Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the frequently asked questions below. If you need additional information please contact our Executive Director, Lara Ceisel at lara@barbarastonefoundation.org.

We are purposely vague about what we will fund and what we will not fund because we do not want to limit the vision of innovators.

The Barbara Stone Foundation seeks to invest in innovative programs and initiatives that (a) empower individuals with disabilities and enlighten our community, (b) bridge gaps in existing programs and services, (c) provide solutions to issues faced by the disabilities community and (d) encourage collaboration among service providers. Our focus is all individuals with disabilities as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act 2010 definition.

Our goals are to influence positive change through thoughtful and open-minded investment, by building connections between people and organizations, working with organizations to build their capacity and encouraging collaboration. We prioritize grants that serve as a catalyst for program development, and we encourage funding requests for pilot programs. If the project or program is already established or will be ongoing, applicants should be able to demonstrate a plan for sustainability beyond the grant from the Barbara Stone Foundation.

If you aren’t sure whether your grant request would align with our priorities, please feel free to contact our Executive Director, Lara Ceisel at lara@barbarastone.arbedigital.com to schedule a conversation to discuss the nature of your request.

The Barbara Stone Foundation prioritizes requests from Greenville County; however, we accept requests from the ten counties that comprise the upstate including: Greenville County, Oconee County, Pickens County, Anderson County, Abbeville County, Greenwood County, Laurens County, Union County, Spartanburg County, and Cherokee County.

Greenville CAN (Collaborative Action Network), an initiative of the Barbara Stone Foundation, will accept requests from any county in South Carolina for assistance replicating the CAN model, similar to Greenville CAN.  Foundation support may include use of the brand, technical assistance, and the possibility of limited financial support. Please contact Lara Ceisel at lara@barbarastone.arbedigital.com for more information.

The Barbara Stone Foundation is open to sponsoring events, dinners, trainings, etc. if these activities are in furtherance of the Foundation’s priorities. We handle these request on a case-by-case basis.

The Foundation is not able to make grants to individuals for any purpose.

The Barbara Stone Foundation does not provide funding for general operating support or capital expenditures. The Barbara Stone Foundation is primarily interested in funding program related costs. If operational costs and/or limited capital costs are necessary to support a promising program meeting our funding priorities, the Foundation will consider such requests.

The Barbara Stone Foundation no longer requires a separate Letter of Intent in order to submit a grant application. Organizations are to provide similar LOI content within the grant application.

We have two grant deadlines per year:

  • March 15
  • September 15

If a deadline date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the end of the next business day.

Grant applications may be submitted via mail or email:

Applications may be mailed to:  Barbara Stone Foundation, P.O. Box 26567, Greenville, SC 29616.

Applications may be emailed to: lara@barbarastone.arbedigital.com

Grants are typically one year and generally range from $2,500 to $25,000.

Our goal is to build a relationship with organizations who share our vision of a community where individuals with disabilities flourish.  Please contact our Executive Director, Lara Ceisel at lara@barbarastone.arbedigital.com to schedule a call an / or site visit.  There are many ways we may be able to help your organization achieve its goals beyond providing funding.