Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation: Grant Guidelines

Grant Guidelines

Funding Interests

The King Foundation distributes grants only to entities that serve residents of Arkansas and Texas. Within Texas, the Foundation is principally interested in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and West Texas. Within Arkansas, the foundation focuses on the southern and eastern portions of the state. For more information on the Foundation's geographic focus areas, please click here.

Applicants must also have a letter of determination from the Internal Revenue Service acknowledging tax-exempt status as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. King Foundation grants are to be used for tax-exempt purposes only.

The Foundation awards grants twice each year. Applicants must first submit a letter of inquiry, and then a full grant proposal only upon invitation.

The Foundation awards grants in the following areas:

To address the physical and emotional needs of the AGING POPULATION, especially efforts to preserve and promote the independence, health, and quality of life of seniors; to improve the quality and availability of both nursing home care and alternatives to nursing home care; and to protect seniors from abuse or financial exploitation.
To support the ARTS, CULTURE, AND HISTORY, especially artistic, historical, or cultural experiences that enhance learning in school-age children, or extend the benefit of the arts to children, the elderly, and others who might not otherwise have access.
To address the physical and emotional needs of CHILDREN AND YOUTH, especially efforts to prevent child abuse or neglect or mitigate their effects; to provide healthcare; and to promote and to develop sound character and values in young people.
To support EDUCATION, especially efforts to prepare young children for school; to support the educational process broadly through means such as parental involvement and teacher training; to promote adult literacy; to improve English-language skills in both children and adults; and to support student-focused programs at the college level that advance other areas of the Foundation’s mission.
To address the needs of the INDIGENT, especially efforts to move the indigent toward economic independence; to encourage their economic and civic integration into society; to provide emergency shelter and assistance; to provide healthcare; to offer transitional housing and supportive services to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; and to promote the creation of affordable housing.
To build NONPROFIT CAPACITY, principally among agencies working in the foregoing areas of Foundation interest. For details, please click here.

Types of Support

Within the main grants program, the King Foundation awards grants principally for program support. Under special circumstances, the Foundation will consider capital projects that serve the Foundation’s mission. Grants for nonprofit capacity may be awarded for a range of purposes. Please see the detailed description of the nonprofit capacity grants program here.

The maximum grant award will not normally exceed $100,000 for the next several years. The Foundation does not generally award multiyear grants.

The Foundation observes a two-year waiting period between grants. The elapsed time between submission of a letter of inquiry and a final grant decision is approximately six months. Previous grantees may therefore submit a letter of inquiry 18 months after their previous grant was awarded.

Limitations

The Foundation does not award grants:

To individuals
To organizations or programs that do not serve residents of our geographic focus areas in Texas or Arkansas
To organizations that are not tax exempt
For general operating support, annual fund drives, or funds to offset operating losses (including retiring debt incurred to cover operating losses)
To create endowments
Toward balls, events, or galas benefiting charitable organizations
To efforts to treat or cure a single disease or condition
To church or seminary construction, or religious programs (other than social service-based initiatives)
Toward the cost of hosting or attending professional conferences or symposia, or participating in amateur sports competitions or similar activities.

Other Policies

The King Foundation accepts no responsibility for keeping any part of a request confidential. The Foundation reserves the right to discuss any proposal with outside consultants or other funders to assist the Foundation in the evaluating the request.

The Foundation will require successful grantees to sign a grant contract establishing the purpose of the grant, the payment schedule, and reporting requirements.

The Board of Directors of the King Foundation has full responsibility for setting the Foundation’s grant guidelines and policies and may change them at any time.