Melvin R. Lane Fund Grants

The mission of the Melvin R. Lane Fund is to promote access to quality health care, safe and affordable housing, and supportive social services for the youth, elderly and disabled people living in Western North Carolina. This program awards five to seven grants of up to $50,000 per year for three years to help human service organizations improve their operations, become more collaborative, and secure their future for the betterment of Western North Carolina's disadvantaged citizens.
 

Deadline to Apply

The next opportunity to apply will be in 2009.
 

Eligibility

Nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code are eligible to apply for these grants. Organizations must be located in or serving one or more of these WNC counties: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Yancey.

Grantees are required to attend one to two convening sessions each year of their grant.
 

Areas of Support

The goal of the Melvin R. Lane grant program is to significantly increase the organizational effectiveness of essential human service nonprofit organizations. Grant applicants are asked to describe how they will accomplish this by.

• taking steps to achieve financial and organizational stability and sustainability
• undertaking organizational development/capacity building activities such as planning, training or management assistance
• developing or expanding partnerships to increase the impact of the organization's work
   

Organizational Development Principles

Organizations that are committed to the following principles are most competitive when applying for a Melvin R. Lane Grant:

• clearly defined mission and goals
• skilled leadership with the potential to carry out innovative, integrated efforts
• ability to develop strategic, timely projects
• a track record of past coordination with others, and a commitment to pursuing future partnerships that will increase project success
• sound fiscal management with diverse funding sources
• involvement of the target population, where feasible, in program planning
• a knowledgeable and involved board of directors
   

Funding Restrictions

The Foundation generally does not make Melvin R. Lane Fund Grants for: operating expenses (except for specific costs that are directly related to the project); capital support (except where modest requests can immediately and significantly increase an organization's capacity and impact); recreational programs and equipment; festivals or one-time events; equipment for EMS and/or fire departments; scholarships or funding to individuals; activities taking place before grant decisions are made; sectarian purposes; private schools and clubs; political purposes; veteran affairs; deficit funding or debt retirement. Statewide or national programs will not be considered unless funding is sought for a portion of the program that directly benefits WNC, and local people are involved. Organizations may not submit more than one application for a Melvin R. Lane Grant at a time.

Recent Melvin R. Lane Fund Grant Recipients

How to Apply