Paul Ogle Foundation Grant

Paul Ogle Foundation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Paul Ogle Foundation Inc
Last Updated: February 24, 2026

Summary

The Paul Ogle Foundation Grant aims to support nonprofit organizations in Southern Indiana that demonstrate a strong community impact. By focusing on areas such as economic development, human needs, regionalism, and preservation, the Foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life for residents. Organizations must fit specific eligibility criteria and show evidence of sound financial practices. This grant fosters collaborations to address community needs effectively and sustainably, reflecting the Foundation's commitment to strategic philanthropy.

Overview

NOTE: It is required that you contact the Foundation office staff prior to any grant documentation submission to discuss your specific organization's request. Any grant submission without prior approval from Foundation staff will be rejected automatically and without responseThere are no specific grant cycles for the Paul Ogle Foundation as it will accept only pre-approved grant requests (see IMPORTANT NOTE section here) from eligible organizations throughout the calendar year. The Board of Directors meets six times a year to consider all grant request letters and applications for grants.Requests and subsequent grant applications must arrive at least 3 weeks prior to a scheduled Board Meeting. This is reflected  in the LOI deadline above. Our Mission To fulfill the wishes of Paul Ogle to give back to the community by strategically funding nonprofit organizations, activities and projects that directly improve the lives of the citizens in Southern Indiana. Our Vision There are four key areas of interest in grant funding that must be addressed in order to successfully accomplish the Mission: Economic: Promote the overall economic prosperity of Southern Indiana by investing in key infrastructural components like commerce, public works, and education along with other special projects that encourage community growth and can be sustained;Human Needs: Strengthen the physical and mental well-being of the citizens while assisting those in the greatest of need;Regionalism: Foster regional awareness and promote activities that accentuate cross-regional cooperation between the people, organizations and nonprofit entities;Preservation: Stress the importance of preserving the artistic, historical and cultural heritage of our community for future generations as long as such projects are manageable and financially sustainable. Paul Ogle Foundation Grant Four Common Decision Criteria for Successful Grant Requests Over the years, we have observed some common decision criteria within many of the grants made by the Ogle Foundation. The following items are probably Ogle’s top characteristics that we have found in a successful grant request and of the organizations that apply for them: Fit & Focus – The very first thing that the Ogle Foundation looks at is the type of an organization applying, the purpose of the grant request and how its mission fits within our own mission, vision and core strategic values as set by our donor. Organizations must fit within Ogle’s Grantmaking Guidelines as an organization foremost as well as show how our funds are to be specifically used if given a grant. It must have a focus or impact upon Southern Indiana in some way or at least upon a minimum percentage of its overall clients from there. The Foundation’s Board does alter its priorities and direction from time to time as needs in the community change or if an opportunity to promote a specific issue takes precedent over others in their opinion. That’s why we always require an organization to call or email us first before going through a lot of effort in putting a proposal together, particularly if they are having a hard time decerning this crucial criteria and where you fit within it.Sound Financials – Organizations that clearly demonstrate they are good stewards of the funds they raise and spend are always the next key decision factor to the Foundation. We expect that a nonprofit’s request are not creating undue burdens or putting them at risk financially overall, to the point that a grant is the difference between keeping the doors open or not. The Ogle Foundation utilizes Guidestar.com to review an organization’s annual IRS 990 tax filings for overall health as well as request budgets and/or expense-revenue breakdowns for the specific programs or projects that are seeking grants. If your organization is currently in a state of severe financial distress, it is probably best to not apply for a grant as this is a key indicator to us on your ability to successfully implement your grant’s vision and still keep the lights on for years to come, serving your clients and end-users.Executive Leadership – We view an organization’s top personnel as very important to the success of its mission and their ability to do what they say they are doing. Executive Directors, Presidents or CEO’s along with their leadership teams should be professional in their works, show expertise in the areas in which their nonprofit operates and a clear vision on how to improve themselves and the community they serve. While longevity in a position(s) is not always indicative of success, it is always good to see a track record from these individuals or their teams, as this gives us a level of confidence in their ability to execute the plans for which they seek our funds.Board Oversight – Lastly, Ogle’s Board takes a close look at an organization’s board of directors because we believe that nonprofits need to must have the proper organizational structure and oversight in which survive long-term. A board needs to have the right mix of people with key professional backgrounds and/or expertise in which to help guide the strategic direction of the nonprofit. Professional backgrounds can consist of expertise in professional fields like legal, health, accounting or marketing to name a few along with possessing a strong common interest in the areas in which the nonprofit operates. Also, if you are a Kentucky 501c3, how many of your board reside in Southern Indiana, an area that makes up at least 20% of the Louisville MSA? Ogle believes that the best nonprofits are those that reflect the community in which is serves, with active and engaged boards, ones that have a strong working relationship in its supervisory role with the organizational leadership versus none whatsoever. While we are sure your organization or cause is worthy of funding, the question for you is “How does it compare in light of what you’ve just read above?”

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Ogle Foundation only considers grant requests from non-profit organizations that are considered tax-exempt under the 501(c)(3) section of the IRS code or are other public government agencies that fall under that same tax-exempt category for private foundation giving. In order to be eligible for requesting a grant from the Ogle Foundation, your nonprofit organization must be compliant with ALL of the following four “basic” criteria, before beginning the grant-seeking process:501(c)(3) Type I or II nonprofit organizations only: Nonprofits must be classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3), Type I or Type II organization. Any nonprofits classified as a Type III organization or classified as a private foundation per Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, are ineligible for a grant from the Ogle Foundation. Established nonprofits only: Nonprofits must have five or more years of active history as demonstrated by your filing of the 990 tax forms annually, before being allowed to apply for a grant. This criterion assures our Foundation that the proper management and board structures are in place for programmatic success and that the organization has a reasonable history of demonstrating results upon which the Board can make a decision. Active nonprofits only: Nonprofits need to be currently active as an organization within the community, showing sufficient programmatic activity and an ability to be financially sustainable through those activities, with or without Ogle’s grant funding. Organizations must have a minimum of the following financial benchmarks before they can request funds:Minimum of $300,000 in annual revenue from contributions, grants, or programs and/or Minimum of $600,000 in total organizational assets, including property and investmentsThese easily verifiable financials numbers from your most recent 990 tax return, will demonstrate to the Foundation that you have a minimal financial capacity to scale your operations, service your targeted clientele base at current levels, and be self-sustaining long past the impact of Ogle’s grant funds. A strong Southern Indiana focus: As directed by our Foundation’s mission, all nonprofits must directly impact and serve the majority of their clientele within the six Southern Indiana counties as defined in our GEOGRAPHIC “ZONES OF GIVING”. If the nonprofit seeking funding has its headquarters and/or most of its operational activities outside of these specific counties, they must be serving at least 15% of their total client base from those specific Indiana counties or they will be considered ineligible for a grant.All grant requests must show evidence that they directly impact the residents of Southern Indiana and whose activities fall within the following counties: Clark County IN, Floyd County IN, Harrison County IN, Scott County IN, Switzerland County IN, Washington County IN, and Jefferson County, KYGrants to nonprofits headquartered and/or located in Jefferson County, KY or outside of this “Zone of Giving” is strictly limited only to those organizations that can clearly demonstrate significant outreach and activities to the citizens of those Indiana counties listed above. This means that the organization must be serving a minimum benchmark of 15% of its total client or customer base from the listed Indiana counties now or in the very near future. There are no exceptions to this rule!This process was established to provide ample opportunities for other organizations to have access to the limited grant funding made available each year. 36-Month Rule — Organizations with successful grant requests are limited to a 36-month waiting period before being allowed to submit a new grant request. The clock starts from the date that the first grant check is issued. 12-Month Rule — Organizations with unsuccessful grant requests are limited to a 12-month period until they can reapply for this specific grant or submitting a totally new grant request. The start date begins from either the Board’s decision date or declination by the Foundation’s staff, whichever comes first.

Ineligibility

Generally speaking, the Ogle Foundation does not provide grants to any of the following areas or organizations usually associated with your typical foundational grantmaking or grant requests:Ongoing general operating expenses or existing operational deficits. Payment of outstanding debts or delinquent taxes of any kind. Direct grants to or support of individuals. Direct loans to individuals or entities. Corporate, educational or scientific research and development programs. Public or private elementary and/or secondary school programs (Pre-K to Grade 12). Private two or four-year colleges and universities. Scholarships for education or other purposes deemed as scholarship-based. Endowments of any sort, including those associated with education or operations. Churches, special advocacy-related programs or political/lobbying activities. Hospitals and other similar health-related organizations or foundations. Government-owned assets and related items like vehicles, equipment or property.