Funding Priorities

As of May 2011 grant applications will be accepted through an invitation only process. The change to an invitation only process was a result of the Foundation’s strategic planning. A determining factor was that for the years 2011-2013 the Foundation will have limited funds for new grants. The Board of Trustees and staff remain acutely aware of the difficulties that the downturn in the economy has imposed on non-profits in all sectors. We seek to honor the time and effort that nonprofit staff and board members invest in seeking grants when the likelihood of funding is remote.

The Foundation will focus the majority of new grantmaking on Education, which has traditionally been primary to the Foundation’s mission. Specifically the Foundation will focus on educational organizations which have broad, systemic impact with the aim of enhancing available options for K-12 education in the metro Atlanta area. The Foundation will not be establishing new relationships with private schools at this time, but may continue to make grants to private schools which have received grants from the Foundation in the past.

In the areas of Health and Human Services, Arts, Environment and Community Development, special consideration will continue to be given to institutions that were supported by Mr. Lanier during his lifetime and that his family has supported since his death.

New grants will be limited to organizations in the metro Atlanta area. There will be a few grants each year to organizations outside Atlanta, but those will be based on commitments to organizations with which the Foundation has had a lengthy history.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the Foundation’s resources, the Foundation prefers to provide significant support on a project specific basis to a small number of organizations rather than to give more limited operating support to a large number of applicants. Thus, requests for major capital projects, capital campaigns or specific programs (particularly when the programs have broad-based support from other sources) will be given priority over those for an annual campaign, or administrative or operating support. Organizations that show a broad base of financial support from their own governing body and membership as well as from other sources in the community are also given priority.

The Foundation does not make grants to individuals, to churches or religious organizations for projects that primarily benefit their own members, for partisan political purposes, for tickets to charitable events or dinners, or to sponsor special events or fundraisers.

Because of limited resources and the Foundation’s preference for making larger grants to a fewer number of applicants, the Foundation regrets that many worthwhile programs will not be funded.