We neither accept nor consider unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry. Invitations to apply for a grant are issued by our trustees.
Grantmaking has been largely limited to institutions and organizations in the District of Columbia. Funded activities include, but are not limited to:
- Projects of visual arts institutions enriching cultural life, especially through the medium of photography; and
- Projects of public and nonprofit organizations responding to the needs of the most disadvantaged and underprivileged residents of our community.
In the latter category, emphasis is on efforts addressing complex problems through systemic change rather than by alleviating symptoms. Considerations include:
- the seriousness of the problem to be addressed,
- qualifications of the organization invited to submit the proposal, and
- likelihood of success. Of special interest, under the Fund's DC Democracy Initiative, are advocacy and supportive projects of research and policy analysis seeking full Congressional representation and autonomous, fiscally sound local government for residents of Washington, DC.
During the past eight years Trellis Fund made more than 150 grants totaling nearly $5.4 million. These grants ranged in size from $10,000 to $200,000 with an average of approximately $60,000. Going forward, we may occasionally depart from our pattern and ask a small number of applicants to compete for funding in amounts substantially higher than our typical grants of the past.
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