What does it take to get help?
Danville Register and Bee
Published: February 17, 2008
The recent grant to the BEST Coalition to set up an Earned Income Tax Credit program is an outstanding application.
By KARL STAUBER
In late November, the Danville Regional Foundation made public the guidelines for organizations wishing to apply for grants. Since then, we have received requests for grants totaling nearly $100 million from 40 organizations.
Those requests are for very worthwhile projects and from organizations that provide excellent service to the region. Unfortunately, the Regional Foundation has limited funds to distribute annually - approximately $10 million. Our assets are approximately $200 million, but the plan is to not use the principal so that the foundation has funds to distribute permanently. The plan is to distribute the investment income; obviously, the amount will vary annually.
What this means is that the board of directors will adhere to the guidelines announced in November in deciding on grant applications. The recent grant to the BEST Coalition to set up an Earned Income Tax Credit program is an outstanding application and can be used as an example to other organizations considering an application.
The board will look with favor on grant applications which meet the following criteria:
-- Applications are regional in nature, covering Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C. Those are the three jurisdictions that we serve.
-- Applications focus on outcomes, not just processes.
-- A grant that will make a significant difference in the lives of people over a long period of time.
-- A grant that would have a "multiplier effect" that extends beyond the direct beneficiaries.
-- Applications that address the health, education or wellbeing of the people of the region.
The first step in making an application is for a qualified organization (not-for-profit or government agency) to submit a letter of inquiry to us. That's a one- to two-page summary of the purpose and amount of the grant and how it meets the criteria. The letter should identify the need, opportunity and potential impact of the proposal and describe how the effort will be sustained after funding from the Danville Regional Foundation is complete. We will select organizations and ask them to submit applications based on the letter of inquiry.
Currently, we are accepting applications through mid-May for action in August. The guidelines are available by contacting the foundation at (434) 799-2176 or by visiting www.danvilleregionalfoundation.org.
Stauber is president and CEO of the Danville Regional Foundation.