Questions & Answers

To help determine if you are a good fit.

We’ve put together a few common questions & answers to help you determine whether we’re a good fit and to help you develop your project. If you have other questions not answered here, don’t hesitate to reach out.

  • We accept full grant proposals (invitation only) during our two annual funding cycles. See our Grants page for more information. Important dates are:

    Fall Funding Cycle

    Letter of Interest Form (LOI) due: May (early)

    Grant Proposal Invitations: May (Mid)

    Grant Proposal due: June

    Site Visits: August

    Notice of Approval/Denial: September

    Grant Term: January 1st – December 31st

    Spring Funding Cycle

    Letter of Interest Form (LOI) due: December

    Grant Proposal due: February

    Site Visits: February/March

    Notice of Approval/Denial: April

    Grant Term: July 1st – June 30th

  • Yes. We only fund organizations and projects that serve the following counties: Jefferson, Shelby, Bullitt, Nelson, & Hardin counties in Kentucky, and Clark County in Indiana. If your organization’s leadership is not physically located in this region, contact us to check if you are eligible for funding.

  • We primarily make grants in the range of $25,000 to $500,000. The majority of our grants are above $50,000. If you are seeking funding below $10,000, see this page (link coming soon) for an alternate, simpler application process.

  • We do not. Our grantmaking process is by invitation only. How do you receive an invitation? Please complete our LOI Form. Following our initial review, if we determine that your organization's mission aligns with our funding priorities, we will invite you to submit a comprehensive grant proposal.

    Additionally, as part of our due diligence process, we may schedule an in-person site visit to learn more about your work and organization.

  • We fund all types of grant proposals EXCEPT support for long-term debt financing and endowments. We also do not fund local chapters of national organizations, and only under special circumstances will fund re-granting organizations.

  • Yes! If your application is denied, reach out to us for a personal conversation. We can guide you on whether it was denied because your organization is not a mission fit for our foundation or for other reasons.

  • Your organization can apply every cycle. However, please follow the guidelines below if you have been awarded a grant with us:

    For all program requests, please ensure that all previously allocated funds have been fully utilized and that all required reports have been submitted before submitting a new application.

    For general operating and capital requests, we kindly ask that you demonstrate clear progress on previously funded projects and ensure all necessary reports are submitted before applying again.

  • Yes, we only fund 501c3 organizations.

  • Take our Focus Areas seriously and align your LOI Form and Grant Proposal perfectly with a Focus Area.

    Show how your project is serving/will serve vulnerable populations.

    Show how the voices of those you serve make an impact on why and how you deliver the services/ programs that you do. Show a strong network of community partnerships and collaborations.

    Show uniqueness in your approach to solving the problems you are addressing.

    Note: We do not discriminate against “young and scrappy” organizations that don’t have all the technical know-how for grant proposal writing. Use an effective and clear writing style and grammar to the best of your ability to help us understand what you write, but don’t worry if your proposal doesn’t have all the polish of the professionals. Think deeply about the “why’s” and “how’s” of your organization’s work and tell the truth. We’ll ask clarifying questions if we need to.