What is a Local Funding Partner?

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships (LFP) awards matching grants of between $200,000 and $500,000 per project in its Annual Grantmaking program and between $50,000 and $200,000 per project in its Peaceful Pathways program. Rarely does a project receive all of its local matching dollars from a single local grantmaker. Instead, multiple grantmakers—known as local funding partners—contribute funds to achieve the total required matching dollars over the life of an LFP grant.

All types of grantmaking organizations are invited to participate as local funding partners including independent and private foundations, family and community foundations, corporate foundations, diversity-focused funds and other philanthropies. In addition to the foundations defined at grantmaking organizations, matching funds may come from endowments, individual benefactors, religious groups, special fundraising entities and other charitable organizations.

Different grantmakers may fund the project in different amounts for one or more years, so that the combined total dollars either match or surpass the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) award. The nominating funder is usually RWJF’s primary contact and serves as liaison with the other local funding partners.

Timing of funders’ contributions

During the review process when projects are considered for LFP matching grants, the degree of interest and commitment from funding partners is seen as a key indication of local support for the proposed project. However, the trustees of the partner foundations are not required to approve their grants prior to the final review by RWJF.

Once a project is selected, RWJF disburses grant funds in increments according to the project’s budget. The total award is not delivered in one sum. Funded grantees will submit a budget for each year of the grant that shows how much of their RWJF award they plan to spend that year. RWJF then requires written confirmation that the local funding partners have authorized sufficient dollars to match RWJF payments for that year.