Does The Riordan Foundation fund outside Los Angeles County?
No. The Riordan Foundation has a current emphasis on education initiatives within LA County.

What are the grade levels The Riordan Foundation typically works with?
The Riordan Foundation primarily supports K-12th grade education, but has a heavy emphasis on elementary school education, specifically grades K-5. We also support a small number of pre-kindergarten initiatives.

Are all grants from The Riordan Foundation challenge grants?
Our English Language Development, Computers in the Classroom, and Waterford Early Reading Program grants are challenge grants, while our Recreational Reading Mini-Grants and KidType grants are not challenge grants. Agency Grants are considered and awarded on a case-by-case basis, sometimes including a challenge component. Please click here to see the grant matrix for specific details.

Does The Riordan Foundation fund for-profit or private and independent schools?
The Riordan Foundation does not fund non-501(c)(3) or for-profit organizations and/or schools. Non-profit private/independent schools within Los Angeles County are eligible to apply for Agency Grants or Recreational Reading Mini-Grants. Eligibility criteria for Recreational Reading Mini-Grants still apply for non-profit private/independent schools. Computers in the Classroom, English Language Development, KidType, and Waterford Early Reading Program grants are available only for public and parochial elementary schools (K-5) in Los Angeles County.

Does The Riordan Foundation support capital campaigns?
No.

Does The Riordan Foundation award scholarships?
No.

Does The Riordan Foundation supply computers for a general school computer lab?
No. The Riordan Foundation will only supply computers as part of Computers in the Classroom, English Language Development, or Waterford Early Reading Program grants. We do not donate or provide funding for computers intended for general use in a school lab.

What other software or hardware is available? Does The Riordan Foundation supply Macintosh or Apple computers?
For Computers in the Classroom, The Riordan Foundation has an approved software list of all of the types of software available. These are all IBM compatible, as The Riordan Foundation currently does not provide Macintosh or Apple technology.

What happened to Writing to Read?
Writing to Read (WTR) grants continue to operate in many labs and classrooms around the country. We are proud to have furnished nearly 20,000 WTR computers in over 40 states. As of June 30, 2000, IBM no longer supports K-12 courseware, including WTR. As a result, The Riordan Foundation is unable to offer WTR grants. Due to potential incompatibility of WTR with Windows new operating systems, future WTR functionality may be limited.

How many times can a school apply? Can there be several requests from the same school?
We welcome applications from eligible schools and organizations for appropriate grants. As a general rule of thumb, The Riordan Foundation may award one grant per 12-month period. Schools may receive both Computers in the Classroom and English Language Development grants in one year if they have submitted both applications at the same time. Schools that are already receiving grant support cannot apply to The Riordan Foundation for additional support until 12 months have passed since the date of their award, with the exception of Recreational Reading Mini-Grants. Recreational Reading Mini-Grants are open to all schools, regardless of current grant awards or pending proposals in other programs. Pending eligibility, schools that have received a declination are able to reapply to The Riordan Foundation at any time during the granting period. Agencies may reapply for grant awards only after one full year (12 months) or more has passed from the date of the grant award and pending the timely receipt of a comprehensive report.

What are the range of awards?
In general, The Riordan Foundation awards school grants within a total grant range of $500-$40,000. The Riordan Foundation typically awards Agency Grants within a total grant range of $500-$25,000. The average agency grant award is $2,500-$5,000.

How large of an annual budget does The Riordan Foundation have? How much do they give out each year?
The annual budget of The Riordan Foundation changes year-to-year. In general, the annual giving of The Riordan Foundation, including its Rx affiliate, is between $3 and $5 million.

How long is the process of applying and notification of an award? When can we expect to hear about our grant proposal?
Applicants will be notified within 90 days of the receipt of a complete application.

How do we find out more about The Riordan Foundation and what they fund? Who do we go to for help and information?
The Riordan Foundation covers all pertinent grant information, plus downloadable applications, on our website. If there are any further inquiries not explained through the website, please email us or call our offices at (310) 824-1570.

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