Brown-Forman Grant Application for Foundation and Corporation

Deadline: 01-Aug-20

The Brown-Forman Foundation is seeking applications for both the Foundation and Corporation partner with nonprofit organizations for its Grants Program 2020.

Focus Areas

Both the Foundation and Corporation partner with organizations that meet the criteria below are aligned with the following strategic focus areas:

Enhance Arts and Cultural Living

• Increase access to vibrant, diverse, and educational arts & cultural experiences.

Ensure Essential Living Standards

• Support social services that improve well-being and strengthen communities.
• Fund education initiatives that provide opportunities for lifelong success.

Empower Responsible and Sustainable Living

• Invest in initiatives that encourage moderation and reduce alcohol-related harm.
• Protect the environment and conserve natural resources vital to communities and businesses.

Types of Requests

The Foundation will consider:

• Unrestricted operating support;
• Restricted program support;
• Typically, the Foundation will consider requests of $25,000 and above.

The Corporation will consider:

• Unrestricted operating support;
• Restricted program support;
• Event or performance sponsorship with any material return benefits such as tickets, product promotion, etc;
• Typically, the Corporation will consider requests up to $25,000.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered by the Foundation or Corporation for funding, organizations and their programs should meet the following conditions:

• The organization (or fiscal sponsor) must be determined by the IRS to be a tax-exempt organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and a public charity described in Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Code, that is operated exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes.
• Priority is given to organizations located in Louisville, Kentucky.
• The organization’s mission and project outcomes must align with one or more of the strategic focus areas.
• Proposals must be received by the submission deadline to be considered for that grant cycle.
• Proposals must provide a sound basis of measurement toward project goals and outcomes.

The following are ineligible to apply for funding:

• Individuals;
• Public schools (K-12);
• Group tours;
• Athletic teams or leagues;
• Requests by foreign organizations;
• Religious organizations such as churches and synagogues;
• Any organization that is not a public charity described in either Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code;
• Third parties seeking donations on behalf of nonprofit organizations – donations must be made directly to a nonprofit rather than, for example, to a business partner making a request on behalf of an organization;
• Political organizations or for political campaign purposes;
• Requests to carry on a voter registration drive;
• Grant requests for projects that include lobbying, propaganda, or other attempts to influence legislation;
• Organizations that lack non-discrimination policies or have a history of discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected status;
• Past grantees that have failed to provide a completed grant agreement, grant report, or other required documentation;
• Requests to satisfy the personal pledge of a Foundation or Brown-Forman director, officer, key staff person, or a family member thereof;
• Requests that, if granted, would provide a personal benefit to a Foundation or Brown-Forman director, officer, key staff person, or a family member thereof, other than naming or similar publicity.

Documents

The following documents are required for each submitted application:

• List of the organization’s leadership team and Board of Directors;
• Copy of the IRS determination letter confirming your organization’s status as a 501(c)(3) organization that is also a public charity;
• W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification completed within the same year as the application;
• Audited financial statement from the most recently completed year;
• A complete copy of the most recently filed IRS Form 990 tax return;
• Organization budget for the current year, including income and expenses;
• Detailed project/event budget, including income and expenses;
• List of other corporations/foundations from which you are requesting funds;
• If the request includes event sponsorship, a list of sponsorship levels.

For more information, visit https://www.brown-forman.com/apply-for-a-grant/