain why this timeframe is important in your proposal narrative and include a budget for the second year in the budget template.
Q: How do we specify that we are applying for a two-year grant?
A: In the grant application portal, you will be asked to select the desired grant duration. If you are applying for a two-year grant, select two years and complete an annual budget for each year using the budget template. The year 1 column is green, and the year 2 column is blue.
Q: If my organization applies for a two-year grant, is there any expectation of a “step down” budget—or year 2 having a smaller budget than year 1?
A: No. Brindle does not expect budgets to decrease over time.
Q: What are the reporting requirements for two-year grants?
A: You will hear from Brindle staff in late April/early May, requesting information on your progress either in the form of a conversation with staff or a short interim report. At 11 months, in November, you will provide another update that also includes financial information. This pattern will continue until the end of the grant. In the final year, you do not need to schedule a November conversation, but you will be asked to submit a final report summarizing the project’s achievements and challenges and accounting for funds spent during the full two-year grant period.
Q: What if we do not make the progress we expect to in year one? Will we still receive year 2 funding?
A: Generally, year-one funds must be spent before Brindle releases additional funds. In some cases, exceptions may be made if you are only slightly underspent and need to use year 2 funds early in the second year. Please contact Brindle staff as early as possible. These decisions are made case by case.
Q: If we have an active two-year grant, may we apply during the regular RFP cycle for another grant?
A: While, generally, organizations can only have one active grant with Brindle at a time (or a second if involved in a partnership), we are always interested in learning more about emerging ideas. Please be in touch with us if you have an idea you want to discuss, regardless of your current grant status.
Q: What if we have a two-year grant and we realize, based on challenges or ideas that emerge in the first year, that we may want or need to change course?
A: The Brindle Foundation believes in the value of communication. Just let us know as soon as possible and we will discuss what you are learning, as well as see how we might be more flexible. In general, we ask for all grantees to err on the side of more communication, rather than less.
Questions about the grantmaking schedule
Q: When will we know if we have been successful in our grant application process? If successful, when will we receive the funds?
A: Decisions will be made by our Board of Trustees in the fall of 2026 and organizations will be notified of the decision made. If your application is successful, funds will be dispersed in late November/early December.
Q: What is the process for receiving the funds?
A: If your application is successful, you will receive an award notification letter and contract for e-signature. Once the signed contract is returned, Brindle will send a check.
Q: Does it matter if my organization’s fiscal year is different from the calendar year?
A: No. Many organizations have different fiscal years, and that does not affect how your application will be reviewed. Because Brindle’s grant terms are based on the calendar year, please describe your grant budget for that period.
Grant reporting requirements by type of grant:
Single-year grant:
July 1: interim information due
Feb 28: final report due (including information about financial expenditures)
Two-year grant:
July 1, year 1: interim information due
Nov 30, year 1: interim information due (including information about financial expenditures)
July 1, year 2: interim information due (including information about financial expenditures)
Feb 28 following year 2: final report due (including information about financial expenditures)
Questions about creating a budget to accompany the proposal
Q: Does Brindle still fund general operating expenses? In other words, if we are awarded funds, are we free to use them however we choose?
A: If selected as a grantee, Brindle is committed to supporting the work you do. If you are interested in receiving support with operating expenses, please frame your request in terms of costs to do the work you do. Brindle will automatically add an additional 20% of the funds requested towards flexible funds.
Q: How are you defining direct costs?
A: We are using the term direct costs to describe expenses that are directly incurred for the work described in your proposal or, in other words, the specific project(s), program, or services for which you are requesting funds. Examples of direct costs include salaries for program staff (or percentage time thereof), consultants, travel expenses, and materials or services required to execute the work. An easy way to think of direct costs are expenses that would not be incurred if the project(s) or program did not exist.
Q: How are you defining flexible funds?
We are defining flexible funds as funds your organization may use to support operations including indirect costs across projects and programs. Examples could include rent and utilities, office furniture, shared computers, information systems, and functions such as development, finance, accounting and human resources. If your organization uses a fiscal agent or sponsor, their fee is also considered an eligible cost. Information technology is usually an indirect cost unless it supports only one specific project or program. These expenses are necessary for your organization’s work, even if they are not tied to a single project. You may use flexible funds for anything so long as still within the terms of your grant contract. You do not need to list specific flexible funds as the foundation will automatically add 20% to the total award.
Q: If Brindle will add 20% to the total grant request designated as flexible funding, do I need to list those costs?
A: No.
Q: If our additional costs are more than 20%, should I add that to our grant request?
A: No. Brindle automatically adds an additional 20% to all requests designated as flexible funding.
Q: Do I need to use a template for my budget?
A: Yes, and we have provided a PDF template for you to use. On this form, there are some basic calculations done for you to total costs.
Q: What should I do if I cannot figure out where to add a line item for the budget?
A: Please feel free to reach out to Mary Nell or William at staff@brindlefoundation.org. They will be happy to help you.
Q: If I am applying as part of a partnership, do I use the same budget template?
A: Yes, you will use the same budget template for the partnership, filling in budgets for direct costs. If successful, you will receive an additional 20% for flexible funding.
Questions about designations for applications
Q: I noticed while applying that you request applicants to check a box designating the funding track to which they are applying. If my project is relevant to more than one track, what should I do?
A: Please choose the track that best fits your project. We recognize that some projects may fit several tracks, but for the application, please select the one that best represents your primary focus.
Q: Is there a specific way you are defining “innovation”?
A: No, we are using the term broadly. We look forward to learning about ideas that demonstrate novel ways of thinking or acting in their approach to addressing critical issues or problems. If you believe your approach is innovative, we encourage you to explain how it addresses the identified issue(s) in a new way. Please note, however, that the innovative approach you are proposing must include clear potential for statewide impact. For example, Brindle would not consider an application under this track that proposed an innovative approach to service delivery in a southern county in the state that is not replicable or directly related to work statewide.
Questions about flexibility
Q: This has been an unusual year with significant unanticipated events and costs, as well as a lot of work that my organization has not been able to complete. As a result, I am worried that we may not ultimately be able to complete the work that I describe in the proposal.. If that happens, what should I do?
A: The Brindle Foundation understands that these have been challenging and unpredictable times for many. For this reason, we are usually flexible when hearing from grantees they need to change course.. Our interest is open communication with all of our grantees so, if you find yourself having to deal with unanticipated events, please reach out. Mary Nell or William (staff@brindlefoundation.org) will be happy to talk with you and assist in devising a solution.