Frequently asked questions

The Maximus Foundation is driven by a mission to support organizations and programs promoting personal growth and self-sufficiency in three impact themes – community development, healthcare, and youth development. As a result, we focus our giving strategy on a competitive annual grantmaking program funded directly by compassionate employee donors who double their impact with a 100 percent match from Maximus, as well as supplemental Corporate funding. Our caring employees also make a positive impact by nominating and voting for nonprofits on the frontlines of communities we serve. We award unrestricted grants, which better supports our partners’ efforts to quickly meet the needs of the communities we both serve.

In addition, the Maximus Foundation organizes company-wide corporate citizenship initiatives to meet extraordinary community needs and support local employee engagement opportunities with community partners.

The Maximus Foundation‘s grantmaking cycle is an invitation-only process that considers grantees from the past two years and organizations that meet the following eligibility criteria.

• Receive a nomination from an employee who has donated to the Foundation’s grantmaking program in the past calendar year
• Provide a 501(c)(3) determination letter
• Submit audited financials from the past two years (a tax return or copy of a balance sheet is not sufficient)
• Align with the Foundation’s mission to support organizations and programs promoting personal growth and self-sufficiency in at least one of our three impact themes – community development, healthcare, and youth development
• Operate within the U.S.

If you have an existing relationship with an employee who would like to learn more about the nomination process, our staff members would be happy to connect with them.

Past grantees maintain their eligibility for future grant cycles by submitting a completed Maximus Impact Report through our grantmaking portal the year they accept a grant award. While we understand it is not always possible to disburse all grant funds by the time we request an impact report, we kindly request an update for our Board of Directors. Our grantee's latest impact report helps maintain their eligibility status for up to two years and will be considered part of their organization’s profile in future finalist applications. Our Foundation staff members will provide additional information with access to the portal approximately in December and due in late January.

Barring extenuating circumstances, the Foundation’s grantmaking process begins every fall with the Foundation’s Board of Directors reviewing hundreds of nonprofits that include previous grantees and submitted applications from employee-nominated organizations. Nominated organizations submit their eligibility applications on a rolling basis until the start of the new grant cycle each fall.

In the winter, the Board carefully evaluates a finalist list. We invite the selected finalists to complete a brief online application to verify their eligibility and submit the required documents. Using the submitted content, our staff create and send a ballot with organization descriptions to every Maximus employee donor in February.

In the spring, our Board uses employee vote data and the material in each organization’s profile to finalize grant decisions. Our grantmaking cycle concludes with the Foundation staff notifying applicants.

We support three primary focus areas in our grantmaking:

Community Development: Support is given to programs that focus on community development and redevelopment through supportive services to low-income households and communities. Program areas may include but are not limited to:

• Homelessness Prevention and Supportive Services
• Veterans Supportive Services
• Jobs and Training Programs

Healthcare: Support is given to healthcare programs that promote access and services to low-income individuals and families, including but not limited to programs that support:

• Physical and Developmental Disabilities
• HIV and AIDS Prevention and Care
• Chronic Care

Youth Development: Priority is given to programs that serve disadvantaged or low-income youth. Program areas may include but are not limited to:

• Child Abuse Prevention and Supportive Services
• Child Hunger and Nutrition Services
• Enrichment and Education Programs

The Foundation supports IRS-registered, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States that extend the mission of the company and share our commitment in helping disadvantaged populations and underserved communities.

Grants are not considered for individuals; advertising, ticket events or dinner programs; political causes or candidates; endowments; or capital campaigns.

There is no steadfast rule as to how much the Foundation may award an organization.

To ensure an adaptable response to the ever-changing needs of our communities, the Foundation will award an organization only once a year. While we do not guarantee multi-year funding, many of our grantees become long-term partners in the communities we serve. Our eligibility requirements for newly nominated organizations and previously awarded grantees helps us focus on developing deeper, more collaborative relationships with our nonprofit partners.

The caring and compassionate staff here at Maximus have a history of partnering with communities in need when faced with great challenges. During those difficult times, the Foundation and Maximus have organized special collections and raised funds for social impact and disaster relief initiatives.

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Congratulations on being nominated by a Maximus employee! Your notice includes a personalized link for your application. Please note that you must meet our eligibility requirements, including a 501(c)(3) determination letter, recently audited financials from within the past two years, and share the mission of the Foundation through your work.

Applications from nominated organizations received by August 31 will be considered in the following year's grant cycle. For example, if your organization is nominated by an employee and you submit your application by August 31, 2021, you may be considered for the 2022 award cycle. If you submit your application on September 1, 2021, you will not be eligible for consideration until the 2023 award cycle.

No, the Foundation does not accept proposals via email, postal service or fax.

No. We require a federal tax-exempt letter (your “501(c)(3) letter”). If you need a copy of your 501(c)(3) letter, contact the IRS at 877.829.5500.

Given the growing competition for grant awards, organizations may not apply under another’s 501(c)(3) distinction.

Online application submission must include all necessary documents. You may save the application and return it for submission when all of the necessary documents are ready.

Audited financials from within the past two years are strictly required. Audited financials must be prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and audited by an independent certified public accountant (CPA) in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and include notes to the financial statement that state whether the organization is in compliance. A CPA on your board could have an independent CPA from their business conduct the audit. Several of our smaller partners find that CPAs will donate the audit effort, especially in the offseason, and the nonprofit can provide a tax receipt for the cost.

All organizations will receive notification that your application has been received, upon which the Foundation staff and Board of Directors will review your materials. Within a calendar year of your submission, you will be informed of the Board's decision to include you as a prospective grantee for future possible funding or if your application was denied for inclusion. Only awarded nonprofits will be contacted about their funding award following the spring grant cycle.

If your organization's nominated application was rejected, you may only be reconsidered if:

• You are nominated again by an eligible Maximus employee, and
• Your organization has undergone changes to strengthen your alignment with the Foundation.

To continue working on your application, please visit our grantmaking portal at maximus.com/grant-portal. Log in with your username and password, which you created for your application. If you forgot your password, please click “Forgot Password?” and follow the instructions to reset your password.

If you have not started on your application, please click on the unique link we shared with you in your invitation to apply. If you do not have a Maximus grantmaking account, select "New Applicant?" to create your log-in information. You will be instructed to create a password. Your email can serve as the username.

Please visit our grantmaking portal at maximus.com/grant-portal. Log in with your username and password, which you created for your application. If you forgot your password, please click “Forgot Password?” and follow the instructions to reset your password.

We understand staffing changes happen. If you would like to transfer account access for your organization’s most recent submission, please email the Maximus Foundation requesting an account transfer and sharing the new desired email address to be associated with your grant application. Instructions for creating an account will be sent to the new email address.

Grantees maintain their eligibility for future grant cycles by submitting a completed Maximus Impact Report through our grantmaking portal the year they accept a grant award. While we understand it is not always possible to disburse all grant funds by the time we request an impact report, we kindly request an update for our Board of Directors.

Our grantees latest impact report helps maintain their eligibility status for up to two years and will be considered as part of their organization’s profile in future finalist applications. Our Foundation staff members will provide additional information with access to the portal approximately in December and due in late January.

The Maximus Foundation Impact Report can be accessed from our grant portal. Generally, the report requests information about the effects, if any, from your Maximus Foundation grant. Questions include:

• Inputs: Defined as the resources your organization devoted to a particular program or the products/services you provided. Please include examples of formal and informal partnerships that help your organization amplify and advocate on behalf of the vision and priorities set by the community you serve.
• Outputs: Defined as the actual product or service that your intervention produced. We understand you may still be dispersing your grant and collecting data, but please share as many metrics as possible.
• Outcomes: Defined as an effect your organization's program produced on the people or issues you served or addressed.
• Impact: Defined as long-term or indirect effects of your outcomes.
• Stories of Impact: Please share a personal or organizational story of success. We work to share the success of our grantees with our donors, the public, our Company, and our partners.

Current Maximus employees who have donated at least $1 in the past calendar year may nominate an eligible nonprofit for consideration. To do so, please contact the Maximus Foundation for next steps.

You may find your current rate of payroll deduction by visiting Deltek Time & Expense and selecting the Self-Service tab. Under Payroll & Benefits, select Payroll Checks and look under Deductions on your paystub for "Charitable Foundation."

All eligible Maximus employees will receive an online survey via email by February each year to submit their vote. To be eligible, you must be a current Maximus employee who donated at least $1 via payroll to the Maximus Foundation's grantmaking program in the previous calendar year.