Apply for an Unsolicited Grant
Eligibility
Any organization meeting the basic requirements may apply for an Unsolicited Grant from the Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF). Before applying, applicants should review WHF’s strategic plan for alignment of their proposed plan and the Foundation’s grantmaking guidelines.
Unsolicited Grant Application Requirements
Applying for an Unsolicited Grant requires the submission of WHF’s online grant application. WHF has two separate Unsolicited Grant applications: 1) project/program proposals and 2) capital project proposals.
Both applications require organizations to identify the need, target population, strategy for addressing the need, and alignment of the proposed request with WHF’s strategic plan and funding strategies.
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- Project/Program Proposals (Grant Cycles 1, 2, and 3): The project/program application requires interested applicants to attach a completed WHF Program Budget Packet located on WHF’s website.
- Capital Project Proposals (Grant Cycle 3): Capital project requests relate to the construction, expansion, or renovation of buildings and/or the acquisition of land. While the capital project application does not require submission of the WHF Program Budget Packet, the application itself requires budgetary information specific to the capital project.
Please note:
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- Applicants may rework/resubmit a previously declined WHF application to clarify how the proposal fits WHF’s strategic focus.
- While an organization may receive more than one Unsolicited Grant award in a calendar year, WHF’s Board does consider prior/existing WHF application(s) and grant(s), award amount(s), and fiscal management of these grant(s) in their consideration of awarding an additional WHF grant (see Grant Application Screening and Review below).
Links to Apply
During Grant Cycle 3, the Foundation considers unsolicited grant requests for both projects/programs (non-capital) and capital projects. Although the applications for these unsolicited proposals are unique, the deadline to apply is the same. For 2026, the deadline is Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Project/Program (Non-Capital) Proposals
If you have a project/program request you want the Foundation to consider, please use the link below to apply. (NOTE: Capital project applicants should not use this link.)
Capital Project Proposals
If you have a capital project request (construction, expansion, or renovation of buildings and/or the acquisition of land that directly benefits residents of Williamsburg, James City County, or York County), please contact the Foundation directly to obtain the capital project application by contacting the Foundation’s Program Officer, Kelly Metcalf-Meese, at (757) 345-0912 or grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org.
Questions
If you are unsure about which application to use, please contact the Foundation’s Program Officer, Kelly Metcalf-Meese, by calling (757) 345-0912 or writing grants@williamsburghealthfoundation.org.
Grant Cycle Deadlines
- Project/Program Proposals (Grant Cycles 1, 2, and 3): Organizations interested in submitting an Unsolicited Grant request for project/program proposals have three opportunities to apply during the calendar year. For grant cycle deadlines, please see the current Grants Calendar.
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- Capital Project Proposals (Grant Cycle 3): Applications for capital project requests are considered only in the last funding cycle of the year. For Grant Cycle 3 deadlines, please see the current Grants Calendar.
Optional Information Session
WHF invites nonprofit organizations serving residents of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County to attend an optional information session on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 11:00 am to learn about the Foundation’s strategic framework, funding strategies, and grantmaking guidelines for 2026. To attend the information session, please register by clicking the link below:
Grant Application Screening and Review
After the application deadline has passed, all submitted Unsolicited Grant applications will be reviewed, and WHF staff may follow up with specific questions.
The following criteria is used in assessing all applications and making grant awards:
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- Anticipated impact of the project toward enhancing health in Greater Williamsburg.
- Alignment with the Foundation’s 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.
- Evidence supporting need for the proposed effort in Greater Williamsburg.
- Extent to which the proposed effort is designed to make progress toward one or more of the Foundation’s focus areas.
- Project’s ability to provide services to the population at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
- Extent to which funds requested are for the purpose of replacing federal, state, or local government funds, which are generally not favored except for temporary or emergency funding.
- Revenue sources, audit, and potential grant relative to the organization’s overall operational budget.
- Organization’s prior/existing WHF application(s), grant(s), award amount(s), fiscal management of these grant(s), current reporting status, and plans for sustainability, if applicable.
Please note:
Submission of a grant application does not guarantee funding. The application pool is very competitive, and the Foundation routinely receives more strong proposals than can be funded in a grant cycle. Even if each proposal meets the criteria outlined above, the Foundation typically is unable to fund every submission.
Need Help?
While Foundation staff will not review applications prior to submission, the WHF programs team is available to answer general questions about the Foundation’s grantmaking program and application process. Please feel free to reach out!
