The mission of The Bullitt Foundation is to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. The Foundation invites inquiries from nonprofit organizations that serve Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, western Montana (including the Rocky Mountain range), and coastal Alaska from Cook Inlet to the Canadian border.

Please note that the Bullitt Foundation no longer accepts unsolicited proposals.

Application Deadlines

Inquiry deadlines are March 15 and September 15. Since inquiries are submitted electronically, this is a firm deadline. The Proposal Inquiry form can be found here.

Once encouraged to apply, grant application deadlines are May 1 and November 1. Applications must be postmarked or hand delivered to the Foundation office no later than 5:00 PM Pacific Time, on the deadline date. If the deadline falls on a weekend, the deadline is the next business day. The Foundation does not accept faxed or electronic applications.

The Foundation requires current grantees to complete an entire grant year - and file a final report - prior to reapplication. Submittal of the final report completes all requirements of the current grant, and grantee is then eligible to submit a new Proposal Inquiry.

Due to the large volume of proposals, it is difficult for the Foundation to respond to telephone requests to confirm that proposals have been received. Instead, the Foundation will mail a postcard to acknowledge receipt of a proposal approximately two weeks following the deadline.

Application Evaluation Process

The application evaluation process takes approximately five months. It includes a thorough staff review and a final review and decision by the full board of trustees. Applicants will be informed of the board decision by letter.

To ensure compatibility with the Foundation's values and goals and enhance the prospects for success, the following guidelines are used to judge potential grants:

• Give priority to projects with broad policy leverage over site-specific work with limited impact, except when local projects attempt significant innovations that could be widely replicated.

• Seek out stable, proven organizations with successful track records, and help  to assure their continued strength, effectiveness, and renewal.

• Support leaders who have demonstrated the ability and determination to succeed.

• Foster synergy among Bullitt Foundation grants.

• Complement the work of other funders.

• Pay special attention to regions and policy areas that are not well covered by other funders.

• Fund projects that are based on good science.

• Make long-term commitments to core projects.

• Favor efforts that foster collaboration by groups within the environmental community and that consciously pursue support from other sectors of society.

• Seek out catalytic opportunities where early Bullitt Foundation support can focus needed attention on threatened places or timely issues.

• Give special consideration to requests from groups that represent disadvantaged communities that are suffering disproportionate environmental impacts.

Current Strategic Focus

The Foundation currently focuses most of its grants on strategies that:

• Support legal challenges to ensure that environmental laws are vigorously enforced.

• Foster effective environmental coalitions and further collaboration where appropriate. Encourage strong, effective partnerships between grantees and local groups in the private, public, and tribal sectors to achieve broad consensus on issues of general public interest.

• Help build strong grassroots organizations in key geographic areas to influence important environmental decisions. (The Foundation also is committed to building and strengthening the environmental movement. It encourages the inclusion of project objectives that build membership, energize activists, and expand sources of financial support.)

• Support state and regional offices of national environmental organizations whose resources can lend valuable policy and campaign expertise and help assure that the work of local organizations is coordinated with broader regional and national efforts.

• Support credible research, monitoring, and analysis to ensure that advocacy campaigns are grounded in the best available science.

• Support efforts to hold public officials accountable for their actions.

• Help grantees develop and promote appropriate messages for public education.

• Encourage the creation of economic incentives for activities that promote a sustainable future and seek to eliminate subsidies for environmentally damaging activities.

• Support independent certification of the products of environmentally superior forestry, fishing, agriculture, and energy, giving consumers a chance to vote with their pocketbooks.

Capital Projects, including Equipment, Building Construction, and Land Acquisitions

The Foundation does not fund capital projects, including equipment, building construction, and land acquisitions.

University Overhead Charges

The Foundation does not fund university overhead costs.

Elections and Lobbying

The Foundation cannot fund candidates for political office or lobbying activities.

Multiple Projects

The Foundation will review no more than one application per organization per grant cycle. If you wish to apply for more than one project, all projects must be combined into a single submission. The only exception is a special request in response to unforeseen situations or time-sensitive needs.

Special Requests

The Foundation will consider special requests in response to unforeseen situations or time-sensitive needs. However, funds for such grants are very limited, and approval standards are high. Current grantees are not precluded from submitting a special request. Interested applicants should contact the appropriate program officer to determine eligibility.

One-Year Funding

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for multi-year grants. From time to time, the Foundation may elect to award a multi-year grant at its discretion.

Project versus General Support Grants

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for general support grants, although occasionally it will take the initiative to award such grants to exceptional grantees. General support grants can be used for any charitable or educational purpose consistent with the grantee's tax-exempt status.

Charitable Tax Status – US

To be eligible, US organizations must have a current nonprofit tax status under the Internal Revenue Act. Applicants must attach a copy of their 501(c)(3) determination letter, or identify themselves as a validly organized and operating municipal corporation, public agency, or Native American tribe.

Charitable Tax Status – Canada

Canadian applicants should attach a copy of the Canadian Certificate of Incorporation and charity registration documents with their proposals. If the Foundation requires additional information, it will contact the applicant during the evaluation process.

Organizations Without Charitable Tax Status

The Foundation does not make grants to organizations that do not have a current charitable tax status. Charitable grantees sometimes contract to provide fiscal sponsorship for projects of other groups. However, such relationships are strictly between the grantee and the other groups. The charitable grantee is responsible for administering the grant, for ensuring that no funds are misspent, and for achieving the objectives described in the proposal. Organizations that have applied for charitable tax status are not eligible to apply for a Bullitt Foundation grant until their charitable status has been acknowledged in writing by the federal government.