NGOGrant guide
TEEEM Foundation Community Impact Grant 2026: A Guide for Indian NGOs
TEEEM Foundation
Short answer: The TEEEM Foundation, a US-based 501(c)(3) foundation (EIN 83-1286180) in New Jersey, funds nonprofits “around the world” (India is not named) in three ranges from US$5,000 to US$30,000. Deadline: 1 November 2026 (Sunday). Time and time zone not stated by the funder. Apply by emailing one combined PDF. Under Indian law you would need FCRA registration or prior permission (our note). Our advice: submit by 31 Oct 2026 IST, or earlier. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
Foreign grant: Indian NGOs normally need FCRA registration or prior permission (FCRA 2010) to receive these funds. General information only, not legal advice.
What this grant is
TEEEM stands for The Empathy Equality Entrepreneurship Mission. The TEEEM Foundation is a US-based 501(c)(3) foundation (EIN 83-1286180) in New Jersey; its site gives its address as Pompton Plains. Through the Community Impact Grant Program it funds “nonprofit and charitable organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities around the world”. The 2026 application window opened on 17 August 2026. Deadline: 1 November 2026 (Sunday). Time and time zone not stated by the funder.
It is a small, general-purpose community grant. TEEEM does not say how many grants it will make or its total budget. Public US tax filings suggest it is a small foundation (our reading), so treat this as one of several applications. It suits a project with a clear local result and a modest budget. TEEEM lists six areas it funds:
- Education & Youth Development
- Health & Essential Needs
- Equality & Empowerment
- Entrepreneurship & Economic Opportunity
- Community Infrastructure
- Sustainable Community Impact
Who is it really built for? Reading the form, the funder has US charities in mind first (it asks for an IRS determination letter and about a US bank account), but it leaves room for others: the tax-status options are 501(c)(3), International NGO, Registered Charity and Other, and both documents allow “equivalent” registration papers. India is not named anywhere, and neither is FCRA. A trust, society or Section 8 company in any Indian state reads the same form as any other applicant outside the US.
At a glance
| Item | What TEEEM says |
|---|---|
| Programme | TEEEM Foundation Community Impact Grant Program |
| Funder | TEEEM Foundation, a US-based 501(c)(3) foundation (EIN 83-1286180) in New Jersey |
| Who | Nonprofit and charitable organisations “around the world” (India not named; form options: 501(c)(3), International NGO, Registered Charity, Other) |
| Amounts | US$5,000–10,000 (Community Grants), US$10,000–20,000 (Growth Grants) and US$20,000–30,000 (Transformational Grants); other amounts “may still be considered”; awards may be funded in full or in part |
| Window | 17 August to 1 November 2026. Deadline: 1 November 2026 (Sunday). Time and time zone not stated by the funder. |
| How to apply | One combined PDF, emailed to Michelle Della Fortuna, Vice President of Finance & Strategy, michelle@teeem.org (as listed by the funder) |
| Review completed | 13 November 2026 (per the application PDF only) |
| Awards announced | 20 November 2026 (per the application PDF only) |
| Reports if funded | Mid-year report due 28 February 2027; end-of-year report due 30 June 2027 (per the application PDF only) |
| India and FCRA | Not mentioned by the funder (see our note below) |
The three grant ranges
The web page names three tiers. Community Grants of US$5,000–10,000 support local projects and grassroots work. Growth Grants of US$10,000–20,000 help organisations expand. Transformational Grants of US$20,000–30,000 are for large community projects. The PDF gives the same amounts without the names.
TEEEM adds: “Organizations requesting amounts outside these ranges may still be considered, and awards may be funded in full or in part.” In practice, ask for what your project budget actually supports, and choose the range that fits it. A first-time applicant asking for the top of the largest range, with a thin budget behind it, makes the reviewer’s job harder, not easier. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
Our note (NGOGrant.in, not the funder): FCRA and the U.S. bank account question
This section is our guidance, not TEEEM’s. TEEEM does not mention India or FCRA, and FCRA is not one of its conditions. It is Indian law. Under Indian law, Indian NGOs need valid FCRA registration/prior permission to receive foreign grants. A grant from a US foundation counts as foreign contribution under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and it has to come into the NGO’s designated FCRA account first. Our FCRA registration and prior permission guide explains both routes, and our guide to the FCRA bank account covers the account rules.
The form asks: “Does your organization have a U.S.-based bank account capable of receiving grant funds”, and if not, to “briefly explain how grant funds would be received and administered (if awarded)”. Answer it honestly. Most Indian NGOs will tick no and explain that funds would come by international transfer into their FCRA account. Do not offer to route the money through a friend’s or partner organisation’s US account to make the form look neater; in our view that can create an FCRA problem for you later. If your NGO has neither FCRA registration nor prior permission, talk to your CA before you apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
A practical timeline if you are applying from India
Deadline: 1 November 2026 (Sunday). Time and time zone not stated by the funder. TEEEM is in the US, but nothing tells you which hour or which clock it means, so do not try to work one out. Our advice: submit by 31 Oct 2026 IST, or earlier. That is our advice, not the funder’s. With the window this close, here is how we would use the time:
- Straight away. Download the application from TEEEM’s page and read every section once. Decide which of the six funding areas your project fits. If it fits none of them, stop here.
- The same day. Collect the papers you already have: registration certificate, latest audited financial statements, annual report, and the list of your board or governing body. Check your FCRA status and FCRA account details.
- Next. Write the project sections and the project budget, then the organisational budget. Present the budget in US dollars, as the form’s amounts are.
- Before you send. Have the authorised signatory sign the certification. Merge everything into one PDF in the order the application lists, check the file opens, and keep it to a size an ordinary inbox will accept.
- Our advice: send by 31 Oct 2026 IST, or earlier. Email the single PDF to michelle@teeem.org (as listed by the funder). Keep the sent email; it is your proof of the time you sent it.
Documents checklist (from the application)
Section 14 of the application asks for these attachments. Required:
- Most recent financial statements
- IRS determination letter or equivalent registration documentation (for an Indian NGO, our reading: its trust deed, society or Section 8 registration certificate; the form does not say exactly which papers count as “equivalent”)
- Board of directors list
- Current organisational budget
- Project budget
- Annual report (if available)
Optional (also Section 14): strategy plan, letters of support, photos or supporting materials.
Plus the signed certification (Section 15).
The certification states that “Any awarded funds will be used solely for the purposes described in this application.” The form also asks for your country or countries of operation and your tax-exempt status, “if applicable”. An Indian NGO can add its 12A and 80G details there if it has them, but the funder does not ask for them by name.
If your annual report or budget formats are rough, our NGO Profile and Annual Report Templates and NGO Project Proposal and Budget Templates can save you a day. For the FCRA papers, the FCRA Readiness Checklist and Document Pack lists what to keep ready.
How TEEEM says it will judge applications
TEEEM names five criteria: Mission Alignment, Organizational Capacity, Community Need, Sustainability and Anticipated Impact. Write to each of them. Say who the community is, what the need is in plain numbers you can stand behind, what will change by the end of the grant, and what keeps running after the money is spent. Our NGO project proposal guide and NGO project budget guide walk through each part.
What happens after you apply
The application PDF (not the web page) says review is completed by 13 November 2026 and awards are announced on 20 November 2026. If you are funded, the PDF lists a mid-year report due 28 February 2027 and an end-of-year report due 30 June 2027. Each one needs proper accounts of how the money was spent, through your FCRA books. TEEEM does not publish rules on overheads or re-granting, so ask before you budget for either. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
Common mistakes
- Leaving it for 1 November and guessing at a US closing hour. No time or time zone is stated. Our advice: send by 31 Oct 2026 IST, or earlier.
- Sending several attachments. TEEEM asks for one combined PDF “whenever possible”.
- Saying yes to the U.S. bank account question because a contact abroad has one.
- Applying without FCRA registration or prior permission and hoping to sort it out after the award.
- Copying the same figures into the project and organisational budgets. They are two different documents.
- Forgetting the signed certification.
Where we can help
We can help you prepare the paperwork, not win the grant. That means FCRA readiness through our FCRA service, keeping your annual filings in order through NGO annual compliance, and proposal and budget formats. Our service charges are separate from government fees, where they apply. For other calls, see our funding opportunities directory, open NGO grants in India and grants for NGOs in India.
NGOGrant.in does not award grants, sanction funding, or charge any fee to “approve,” “release,” or guarantee a grant. Any fees are only for documentation / proposal preparation help — never for “sanctioning” a grant. Apply only through the official route — for this grant, by email to the TEEEM Foundation contact named in its application; you never need to pay a consultant or intermediary to apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is the last date for the TEEEM Community Impact Grant 2026?
Deadline: 1 November 2026 (Sunday). Time and time zone not stated by the funder. The funder’s page and its application both give 1 November 2026. Since no hour is given, do not plan around any particular time zone. Our advice: submit by 31 Oct 2026 IST, or earlier. This is our advice, not TEEEM’s.
How much can an NGO ask for?
The ranges are US$5,000–10,000 (Community Grants), US$10,000–20,000 (Growth Grants) and US$20,000–30,000 (Transformational Grants). TEEEM also says: “Organizations requesting amounts outside these ranges may still be considered, and awards may be funded in full or in part.” So the range is a guide, not a promise, and an award may cover only part of what you ask for. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
Can an Indian NGO apply?
TEEEM says it funds nonprofit and charitable organisations “around the world”. India is not named, and the form’s tax-status options are 501(c)(3), International NGO, Registered Charity and Other. It does not say Indian NGOs are in or out. If your work fits one of its six funding areas, you can send an application. Receiving the money is a separate question under Indian law (see the next answer).
Do we need FCRA to receive a TEEEM grant?
This is our note, not the funder’s; TEEEM does not mention India or FCRA. Under Indian law, Indian NGOs need valid FCRA registration/prior permission to receive foreign grants. A grant from a US foundation is foreign contribution under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and it has to come into your FCRA account. Without FCRA registration or prior permission, think carefully before you apply, and speak to your CA. General information only, not legal advice.
The form asks about a U.S.-based bank account. What should we say?
Answer it truthfully. Most Indian NGOs do not have one. The form allows for that: if the answer is no, it asks you to “briefly explain how grant funds would be received and administered (if awarded)”. For an FCRA-registered NGO, the honest answer is that funds would come by international transfer into its FCRA account. That wording is our suggestion, not TEEEM’s.
When will we hear back?
The application PDF gives these dates (they are not on the web page): review completed by 13 November 2026 and grant awards announced on 20 November 2026. If you get a grant, the PDF lists a mid-year report due 28 February 2027 and an end-of-year report due 30 June 2027. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
Important: NGOGrant.in does not award or guarantee grants. Free information and official links are always free. Any fees are only for documentation / proposal preparation help — never for “sanctioning” a grant. Beware anyone who takes money to guarantee funding.
Sources
- TEEEM Foundation: Community Impact Grant page (accessed 30 Oct 2026)
- TEEEM Foundation Community Impact Grant Program application (PDF), linked from that page (accessed 30 Oct 2026)
General information only, not legal or tax advice. Always confirm details on the official page.