Application FAQs
Process
If this is your first online submission with the Gobioff Foundation please go to our online grants-management system to create an account.
You will need the following to get started:
- A username that is an email address
- Your contact information
- Your organization’s information, including the EIN/Tax ID number (required)
If you have your organization’s login information, please go to the Online Grant Management System login, and click on “Apply” in the top menu to fill out our Letter of Inquiry. If you don’t see any options after that, we aren’t currently accepting LOIs.
Once your account is set up, your account dashboard is displayed on screen every time you log in. From the dashboard, you can do the following:
- Edit your contact information
- Begin the application process
- Access application drafts and submitted applications
- View details and complete the report process for grant award
In addition to applying for a grant, you will also be able to:
- Review your organization’s grant history
- Fill out and submit progress and final reports
- Track your grant application process
- Communicate with the Gobioff Foundation when needed
- Edit and update your organization’s contact information
No. At the bottom of the application is a “Save as Draft” button. We recommend you save your application often and before logging out. You can log in at a later time to continue working on your application. We strongly suggest that you cut and paste from your favorite word processing software. A Word Document of all the questions is available here.
Each phase of an application process must be submitted by 11:59pm (EST) on the day of the deadline. You will not be able to submit your applications after that, and any incomplete/unsubmitted applications will be archived.
Technology
For the best user experience when applying for a grant, we recommend using Google Chrome 14 or higher, Firefox 9 or higher, or Safari 4 or higher. It is fine to use Internet Explorer, but you may encounter some minor technical issues. Which browser would be most compatible with the Online Grants System?
For application questions that request an uploaded attachment, click the Browse button and then choose the desired document from your computer. The file name of the uploaded file will be indicated under the Browse button. Then save your application (button at the bottom of page).
Please Note
Pay attention to your file names – remove extra periods or replace them with a dash or underscore character.
If you need to add more than one, please contact the Gobioff Foundation for additional help.
You should give each file a name that identifies your organization and the type of required document it represents. For example, a file representing your budget for the previous fiscal year could be named “OrgName-budget FY2012”. Do not use any symbols except for a period or a dash, as symbols can interfere with the upload process.
- To start, click the Fax to File link on the left hand side of the screen.
- Then click the Request a Fax # button and you will be presented with a toll-free fax number. You have this number for 20 minutes.
- Fax your document to the number provided. Send a separate fax for each document and do not include a cover sheet. All faxed documents will be automatically converted to a PDF. You have 20 minutes to fax your documents before the number expires.
- After you have faxed each separate document click the Finished Faxing button to see your list of files.
- Download your converted documents to your computer and save them.
- Upload the documents to the appropriate questions on the online form.
The file size limit is noted next to the Browse button and the system will not accept files greater than this limit. Some users have trouble with appropriate settings on a scanner and end up with larger file sizes. If these documents are converted using the Fax to File tool, the file size can be dramatically decreased.
There are two ways to remove an uploaded file from an application:
- Once the file has been uploaded a delete button will appear below the file name. Clicking Delete will remove the file.
- To replace the file a new file can be uploaded in its place. Simply upload the correct form to the question and the old uploaded form will be erased.
Applicants can only upload a single document in response to an upload question. If an applicant has more than one file they need to upload, they need to combine the files either electronically or via scanning. There are two methods applicants can use:
- If the files to be uploaded are in a format that is editable (such as Word or Excel), the applicant may take multiple Word documents or Excel sheets and combine them into one file.
- If the files are not easily edited (PDF or physical copies), they may be combined by utilizing the Fax-to-File tool. For example, sending two resumes in a fax would result in one PDF file containing both resumes.
There a few different reasons one may experience file upload issues:
- File names – Remove extra periods or replace them with a dash or underscore characters.
- File size – Files that exceed the maximum file size limit will cause an error. Compress the files or use Fax to File to create a smaller file.
No. We strongly suggest that you cut and paste from your favorite word processing software.
There are a few common reasons why this can happen:
- If you stay on one page for an extended period of time without saving, your account may “time out” without warning.
- A weak internet connection may momentarily disconnect your computer while you are working on the application.
As a safeguard, we recommend that you:
- Save your application often.
- Cut and paste your application answers after each question into a Word document to save as backup.
To restore your edits, try:
- Re-loading your internet page, as sometimes the browser will cache an older version of your page.
- Logging out, wait a few minutes, and then log back in and re-open your application.