Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation strives to support and facilitate the work of the region's best nonprofit organizations, recognizing that many of those in need today will go on to shape the future of Southern California, to define it, redefine it, and help it set and achieve new goals.

The first step in the application process is to mail a brief “test letter” to the Vice President. This letter should include a description of the project to be funded, the amount requested from the Foundation, justification for such a request, and background information about the applying organization. The Foundation acknowledges receipt of all requests.

If you are confident that your organization and grant request fits squarely within the Foundation’s guidelines, you may forego the test letter and submit a full proposal. Please structure your request according to the outline for grant format.

Within three months, Foundation staff will inform the organization whether or not the application is qualified for consideration by the Board of Directors. If the application qualifies, more detailed information is requested and a date is set for a meeting or site visit. Unless initiated by a Foundation director, personal communication with individual directors by representatives of applicant organizations is not encouraged.

Once all documentation has been received and the staff has completed its review, full applications are considered in chronological order by the Board of Directors, which reviews grant requests five times per year. While all requests cannot be funded, each qualified application is considered carefully and seriously. Decisions are made based upon the Foundation’s priorities and the amount of money available for distribution.

Letters of inquiry should be submitted to:

Beth Downs, Vice President
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
888 West Sixth Street, Suite 700
Los Angeles, California 90017
Telephone: 213.362.7600
This funding source is not a clean fit for BDPA. However, we may qualify under their 'SOCIAL IMPACT' focus area.

Also, this funding opportunity only fits with our BDPA programs in Southern California. As such, I encourage BDPA Los Angeles leaders to visit the foundation's website and determine whether or not they want to invest time and effort in submitting a letter of inquiry ('test letter') to the foundation's vice president. If so, BETF is willing to partner with BDPA Los Angeles on this effort.