Grant Requirements

IMPORTANT DATES

The Board meets three times a year, in April, September and December. Hard copies of Letters of Intent (LOI) and Grant Applications must be received in our office by 5:00 pm on these dates. We do not accept LOIs by email.

Meeting Date LOIs received no later than Applications received by
April Dec 15 Feb 1
September Apr 15 Jun 1
December Aug 15 Oct 1

If the date is a weekend or holiday, we will accept applications by 5:00 pm the next business day.

MAIL OR HAND DELIVER ALL LOIs AND COMPLETED APPLICATIONS TO:

Robert Smulian, Executive Director

The Imlay Foundation, Inc.,

3630 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 320

Atlanta, GA 30326

ELIGIBILITY

The Foundation supports organizations classified as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and as public charities under section 509(a) of that code. Individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible for funding.

  • With few exceptions, The Imlay Foundation funds domestic projects and organizations in Metro Atlanta.
  • The Foundation generally does not make grants to an organization in consecutive years. We recommend you wait a full 24 months after receiving a grant to apply again.
  • If your organization has been turned down for a grant, you should wait at least 12 months before resubmitting an LOI.
  • Organizations must have two (2) full years of operations in Atlanta, GA with 501(c) 3 status.
  • First time grants cannot be for capital projects.
  • Additional information can be found on the FAQs page.

The Foundation supports a wide variety of issue areas and funding options. However, we typically do not support the following:

  • Special events or sponsorships
  • Scholarships or tuition
  • Individuals or support for salaries
  • Places of worship
  • Individual schools (private or public K-12, charter, or post-secondary)
  • National organizations based outside of Metro Atlanta
  • Direct medical research or drug trials

THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Letter of Intent (LOI)
The Imlay Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. ALL organizations wishing to apply for a grant must first submit an LOI to the Foundation. A LOI is required even if your organization has received funding from us in the past. We do not accept LOIs by email.

Your LOI MUST include the following information:

  • Your mailing address, contact email address, and contact phone number.
  • The mission of your organization.
  • First-time grant requests are typically funded in the $10,000-$15,000 range.
  • State the U.S. dollar amount and purpose of the request in the first paragraph.
  • Past recipients should include an update on how the latest funding was used.
  • If funding is for a project or capital campaign, include total cost of the project/campaign.
  • If funding is for general operations, include total organizational budget.
  • A copy of your organization’s 501(c)(3) certification letter from the IRS indicating your classification within the meaning of Section 509(a).
  • LOIs should not exceed two pages.

2. From LOI to Grant Application
After reviewing your LOI, we will invite you to complete a full application OR notify you that we are denying your request. If your LOI or grant application is received after 5:00 pm on the respective deadline date, your request will be denied.

3. Grant Application
Once the Foundation has invited you to apply, applicants should use the form which we forward to you via email link to insure you are completing the most current form. Hard copies of completed grant applications must be mailed or hand delivered. Please include two copies of the following items with the completed grant application:

  • A copy of your most recently completed fiscal year audited financial statement if budget is $250,000+ or a CPA review letter if your budget is under $250,000. If neither is available, please contact Angela Finley Hunter at The Imlay Foundation (afhunter@imlay.net or 404-239-1777).
  • A list of your current Board of Directors.
  • Annual reports are welcomed but are not required.
  • If not already submitted with your LOI, please include a copy of the total organizational budget for the current fiscal year.

4. Grant Decision Process
After receipt of your application, if we determine a site visit is required, a Foundation representative will contact you to schedule a visit. Within one week of each Foundation Board meeting, all organizations are notified of the Board’s decision.