Regional Foundation Sets Grant Guidelines
Foundation Seeks Applications with Long-Term impact
DANVILLE, VA - (November 20, 2007) - The Danville Regional Foundation has developed a procedure to receive grant applications as part of its program to improve the health, education and welfare of the people of Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell counties.
Not-for-profit charitable organizations and governmental agencies may submit "letters of inquiry" any time. Based on those letters, the DRF will select applicants to submit formal grant proposals, which will be reviewed three times a year.
Applications will receive greater consideration when they demonstrate need, opportunity and potential impact, said Karl Stauber, Chief Executive Officer of the DRF. "Needs obviously are important in our consideration," Stauber said. "The DRF is also focused on situations to award grants that will create opportunity and potential impact." The "multiplier effect of the proposal showing how a grant will go beyond direct beneficiaries will be a factor in decisions.3
The DRF expects to grant approximately $10 million a year, with $6 million in responsive awards. "We anticipate that requests will exceed available funds," Stauber said. "Grants will be made on a competitive basis, but regardless, some very worthy proposals are not likely to receive funding."
Requests that have regional outcomes will be more competitive. Copies of the guidelines are available at www.danvilleregionalfoundation.org/grants.html or by contacting the DRF office.
Letters of inquiry should be one to two pages and contain the purpose and amount of the grant, along with an explanation of how it meets the criteria of the DRF. In addition to the need, opportunity and impact, the letter should describe how the project will continue after funding from the DRF ceases.
The staff and a committee of the Board of Directors will review letters of inquiry. The staff is available to discuss projects, but Board approval is required for an organization to receive a grant.
"Our goal is to respond to all letters of inquiry within 90 days," Stauber said. If a letter is accepted, the applicant will be informed when the grant application is due. The time to make decisions will range from four to eight months. Applications should explain how a grant, combined with other resources, will change the conditions of the Danville region to impact the four areas of focus of the DRF:
- Economic Transformation to develop a rising standard of living, including increased income, assets and economic security across the region.
- Educational Attainment to ensure that educational readiness, in-school achievement and post-secondary success are the regional norm.
- Health and Wellness to produce "healthy people in healthy communities."
- Community Engagement to build deep civic support for community innovations and to broaden and deepen the leadership base.
"The DRF believes that long-term investments in these areas that promise sustained positive impact are among the most beneficial for the region and its people," said Stauber.
In addition to making grants proposed by other organizations, the DRF plans to support its initiatives to stimulate substantial progress in the region. The DRF also may fund other initiatives in response to unanticipated opportunities where "our funds in concert with others can enable productive advances that might not otherwise be attainable," Stauber said.
Letters of Inquiry should be sent to: Karl Stauber, President & CEO, Danville Regional Foundation, 103 South Main Street, Danville, Virginia 24541.
The purpose of the Danville Regional Foundation is the development, promotion and support of activities, programs and organizations that improve the health, education and well-being of the Danville region. In its two years, the Regional Foundation has announced grants of approximately $17.5 million to five not-for-profit organizations and government agencies in Danville, Pittsylvania and Caswell Counties.
The Danville Regional Foundation seeks to develop, promote and support activities that improve the health, education and wellbeing of the residents of the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, VA and Caswell County, NC. The Foundation has awarded approximately $19.5 million to seven non-profit organizations or government agencies since its founding in 2005.