The Foundation has specific guidelines for determining eligibility to apply for a grant. Before submitting a Letter of Inquiry, please consider the following guidelines carefully in evaluating your organization´s eligibility to apply.
Eligible Organizations
Grants are made only to organizations recognized as public charities under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). For-profit companies and start-ups are NOT ELIGIBLE to apply for funding directly from the Foundation. The Foundation does not ordinarily consider grants to annual fund drives, to units of government, or to organizations or institutions that are primarily tax-supported, including state universities. The Foundation no longer accepts grant applications from arts or social service organizations or programs, except those based in Hudson, Ohio.
Program and Project Focus
With a primary mission to advance our nation’s system of free enterprise, the Foundation seeks to support:
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Educational programs and projects at the youth, collegiate, and adult levels that are designed to build competencies in entrepreneurship, free enterprise, and innovation
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Nonprofit organizations and programs that directly assist entrepreneurs in business planning, start-up and acceleration, and access to capital
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Selected initiatives aimed at rejuvenating economic competitiveness within Northeast Ohio.
Secondarily, the Foundation also awards non-entrepreneurship-related grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations that are located in or serve residents of Hudson, Ohio.
Geographic Focus
The Foundation’s geographic focus complements our program and project priorities by targeting (1) entrepreneurship-related programs in Summit County, Ohio, and surrounding counties, known collectively as the Northeast Ohio region, and (2) Hudson, Ohio-based nonprofit organizations.
Questions about organizational eligibility should be referred to Leslie Nelson, Senior Program Officer, at (330) 655-7929 or lnelson@bdmorganfdn.org.