General Policy

The Foundation is organized for charitable purposes.  Grants are made to institutions and organizations which qualify under IRS regulations as tax exempt and which are not private foundations as defined by the IRS.

Priority is given to qualifying organizations serving the Alleghany County, Covington and Clifton Forge areas with an emphasis on new and different endeavors to improve the community's quality of life.  Special considerations will be given to applications that demonstrate the ability to leverage Foundation funding with public and other ongoing financial support.

Although the Foundation has not established inflexible limitations upon the purposes for which it will award grants, in general grants will not be made for debt reduction, to endowment funds, or for ongoing general operating expenses or existing deficits; in addition, requests that are not of a recurring nature are given preference.  Grants are not made to individuals or to religious organizations.

  Grant-Making Process

The Foundation may itself initiate grants or it may award grants in response to formal applications.

When the Foundation receives an application, it is initially reviewed by the Executive Director to determine whether it conforms to the Foundation's Guidelines and whether it appears to contain adequate information.  In some cases, the Executive Director may request additional information.  Applications must either be postmarked by March 1 or September 1 or received n the Foundation office on or prior to those dates.  When a due date is on a weekend or a state holiday, the due date for filing or postmark will be the next business day which is a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  The Board of Directors will normally act on applications by June 1 and December 1.

All communications with the Foundation should be directed to the Executive Director.  Applicants are discouraged from contacting individual Directors, either before or after a grant application has been made and acted upon.   It is only the Directors as a group that make each decision, and once made, the decision is communicated only in writing, except in rare circumstances.

The Directors of the Foundation will normally meet on a semiannual basis to award grants.  In some cases, the Directors may ask for additional information or for a site visit either before or after their meeting.

The volume of applications and  the subjective considerations involved preclude the Executive Director and the Directors from critiquing unsuccessful applications, and inquiries of this nature are discouraged.

Applications need to keep in mind that almost every application the Foundation receives is meritorious.  Because of the number of such requests, the Foundation must pick and choose; therefore, many worthy requests must be declined.  In some cases, requests may be declined because of timing, and  applicants should not be discouraged from future requests.  And, in any event, applicants should understand that rejection of a proposal is not a rejection of the proposer.

  Payment And Accountability

For approved projects, a report on the use of the funds and the status of the project must be submitted to the Foundation on a quarterly basis.

  Application Guidelines

Although the Foundation does not require applications to follow a strict format, in general each organization applying for a grant is expected to submit a written proposal that includes, where applicable, the information listed below.

• A brief description of the organization, its history and purpose

• A concise description of the project or activity proposed, including the specific purposes for which the grant is requested, the benefits to be provided and the needs to be met.

• A detailed financial plan that includes the total cost, the specific amount requested, the amount raised to date, plans for procuring the remainder, other funding sources and provision for contingencies and ongoing support.

• Applications should not include endorsement letters.  If enclosed, they will be removed from the application.

• A one-page cover sheet which succinctly states the project, the amount requested and the individual to be contacted with business/home telephone numbers and address.

• A brief biographical background of the person who will conduct or supervise the proposed program.

• Plans for evaluation of the project's results and for sustaining the project after grant funds expire.

• A letter from an official of the organization stating that the governing body of the organization has formally approved the proposed application to the Foundation.

• Applicants will submit thirteen copies of the application and financial statements.

• Names and affiliations of the organization's trustees, directors, advisors and principal staff.

• Evidence that the organization that the organization is exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) and is not classified as a private foundation or private operating foundation as defined in Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and a certification that the organization's status in unchanged.

• Financial statements for the current and two prior years showing the major sources of organizational support and endowment, if any.  A new organization should submit pro forma financial statements for its first two years.

Submitted applications become the property of The Alleghany Foundation

Applications may be submitted at any time.
Proposals and correspondence concerning grants should be addressed to:

The Alleghany Foundation
Post Office Box 1176
450 West Main Street
Planters Bank Building
Covington, Virginia 24426

Telephone: (540) 962-0970
Facsimile: (540) 962-1770
Email:  allegfnd@aol.com