Funding Considerations and Guidelines

The Viola Foundation will give priority considerations to organizations whose primary focus is centered around community development and the arts in Denver and surrounding areas.

The Foundation reserves the right to refuse any grant proposals or rescind grant requests as it sees fit, and reserves the right to offer.

At a minimum, nonprofits requesting support from the Viola Foundation must:

  • Be a 501(c)(3) public nonprofit charity as sanctioned by the Internal Revenue Service
  • Be based within the United States and Puerto Rico, and/or the Denver or surrounding areas.
  • Not exhibit discriminatory behavior or practices
  • Meet the minimum guidelines for our giving criteria

WHAT WE DO NOT FUND

  • Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities
  • Individuals, for any purpose (e.g. hardship, illness, scholarship)
  • Political candidates, committees, or organizations
  • Athletes, teams, sporting events or tournaments of any kind
  • Fraternal, labor, social, or veterans’ organizations
  • Places of worship such as churches, synagogues, mosques
  • Non-academic educational activities such as bands, choirs, proms, after-proms, graduations, etc.
  • Public service agencies such as police/fire departments nor staff positions for government agencies
  • Organizations that spend more than 20% of their revenue on overhead and fundraising costs
  • Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, uniformed service member status, age, marital status, parental status, disability
  • Requests to fund publications, or audio or video productions, unless they serve as supporting materials for a project within our focus
  • Requests to support travel for groups or individuals wherein that is the primary reason for the proposal

Please Note: It is expected all grantees are equal opportunity employers and in their governance policies or procedures do not discriminate against any person or group on the bases listed above or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.