Primary Grants
Nonprofits
Primary Grants
Primary Grants are typically awarded to existing organizations with annual revenue of $250,000 or more. Please review the eligibility requirements below and the grant application timeline and process before beginning a new application.
Eligibility Criteria
Geographic Area: Programs must serve Caddo and/or Bossier Parishes.
IRS status: All applicants must have tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code or be described as an appropriate grantee for a community foundation under the IRS Code. An organization must have received its 501(c)(3) ruling letter from the IRS prior to applying for funding.
Audit: If the organization’s prior year actual gross revenue was less than $750,000, a current financial compilation or review must be submitted with the letter of intent. If the organization’s prior year actual gross revenue was $750,000 or more, a current audit must be submitted with the letter of intent.
Form 990: All applicants must be in good standing with the IRS regarding their Form 990 filing requirements. A copy of the organization’s most recent Form 990 must be submitted as part of the Stage Two grant application.
- Stage One (Letter of Intent) opens August 1 at 8 a.m. CST and closes August 21 at 4 p.m. CST.
- For those invited to the second stage, Stage Two opens October 15 at 8 a.m. CST and closes November 15 at 4 p.m. CST.
- Grant recipients will be announced in April 2025.
- Funds will be available June 1, 2025 or later.
Program Area: The proposed program must align with one of the following program areas:
- Civic Engagement
- Economic Development
- Education
- Environment
- Health & Science
- Human Services
- Organizational Development
Previous grant recipients: Grant applications will not be considered from an organization that is past due in submitting its final grant report to the Foundation. To determine the final report due date, refer to your electronic grant agreement.
Timeline: The proposed program must begin no earlier than June 1, 2025 and end no later than December 31, 2026. Program length must be 12 months or less.
Number of applications accepted per grant cycle: An organization may submit only one application for the 2025 grant cycle, regardless of category.
Multi-department/branch agencies: Requests from large organizations with many branches or departments (i.e. colleges, universities, school systems or units of government) must come through the President’s Office, Superintendent’s Office, Mayor’s Office or its equivalent. Only one application per college, university, school district, or municipality will be considered per grant cycle.
Local use of funds: No part of the grant award may be sent to a divisional, regional or national headquarters in the form of dues or other membership fees. All grant dollars must be used exclusively for the local program for which the grant is requested. However, goods and services may be purchased from out of state vendors.
Liability Insurance: Proof of current commercial general liability (CGL) insurance is required and must be maintained throughout the grant period. CFNLA does not require a minimum amount of coverage and does not offer guidance on this issue. If you have questions, consult your insurance agent.
Child Protection Policy: If the program for which funding is requested serves children, a child protection policy is required.
Types of Funding: Program funding, capital funding, or general operating support may be requested.
Amount of Request: There is no maximum or minimum amount that can be requested. In the last cycle 37 grants were awarded in this category. The average grant amount was $78,317. The smallest grant was $18,750. The largest grant was $500,000.
ANY EXCEPTION TO THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA MUST BE REQUESTED IN WRITING BY THE APPLICANT PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION DEADLINE AND WILL BE MADE SOLELY AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.