How We Evaluate Proposals.

In the United States, the federal government (IRS) requires that private foundations:

• Pay out at least 5 percent of their endowment annually.
• Pay an excise tax of 1 or 2 percent on their earnings.
• Ensure that grant dollars are used for a charitable purpose. State governments also have oversight of foundations.

No, the May Family Foundation does not accept outside donations.

‍

Other funding sources are critical. The May Family Foundation is rarely the sole funder of any project. Referencing other funding sources in your grant application indicates your organization’s strategic planning for the sustainability of the initiative beyond the grant cycle. The May Family Foundation does not typically fund more than one-third of a given project.

There is no limit to the grant amount. Past applicants with high-impact projects and informative grant proposals have been awarded as much as $50,000 per annual giving year.

In rare instances, the May Family Foundation will expedite grant processing for a project that has an urgent need and is closely aligned with our focus areas. Please contact (info@mayfamilyfoundation.com) to discuss your circumstances before submitting an urgent request.

Funding is made to qualifying charitable organizations, not to individuals.

One-year projects are generally recommended. On occasion, multi-year requests are funded.

Public charities, exempt from Federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or governmental bodies, including schools and municipalities, are eligible to apply. If an organization does not have its own 501(c)(3) designation, May Family Foundation will accept proposals from nonprofits that are working under the formal designation of a fiscal sponsor that does have its own 501(c)(3) letter. Learn more about the focus areas that we fund.

A foundation is an organization with a fund, or endowment, that gives money to other organizations for charitable purposes. A private foundation can be set up by an individual, family or business. In our case, Eleanor J. May set up the May Family Foundation.

A private foundation is usually funded by a single source, such as an individual, family or corporation. It does not solicit funds from the public. Nonprofits and public charities generally fundraise and receive grants to carry out their work and are classified as tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. Although some public charities engage in grant making activities, most conduct direct service or other tax-exempt activities.

To be eligible for a grant, organizations must reside and projects must take place within the county borders of our geographic focus areas. If the activities will benefit residents both inside and outside these geographic focus areas, we recommend that you limit your funding requests to activities within the geographic area, although we understand that some crossover is inevitable. Here are our geographic focus areas:

• Wisconsin – Dane, Iron, Marathon, Oneida, Vilas Counties
• Nebraska – Douglas County
• Minnesota – Hennepin, Ramsey Counties
• Michigan – Washtenaw, Wayne Counties
• Iowa – Page County
• Colorado – El Paso County

The following will not be considered for funding:

• Individuals
• Debt retirement
• Lobbying
• Organizations for religious purposes
• Substance abuse treatment
• Simultaneous requests from the same organization
• Sports & recreation, except in the case of those using sports programming for academic purposes