Longleaf Fund Grant

The Longleaf Fund, established by the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama, aims to foster positive community change through donor generosity. It supports 501(c)(3) public charities within a nine-county region, providing essential funding for diverse charitable initiatives. By creating a sustainable pool of resources, the fund addresses evolving community needs and encourages collaborative partnerships to enhance lives. Eligible organizations can apply for unrestricted grants to further their missions, ensuring a lasting impact on their communities.

The Longleaf Fund set forth by The Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama (CFNEA) is supported by individuals and families who understand that the community’s needs and strengths are constantly changing. This fund is designed to create a sustainable pool of charitable dollars to invest in community projects or initiatives. This unrestricted fund accepts grant requests for any charitable purpose.

Eligibility

Grants from the Longleaf Fund (LF) are limited to 501(c)(3) qualified public charities operating in CFNEA’s (9) nine county region. The Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama serves nine counties including: Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Randolph, St. Clair, and Talladega.Organizations that meet the following requirements are eligible to apply for a grant. All five (5) requirements must be met.Organizations classified by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3) of the I.R.S. code as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization, donations which are deductible as charitable contributions or a governmental/state or county agency;Organizations with a minimum one-year operating history after the date of receipt of its 501 (c)(3) classification;Organization must have a board-approved current written strategic plan for the whole organization that covers at least 24 months which includes the organization’s entire current fiscal year and the following:Mission statement;Strategic goals and measurable objectives.Organizations with revenues over $200,000.00 must submit an audited financial statement for a complete fiscal year. Organizations with an operating budget between $50,000.00- $199,999.00 must submit the most recent audit review or compilation. Organizations with an operating budget of $50,000.00 and below do not have to submit any audited documents.Eligible organizations are invited to apply for a grant from any fund of the Foundation accepting applications (both grant cycles) as long as you do not have an open grant with the particular fund you wish to apply to.

Ineligibility

The following types of grants will not be considered or funded:Organizations that have discriminatory policies and/or practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex/gender, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, or political beliefs;Organizations with no 501(c)(3) IRS status unless you are a government/state agency;Organizations on the National Charity Watch List;Grants for dinners, fundraising, and marketing events;Grants to endowments or other discretionary funding pools;Grants for capital campaign contributions (for building construction) or use of funds to cover capital campaign feasibility studies or campaign implementation expenses. This does not include regular maintenance;Grants for exhibitions and employee conference registrations, mileage to the conference, and conference fees;Grants for prizes, awards, and scholarships;Grants for entertainment expenses;Grants for lobbying-related expenses;Grants for event sponsorships;Grants to organizations operating less than one year;Grants to individuals;Grants to religious organizations for religious purposes;Grants to organizations for projects outside CFNEA’s nine (9) county region;Grants for political purposes or to influence elections; andOrganizations that have an existing/open grant from the Foundation may not apply for a new grant within the same fund until the current grant documentation is completed and closed. For a grant to be considered completed and closed, the not-for-profit partner must have successfully submitted their Final Grant Report.