With the Foundation’s first round of 2026 Systems Change Grants complete, staff are sharing our top eight tips for writing a competitive Letter of Intent (LOI) and application.
For complete grant details, please visit our Systems Change Grant webpage or view our Grants Overview webinar. And remember that the scoring rubrics that evaluators use are posted in the Selection Criteria of the grant webpage!
Tip #1: Focus on systems change for adults and/or families
Our funding specifically supports work directed toward adults and families. We deeply value the vital work being done for children and youth, but programs solely serving individuals under 18 years of age are not eligible for our funding at this time.
- How to align: If your organization primarily serves youth, consider who ultimately benefits from the systemic change you are proposing. If the impact shifts conditions for families or adults, you may still be a fit! Just ensure your responses focus on the results for families or adults.
- A note on age definitions: If your organization defines “youth” as extending beyond age 18, please focus your LOI responses on the impact to, and input from, the 18+ cohort.
Tip #2: Be specific in your responses
Evaluators score applications highest when they can clearly picture your work. Avoid broad generalizations and fully explain exactly what your organization plans to do, the specific actions you will take, and the outcomes you expect to see. Whenever possible, ground your responses in data—local data is especially powerful.
Tip #3: Align with the Foundation’s definitions of economic mobility and housing security
We want to fund systems change work that fits squarely within our focus areas, which were created based on community input:
- Economic Mobility: We define this as access to resources that improve economic status and opportunities over a lifetime (e.g., a living wage, employment, benefits, training, assets and the power to make choices through labor market supports). We are looking to fund shifts in the structures that prevent people from building wealth, rather than general poverty-relief programs.
- Housing Security: We focus on improving access to stable, safe, and affordable housing by changing the conditions that block access to it. For example, while we cannot fund brick-and-mortar construction directly, we can fund organizations advocating for the local, state, or federal policy changes needed to secure public housing resources.
Tip #4: Center your organization’s systems change work
Many organizations provide vital direct services to individuals while simultaneously working to shift systems. For your LOI and application responses, lean heavily into the systems change side of your work.
What does systems change mean to us? It means actively shifting the policies, institutional infrastructures, and societal beliefs that perpetuate poverty in the first place.
Direct services and programs (including case management, helping individuals navigate existing broken systems, or wraparound programs) are critical for meeting immediate needs. However, the Foundation’s Systems Change Grant opportunity is strictly dedicated to addressing the root causes that make those services necessary. Be sure to write your application through a systemic lens, highlighting your model of change, community input, and partnerships that are working towards systems change. Although it’s optional, if you want to share information about the other services your organization provides, use the “about the organization” response for this.
Tip #5: Be choosy when choosing a systems change category
We offer four distinct categories for these grants. Selecting all of them won’t necessarily make your LOI more competitive; instead, choosing the one or two categories that truly capture your core focus helps evaluators see exactly where you plan to “move the needle.”
- Participating in advocacy and lobbying: Nonprofits absolutely can lobby and advocate! This category is broad and covers a wide range of policy-shifting work.
- Addressing unequal power: This category focuses on shifting the distribution and dynamics of privilege and institutional relationships. We are looking for initiatives that prioritize organizing, building strong coalitions, and fostering civic engagement that intentionally centers community voices and perspectives while working to change economic mobility and housing security.
- Affirming the dignity of people experiencing poverty: This category is about concerted efforts to shift public mindsets, cultural narratives, and systemic paradigms. While treating program participants with dignity is essential, this category is for outward-facing narrative change.
- Implementing big impact, scalable, and innovative solutions: To qualify here, a proposal must address all three elements. These initiatives often focus on groups experiencing inequitable outcomes due to historic marginalization. While these may look like programs, the proposed work must explicitly connect back to how they will ultimately transform the broader system. This category is not meant for organizations looking to pilot new initiatives or expand their program offerings.
Tip #6: Consider where your organization is in the systems change process
We welcome fresh, transformative ideas! However, a competitive LOI should show that the work is already underway to some degree. If your initiative is in its early stages, evaluators will look for evidence that you have already built strong partnerships, secured community buy-in, or otherwise established a solid foundation to move the idea forward.
Tip #7: Pay close attention to the Partnerships question
True systems change cannot be achieved alone; it requires deep collaboration. When filling out the partnerships section, focus on the allies, coalitions, or organizations you are strategizing with to change the system. If the partners you list are solely referral networks for direct services, evaluators won’t see the systemic alignment required for this grant.
Tip #8: Be clear if your organization is grassroots and/or impacting communities of color
The Foundation is deeply committed to expanding our partnerships with grassroots organizations and those advancing equity for communities of color. We explicitly include extra points for these elements in our scoring rubric. To help us recognize this alignment, please be explicit about how your organization fits these descriptions and how you define and measure your impact within these communities.
We also award extra points for organizations located in and/or primarily serving at least one of the following 12 persistent poverty counties in South Carolina: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Clarendon, Colleton, Dillon, Hampton, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Williamsburg (based on U.S. Census definition).
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You can also find a video version of these tips on our YouTube channel.
Read about our inaugural Systems Change Grant recipients. And thank you for your dedication to creating lasting, systemic change in our community.
