Briefly
Program description
The Allen Foundation (Allen Foundation, Inc.), named in honor of William Webster Allen, operates in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan (USA) and maintains its offices in Midland, Michigan (USA). In line with the foundation’s charter, grantmaking is limited to projects that primarily support programs in the field of human nutrition, specifically within the areas of health, education, training, and scientific research.
The foundation’s primary focus remains the relationship between diet and health.
Main Information
Eligibility
To be eligible, an organization must be:
- a nonprofit organization and provide proof of tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code; or
- a government entity with tax-exempt status.
In addition, applicants must be organizations officially registered in the United States; applications from organizations registered outside the United States are not currently accepted.
Financing
- For colleges and universities, there is a 5% cap on overhead costs charged in addition to direct project costs.
- The Foundation does not directly administer the programs it funds.
- The Foundation does not fund professional conferences, seminars, panel discussions, or similar events.
Supported Activities
Foundation policies and priorities (as listed by the organizer):
- funding relevant scientific research in the field of nutrition;
- supporting education and training programs for mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth with the aim of fostering healthy dietary habits from an early age;
- supporting the training of professionals as educators and practical demonstrators of healthy nutritional practices;
- promoting the dissemination of information on healthy nutritional practices and dietary habits;
- in limited cases, providing grants to address urgent emergency problems of hunger and malnutrition.
It is additionally noted that the foundation welcomes proposals aimed at:
- introducing mandatory nutrition courses in medical schools;
- realizing the potential of nutrigenomics / nutritional genomics;
- promoting environmentally sound, economically viable, socially responsible, and sustainable food and agricultural systems.
Roadmap
- Proposals submitted by January 15 are considered at the April meeting of the council.
- Proposals submitted by July 15 are considered at the October meeting of the council.
- Proposals received after the deadlines are transferred for consideration to the next session.
- A progress report is submitted electronically by April 15 of the year following the year of the grant award.
How to Apply
To determine whether a participating organization meets the eligibility requirements for the Allen Foundation grant program, it is necessary to complete a preliminary eligibility screening available on the organization’s official website.
Before submitting an application, applicants are also advised to carefully review the foundation’s grantmaking guidelines to ensure that the organization’s activities and the proposed project align with the foundation’s priorities.
Starting on September 1, 2025, the Allen Foundation uses a new online application system — the Blackbaud Grantmaking portal. This system allows applicants to create a single account through which they can submit and track all of their applications.
To begin the application process, applicants must register on the online portal by creating a new Blackbaud ID, or by using an existing account if one has already been created.
After logging into the system, applicants must select the program category that best matches their proposed initiative, namely:
- Academic Research
- Hunger Relief
- Nutrition Education
Once the appropriate category has been selected, applicants should proceed by clicking the button to access the application form.
This section also includes a sample application, which helps applicants better understand the structure of the form and the type of information that must be prepared for submission.
Evaluation Criteria
Reviewers objectively evaluate the quality and value of the proposal, taking into account:
- the project's goal;
- the project's objectives;
- the expected results.
Updates / Announcements
The decisions of the fund's governing board are announced by publishing a list of grant recipients on the Allen Foundation website in June and December of each year.
Reporting and Compliance
For grants awarded in 2026 or later
An annual report on the status of the project and a financial report on the expenditure of funds shall be submitted electronically by April 15 of the year following the year in which the grant was awarded.
For grants awarded in 2025 or earlier
Reports on the status of any grant projects awarded before 2026, including multi-year grant projects, should be sent to Perry@AllenFoundation.org.
Legal Terms
- The Foundation operates in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan (USA), and grants are awarded within the terms of its charter.
- The Foundation reserves the right to award grants without further discussion and to reject any or all proposals submitted.
- The Foundation does not retain ownership of intellectual property created within the scope of projects funded by grants.