The Fidelity Foundation awards grant only under the direction of its Trustees on the basis of our guidelines, project merits, and availability of funds. We use a comprehensive approach to determine whether our collaboration and investment can add value and will measurably improve the applicant’s impact. 

Our selection criteria focus on the overall organization, the project being proposed, and the project’s likelihood of success. The Foundation seeks to work with organizations on strategic, transformative projects that have the potential to substantially increase the grantee's impact, efficiency, or long-term sustainability. 

These capacity-building projects fall into three areas:

1. Capital Investments - These are large-scale projects central to the overall health and sustainability of the applicant, such as new construction, renovations, expansions, and other initiatives that support the organization's strategic vision. 

2. Planning Initiatives- This includes funding for project consultants to develop strategic, business, feasibility, technology and other types of plans. 

3. Technology Projects- These are high-impact technology initiatives that can substantially increase an organization's efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. These are high-impact technology initiatives that can substantially increase an organization's efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.

Sector Focus:

• Arts & Culture

• Conservation

• Education

• Health

• Social & Economic Mobility

Geographic Focus:

The Foundation considers influential community projects from organizations in regions around Fidelity Investments' employee sites in the listed metropolitan areas. Organizations of national importance and high-impact projects with potential to inform the nonprofit sector are also of interest.

• Albuquerque, NM

• Boston, MA

• Raleigh/Durham, NC

• Covington, KY/Cincinnati, OH

• Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

• Denver, CO

• Jacksonville, FL

• Jersey City, NJ

• Merrimack, NH

• Smithfield, RI

• Salt Lake City, UT

If you believe your organization’s funding needs fit within the Foundation’s Guidelines, consider submitting a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). Should your organization have several needs, applicants are encouraged to propose projects that are a priority for the organization and best match our funding requirements and areas of investment focus. If your letter results in an invitation to submit a full Proposal, we will contact you. Typically the initial Letter of Inquiry review process will take between four and six weeks. Please note: Fidelity Foundation does not frequently fund unsolicited LOIs.