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About Grant
Program
Grants support construction projects and activities
related to education, health, social welfare, and a variety of other
activities. The grants generally range in size from $500 to $2500. In
reviewing requests, the foundation looks for proposals that have the
promise of a broad-scale or long-term impact on significant issues and
with an emphasis on construction related activities. Proposals
may be submitted at any time under this program.
Who is Eligible
for Grants?
The foundation awards grants to qualified tax-exempt
organizations in Oregon and southwest Washington (Wahkiakum, Cowlitz,
Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties and, that portion of Pacific
County south of a straight line made by extending the north boundary
line of Wahkiakum County west to Willapa Bay to the Pacific Ocean, and
thence north through the natural waterway to the Pacific Ocean,
including the entire peninsula west of Willapa Bay). Please note that
applicants outside Oregon and southwest Washington are not eligible to
apply to the foundation's grant program.
Applicants normally have tax exemption under Section
501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and have been determined not to
be a "private foundation" under Section 509(a) of the code.
The foundation also awards grants to applicants that have federal tax
exemption under other designations, such as public schools and
government entities. In a very few special situations, the foundation
may award a grant to an organization beyond Oregon and southwest
Washington. Such decisions are entirely at the initiative of the
foundation, and there is no procedure by which an applicant can request
an exception.
Kinds of Projects
Funded
The grants program supports a wide variety of
projects in many fields of activity. There are no limitations on the
kinds of projects applicants may propose to the foundation, except as
described below.
Areas of interest include activities, which support:
-
Construction education
-
Civic matters related to construction
-
Construction projects with public benefit
-
Emergencies related to human suffering (e.g., re-construction)
-
Construction projects for charitable organizations
-
Economic development
-
Protection of historical architecture
It is necessary for an organization to submit a
formal proposal in order for the Foundation to determine if a project is
within its grant-making interests. Usually it is not possible for
foundation staff to meet with grantseekers until after a proposal has
passed a first screening. See the "How to Apply" section below
for detailed instructions.
Projects That Are
Not Eligible For Grants
The foundation generally will not favor proposals
seeking funds for:
-
Direct grants, scholarships, or loans to individuals
-
Endowments
-
General fund drives or annual appeals
-
Indirect or overhead costs, except as specifically and essentially
related to the grant project
-
Debt retirement or operational deficits
-
Projects of sectarian or religious organizations whose principal
benefit is for their own members or adherents
-
Direct replacement funding for activities or materials previously
supported by federal, state, or local public funds.
The foundation will not accept any proposals seeking
funds for propagandizing or influencing elections or legislation.
If the board has declined a proposal, it should not
be resubmitted for at least 12 months. Prior to that, if substantial
changes related to the proposed project occur, then an applicant may
submit a new proposal reflecting significant change from the original
declined proposal. Applicants are free to submit entirely different
proposals at any time.
The foundation will not entertain more than one
proposal of any type from an applicant at a time.
How Proposals Are
Reviewed and Decided
There are two stages in the consideration of grant
proposals, and the process may take several months. The foundation staff
first submits eligible and complete proposals to the board for an
initial screening. This usually occurs within three months after a
complete proposal is received. The foundation notifies applicants
whether their requests have been declined at this stage or approved for
further study. Next, the foundation staff investigates proposals that
pass this initial stage of review, requesting updated or additional
information, a presentation to the foundation board and/or conducting
site visits. Such proposals are resubmitted to the board for final
action. This investigation stage normally takes two to three months.
Applicants are notified of the final decision as soon as possible. In
some instances, the period of consideration may be longer because of the
time needed for investigation by staff or consultants, the nature of the
proposal, or the volume of pending proposals.
The foundation must be highly selective in making
grants since there are far more requests than can possibly be funded.
Applicants should understand that a decision by the foundation to
decline funding does not necessarily mean that the foundation
disapproves of the proposed project or fails to appreciate its merits.
Because the grant-making policies of the foundation continue to evolve,
grants made during previous stages of development should not necessarily
be taken as precedents for subsequent decisions.
Applicants to the foundation also should seek other
sources of support, since the foundation will be able to fund only a
small percentage of the proposals it receives. Moreover, the foundation
will view favorably an applicant's efforts to obtain funding for a
project from more than one source.
More Information
Contact AGC's executive director
Larry Hannan, 503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610, to support the foundation's mission and
support the construction industry.
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