General Guidelines

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The Foundation follows general guidelines to assure proper and equitable use of the Foundation’s funds. These guidelines are in keeping with its policies and purposes and assure that allocation of such funds is made within the limits of its financial resources while also keeping in mind the wishes of its founders that the Foundation would be “evergreen” as opposed to seeking to disperse all of its funds as soon as possible.

Support for certain programs is not to be interpreted as a judgment of the merits of those that do not receive funds. Rather, it is a reflection of the Foundation’s belief that adherence to its guidelines, which are regularly reviewed, leads to the most effective use of its limited resources.

The Foundation is sensitive to changes in community issues and attitudes. Within the limits of its resources, the Foundation addresses the needs that arise from the emergence of new and different social issues to maintain a balance between innovation and maintenance of ongoing programs.

This statement of policy sets forth the current views of The William K. Warren Foundation with respect to the best use of its assets. It may be revoked or amended in any respect for any reason, and there can be no assurance that it necessarily represents future policies or activities of the Foundation.

Grant Guidelines

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The Foundation can act favorably on relatively few of the numerous requests received each year. Many proposals must be declined even though they are appropriate to the Foundation’s areas of interest and appear to be of merit.

Proposals are evaluated on:

• Importance of the project
• Relevance to the Foundation’s areas of interest
• Significance of the project’s expected results
• Sponsor’s commitment to the sustainability of successful programs after the Foundation’s support ceases

Grants are made only to non-profit institutions or agencies that have an appropriate Internal Revenue Service determination letter; no grants are made directly to individuals.

The Foundation is interested in its resources being used for programs that work to empower beneficiaries, not just serve them. The resources are available to organizations that serve the public without discrimination of race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or national origin. It is supportive of organizations that are constituency-controlled and have an impact on the future wellbeing of the community. The Foundation funds a variety of programs and services whose relevancy and value have been identified by the community and works with other community members to create broad-based solutions to common issues.

Grants are awarded for a one-year period. The Foundation typically will not consider multi-year funding. A contribution in any one year does not establish a precedent for future giving. There are no automatic renewals of support given in any one year. Past recipients should submit requests following the normal application procedure outlined below. Recipients may not use the grant funds for purposes other than stated in the grant application.

Proportionately significant financial assistance will be given in relatively few areas of need as opposed to relatively minor assistance in a great many areas.

The Foundation values working with new and emerging non-profit groups as well as established non-profit organizations.

Application Process

Applications may be made at any time for support of activities consistent with the Foundation’s guidelines. There are no special application forms. As a matter of policy, the Foundation does not accept submission of applications via e-mail or the Internet. Such communication must be mailed in hard copy, on pertinent letterhead stationery, and signed by the applicant. Your application should be brief but thorough. Grant proposals should be addressed as follows:

Chairman, Grants Committee
The William K. Warren Foundation
Post Office Box 470372
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74147-0372

Requests for financial assistance should include:

 

Cover Letter (one to two pages)

• Brief description of the organization and the proposed program and its goals and objectives
• Requested amount
• Applying organization’s legal name as it appears on its Internal Revenue Service determination letter
• Contact name, address, phone, and e-mail
• Project or program deadline, if applicable

 

Narrative (no more than three pages)

• History and mission of the organization
• Collaborative opportunities with other community-based organizations
• Achievements and activities of the organization in the past year
• Evaluation plan for proposed program, including timeframe for completion
• Any provable benefits to those served by the program
• Case studies that demonstrate the efficaciousness of the program

 

Proposal Attachments

• Program budget detail (show other sources of funding related to amount requested from the Foundation)
• Overall organization budget detail
• Most recent independently audited financial statements (if available)
• Current list of board members
• Documentation of the organization’s non-profit and tax-exempt status, including a copy of the current 501(c)(3) determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service
• Any other relevant supporting materials

Grant Review Process

Once past the preliminary review, the application is assigned to the Foundation’s Grants Committee for evaluation of the information gathered from the applicant. If necessary, additional information will be requested.

After a thorough review by the Grants Committee, grants that will not be funded are promptly declined and notified in a written letter form. Proposals that are denied may not be considered again for one year, but requests for a different project from the same applicant will be considered. More than one project by the same applicant may be considered at a time. Please allow 12 weeks for a funding decision once a proposal has been submitted.

Funding Restrictions

The Foundation will not consider funding for:

• Organizations that do not have a 501(c)(3) public charity status from the Internal Revenue Service
• Political organizations or parties, candidates for political office, and organizations whose primary purpose is to influence legislation
• Labor unions or organizations
• Fraternal Orders or Veteran’s organizations
• Film or video productions, book, or publishing projects
• Business development, investments, or loans
• Local athletic or sports programs, including competitions, travel, and/or sponsorships
• Graduation parties or events
• Medical care, education, or other direct support for individuals
• Organizations whose policies encourage discrimination
• Foreign-based institutions or organizations’ programs for use outside the United States