Online Grants Portal
The Dyson Foundation has adopted an online grants system that allows applicants and grantees to apply for funding and manage their applications and grants from our website. Please review the FAQs below before creating an account or beginning a new request. We welcome your comments.
Click the icon below to enter the portal. First-time users will need to create an account.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I set up an account?
- How do I start a new funding request/letter of inquiry?
- Several people within my organization may submit various applications to the Dyson Foundation. Should we all create our own accounts?
- Should grantwriters create their own accounts or use organizational accounts?
- What can I do in the Grants Portal?
- Where can I find a full list of questions asked on the Letter of Inquiry, application forms, and report forms?
- Are there limits to how many words or characters I can use in my responses?
- May I start a letter of inquiry, application or reporting requirement and then save it to finish later?
- After I submit a letter of inquiry, what happens then?
- How do I submit a full application?
- Are additional forms or attachments required?
- Can I upload electronic files (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.) to submit with my application?
- What if I do not have a document in an electronic format?
- Should I mail the Foundation additional materials in support of my application such as videos, photos, or binders?
- I am experiencing difficulty/delays when trying to upload files with my application. Why is this?
- I would like to have a colleague review my letter of inquiry/application draft before submitting it. Can I share the draft?
- Can staff at the Dyson Foundation view the content of my draft letter of inquiry/application?
- Will I have a chance to preview and/or print a copy of my application before submitting it?
- Can I fulfill my grant reporting requirements through the Grants Portal, whether I applied through the Portal or not?
- I do not see a “LOG OUT” option or button in the Grants Portal. How do I log out?
- May I contact someone at the Foundation for assistance with the Grants Portal?
Click the Grants Portal icon above and you will be directed to create an account. You will need to submit some basic information. We strongly recommend that each organization set up only one account using the email address of the person ultimately responsible for the grant administration, such as the chief executive officer. We strongly discourage the use of personal/home email addresses.
How do I start a new request for funding?
The first step in applying for funding is to complete a letter of inquiry using the “Start a New Funding Request” link in the top bar of the main portal page.
Several people within my organization may submit various applications to the Dyson Foundation. Should we all create our own accounts?
We strongly suggest that you select one log-in email address/password to be used for all submissions from your organization. Ideally this should be the email address of the person ultimately responsible for the grant administration, such as the chief executive officer. The Foundation will send emails with reporting reminders and possibly other information to this email address.
Should grantwriters create their own accounts or use organizational accounts?
We strongly suggest that grantwriters use account log-in information that is specific to the organization, not their personal email addresses. As stated above, we recommend that everyone submitting or managing applications for your organization use the same email address/password to log in, and that ideally this should be the email address of the chief executive officer or other party that is ultimately responsible for administering the grant. The Foundation will send email updates about reporting requirements to this address.
What can I do in the Grants Portal?
From the main portal page, you can: edit your email/password log-in information; complete and submit a new letter of inquiry; begin a full application if you have been invited to do so; access draft and submitted letters of inquiry and applications; email draft and submitted letters of inquiry and applications to yourself or others; and check the status of submitted applications.
Where can I find a full list of questions asked on the Letter of Inquiry, application, and report forms?
A complete list of all of the questions asked on each form can be found here. We encourage you to review the relevant section prior to starting a new letter of inquiry, application or report.
Are there limits to how many words or characters I can use in my responses?
The applications contain several questions that require narrative responses. While there are no word or character limits on these responses, we strongly encourage you to be as concise as possible while still fully answering the questions. Please remember that longer answers are not necessarily better than more concise answers.
May I start a letter of inquiry, application or reporting requirement and then save it to finish later?
Yes, there is a “Save & Finish Later” option, which will close the application or report that you are working on and return you to your main portal page. We recommend that you save your work frequently. Also note that your work on a particular page is only saved when you advance to the next page, or when you click “Save”. Drafts are saved for 120 days from the date on which you last work on it.
After I submit a letter of inquiry, what happens then?
You will automatically receive an email confirmation that we have received your letter of inquiry. Subsequently, you will be notified as to whether or not we would like to invite a full application. If a full application is invited, you will receive an email with a link to your Grants Portal page (or you can log on to your portal page) where you will see that the application form has become available.
How do I submit a full application?
You should first submit a letter of inquiry. If the Foundation invites a full application after reviewing your letter of inquiry, you will receive an email with a link your Grants Portal page where you can access and begin the full application.
Are additional forms or attachments required?
Yes, we generally require the submission of several attachments along with each of our applications. Some of these attachments will be documents that you already have, such as your organization’s IRS determination letter, and some will be forms that we ask you to complete, such as a project budget form. Links to required forms will be available on the application itself. You may download the forms, complete them, and then upload them as attachments on the final page of the application. If there are documents that you cannot upload for some reason, you may send them to us in one of several other ways: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it them to us, fax to 845-677-0650, or post them to us.
Can I upload electronic files (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.) to submit with my application?
Yes, the last page of the form allows you to upload documents as attachments. Most electronic file forms are accepted.
What if I do not have a document in an electronic format?
If you do not have a document in an electronic format but would like to electronically attach it to your application, contact us for options and instructions on how to get it to us. Please also note that most accountants can provide you with a PDF copy of your financial audit or review upon request.
Should I mail the Foundation additional materials in support of my application such as videos, photos, or binders?
No, please do not send any additional materials beyond what is asked for in the “Attachments” section of the application unless we specifically request that you do so.
I am experiencing difficulty/delays when trying to upload files with my application. Why is this?
First of all, we suggest you be patient. Larger files might take longer to upload than small files.
Another reason you might experience a delay has to do with the speed of your internet connection. High speed (cable, T-1, etc) connections will allow for much faster file upload than dial-up connections.
Finally, if you use Symantec Antivirus 10 with the “File Auto Protect” feature enabled, the Symantec scan may delay your upload. If this is the case, you might reduce the upload time by doing one of the following:
- temporarily disable the auto protect feature
- After clicking "Upload", refrain from clicking anywhere within the browser until you notice that the file has started to upload. Note that you may still experience a noticeable delay
- Upgrade to Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.0
I would like to have a colleague review my letter of inquiry/application draft before submitting it. Can I share the draft?
Yes, you may do so using the “Email Draft” link on the form.
Can staff at the Dyson Foundation view the content of my draft letter of inquiry/application?
No, staff cannot view the content of your online forms until you submit them. Staff can see whether or not you have a letter/application in progress, but cannot see the content.
Will I have a chance to preview and/or print a copy of my application before submitting it?
Yes, when you have completed the letter of inquiry/application, click the “Printer-Friendly Version” if you would like to print a copy.
Click the “Review & Submit” button to review the form in its entirety. If you are satisfied with the form, choose “Submit”. Once you do so, the form is submitted to us and you cannot go back and change it. Note that this application now appears as “Submitted” on your main portal page. Once you have submitted a form, you will receive an email confirmation that will include the full contents of your application. You can also email a copy of a submitted application to yourself or someone else.
Can I fulfill my grant reporting requirements through the Grants Portal, whether I applied through the Portal or not?
Yes, you can submit reports through the Grants Portal no matter how you applied for your grant. If you applied through the Portal, simply log in and you will notice a "Requirements" link in the top left section of the Portal. Click on that tab and you will see a link to the appropriate report form for your grant, which you can complete and submit when the report is due. (Note that if there are no active online requirements due for your organization, the "Requirements" page will not appear.) Most grantees are required to submit additional attachments, such as Financial Report forms and audits. Note that you will need to download the Word or PDF version of the Financial Report form and complete it. You will then upload that, as well as your audit and any other required materials, to your online report form.
Even if you did not apply for your grant via the online Grants Portal, you can complete and submit your reports there. If you would like to do so, please contact us and we will assist you.
I do not see a “LOG OUT” option or button in the Grants Portal. How do I log out?
To log out of the Grants Portal, simply close your browser.
May I contact someone at the Foundation for assistance with the Grants Portal?
Yes, you may contact us by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 845.677.0644. Also note that you can use the “Email Us” link on the main portal page and at the top of each form to reach us with any questions or issues.
