Grant Guidelines and Eligibility Requirements

1. Guidelines

   This document describes how to obtain grants from the Donald and Astrid Monson Education Fund (Monson EdFund) and the steps the applicants must follow. All requests for grants are to be sent to:
   monsonedfund@gmail.com

   Projects may be funded that:

   1. Promote plans, developments, projects, and activities that enhance and improve the general welfare of the people of O’ahu, protect its natural environment and/or implement plans designed to maintain or improve the quality of life of its citizens; and
   2. Protect the public interest against O’ahu development projects and/or activities that would not promote and/or would actually harm such welfare, environment, or quality of life.
   
   Funding may support (but is not limited to):

   Educational public meetings (seminars, conferences, forums, or workshops) and media (radio, TV, webinars, slide presentations) programs that discuss issues in an unbiased way; planning education and engagement (examples include O’ahu General Plan and Sustainable/ Development Plans); enforcing and defending the integrity of planning and zoning regulations; providing voters’ services and/or citizen information forums and debates; protection of land, sea, and air quality; programs that strengthen and enforce laws to protect and enhance public use of open spaces, shorelines, and other natural resources; promoting the use of public funds to protect open spaces, parks, agriculture, and conservation lands.

   Eligibility Criteria

   1. You must be a 501(C)(3) public charity organization to apply. If you have a fiscal sponsor they must be a 501(C)(3) public charity organization and you will need to provide a copy of the fiscal sponsorship agreement with your application.

   2. The requested funds can only serve the island of Oahu.

   3. Projects must be non-partisan and not used for staff salary nor hiring consultants to lobby.

   4. Projects that generate income must use that income for educational purposes and are documented within the grant reporting.

   Grantee Compliance

   1. This is a reimbursable grant program that is paid within 1 month of submitting a report with receipts and request for grant funds.

   2. In order to maintain our non-profit status and as a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) organization, the Internal Revenue Service has certain criteria that must be followed and can be found here:Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3).

   3. Written notification to Monson EdFund of the source and amount of funds from other organizations, not pledges, is required and should be included in your application packet. Failure to notify Monson EdFund of outside funding may result in withholding approval or payment.

   4. The Monson EdFund must be properly credited (“Donald and Astrid Monson Education Fund”) on all materials published as a result of the Project.

   Steps to Apply for Grant

   1. After reading the information contained within the Monson EdFund website including appropriate links, and determining eligibility, the Applicant will submit a completed Project Funding Request Summary form along with:
      
      a. IRS determination letter,
      b. current copy of State of Hawaii Domestic Non-Profit Corporation Annual Report,
      c. Project Budget Estimate form,
      d. Verification of funds from other sources contributing to the project,
      e. Film related projects must include the necessary talent (subject) permission and or release forms.
   
   
   2. You must create a single PDF application file that includes all of these documents and use your organization's name and year as the file name. Failure to provide a single PDF file with all the support documents will not be considered.
   
   
   3. Your organization's name must be on the documents you submit, with the project's name used only as subheadings or in the text of the proposal. We review and track your proposal by the year and organization's name and if funded, will continue to use its name.
   4. Applications are only accepted electronically and should be sent to: monsonedfund@gmail.com
   5. You will receive an email confirmation that the application packet was received.
   6. Awards are announced via direct email and listed in a press release.
   7. A final report must be submitted using the document template provided on this website and through the award email.
   8. Final report must be received by March 15th to ensure final reimbursement payment.
   9. All grant reimbursements must be processed by the end of the Monson Education Fund fiscal year, which is March 31st.
   
   

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   Grant Forms:
   
   

   Funding Request and Budget Estimate Forms
   Status Report Form
   Final Report Form