Grant Guidelines & Process

The Sara Lee Foundation utilizes an online Letter-Of-Intent (LOI) and invitational Request-For-Proposal (RFP) system.  The process is designed to allow both prospective nonprofit organizations and Sara Lee to maximize time and resources in the granting process.  With limited funds, the process is highly competitive, and there will be many worthwhile proposals that Sara Lee will not be able to support.

Step 1: Determine if your organization meets the eligibility requirements.

• Eligibility requirements:
• Legal nonprofit: Support will be considered for select 501(c) 3 nonprofit organizations.
• Focus area: The nonprofit’s mission must clearly address one of the Foundation’s focus areas that are defined as:
• domestic hunger
• healthy weight through energy balance
• diverse and highly visible cultural programs.
• Geography: Priority is given to nonprofit organizations located in and serving communities where Sara Lee has a facility.


• Ineligible to apply for funding:
• Individuals
• Organizations whose most recent audit shows an accumulated deficit
• Organizations with a limited constituency, such as fraternities and veterans groups
• Organizations which limit their services to members of one religious group and those whose services propagate religious faith or creed, including churches, seminaries, bible colleges, and theological institutions
• Political organizations and those having the primary purpose of influencing legislation of/or promoting a particular ideological point of view
• Units of government
• Health organizations concentrating their research and/or treatment in one area of human disease
• Sports-related events and sponsorships
• Organizations that discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other legally protected classification are not eligible for the program.

Step 2: (if eligible): Submit an online Letter of Intent (LOI).

• Format: The Sara Lee Foundation’s grant program is online and all requests must be submitted using the LOI feature of this website. The Foundation does not accept, return, review, nor respond to paper or hard copy submissions. 
• Deadlines: There are no deadlines for submission of an LOI. They are reviewed as they are received. An organization may submit one LOI per Sara Lee’s fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). NOTE: The Foundation reserves the right to immediately turndown any LOI’s received during the month of June so that it may prepare for the annual meeting of its board of directors.
• Content:  Preference is given to highly effective projects and programs that have clear goals and which document expected outcomes.  Requests for general operating support are not considered competitive.

Step 3: Await an email notification from the Sara Lee Foundation regarding your LOI.

• Decisions: Decisions are made on a rolling basis as LOI’s are received and are sent via email to the person submitting the LOI.  The email notification, indicating whether or not the LOI is of interest, is sent approximately two to three weeks after the LOI is received and reviewed.

Step 4: (if the proposed LOI is of interest): If Sara Lee is interested in more information regarding the proposed LOI, a Request-For-Proposal (RFP) will be extended.  An invitation to submit an online RFP does not guarantee support.

• Decisions: Decisions regarding RFP’s may take 45 to 60 days once the RFP has been completed and submitted.  Notifications are made via email indicating whether or not the RFP has been approved and if a grant will be made.