LCF Grants

Meeting the needs of Columbus and Lowndes County Communities—one grant at a time.

Sustainable Grantmaking

Our mission is to improve the quality of life within Columbus and Lowndes County. As a public foundation, we have a special role to play in creating a sustainable source of funding to address the needs of our community. Rather than relying on yearly fundraising, we draw on the investment earnings of the LCF Endowment, reinvesting a percentage into our communities while the remaining funds continue generating revenue for future projects.

Funding Priorities

Our community guides our grantmaking. Through the LCF's periodic Community Conversations--public gatherings where hundreds of local citizens come together to review current data on the state of the city and county and to engage in a democratic, deliberative process to identify our most pressing needs--we've identified five priority areas. In addition to these priority areas, we generally support initiatives within three areas of interest:

  • Civic and Cultural (e.g., beautification, public good, performing arts)
  • Education and Human Development (e.g., tuition guarantee, GED, early childhood)
  • Health and Human Services (e.g., family enrichment, emergency response)

community engagement

crime & addiction

Education

poverty & social welfare

the arts

vision & leadership

Grant Cycle

Applications are considered for grant funding according to our annual grant cycle. Applications may be submitted beginning March 1 of each year and are due no later than September 1. Proposals must be emailed or postmarked no later than the deadline date.

If your application is received after September 1, the application will be returned to you. You may then apply during the next year’s grant cycle, beginning March 1.

Decisions will be announced by November 1 and funds disbursed by December 31. Grantees must submit final reports no later than December 31 of the following year. Failure to submit a final report will negatively impact an applicant’s future proposals.

If any of these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be on the first working day following the published deadline.

Important Dates

Applications Due

Applications are due every year on September 01.

Awards Announced

We will notify applicants of our decision by November 01.

Funds Disbursed

We will disburse all funds to grantees by December 31.

Final Report Due

Grantees must submit final reports by December 31 of the following year.

Proposal Guidelines

Our local Board of Directors manages the grant-making process. They receive and evaluate grant applications, making recommendations to the CREATE Board for final approval.

LCF will consider support only for programs that serve Lowndes County communities. The following additional policies govern the award of grant support from LCF:

  • LCF considers grant applications only from non-profit, tax-exempt organizations providing services to the Lowndes County area or projects for the public good.
  • LCF considers requests for funding of startup projects/programs (seed money), capital needs (“bricks & mortar”) and/or projects that show a record of success and a need for continued funding.
  • LCF is most interested in funding programs/projects that have the greatest impact and that provide lasting, sustainable results.
  • LCF typically does not provide funding for salaries or continuing operational support to sustain programs or projects.

Submit Your Application

There are several ways to apply for a grant from the Lowndes Community Foundation.

  1. Scroll down to complete your application online.
  2. Download the application below and complete the fillable PDF on your computer or smart device. Save your changes and email the PDF to LCF Director Jan Eastman at [email protected].
  3. Download and print the application below. Fill it out by hand and either scan and email it (see above) or mail it to LCF Director Jan Eastman at 108 Alabama Street, New Albany, MS 38652. If mailing your application close to deadline, we encourage you to email Jan and let her know to expect your letter.
DOWNLOAD GRANT APPLICATION

Grant Application

Non profit status(Required)
Please indicate whether your project is being carried out by an organization with legal status as a nonprofit organization. If so, attach the formal letter from the IRS confirming your organization's 501(c)(3) tax designation. If you lack federal recognition, you must have a fiscal sponsor that does have formal status and must provide their name, Employer Identification Number (EIN), and IRS letter. If you have questions about obtaining a fiscal sponsor, please contact LCF Executive Director Jan Eastman.
Max. file size: 100 MB.
Max. file size: 100 MB.
Type of Program(Required)
Funding Category(Required)
Who will your proposed project/event serve? Remember that the LCF only supports grants that will improve the quality of life in Lowndes County?
How much funding are you asking the Lowndes Community Foundation to contribute to your project?
What is the total estimated cost of your project?
Max. file size: 100 MB.
Please attach a budget and narrative, if necessary for clarification.

Summary of Proposed Program or Event

Please provide a detailed summary of your proposed program or event, addressing the specific questions below. You may either enter your answers to each question using the form fields or upload a unified summary (you do not need to do both). If you upload a unified summary, just make sure each of our questions is clearly addressed.
Drop files here or
Max. file size: 100 MB.
    This option is available for those who prefer to upload a unified summary rather than answering the form field questions individually below.

    Authorization & Contact Information

    Executive Director(Required)
    Contact Person (if different)
    Mailing Address(Required)
    Site Address (if different)
    Certification

    Questions?

    If you are unsure about your proposal idea or if you have questions concerning any portion of this grant application, please don't hesitate to contact Executive Director Jan Eastman using the form below. You may also email her at [email protected]

    Please enter your name.
    Please enter a message.
    Send