Organizations who have a project or idea exceeding $30,000 and fall within the Foundation’s 5 Strategic Objectives are invited to contact the Legacy Foundation through a concise “Letter of Inquiry” or LOI. The LOI process can be found on the Foundation’s website within the Strategic Grants section.The Foundation will respond to all inquiries within 2 weeks. Once a formal LOI has been submitted and a determination has been made on whether your project fits within the Foundation’s strategic plan you will be contacted by a staff member with an update. If a favorable decision is made, a formal proposal will be requested at that time.
Non-profits may submit one application per Bright Ideas Community Enrichment Fund cycle, and a maximum of two applications per year.
Generally speaking, yes, an organization is eligible to receive more than one grant from the Foundation.
If a request has been denied after being reviewed, staff will provide your organization with the reasons and make recommendations about whether additional information or effort is needed to improve that application, or if the request does not fit Legacy Foundation’s funding priorities.
Grant award amounts will vary. The Foundation evaluates each application on the merits and strength of the initiative. Careful consideration is given to applications where the possibility of using the grant to match funds from other sources and the ability of the organization to obtain the necessary additional funding to implement the project and to provide or obtain ongoing funding after the grant has been expended.
The Legacy Foundation is committed to the well-being of the community. While the Foundation’s mission is to improve the health, education and vitality of the Ottumwa area, the Board of Directors have further defined “area” to include Wapello County.
The Foundation’s total grant-making budget varies from year to year averaging around $3 million.
Acquiring a letter of support from the Legacy Foundation can be an important tool in securing funding for your organization’s programs, services or special projects. Because we would like to aid you in your endeavors, we have developed a set of guidelines that can be requested via our website by clicking “Contact Us” located on the menu in the upper left-hand corner of our homepage. Please note that requests for a Letter of Support must be received by the Foundation with a window of 45 days or more for consideration.
We strongly encourage you to contact us with any questions, ideas, thoughts and concerns you might have. Simply click the “Contact” button located throughout the site or access the staff directory located in the “Who We Are” section.
