Open October 1 through November 30, 2026. The Oberkotter Foundation invites U.S. nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations to propose projects that bring pediatric hearing screening or diagnostic services closer to children and families, especially children from birth through age three and those facing geographic, financial, or service-access barriers. The application deadline is November 30, 2026, at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time through Foundant. The funder’s website uses the abbreviation EDT for this deadline although Eastern standard time applies in late November; confirm the portal’s displayed cutoff before submission.
Individual applicant award: the controlling 12-page Request for Proposals explicitly establishes no minimum or maximum grant amount. Applicants must request a realistic, itemized and justified project budget; no aggregate program pool should be substituted for an individual award ceiling. Selected proposals may receive up to three years of funding, paid in annual installments. A universally required applicant matching percentage is not stated in this RFP.
Eligibility: U.S.-based nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, primarily 501(c)(3) organizations, located and operating in the United States or its territories, with demonstrated administrative and financial capacity and relevant experience or foundational knowledge in early childhood hearing loss and the social drivers of healthcare access. Collaboration is permitted, but one lead organization must submit and administer the grant and include letters of support from every collaborating organization. The RFP’s applicant-eligibility rules, not this summary, control.
Supported activities: implementation, modification, expansion or adaptation of service-delivery models that directly improve children’s access to screening or diagnostic assessment, such as community-embedded services, family-centered care arrangements, telehealth service delivery or outreach in underserved areas. Proposals must identify barriers, explain implementation and mitigation methods, set measurable goals, evaluate results, monitor costs, and discuss long-term sustainability. Baseline outcome data are not mandatory. Large capital investments are not eligible: the RFP excludes new vehicles, buses, trailers, large capital equipment and acquisition or construction of permanent physical space. Projects must provide direct support or a direct solution benefiting children and families.
Budget and grant administration: use the Foundant application’s required spreadsheet budget template with line-item justification. The RFP’s indirect-cost policy permits up to 15% of direct project costs for U.S. tax-exempt universities, colleges, hospitals and health systems, and up to 25% for other U.S. tax-exempt nonprofits; government agencies and for-profit entities receive a 0% indirect rate under that policy. Actual allowable amounts remain subject to funder agreement. Awardees submit annual progress and financial reporting and a final report at the end of the grant.
How to apply: review the official grant announcement, application access and FAQs and controlling 2026 Request for Proposals (12 pages). Prepare the proposed project plan, measurable outcomes, relevant expertise, timeline, budget and partner support letters when applicable; create a Foundant account and submit electronically. Technical or clarification questions must reach grants@oberkotterfoundation.org by November 9, 2026. The foundation expects to notify applicants in March 2027, with an estimated April 1, 2027 project start. Official sources reviewed October 26, 2026; consult them for amendments and controlling terms.