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Lithuanian Foundation Grants Program
The Lithuanian Foundation is dedicated to supporting projects that contribute to the preservation of the Lithuanian heritage in émigré communities. As such, the Foundation concentrates its resources on those projects that demonstrate the potential for far reaching benefits to the Lithuanian community and the community at large. Funding Priorities The Foundation invests in new, innovative programs as well as established programs in the émigré community, with an eye to supporting those grant requests that collaborate with other programs to provide a synergistic benefit to on the community. In striving to achieve these goals, the Foundation concentrates its giving in the following areas: Education: The Foundation believes that education will ensure the continuity of the richness of our Lithuanian heritage. Therefore, we favor programs that contribute to the strengthening of our heritage school system as well as research that enriches the knowledge base for future generations. Culture: The Foundation believes that the Lithuanian culture is the bond that unites us. Therefore, we favor projects that accentuate the vibrancy of the Lithuanian culture and invest in projects that create opportunities for cultural expression and a venue for broad participation. Community: The Foundation believes that it indeed “takes a village”. Therefore we favor projects that unite and augment the community and invest in projects that create a vital means of partnership for those who value the Lithuanian heritage. Youth: The Foundation believes that the future of the heritage rests in the hearts of our youngest members. Therefore we favor projects that instill a love of culture and a sense of community in the younger generation and consider it crucial to invest in the support of youth organizations, summer camps, artistic performances geared to younger audiences and the like. Restrictions The Foundation will not consider the following types of grant requests: 1. Routine organizational/operational and/or travel expenses. 2. Media (print, television or radio) in 3. Private for profit businesses, for profit organizations or for profit individuals. Specific non-profit projects may be submitted by the for profit sector, only if accompanied by a detailed explanation of how the project meets non-profit requirements as well as detailed description of how non-profit funds will be segregated from the for-profit funds. 4. Lithuanian institutions, organizations in the 5. Lithuanian governmental agencies, institutions or political organizations. 6. Lithuanian organizations in the 7. Private charitable causes.
Review Process All requested documentation submitted by the application deadline will be reviewed by the LF Grants Committee, which might also request supplementary documentation during the review process. The Grants Committee, comprised of 3 members from the Lithuanian Foundation and 3 members from the Lithuanian American Community, Inc., meets once per year to review all grant applications received by the deadline and make recommendations for funding. Scholarship recommendations made by the Scholarship Sub-committee are also reviewed. Approval of Grants After all scholarship and project grant recommendations are finalized by the Grants Committee, they are presented to the Lithuanian Foundation Board of Directors, who has final approval. Generally, an applicant should expect notification by email or post of whether a grant has been allocated on or before July 30. If funds are awarded, the applicant will be asked to present receipts and other documentation indicating that the funds were used for the purposes it was granted. After pay-out is approved by the Chairman of the Grants Committee, checks are issued in the name indicated on the application and mailed to the said address. The Foundation can only fund a fraction of the requests that are reviewed. In some cases, excellent proposals cannot be funded because they fall outside of the Foundation’s current focus or because of funding limitations. A denial of a funding is not a reflection on the applicant or the value of the project. How to apply The Foundation uses an electronic application process which stipulates that all specific supplementary files/documentation be uploaded to the application before the application can be submitted. All supporting documentation must be in Lithuanian or English. A translation must accompany documents in any other language. Completion of the application form in Lithuanian is preferred, though not required. Applicants may submit their completed application with all required attachments at any time after the posting of the 2010 grant application forms in the beginning of January. However, in order to be considered for the current granting period, completed applications must be submitted by midnight on April 15, 2010. In order to remove their application from “draft” status, applicants will have to click “submit”. If any of the required documentation is missing, the submission will not go through. Applicants should, therefore, begin collecting required documentation as soon as possible. If technical difficulties interfere with attachment of a document, the Foundation must be contacted by email at admin@lithfund.org by April 12th for an extension code. Applications received after April 15 will be deemed late and will be considered by the Grants Committee at its spring allocation meeting only if there are funds available after applications submitted by the deadline are reviewed. Special second allocation meetings are not the norm at the Lithuanian Foundation. If a second allocation meeting is not scheduled, additional funding will not be available until applications are once again accepted in 2011. Recommended steps Register as a grant applicant using this link. Only those who are registered on this site will receive any special notices by email. 1. Download this “2010 LF Grants program” description. 2. Download the “2010 LF paramos juodrastis Grants draft” form the Lithuanian Foundation website. All questions on the internet form will be in the draft, so that applicants can prepare responses to the questions even when they do not have access to the internet. Once on the internet, you will be able to “copy” and “paste” into the appropriate spaces on the application. Grant requests will only be accepted by internet on the form provided. The Draft will not be accepted in lieu of the on-line application. 3. If you are applying as a member of the Lithuanian émigré media, download the “2010 LF Ziniaskalaida Media” form (in Lithuanian) from the Lithuanian Foundation website. It will need to be completed and uploaded to the appropriate part of the application. 4. Download the “2010 LF Projekto samata Project Budget” form from the Lithuanian Foundation website. It will need to be completed and uploaded to the appropriate part of the application. Request/obtain all other required documentation in time to be uploaded to the application and submitted by April 15th. You will need to upload: 1. Media form for applicants from the émigré Lithuanian media, available on the LF website. 2. Project Budget form, available on the LF website. 3. Organizations 2009 end of the year financial balance sheet. 4. Copy of the latest IRS 990 form and Part IV of Schedule A (USA). 5. Copy of the Articles of Incorporation ( 6. IRS letter showing Federal tax exempt status (
Additional information For those who do not have scanning capability, we have provided US applicants only with a “fax to file” feature on the internet. This will allow you to fax a document to a toll-free number and get back a PDF document that you will be able to attach to the application. Applicants who completed on line applications in 2009 can log on using the same user name and password and print the packet to see information from previous years. The packet will be in PDF format. If you have not saved uploaded documents in your computer, you can select portions of the PDF and copy/paste into separate documents. If you sent documents you need for the current application process directly to the Foundation offices, you will not be able to see them. If you need these 2009 documents for attachment to the 2010 application, contact the Foundation offices at admin@lithfund.org, so that we can send them to you for reattachment. 2010 LF paramos juodrastis Grants draft 2010 LF Projekto samata Project Budget Updated: 01/19/2010
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