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Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trusts

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is eligible to apply for a grant? Mature organizations which have qualified for exemption as public charities under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, governmental units, and established churches in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. 2. We have applied for our 501(c)(3) but have not yet received it. Do not apply until the 501(c)(3) letter has been received. 3. Can a separate organization with a 501(c)(3) exemption apply on behalf of my organization? No. Grants are not made through fiscal agents. 4. What is the application procedure? Obtain the required application form that is available upon request to the Foundation office. Follow the instructions listed thereon and on the Application Procedure page of this Website. Application forms are sent only to the CEO or board chair of qualified potential applicants. Applications may be completed online by request. 5. The Foundation sent us an application form. Does that indicate there is a likelihood of our receiving a grant? Not necessarily. Though the staff will sometimes discourage an organization or project that is outside current grantmaking practices, an application will be provided if the grant seeker requests it. 6. What are the Foundation's deadlines? January 5, April 5, July 5, and October 5. Applications must be received in the office (not merely postmarked) by the close of that business day; for holidays and weekends, the next business day will suffice. Applicants normally are notified of the Board's decision within 10 to 12 weeks after the deadline date. 7. When is the best time to submit an application? Grant cycles do not differ. Apply when your organization is ready, the plan is firm, other needed funding is identified and organizational leadership/management is stable. 8. What are the duration, size and frequency of grant awards? A. The Foundation makes one-time grants only; it does not make multi-year commitments. B. Grants can range from less than $1,000 up. The amount an applicant receives is based on a number of factors including the magnitude of the project, the funds available for distribution, the level of the Foundation's interest, competition for funding, and other considerations. C. Frequent grants are not made except to a few select, historic relationships. A minimum of one year is required between proposals from all applicants whether the request was approved or declined. 9. What kind of projects does the Foundation fund? Please see the charts on the Representative Grants page. 10. What do you expect in a Final Report? The Foundation expects a document written on letterhead and signed by the CEO of the organization stating that it is a final report. It should reference the grant date, amount, purpose, and attest that utilization of the funds was for the purpose requested. If you have not been able to fully utilize the funds within the year that the funds were received, send an interim report indicating the anticipated completion date and an update. Other information could include groundbreaking or open house announcements or newspaper articles, but these are not considered final reports. 11. How are grant decisions made? Grants are approved only by action of the full Board of Directors following a rigorous internal review process. 12. Our organization has many needs; how can we determine which will most closely fit the interests of the Foundation? Apply for what you need most-unless it is specifically excluded in the guidelines found elsewhere in this Website. 13. Is it possible to ask for too much? Absolutely. Optimism should never be a substitute for good judgement. Further, a high five or six figure grant request should be discussed with the staff of the Foundation before actual submission of the application. 14. Does the Foundation totally fund projects/programs? No. 15. Does the Foundation provide seed money or start up grants? No. 16. Does the Foundation make grants to individuals or provide scholarships? No. 17. What about indirect or overhead costs? No. 18. Does the Foundation make grants for capital purposes? Yes. 19. What about a "leadership gift" to get my campaign off to a great start? No. The Directors expect a significant portion of the needed funding to be received, in process, or realistically identified. 20. May we ask for a larger grant because we are in a capital campaign? Grant decisions are based on the merits of the case. Because grant amounts are not restricted for organizations not in a campaign, they are not likely to be increased for an organization that is conducting a named campaign. 21. Will a "naming opportunity" be attractive to the Foundation? Not likely. While the Directors appreciate appropriate recognition, it never drives the Foundation's decisions or participation. 22. Your Foundation is interested in education. Our organization is about to undertake an outreach effort to "educate" the public about our issue or concern? Would this be a fit? Probably not. Education for the Foundation means, primarily, the established institutions of higher learning in North Carolina. Most support is for the private colleges and universities. 23. Does the Foundation develop partnerships? While the Foundation may make additional grants over time when warranted, it does not "partner" with any organizations. Receipt of a grant from the Foundation should be viewed as a one-time response to a specific request. Future applications will be evaluated on their own merits. 24. What educational institutions does the Foundation support? By and large, educational grants are limited to the smaller independent liberal arts colleges across North Carolina. Occasional grants are made to our local public school systems only, and only through the Superintendents' office. The Foundation does not support private K-12 schools, normally, other than occasional grants in our home city to the Cannon School, and which will not be replicated for other private schools regardless of affiliation. Any other past grants to private schools were for cause, and likewise are not available to other schools. 25. What types of grants in religion does the Foundation fund? Primarily, the Foundation occasionally makes small grants for capital projects to churches in our local area.