U.S. Bancorp Foundation offers nonprofit grants The U.S. Bancorp Foundation giving program partners with local nonprofits to meet specific needs within each community with a U.S. Bank office. Within their funding guidelines, they consider grant requests without regard to race, gender, disability, religion, ethnicity, age or sexual orientation. Through the Foundation charitable contributions program, they seek to build strong partnerships and lasting value in their communities by supporting organizations that: improve educational and economic opportunities of low- and moderate-income individuals and families; and enhance the cultural and artistic life of their communities. The U.S. Bancorp Foundation supports organizations and programs that advance the funding priorities described below and that are located in a community with a U.S. Bank office. They consider the following requests: Unrestricted general operating support: Unrestricted general operating support requests from organizations that: 1) deliver effective programs with measurable outcomes in response to community needs; 2) are financially stable; 3) receive and provide strong leadership; 4) collaborate to maximize effectiveness; 5) involve constituents in planning. Program support: Support for programs that are highly effective or innovative and do not duplicate other programs or services. Capital support: A small number of requests for capital support are considered from organizations that meet all other funding criteria and with which they have a pre-existing relationship. They do not make lead gifts, and grants generally do not exceed one percent of the campaign contribution goal. Contributions of equipment and property: U.S. Bancorp provides occasional in-kind contributions of miscellaneous office equipment and property when available. For information about available items, contact the charitable contributions contact in your local area. Funding priorities are: * Economic opportunity: Creation of economic opportunity through grants to organizations that provide affordable housing, encourage self-sufficiency, and assist economic development. * Affordable housing: Support for: 1) organizations that support preservation, rehabilitation and construction of quality affordable housing that assists low- and moderate-income populations; and 2) programs that provide home buyer counseling and related economic education to individuals and families with low and moderate incomes. * Self-sufficiency. Support for: 1) programs that assist low- and moderate-income individuals in development of work and life skills essential to self-sufficiency, with a focus on work-entry programs, specific skills training, employment retention, and personal financial management training; and 2) broad child-care and transportation initiatives designed to help people transition from welfare to work (no funding is provided for direct service providers or individual child-care providers). * Economic development. Support for programs in low- and moderate-income areas that support small business development and expansion, commercial revitalization, and job creation. * Education. Support for: 1) innovative programs that help low-income and at-risk students succeed in school and prepare for post-secondary education; 2) financial literacy training; 3) effective mentoring programs, with priority given to programs that reach a broad number of students, bring together community resources, support curriculum innovation, and can, if successful, be replicated. * Cultural and artistic enrichment. Funding for organizations and programs that: 1) build audiences for the arts, especially among underserved populations; 2) bring select and limited civic amenities to underserved, rural communities; and 3) promote the arts in education. Because U.S. Bancorp supports the United Way as an effective means of meeting human service needs, organizations receiving primary funding support from a United Way organization are not eligible for a direct grant from the U.S. Bancorp Foundation. U.S. Bancorp considers employee involvement in evaluating contribution requests, and supports volunteer involvement programs for employees in their communities. The U.S. Bancorp Foundation Matching Gifts Program matches qualifying contributions of cash and stock made by U.S. Bancorp employees to nonprofit organizations or higher education institutions on a dollar-for-dollar basis from a minimum of $50 up to an annual maximum of $1,000. Funding restrictions: The U.S. Bancorp Foundation charitable contributions program will not provide funding for: 1) organizations that are not tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3); 2) fraternal organizations, merchant associations, chamber memberships or programs, or 501(c)(4) or (6) organizations; 3) fundraising events or sponsorships; 4) "pass through" organizations or private foundations; 5) organizations outside U.S. Bancorp communities; 6) programs operated by religious organizations for religious purposes; 7) political organizations or organizations designed primarily to lobby; 8) individuals; 9) travel and related expenses; 10) endowment campaigns; 11) deficit reduction; 12) organizations receiving primary funding from United Way; 13) organizations whose practices are not in keeping with the company's equal opportunity policy For complete information and an application, see the U.S. Bank web site at: http://www.usbank.com/cgi_w/cfm/about/community_relations/grant_guidelines.cfm. -- Barry I. Milavetz, Associate Vice President for Research, Research Development and Compliance, barrymilavetz@mail.und.nodak.edu, 701/777-4278