Grant Application Guidelines

The Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation supports Arts Education and Environmental Education programs serving geographic areas important to Ms. Taft and to her family:

• Greater Cincinnati, OH

• Los Angeles County, CA

• Boston, MA (inside the Route 495 beltway)

• Mid-Coast Maine (defined as the towns of Bath, Belfast, Boothbay Harbor, Brunswick, Camden, Cushing, Damariscotta, Lincolnville, Owls Head, Rockland, Rockport, Searsport, Thomaston, Topsham, and Union)

All applicants must demonstrate their tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) and classification as “not a private foundation” under Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

The Foundation has a preference for small to mid-sized organizations and typically does not fund large institutions.

The Foundation does not support projects already in progress. In most cases projects should begin within 90 days of the award notification.

The Foundation does not support:

• endowments

• major capital projects

• individuals, including scholarships for specified individuals

• advocacy and community organizing

• grantees who have not fulfilled the requirements of previous awards

• organizations who have submitted a proposal within the past three years

• projects that have already been completed

Application Timeline and Process

• February 1: Ignite Philanthropy opens the annual application cycle, inviting qualified organizations to contact the Foundation’s Program Officer to schedule a screening interview.**

• February 28: Program Officer concludes screening interviews

• March 1: Ignite Philanthropy opens the online application portal and invites up to 25 approved organizations to apply

• April 8: Application due by by 9:00 PM EST

• June 15: Ignite Philanthropy sends award notifications

• July 30: Ignite Philanthropy issues grant payments

• October 1: Previous Year's Grant Reports Due

**Please contact Jamie Markle - jmarkle@ignitephilanthropy.com to discuss your idea and request access to the Application Portal.

Applicants must wait three years before submitting another proposal, regardless of decision.

Final Reports

Grantees will submit progress and financial reports, sharing impact of the project and expenditure of award funds by October 1 of the year following the grant award. Ignite Philanthropy will email a reminder and report template 60 days prior to the due date.

Board Members

• Thomas W. (Woody) Taft, President, Cincinnati, OH; Nephew of Nellie Taft; Son of Dudley S. Taft, Sr.

• Dudley S. Taft, Sr., Treasurer, Cincinnati, OH; Brother of Nellie Taft

• Lucy Rosborough, Clerk, Boston, MA; Friend of Nellie Taft

• Ken Mahler, Trustee, Cincinnati, OH; Nephew of Nellie Taft; Son of Nellie’s Sister, Murph Mahler

• Perin Mahler, Trustee, Laguna Beach, CA; Nephew of Nellie Taft; Son of Nellie’s Sister, Murph Mahler

• Dudley S. Taft, Jr., Trustee, Cincinnati, OH; Nephew of Nellie Taft; Son of Dudley S. Taft, Sr.