A: If you are having trouble viewing the pages of our online application site, you may need to lower your internet privacy options. If your privacy settings are set to reject cookies, you may not be able to access this link. (A cookie is given to your web browser by the online application form as a placeholder to allow you to reach the form again. Information is not collected for any other reason.)

A: The eligibility quiz is designed to help you determine if your organization meets the criteria for a grant round. If you have answered the questions and are unable to access the application, it is likely that you do not meet one or more of the eligibility requirements. If you have a question about the eligibility criteria, please contact a philanthropic advisor.

A. We place limits on the amount of text you can submit so that we can fairly evaluate the many applications for funding that we receive. You will see a word counter displayed below the entry field. This will actively tell you how many words you have entered and will let you know when you are approaching the limit. (HINT: This feature is new with our most recent 2012 upgrade and will NOT work if you cut and paste a block of text into the entry field.)

A. These two programs use different methods for calculating (or estimating) word count. Be sure to carefully check that your text fits in the allotted space in the application. If your answer is too long, any text beyond the word limit will be cut off, and this will result in an error on the Review page of the application. Please note: the system will not allow you to submit your application until the error is corrected and your answer is within the text limits.

A. We prefer that you attach files in a PDF format (.pdf). We will also accept files in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Excel (.xls or .xlsx). Unacceptable formats include files with "exe", "com", "vbs", and "bat" extensions.

A. 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 FY2010". (Note: do not use any symbols except for a period or a dash, as symbols can interfere with the upload process.)

A. The maximum size for all attachments combined is 75 MB. If your attachments are larger than 75 MB combined, please contact the Vermont Community Foundation for tech support at vcf@vermontcf.org or 802-388-3355.

A. No. In order to ensure that an application is not disqualified due to lack of required materials, the online system will not allow you to submit your application unless you’ve followed this process to upload and attach the required materials. If you do not have the documents electronically, you can scan the information into a PDF file. If you do not have a scanner at your organization, you can use the services of a copy shop or a public library to scan your documents.

A. There are a few common reasons why this can happen, even after you click the Save button. For instance, while you are working in your online application, a weak internet connection may momentarily disconnect your computer, or if you stay on one page for an extended period of time without saving, your account may "time out" without warning. In these cases, unfortunately, you won’t be able to recover the changes you made. (HINT: We recommend that you save your application often, and as you enter answers to the application questions, cut and paste this text from the application into a Word document on your computer that you can save as a backup.) But before giving up, there are a couple of steps which may allow you to restore your edits:
» Re-load your internet page, as sometimes the browser can cache an older version of your page.
» Log out, wait a few minutes, and then log back in and re-open your application.

A. If this happens, there is an error on the Review page which must be corrected first. Often the source of the error is that you’ve gone over the word limit in one of the text boxes. To resolve this problem, look carefully at the red text on the Review page to determine where the error has occurred. Make your correction and click the "Update" button at the bottom of the page. Once the error has been resolved, the system will allow you to move to another page.

A. The attachment upload process can be unpredictable. If you’ve made sure there are no symbols in the file name, the file type and size are OK, then try one or more of these suggestions:
» Try saving a new, renamed version of the document. Sometimes the problem can be a corrupt file.
» Try saving your file as a different type, providing you have the appropriate software. For instance, if it is a Word (.doc or .docx) or Excel (.xls or .xlsx) document, try saving it as an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file and then uploading this version. Or if you first tried to upload the (.pdf) version, try uploading your original Word or Excel file. If you scanned a document to create a (.jpg) file, try saving it in a (.pdf) format instead.
» Use a different computer to do the upload, and see if it makes a difference.
» Try using a different web browser. If you’ve been using Internet Explorer, try Firefox. Or upgrade your browser by downloading and installing a newer version.