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 Letters of Interest during our two annual funding cycles with different themes. See our Grants page for more information. Important dates are:

    Fall Funding Cycle

    Letter of Interest due: June (4th Friday)

    Grant Proposal due: August (4th Friday)

    Notice of Approval/Denial: October (4th Friday)

    Grant Term: January 1st – December 31st

    Spring Funding Cycle

    Letter of Interest due: 2nd Friday in December

    Grant Proposal due: 3rd Friday in February

    Notice of Approval/Denial: 4th Friday in 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 accept unsolicited letters of interest from organizations who meet the criteria in our eligibility quiz. If your letter of interest is selected by our board, you will be invited to submit a proposal for grant funding.

  • 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, only one grant per calendar year will be funded to your organization.

  • Yes, we only fund 501c3 organizations.

  • Take our Focus Areas seriously and align your Letter of Interest and 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.