The BNI-Misner Foundation has $1000 Givers Gain(R) Grants available for educators who are in need of funds to support their educational projects for children in countries where BNI has chapters meeting.  Our desire to make a difference in tomorrow's business through education today is matched with our ability to provide the funding for the educators who are making this happen.

Since our business is "by referral," we require the same referral process for the grant process.  If you know a deserving educator or are an educator and want more information, please email foundation@bni.com for more information. 

Below is a letter to educators outlining our guidelines for applying for a Givers Gain(R) Grant:

Givers Gain(R) Grant Application Process

The BNI-Misner Foundation entertains applications for our $1000 grants by referral only.  In order to be invited to apply, your charity must be recommended by a BNI member or director and your charity must be in a country where BNI has chapters meeting.  This reinforces our BNI corporate philosophy of doing business by referral. 

Upon recommendation by a BNI member or director, your charity will be invited to apply for a grant by our foundation staff.  The application will be circulated to a voting body composed of the Executive Board of Advisors and the BNI-Misner Foundation Fund Development Directors’ Committee.  After reviewing the application, the votes will be tallied and your charity will be notified of the status of the application.

If approved, the BNI Director in your area will also be notified and provided with sample press releases and ideas for how to dovetail PR for your charity and the local BNI organization.  We recommend formal, in-person presentations by the local BNI representative to your charity to reinforce the relational aspect of the process.  You might be invited to attend a BNI meeting so the local members can meet you and congratulate you.

The grant will come from the BNI-Misner Foundation through our parent fund, the California Community Foundation and will take from 7 to 10 business days to receive.  If you are notified that you have been approved for a grant and you do NOT receive a check within 7 to 10 business days, please let our office know so that we can follow up with CCF.

Qualified Charities

BNI-Misner Foundation Givers Gain(R) Grants are awarded to non-profit charities whose focus is children and education.  In the US, that is the 501(c)(3) classification.  Grants are awarded for multi-use items, such as books, computer programs, computer equipment and other types of tangible materials that can be used from year to year.  Grants are NOT awarded for tuition, staff salaries, field trips, food or other consumables, parties, etc…

We offer grants in developed nations in two areas:

Preschools and Primary/Elementary Schools--for core curriculum educational projects.

Intermediate/Junior High/High Schools--for business educational projects.

We offer grants in developing nations for educational projects with no restrictions.

Application Guidelines

When applying for a mini grant from the BNI-Misner Foundation, there is specific information we are looking when we review your application.  We want to see how the grant will be used specifically, so if there are books that are going to be purchased, an itemized list of titles and overall cost of the all books is what we are looking for.  Let us know how many kids are going to benefit from what your grant is being used for (and for how many years).

Let us know what the benefit is going to be from how you use our grant and how you will measure the benefits (such as test scores rising from reading enhancement).  If there are studies that indicate that what you are looking to do will have a positive impact on students, share that with us, as well.  Be sure to include your tax ID number for your non-profit classification, your school’s (or charity’s) phone number and your personal contact information.

The BNI-Misner Foundation believes in the philosophy of Givers Gain and teaches its members to reinvest in the community through local business development as well as charitable support.  Our focus is children and education because we believe that improving tomorrow’s business through education today is in the best interest of the community as well as in our best interest as a corporation.

Thank you for your interest in the application process and thank you for giving the BNI-Misner Foundation an opportunity to partner with you to bring quality educational services to the youth you serve.  We look forward to working with you through the BNI-Misner Foundation.

Elisabeth and Ivan Misner