FAQs

Does the Song Foundation fund outside of its funding geographies?

Our funding is limited to organizations located in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Dearborn or Flint. If you are a national organization working in one of our target geographies we request that you apply in partnership with a local organization.

What is the Foundation’s policy on including indirect costs in a grant?

The majority of Foundation grants are general operating which is inclusive of indirect costs. We believe our organizational partners are the experts and understand how best to direct funds in order to achieve the greatest impact.

How do I know if the Foundation will be interested in my proposal?

Please read our What We Fund page for the newest information on our priority areas. If you have reviewed this page and are interested in applying for funding, you must apply through our portal. Our application is designed to be a quick, five minute application that removes the burden of applicants needing to schedule calls. We only hold meetings with applicants once we have reviewed their initial application.

The portal can be found on our website at How to Apply, along with the dates in which the Song Foundation will be accepting applications.

How can I apply for sponsorship of my event?

Event sponsorship requests follow the same process as our general grantmaking. If you are interested in event sponsorship, please submit your application to our portal during one of our three grantmaking cycles. Please review the dates that our portal is open at How to Apply in order to ensure you submit your request ahead of your event.

What is the funding range for grant requests?

The Song Foundation does not have a firm range for grant request amounts, however the majority of our grants range in size from $5,000 to $150,000 with a few occasionally above. Applications are never declined due to the size of the request.

Does the Song Foundation make multi-year grants?

Yes, the Foundation provides multi-year grants. If your organization is interested in a multi-year grant, you can indicate that in the “grant details” section of the application.

When are the deadlines and when are decisions made?

Please refer to How to Apply.

Can you tell me why I didn’t receive funding?

Due to the volume of applications we receive we are unable to provide individual responses to each organization that applies. However, we do clarify in our response whether your application was declined due to lack of alignment with our strategic priorities or budgetary constraints. Please refer to the details of your particular funding decision email for our recommendation on whether or not we suggest you reapply.

Please note alignment with our strategic priorities does not guarantee approval as the number of applications we receive each grantmaking cycle far exceeds our financial capacity to fund them.