Frequently Asked Questions

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.

  • Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana’s purpose is to cultivate healthy communities for all, especially those who are vulnerable, through impact-driven philanthropy.

    Our grantmaking priorities are:

    Personal Health & Wellbeing

    • Basic Needs (housing, transportation, job/income, childcare, food security)

    • Early Childhood Education

    • College or Career Prep

    • Access to Healthcare

    • Family Stability

    • Mental & Spiritual Wellness

    • Support for Persons with Special Medical Needs (cancer, vision-impaired)

    • Uplifting Personal Connections

    • Freedom from Addiction

    • Care for the Aging

    • Youth Development

    Community Wellbeing & Enrichment

    • Access to Nature

    • Violence Prevention & Safety

    • Beautification

    • Access to the arts

    • Economic Growth & Opportunity

    • Community-Wide Resources

  • We have two annual funding cycles, each with an open Letter of Interest (LOI) period. See our Grants page for specific dates for our upcoming grant cycle.

    Generally, important dates are:

    Fall Funding Cycle

    Letter of Interest Form (LOI) due: May

    Grant Proposal Invitations: June

    Grant Proposal due: July

    Site Visits: September

    Notice of Approval/Denial: November

    Grant Term: January 1st – December 31st

    Spring Funding Cycle

    Letter of Interest Form (LOI) due: October

    Grant Proposal due: December

    Site Visits: February/March

    Notice of Approval/Denial: April

    Grant Term: July 1st – June 30th

  • Yes, each funding cycle has an open Letter of Interest (LOI) period. Based on staff evaluation of the LOIs, a select number of organizations are invited to submit a full grant proposal.

    Before submitting an LOI, be sure to review our grant requirements on the Grants page of the website.

    If you have questions about a specific project, please reach out to the Foundation.

  • 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.

  • Yes, we only fund 501(c)(3) organizations.

  • LFK provides capital, programmatic, and general operating funding.

    Within those three categories, we fund all types of grant proposals EXCEPT support for long-term debt financing, endowments, and re-granting.

  • We primarily make grants in the range of $25,000 to $250,000. The majority of our grants are above $50,000.

  • Yes! If your proposal is denied, you are welcome to apply for the following cycle; however, you are encouraged to reach out to us for a personal conversation. We can provide additional guidance and feedback.

  • If your organization was invited to complete a full proposal, generally you will not be eligible to submit another proposal the following grant cycle.

    Please contact the Foundation if you have any questions.

  • Key elements of a strong proposal include:

    • Clear, concise, and compelling language

    • Funding and programmatic partners

    • Strong mission alignment

    • Focus on persons who are vulnerable

    For more tips on navigating the LFK application process, reference this guide.

    Note: We do not discriminate against smaller, newer organizations that might not 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, 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.