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Organization Grants

Sherwood Trust supports grant proposals from nonprofits that are designed to strengthen their capacity as organizations and enable them to become more effective at what they do.  Grant requests should be meaningful and make a difference in enhancing the effectiveness of nonprofits in an enduring manner.

Sherwood Trust favors funding the #1 priority of nonprofits that will make a strategic difference in their capacity to achieve their mission.  Examples of such grants follow:

• Grant requests for capacity-building purposes that will strengthen a nonprofit in areas concerning board governance, organizational assesssment, strategic planning, business plans, and financial development plans.

• Grant requests for capital projects, including site acquisition, site and building improvements, and equipment.

• Grant requests for permanent endowment.  These grants typically are matching and reserved for more effective nonprofit organizations.  Requests for endowment funds from church-related organizations are not favored.

Further guidelines for Organization grants are:

• Grants are limited only to tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of Internal Revenue Code; individuals are ineligible to receive grants.

• Grants are limited to support nonprofit organizations serving the Walla Walla Valley and its surrounding communities from Dayton to Milton-Freewater.

• Frequent grant proposals are discouraged; there should be at least two intervening years between grant proposals.

• Grant proposals that include other donors along with the Sherwood Trust are preferred.

• Grant proposals from tax-supported institutions are not favored.

•  Grant proposals from nonprofit organizations with external debt that will survive the grant are not favored.

• Grant proposals seeking funds for the following purposes are not favored:
  • General fund solicitations.
  • Scholarships, fellowships, honorariums, or benefits to an individual.
  • Operating expenses, including overhead, indirect costs, and servicing debt, however labeled.
  • Conferences, seminars, travel, publishing books, producing films or videos, festivals, or acquisition of exhibits.
  • Projects of sectarian or religious organizations, the principal beneficiaries of which are their own members or consitituents.