Grant Application Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the MDU Resources Foundation? The MDU Resources Foundation is a corporate foundation incorporated in 1983. The Foundation is funded annually by contributions from our member companies. Company contributions to the Foundation are determined by the profitability of our companies and, in all instances, those contributions are made only from stockholder earnings. No contributions are included in the rates charged to customers of the utility division.
2. Since its incorporation, how much has the Foundation contributed to qualified charities and organizations? The Foundation has contributed over $13 million.
3. Who is eligible for grant consideration? The Foundation will contribute only to institutions and programs qualified by Internal Revenue Code Rules and Regulations as recipients of Foundation contributions. Generally, contributions are restricted to organizations qualified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Primary consideration is given to institutions, organizations and programs within the geographic areas in which the Foundation's member companies have active and current business interests. Secondary considerations will be given to requests outside of these areas.
4. Who is not eligible for grant consideration? Generally, no consideration will be given to private individuals, athletic, labor, fraternal, veterans, political, lobbying, social or religious organizations, or to regional or national organizations without local affiliation. Economic development requests are not a focal point of the Foundation. Requests for loans, venture capital, participation in loan pools, etc., will not be considered by the Foundation.
5. What are the category guidelines to follow when applying for a grant? The Foundation will consider requests in the following categories:
· Health and Human Services - including federated drives, national and local health and human services agencies, hospitals, youth agencies and senior citizen organizations.
· Education - including private secondary and higher education institutions, education development foundations, economic education programs and scholarships. Generally, no contributions will be made to tax-supported educational institutions or programs.
Civic and Community Activities - including community organizations and personal development organizations.
Culture and Art - including art funds and councils, public radio and television, museums, theaters, libraries and cultural centers.
Environment - including organizations which promote the wise use of resources without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
6. What parameters must I meet in order to be eligible to apply for a grant? On the home page, click on the Determine Eligibility link and follow the instructions. If you meet all the eligibility guidelines you will be directed to a grant request form with general guidelines on the application process.
7. How often are grant applications considered for funding? At the Foundation’s annual budget meeting in December of each year, the budget is approved for the following year’s contributions.
8. What is the deadline for receipt of applications? The Foundation operates on a calendar-year budget and all grant applications must be submitted no later than OCTOBER 1 of the year prior to the year for which funding is being sought.
9. Does the Foundation consider concurrent contributions? The Foundation will generally not consider concurrent contributions to a single donee.
10. How often can an organization apply for a Foundation grant? Qualified organizations may submit one funding request each year.
11. Does the MDU Resources Foundation accept unsolicited grant requests? Yes.
12. What is the size and duration of your grants? Amounts awarded and time periods vary widely and depend upon the scope of the project.
13. Does the Foundation contribute to elementary and secondary schools? Although we support education on numerous levels, generally the Foundation will not consider requests to elementary and/or secondary schools. Public Schools have taxing authority and virtually every city and town where we have business interests has at least one school. It would be impossible to support some and not others.
We do, however, recognize the importance of strong schools and realize not every program can be supported by local taxes. We encourage our employees to make personal contributions to schools of their choice, and we will, in certain circumstances, complement those personal contributions with contributions from the MDU Resources Foundation Employee Matching Gift Program.
14. What is the MDU Resources Foundation Employee Matching Gift Program? The MDU Resources Foundation will match employee personal contributions to education institutions at all levels (elementary, secondary, higher education) with a contribution equal to 50 percent of employee contributions between $100 and $1,000. The Foundation match would be between $100 and $500.
The following program restrictions exist:
Foundation gifts must be made payable to the same educational institution receiving the employee gift.
No gift will be matched unless the recipient organization is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a qualified 501(c)(3) organization or its equivalent.
Tuition, book payments, fees, tickets, etc., are not eligible.
The value of gifts, prizes, goods received and memberships will be deducted from the amount of the employee contribution.
The maximum Foundation payments will be $15,000.
It shall be the responsibility of the employee and the educational institution receiving the gift to supply all documentation to the MDU Resources Foundation.
It is contemplated this will be an ongoing program. However, the MDU Resources Foundation reserves the right to suspend, amend, revoke or terminate this plan at any time.
15. Does the MDU Resources Foundation fund scholarships? Post-secondary education is a high priority for the Foundation. The Foundation has established scholarships at many institutions of higher education throughout numerous states. The Foundation’s sole responsibility is to establish the eligibility criteria for the scholarships and to provide annual funding to sustain them. No company personnel are involved in determining the recipients of the scholarships. Information on these scholarships is available at the Financial Aid office of the respective institutions.
16. What is the MDU Resources Group Employee Scholarship Program? The MDU Resources Group Employee Scholarship Program is designed to encourage and recognize outstanding academic achievement of the children and spouses of eligible employees of MDU Resources Group, Inc., its utility divisions and its subsidiaries.
Applicants must be United States citizens and the natural or adopted children, step-children or spouses of active, full-time employees. Active, full-time employees must have been employed by MDU Resources Group, Inc. or any of its affiliated companies on a regular basis, as defined by the respective employing company, for a minimum of one year as of the application deadline.
Also eligible are the natural or adopted children, step-children or spouses of a deceased employee, provided the employee was an active full-time employee, on a regular basis as defined by the respective employee company, for a minimum of one year at the time of his/her death.
Applicants must be students who are enrolled or planning to enroll in a full-time undergraduate or graduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school. Scholarships will be awarded without regard to other awards, loans, or financial assistance the applicant may have received from other sources.
The Foundation’s sole responsibility is to establish the eligibility criteria for the scholarships and to provide annual funding to sustain them. No company personnel are involved in determining the recipients of the scholarships.
17. What steps do I need to follow to apply for a grant? To be considered, all applications must be in writing and contain the following information:
Name and address of organization or charity.
Name, address and telephone number of contact person.
A copy of an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determination letter indicating tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC); or, evidence of eligibility under Section 170(c)(1) of the IRC. Organizations described in Section 170(c)(1) of the IRC are the United States, a possession of the United States, any state, the District of Columbia or any political subdivision thereof. A political subdivision would include a county, a city, a school district, a park district, etc. Contributions are allowable if they are used exclusively for public purposes.
Purpose or use of requested grant.
Other information deemed appropriate. In all instances, the completion of a Grant Request Form is required.
All grant requests should be submitted no later than October 1 of the year prior to the year for which funding is being sought to the MDU Resources Foundation, PO Box 5650, Bismarck, ND 58506-5650.
18. Who can I contact if I need assistance while applying for an MDU Resources Foundation grant? You can email foundation@mduresources.com.
19. How will I be notified once the Foundation leadership makes a funding decision? Once a final grant decision has been made, grant applicants will be notified in writing.
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