Foundation Relations Resources

• Letters of intent (LOIs) and grant applications listing Stony Brook Foundation, Inc. as the grantee of record must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Foundation Relations prior to submission.
• For proposals submitted through the Research Foundation for SUNY, the myResearch proposal form must be completed and approved by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) before submission. Please contact your unit’s research administration office for guidance.

If you are considering submitting an LOI or proposal to a private foundation, we encourage you to contact the Office of Foundation Relations as early as possible for assistance and strategic support.

The Office of Foundation Relations supports faculty and staff by:

• Reviewing project ideas to assess alignment with foundation interests.
• Identifying potential funding sources.
• Assisting with letters of inquiry, proposals and budget development.

The Office of Foundation Relations provides templates and tools to assist with budget creation. A strong budget:

• Aligns with your proposal narrative.
• Includes all sources of income (including in-kind support).
• Separates direct (program) from indirect (administrative) costs.

• Personnel: Salaries, benefits and any grant-funded stipends or consulting fees.
• Non-personnel: Equipment, travel, facilities, publications, communications and external evaluation costs.

• For proposals submitted with Stony Brook Foundation as the grantee of record, a standard indirect cost rate of 15 percent applies.
• For proposals submitted through the Research Foundation for SUNY, the university’s federally negotiated indirect cost rate must be used.

Please note that many private foundations either cap indirect costs or do not allow them at all. If a foundation limits or prohibits indirect costs, applicants must:

1. Provide written documentation of the foundation’s policy (e.g., from the RFP or website), and
2. Obtain approval to waive full indirect cost recovery from:
   - The Office of Foundation Relations (for Stony Brook Foundation submissions), or
   - The Office of Sponsored Programs (for Research Foundation submissions).

We recommend contacting our office early in the process for guidance on budget preparation and to ensure your proposal meets the expectations of private foundations.