The Foundation's current grant program has been in existence since 1985. It serves
non-profit organizations located or operating in the northeastern Kentucky counties of Bracken, Fleming, Lewis, Mason, and Robertson, and the southeastern Ohio counties
of Adams and Brown.  Projects submitted for funding consideration must promote mental or physical health, or education.  Since its inception, the grant program has awarded over $10.6 million for projects both large and small.

ELIGIBILITY

Organizations must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as able to receive income tax deductible contributions from individuals.  Applicants must provide a copy of their IRS determination letter to support their status.  Status most be in place by the application deadline.  Preference is given to applicants with 501(c)3 status, and to those not receiving financial support from a tax base.

Organizations must either be located in the Foundation's geographical service area (Adams and Brown Counties in Ohio; Bracken, Fleming, Lewis, Mason, and Robertson Counties in Kentucky), or provide proof that all funds received will be used for the benefit of citizens of any part of this area.

Grants will not be made for programs involving political indoctrination or action, or which predominately involve social or religious indoctrination or action.  Grants are not made to or for the benefit of individuals, but only to recognized tax-exempt organizations.  No portion of any grant may directly benefit any officer, director, or member of any recipient organization, except in a manner that would indiscriminately benefit other members of the class to be served.  Grants will not be made for the purpose of funding endowment funds.  Preference is given to projects that do not benefit tax-supported entities.  Funding will generally not be provided for projects that involve repairs, additions, or improvements to structures or real property not owned by the applying organization.  The relative benefit to the applying organization, versus the benefit to the property's owner, will be considered, as will the existence of a long-term lease relationship.

 

Grants are not made to churches or other religious organizations, although accredited schools operated by such organizations may receive funds for educational purposes.

Additional requirements may be stated on the application form's cover sheet, so please ensure that you are using the current year's application set.

APPLICATION AVAILABILITY

Application forms are made available in June of each year.  Copies can be obtained at the Foundation office, by mail, email, or fax after calling to request, and by printing from this web site.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

The deadline for receipt of applications is August 1 of each year, or the following business day if the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday.  The specific date will be posted on this site, and indicated on each application form.

SELECTION PROCESS

Following submission, applications are reviewed to ensure compliance with eligibility requirements.  Our Grant Committee meets in September to discuss each application, and to prepare a recommendation for our Board of Directors.  A recommendation to award a grant will include the amount, and if a matching requirement should be imposed.  Our Board considers each recommendation during the regularly scheduled October meeting.

GRANT AMOUNTS

Annually, the Foundation's Finance Committee makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors concerning the total amount of grant funds to be made available for distribution. That determination is based on many factors, including IRS requirements, the market value of the investment account, and the anticipated needs of the communities served.  Under normal circumstances, no more than 10% of the total amount available may be granted to any one organization for purposes that are not considered "major capital projects."  These grants are made for 1-year terms, and may or may not be subject to matching provisions.  A list of recent recipients is available for review.

MATCHING GRANTS

A conditional or matching grant is one in which the recipient organization must first raise donations for the project stated in the grant application.  Those donations are then matched by the Foundation.  Matching grants may be given for a single year, or for multiple years if the funds are to be used for a major capital purpose.

Before funds can be distributed, the recipient organization must provide satisfactory proof that qualifying donations have been received for the Foundation to match.  The nature of this accounting can vary, and will be established by the Foundation on a case-by-case basis.  The following types of donations are considered "qualifying:"

    1) Cash;

    2) Marketable, publicly traded securities; and

    3) Land, with the value evidenced by a recent appraisal.

Donations not considered "qualifying" include:

    1) Donations that carry a restriction on their use, unless restricted for the purpose
         stated in the grant application;

    2) Donations that are encumbered by a mortgage, pledge, or other encumbrance;

    3) Donations received from local, state, or federal governments or quasi-
        governmental entities;

    4) In-kind donations, except for those that fall into one of the acceptable categories,
        above;

    5) The value of services provided to the grantee; and

    6) Donations received in exchange for an equal value of goods or services.

MAJOR CAPITAL GRANTS

A "major capital grant" is any grant used for major capital construction or improvement, with a dollar amount that exceeds the 10% guideline discussed above.  They are subject to the following additional conditions:

    1) The amount granted can be no more than 1/3 of the total cost of the capital
         project;

    2) The grant must be distributed on a matching basis, with the Foundation providing
         $1 for every $2 raised by the grantee; and

    3) The funding period will generally not exceed five years.

Recipients of major capital grants will have eighteen months, from the date of approval, or a date acceptable to the Foundation, to submit a record of matching receipts, against which funds can be distributed.  If, at the end of the eighteen months, those matching funds are not sufficient to merit receipt of the original amount awarded, the final amount of the grant will be based on the amount of those matching funds.

Pledges may be used as matching donations for major capital purpose grants, and grant distributions may be based on pledges.  However, the grantee must ultimately provide proof that those pledges were collected.  A grantee's progress in collecting pledges will be periodically reviewed, and the amount of the final scheduled distribution will be reduced by the amount of any pledges that are not collected.

All recipients of major capital grants exceeding $100,000 must conduct special grant reviews, and provide copies of those reviews to the Foundation.  The frequency must be at least every two years, with a final review conducted within ninety days of the final distribution.