ABF Grant Application Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can and should be a grant mentor?

A mentor is an adult who supports you in reaching your goals by offering advice, encouragement, and guidance. At the Ann Bancroft Foundation, the mentor is an integral part of the grant experience. Before applying for a grant, the applicant must self-identify a mentor who will help them navigate the application process, support them through the grant activity, and be a resource as they continue in the future. The mentor is the advocate in the application process – their contribution is factored into the grant selection process. The mentor may be a teacher, coach, family friend, youth group leader, or other positive adult role model. The mentor cannot be a family member or employee of the activity provider.

Need ideas on who to ask to be a mentor for your application? Check out the mentor guide.

Ideally, a mentor is someone who doesn’t live in your home, as we aim to foster mentorship relationships with adults outside the immediate family who can serve as positive influences. However, we understand that cultural and personal circumstances may differ, and in some cases, a mentor may reside in the same home. If the mentorship requirement is a barrier to applying for the Ann Bancroft Foundation grant, please contact the ABF office via email or phone and circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Q: What are the grant application deadline dates?

The spring grant cycle application deadline is April 1 at 11:59 pm and the fall grant cycle application deadline is October 1 at 11:59 pm of each year. You can join our email list to receive notification when applications are open.

Q: How and when will i be notified of a grant award?

All submitted grant applications will be reviewed after the deadline. Grant decisions take up to eight weeks after the grant cycle deadline. Grant notifications will be sent via email to applicants, parents, and mentors.

Q: How do i complete a grant application?

The Ann Bancroft Foundation Grant application is all online in the WizeHive portal where users can save and exit their application at any time. To start or preview the applications, click here.

If an applicant does not have Internet access, please contact the ABF office at the information below to make other arrangements.

Q: When are grant checks sent to activity providers?

After awards are sent out, grant recipients must provide an invoice to the Ann Bancroft Foundation to receive their funds. Grant payment can take up to 30 days, so please keep this in mind if your activity provider has a specific payment deadline. Grant checks are mailed directly to the activity provider’s mailing address provided on the invoice.

Q: Who is awarded an abf grant?

Each grant cycle is different and unique based on the applicant pool, so we do not have a concrete formula on who is awarded a grant in each cycle. Every individual grant application is read by at least three members of our Granting and Evaluation Committee. These reviewers read each application very carefully as to best try and understand, from both the applicant and mentor, why it is important for the girl to receive this specific grant at this time. The review committee looks for clear and concise answers that explain how this grant activity (specific to the applicant) will help the girl pursue her dream, build confidence and self-esteem, and will support her in learning about herself. As much information and depth that can be put into each question response within the application, will give the reviewers the best picture possible.

Q: How many grants are awarded each cycle?

Similar to the previous question, there is no specific answer as it depends purely on the funding amount that ABF is able to raise on a yearly basis. Since ABF was founded in 1997, we have awarded over $2.3 million to more than 5,300 Minnesota girls. We are excited and eager to see that continue to grow in the hopes of striving to support as many Minnesota girls as possible. In 2019-2020, we awarded grants to 413 girls totaling $216,665 in grant awards given.