Important Grant Program Information

Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation is among the few foundations that accept unsolicited grant applications. As such, we receive a very high volume of funding requests. In an effort to be transparent and respectful of the time you invest in this process, we want to share the following information:

Each year WFF awards approximately four new grants for each of our three initiatives. Last year we received the following number of grant requests:  

  • International Initiative:  73
  • Youth Initiative: 52
  • Sustainable Forestry and Communities Initiative: 13

Because we received so many requests, organizations and programs that are not well-aligned with our guidelines are immediately disqualified from consideration. In order to help you decide whether or not to invest your time and effort in completing a grant application please carefully review our Guidelines and consider whether your organization is a strong fit with WFF’s requirements and restrictions.

Program Goal

The goal of the Youth Initiative is to support direct service programs that promote resilience, stability, and pyscho-social health for youth ages 14-21 who have been traumatized by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Program Requirements

In order to be considered, programs must meet all of the following requirements. Programs that do not meet requirements will not be considered for a grant.

  1. Directly serve youth who have been significantly traumatized by Adverse Childhood Experiences. At this time, the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation limits the definition of ACEs to the following:
    • Emotional, physical or sexual abuse
    • Emotional or physical neglect
    • Mother treated violently
    • Substance abuse in the household
    • Mental illness in the household
    • Separation or divorce
    • Incarceration of a household member
  2. Be a new program for the organization, or a new therapeutic component to an existing program, currently in development or within its first year (from the date of application submission) of implementation.
  3. Offer age-appropriate therapeutic interventions, activities, or services that promote resilience, stability, and psycho-social health in traumatized youth.
  4. Provide services that go beyond crisis intervention and the establishment of initial safety. Short-term shelter-based or crisis-oriented programs will not be funded.
  5. Include a plan for evaluating program effectiveness, with metrics that demonstrate the impact of the program in helping participating youth and at least one significant adult, such as a parent, primary caregiver or other adult with whom the youth has a meaningful and ideally long-term relationship.
  6. Enhance the relationship between the youth and at least one significant adult, such as a parent, primary caregiver or other adult with whom the youth has a meaningful and ideally long-term relationship.
  7. Use trauma informed practices and policies, and demonstrate a commitment to ongoing trauma training for involved staff.

Program Priorities

The Foundation gives priority to programs that:

  1. Actively solicit input from program beneficiaries in ways that guide the design, delivery, and refinement of the program.
  2. Collaborate with other organizations to enhance the program curriculum, measure outcomes, or expand and share knowledge in order to better serve program beneficiaries.
  3. Take a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach, treating individuals holistically, and consider existing social and cultural contexts.
  4. Educate significant adults (e.g., parent, foster parent, teacher, coach) in order to best serve program beneficiaries.
  5. Serve youth segments that historically have less access to services, including youth of color, youth from rural communities, youth involved with state systems, refugees, LGBTQ youth, and those who have experienced sexual exploitation.

Multi-Year Funding

The Foundation intends to support new programs for up to three years.  While the Foundation will not commit funds for the second or third year without an annual review, it is the Foundation's intent to continue funding successful programs.  Because programs will not be funded for more than three years, you are encouraged to plan for the long-term sustainability of the program.

Organizations requesting second- or third-year funding for programs approved the previous year must continue to submit an abbreviated Stage 1 Application by March 1.  Organizations seeking second- or third-year funding and have submitted a Stage 1 Application, will automatically be requested to submit a Stage 2 Application.  Organizations seeking third-year funding must also have submitted a grant report for the first year of funding by the required due date stated in the Grant Agreement to be considered for funding.

Outcome-Based Assessment

The Foundation has a particular interest in measurable outcomes. Applicants are asked to clearly state program goals on the application and include a plan for an outcome-based assessment of the program activities. Applicants will be required to report on the program's success by providing metrics on the qualitative and quantitative outcomes at the end of each grant period.

Eligibility

  • Organizations must be classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.  Only programs operating within the United States will be considered.
  • Applications from an organization acting as a fiscal sponsor will be considered when a Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement has been signed by both parties and submitted with the application.  Fiscal Sponsor's must be able to demonstrate substantial and direct fiscal and program oversight.
  • The Foundation does not accept application from fiscal agents.

Grant Size

The average grant size for the Children's Initiative is $30,000 or less.

Restrictions

The Foundation will not consider proposals for:

  • Emergency and/or short-term shelter based programs.
  • Ongoing programs or general operating support.
  • Capital projects, including land acquisition or the construction of buildings.
  • Grants or scholarships to individuals.
  • Lobbying prohibited by the Internal Revenue Code.
  • Conferences.
  • Endowments.
  • Start-up costs for new organizations.

Get Started Today

The Foundation has a two-stage application process. The Stage 1 Application requests information about the organization and the program that funding is being requested for. The Stage 2 Application asks follow-up questions to the Stage 1 Application. You will be able to view the Stage 1 Application, but not make edits at the Stage 2 phase of the application process. A Stage 1 Application must be submitted to advance to Stage 2 and be considered for funding. Submission of a Stage 2 Application is by invitation only. 

2023 Youth Program Guidelines PDF How to Apply Contact Us