Grant Guidelines

Grant Guidelines

Hughes Memorial Foundation awards grants to nonprofit, tax exempt 501 (c)(3) organizations, not including private schools. Grants are awarded for special projects and capital improvements that will benefit children in need. Hughes will not assume obligations for longer than 3 years.
Hughes prefers to aid organizations that can supply matching funds. Organizations should not view Hughes as the sole source of funding for an activity or project.

Grants are awarded twice a year. The deadline for submission for the spring is April 1st and September 1st for the fall.

Letter of Intent Prior to Grant Application

To be considered, a letter should be submitted, no more than two pages, giving a brief description of the project, project schedule, goals, amount requested from Hughes Memorial Foundation, and a budget for project. In addition, please briefly answer the following questions:

  1. What is your organization's tax-exempt status under the IRS code?
  2. Why has your organization decided to work on this project?
  3. What are your or your organization's qualifications to successfully complete the project?
  4. How is this activity compatible with your organization's mission statement?
  5. How is the activity compatible with the Hughes mission statement and grant policies?
  6. Has your governing board formally approved the plan?
  7. Will internal financial resources be available to continue the activity or project beyond the period of HMH funding?

After reading the guidelines below, you will be offered a link to submit a Letter of Intent.

Notification

You will receive email from the Hughes Memorial Foundation that lets you know if your letter of intent meets our guidelines.

Documentation and Grant Application

After submitting your letter and it is determined that you meet the qualifications to be considered for a grant, you will be asked to proceed to the next step and to submit the following:

  1. A detailed description of what your project proposes to accomplish, when and how your project will accomplish it, and why it is needed (two-page maximum).
  2. A line-item budget for the proposed project showing total costs, allocation of Hughes funding, and all sources and amounts of matching funds (one-page maximum).
  3. A detailed operating budget of your organization (one-page maximum).
  4. A description of your organization (two-page maximum) including:
    1. Brief history and mission statement
    2. Names, addresses and occupations of all members of your governing board
    3. A vita sheet or list of credentials of the person(s) in your organization responsible for administering Hughes funding
  5. A copy of your IRS 501(c)(3) tax determination letter.
  6. A description of other grants or funding sought or received for this project or activity from other external funding sources.
  7. A statement describing your sources of funding to continue this activity or project once Hughes funding ceases.
  8. A statement signed by the chairman of your governing board that the information presented in steps five and six of this application is complete, true and factual.

The above items can be mailed to the Hughes Memorial Foundation or submitted online. See your invitation to apply for a grant for directions.

After-Project Reporting

Organizations receiving Hughes Memorial funds will be required to submit periodic reports on the progress of the activity or project.
Notification of grant awards will be mailed by December 15th and June 15th.

Hughes Memorial Foundation will use the following criteria in evaluating request for grants:

  1. Degree of need
  2. Impact on person(s) who will benefit
  3. Accuracy, completeness and reasonableness of application
  4. Soundness of the organization and its financial management
  5. Amount of internal support being offered
  6. Degree of compatibility with the Hughes Mission Statement and Grant Policies.

Hughes Memorial Foundation typically does not award grants to the following:

  • Private 509(a) foundations
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Government agencies
  • Sectarian and religious organizations (except for special projects that minister only to needy and/or at-risk children and are not a part of the organization's customary ministry)
  • Organizations or persons for distribution to other beneficiaries of their own choosing.
  • Grants for any purpose which would jeopardize its tax-exempt status
  • Loans
  • Debt retirement or deficit financing
  • Normal operating expenses
  • Propaganda and/or lobbying
  • Influencing elections
  • Research
  • Activities carried out beyond the boundaries of Virginia and North Carolina
  • Continuation of programs previously financed by other external sources
  • Emergency funding
  • Endowment
  • General fund drives or annual charitable appeals
  • Attendance at conferences, seminars or workshops
  • Media production and distribution, including television and radio programming.

Click here to view a PDF of the Hughes Memorial Foundation Grant Guidelines

Click here to submit a letter of intent for a potential invitation to submit a grant application.