Funding Opportunity—Gannett Foundation

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Neighborhood Networks provides potential funding sources to help centers develop and improve programs and services. Featured this week are grants from the Gannett Foundation.

The Gannett Foundation is a corporate foundation sponsored by the Gannett Co., Inc., a leading international news and information company. In the United States, Gannett publishes 85 daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, and nearly 900 non-daily publications. Along with each of its daily newspapers, the company operates Internet sites offering news and advertising that is customized for the market served and integrated with its publishing operations. In broadcasting, Gannett operates 23 television stations in the United States with a market reach of more than 20 million households.

Program Areas: The Gannett Foundation provides grants to organizations in the communities in which Gannett owns a daily newspaper or television station. The Gannett Foundation's mission is to invest in the future of the communities in which Gannett does business, and in the future of its industry. The foundation values projects that take a creative approach to fundamental issues such as:

	Education and neighborhood improvement.
	Economic development.
	Youth development.
	Community problem solving.
	Assistance to disadvantaged people.
	Environmental conservation.
	Cultural enrichment.

Targeted Area: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West.

Eligibility: The foundation makes grants to organizations with Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Each local Gannett operation establishes its own priorities, depending upon local needs, and may have additional guidelines and restrictions. If your organization is located in one of the Gannett communities, contact them to learn about their priorities, restrictions, and deadlines. If you are unsure about your organization's eligibility, an e-mail (or one-page letter) of inquiry to your local community contact is welcome. If your nonprofit organization is located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, go directly to the DC Area Fact Sheet.

The foundation does not make grants to:

	Individuals
	Private foundations.
	Organizations not determined by the IRS to be a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3).
	Organizations classified by the IRS as 509(a)(3).
	National or regional organizations, unless their programs address specific local community needs.
	Programs or initiatives where the primary purpose is the promotion of religious doctrine or tenets.
	Elementary or secondary schools (except to provide special initiatives or programs not provided by regular school budgets).
	Political action or legislative advocacy groups.
	Endowment funds.
	Multiple-year pledge campaigns.
	Medical or research organizations, including organizations funding single disease research.
	Organizations located in or benefiting nations other than the United States and its territories.
	Fraternal groups, athletic teams, bands, veteran's organizations, volunteer firefighters, or similar groups.

Award Amounts: Award amounts vary.

Application Process: To apply for funding, download the U.S. community grant application form from the foundation's Web site. The grant application is interactive and can be completed in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click a free download is available online.

Complete the application, print, and submit it with your grant proposal to your local newspaper publisher or TV station general manager. Please use the foundation's code tables to complete application fields 12 (Type of Organization) and 16 (Short Summary).

Your grant proposal must contain:

	Completed Grant Application Form.
	IRS letter of determination for 501(c)(3) tax exemption.
	One-page project budget and an organizational budget.
	Needs statement:   Objectives of the project to be funded.   Whether the project is new or ongoing.   Constituency to be served.   Community and volunteer involvement.
	Sustainability statement:   Organization's qualifications to carry out the project.   How the project will be evaluated.   Plans for continued funding of the project, if applicable.   List of other funding sources, committed and applied for.
	Pertinent recent publications may also be included.

Send one copy of your application form and a complete proposal of no more than five pages (plus attachments) to your local newspaper publisher or TV station general manager. Do not send a proposal directly to the foundation offices in McLean, Virginia, unless it addresses local needs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Deadlines: Proposals must be submitted to the local contact at the daily newspaper or television station by February 15th and August 15th to allow time for the local review process. Some localities may have earlier deadlines. An e-mail to your local newspaper or TV station contact person to ask about local deadline dates is recommended. Generally, applicants should plan on 90 days for processing and a decision.

Contact Information: For more information about the Gannett Foundation's programs, contact your local newspaper publisher or television general manager.