May 26, 2009

Dear Friends:

The Strong Foundation is changing the way we have historically made grants in the community. In June, Judy Cyphers will be retiring after 19 years of outstanding service.  Both the Strong Foundation and our grant recipients owe much to Judy for the open-minded, professional and compassionate way in which she served us all.  She has served us wonderfully and will be missed. 

The Board has taken this development as an opportunity to review our grant-making methods and we have decided to streamline our operations to make more funds available for distribution.  The Board has decided to implement a new model which will change our process significantly.  We are not changing our area of focus –indeed, academic education and enrichment programs and activities will continue as our primary focus.   However, our process for awarding such grants will change considerably.

Effective immediately, the Hattie M. Strong Foundation will no longer accept unsolicited grant proposals. We will not be filling Judy’s former position but will instead be retaining an independent expert to identify, recommend, and monitor programs that meet our grant-making criteria.  Money we save through this simplified process will be used to increase our overall grant budget.  We hope, in turn, to save our recipient organizations money by eliminating the time and energy they currently spend preparing grant proposals for our consideration. 

We realize this change in procedures will feel very different.  To those accustomed to applying to our Foundation for grant support, it may initially feel as if we have “left the scene”.  I can assure you, however, that we have not. Our commitment to supporting education in the National Capital Area has never been stronger.  We will be significantly increasing our overall grant budget and we hope the impact of those increased funds will more than make up for any value lost through change of process. 

Thank you all for the fine support you have given our organization over the years as active partners in the delivery of grant funding to the many fine organizations who serve our community.  In a time where non-profits are being forced to do much more with less, we are confident that our future grant recipients will have no trouble knowing how to do “more with more”. 

Sincerely; 

Henry 

Henry L. Strong
President

For information pertaining to grants, please contact the Foundation’s Grant Advisor, Janet Kerr-Tener at jkerrtener@hmstrongfoundation.org.