Limitations
While grants are made primarily in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Fund will consider grant applications from other locations in the context of their impact on Lincoln. The Fund makes grants in diverse fields, however, specific areas are not eligible for grant review. Please review the list of What We Do Not Fund.
Funding is provided in four principal areas of interest:
- Human Services
- Education
- Civic & Community
- Arts & Culture
Applicants generally should be organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and have a written ruling from the IRS that they also qualify under Section 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) of the Code (publicly supported organizations and their affiliates). Organizations must be in good standing with the IRS. Occasionally the Fund considers proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are private, operating foundations. In exceptional cases, the Fund will consider fiscal agent and expenditure responsibility grants.
College and university proposals or those from city or government entities are reviewed only if they are applied projects that directly benefit the Lincoln community.
Woods Charitable Fund believes diverse viewpoints and perspectives enhance and strengthen communities. Grant applicants will be expected to supply a list of their organization’s leadership structure in regards to diversity for the current and past 5 years including gender, racial and ethnic demographics and others and to address how this leadership reflects and benefits the community and the people they serve.
Requests for support of technology must be from organizations whose emphasis is in the Fund’s special interest areas. Requests must define the need for the technology, provide compelling evidence that it is appropriate for the task and is cost-effective. Furthermore, the proposal must demonstrate the technology’s impact on the organization’s mission.
Woods does not accept applications from organizations: (1) that have had proposals approved or declined in the preceding 12 months; or (2) that are recipients of active, multiyear grants. This policy does not apply when organizations are involved in collaborative proposals. Organizations with active general grants or that have applied for general grants in the past year may request to apply for a Breakthrough Initiative Grant.
Proposals not clearly within the Fund’s priority areas but not clearly ineligible are screened for funding consideration by the Fund’s board members.