GBRSF Foundation

Worthy Cause Grants

History & Purpose Eligibility Grant Outline

The Baton Rouge Fair Foundation was formed in 1985. Through the Foundation, profits from the Greater Baton Rouge Fair are given to the community in the form of Worthy Cause Grants. Over 1.2 million dollars has been returned to the community since 1987.

The following list shows the wide scope of grants that have been made:

■  Acacia Shriners  ■  Academic Distinction Fund  ■  American Red Cross  ■   Baton Rouge Fire Department – Children’s Training Trailer  ■   Baton Rouge Speech & Hearing Foundation  ■   Baton Rouge Zoo  ■  Boy Scouts – Istrouma Area Council  ■  Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge  ■  Boys Hope Girls Hope of GBR ■  BREC ( East Baton Rouge Recreation and Parks Commission)  ■  Buster L. Brown Day at the Fair (annually, for special needs children)  ■   Camp Care  ■   Camp Fire  ■  Cancer Services  ■  CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)  ■   Catholic High School –  Math Program  ■  Community Fund for the Arts  ■  Dial-A-Teacher  ■  Dreams Come True  ■  EATEL/GBRSF Speech and Hearing Grant  ■  Episcopal School of Baton Rouge  ■  GBRSF High School Volunteer Scholarships in East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston  ■  General Health Children’s Burn Camp  ■  Girl Scouts  ■  Health Care Centers in Schools  ■  Hospice Foundation  ■  Junior Achievement  ■   La. Lupus Foundation  ■   La. Maternal and Child Health Coalition  ■   La. Resource Center for Educators  ■   La. Special Olympics  ■  LSU Ag School Annual Scholarship in honor of George Simoneaux  ■   LSU Textile & Costume Museum ■   Montgomery Center School  ■  Our Lady of the Lake Foundation – Children’s Miracle Network  ■  Playmakers of Baton Rouge  ■  Race for the Cure  ■  Red Cross  ■  Sister Laurie  ■   South La. Hugh O’Brian Seminar  ■  Sprint/GBRSF  ■  St. Jude  ■   St. Paul Adult Learning Center  ■   St. Vincent DePaul Center  ■   School Uniform Drive  ■   Tara High School ROTC  ■  Teach America  ■  VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools)  ■  YMCA – Strong Kids  

For information on applying for a youth-oriented worthy cause, contact J. H. Martin, The Baton Rouge Fair Foundation, P.O. Box 15010, Baton Rouge, LA 70895.

BATON ROUGE STATE FAIR FOUNDATION

WORTHY CAUSE PROGRAM

Information for Grant Applicants

HISTORY AND PURPOSE

The Greater Baton Rouge State Fair and Trade Show was founded in 1964 in order to fund community service projects of the Baton Rouge Jaycees. The Baton Rouge State Fair Foundation became the parent organization of the Fair in 1985 and took responsibility for the distribution of Fair profits at that time. Total funds disbursed to the community since 1987, including Fair contracts with nonprofit organizations and payments to BREC, are more than $1,200,000.

The objective of the Foundation's Worthy Cause Program is to promote educational, cultural, and other opportunities for children and young people in the greater Baton Rouge area who have demonstrated achievement or who may be in need. This is done by funding projects sponsored by non-profit volunteer organizations. Members of the Fair Board also review Worthy Cause Program grant applications.

ELIGIBILITY

The grant applicant must be a nonprofit volunteer organization serving the greater Baton Rouge area and must demonstrate that it manages its operations efficiently. The proposal must show how the project furthers the objective of the Foundation's Worthy Cause Program and that the proposed project can achieve its expected results.

At the conclusion of the funded project, the Foundation requires successful grant applicants to submit both financial and narrative reports on the use of its grant and the impact that the grant may have had on the community it serves.

Grant applications must follow the format outlined in the following pages. Applicants should submit an original and one copy of the completed proposal (including attachments and supporting material), stapled but not bound, to:

For additional information, please call (225) 755-3247.

Part One: Project Information

Name of the Project.

Amount of Grant Request.

Contact Person: name, address, phone number, e-mail, title., volunteer or staff?

Purpose of the Project. Why is the project needed? What is the community to be served? How will the project meet the stated need? Include measurable goals and objectives.

Summary of the Project. Include a history of the project, if any, as well as an outline of the current plan to conduct the project, including dates.

Publicity. What are the plans for publicity for the project? How will the Foundation be included in that publicity?

Budget. Include an outline of income and expenses. Highlight what portion of the income will come from this grant. Identify other sources of income for the project: self-generated funds, support from the sponsoring organization, other grants (both pending and approved), United Way, public funds, etc.

Staffing. What are the names, assignments, and qualifications of persons responsible for managing the project? Are these people volunteers or staff? How many other volunteers and staff will be involved in the project?

Evaluation. Outline the plan for evaluating the project at its completion.

Summary Statement: How will this project promote the stated objective of the Foundation's Worthy Cause Program?

Part Two: Sponsoring Organization

Name of the Sponsoring Organization. Include address, phone number, email.

Contact Person: name, address, phone number, e-mail, title. Volunteer or staff?

Organization Narrative. What is the purpose (or mission statement) of the organization? How many members? How many volunteers? How many staff? Identify any local, state, or national affiliations. Include a brief history of the organization along with an overview of current programs and activities.

Financial Information. Attach a copy of the financial statement for the organization's most recently completed fiscal year. Attach a copy of the organization's current annual budget. Identify sources of income: fund-raising, dues, grants, United Way, public funds, etc. Identify what portion of the organization's budget is dedicated to the project under consideration. Identify what portion of the total budget goes for overhead and staff.

Governance. Attach a list of the organization's Board of Directors, a description of the terms of office and the rotation schedule for the Board.

Nonprofit/Tax-exempt Status. If available, attach a copy of the organization's Articles of Incorporation showing nonprofit status. If applicable, attach a copy of the IRS notice stating that the organization is tax-exempt or a copy of a fiscal agent's 501(c)(3) notice with a letter from the fiscal agent stating its willingness to serve.

Authorization Statement. Attach a resolution, properly signed and executed, of the sponsoring organization's Board of Directors authorizing the grant request, stating its commitment to conduct the project if funded, and agreeing to comply with the Foundation's requirement for accounting and narrative reports at the conclusion of the project.

Supporting Material. Include any statistical data, published reports, brochures, news articles, etc. which may be applicable to the grant application. Information about both the project and/or the sponsoring organization is appropriate.

Part Three: Project Evaluation (to be submitted at the conclusion of the project)

Project Narrative. Describe the execution of the project. Did it go as planned? Were there any unforeseen obstacles? If so, how were they overcome? Did the project meet its stated goals? Why or why not? How can the project be improved in the future?

Project Impact. How did the project impact the community it was designed to serve? Is it worth doing again?

Financial Statement. Submit a detailed financial statement on the project.

Ancillary Material. Include brochures, photos, news articles, etc. regarding the project.