FAQ

If you do not see your question below, please feel free to contact us and we will respond as soon as possible.

What does The Merancas Foundation fund?

The Merancas Foundation invests in local nonprofit organizations with programs, services, and initiatives that further our mission and align with our geographic focuses and core interests. The Foundation does not fund grants to individuals; political, religious, arts, fraternal, or civic organizations; sponsorships; events; or other foundations.

What organizations are eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

  • 501(3) nonprofit status must be in good standing.
  • Charitable Solicitation License must be active.
  • Programming and services must only be located in the following geographic focus areas:
    • Atlanta, GA
    • Charlotte, NC
    • Trenton, NJ
  • Requests must only address our core interests:
    • Education: We support educational initiatives from early childhood to adult career education which provide pathways to economic mobility.
    • Housing: We support a collaborative approach to affordable housing which addresses critical needs from emergency shelter to permanent solutions.
    • Wellbeing: We support inter-connective services which empowers individuals, families, and their communities to improve their lives.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • The Foundation does not award grants to individuals; political, religious, arts, fraternal, or civic organizations; sponsorships; events; or other foundations.

 

What organizations are not eligible for funding?

The Foundation does not fund grants to individuals; political, religious, arts, fraternal, or civic organizations; sponsorships; events; or other foundations.

Where are the Foundation's geographic focuses?

The Foundation has specific geographic focuses which only include the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Trenton, New Jersey.

How do organizations begin the process of submitting a grant application?

The Merancas Foundation is always interested in learning more about nonprofit organizations and programs that strongly align with our charitable scope.

The following two applications may be submitted through the Foundation’s grant application portal. Visit the “Apply” tab for more information.

1. ARE WE A MATCH (AWM): For Potential and Not Yet Approved Applicants

The AWM application may be completed on our grant portal on a “rolling basis”, at any time during the year.

PLEASE NOTE:

  • At this time, Atlanta is only accepting inquiries that align with our “Education” core interest; applications addressing other core interests will be denied.

2. GRANT PROPOSAL: For Pre-approved Applicants and Current Partners

The GRANT PROPOSAL application may be completed on our grant portal from pre-approved applicants and current partners.

Does the Foundation award multi-year grants?

Although the Foundation’s preference is to award sustaining, single year grants, there are limited occasions when multi-year installment grants are made; these are typically given to support capital needs or specific financing support. Please contact the Foundation for more details.

Does the Foundation visit the sites of potential grantees?

If your work aligns with our mission, geographic focuses and core interests, please submit an Are We A Match application. If there is an interest for further information, the Foundation’s staff will reach out for a meeting, and potentially, a site visit to your location.

Does the Foundation attend grantees' events and/or programs?

We appreciate hearing from our partners with regard to their community engagement efforts. However, as we are a lean staff, it is challenging for us to attend events and/or programs in an equitable manner and we will typically decline invitations.

Does the Foundation seek publicity for its grants?

It is not the intent of The Merancas Foundation to seek public recognition for its philanthropic activities. As a general policy, we ask those who receive grants to respect our wishes by focusing any acknowledgment on the program for which support has been received rather than the source of the grant. We realize, however, that there are occasions when select publicity could prove to be as valuable as the grant itself. Traditionally, an announcement in an organization’s newsletter or internal publication that is distributed to its community, alumni, or supporters is acceptable.

What are the guidelines for use of The Merancas Foundation's logo?

The term Merancas in letter form is a registered trademark of The Merancas Foundation, Inc. Other than as outlined below, the Merancas name may not be used without the Foundation’s express written consent. It may also require a separate licensing agreement.

If our name and/or logo furthers a grantee’s charitable mission, it may be used for compliance with any tax or regulatory authority and for general announcements in print, online, or traditional media.

When used, the name/logo must meet the following guidelines:

Any URL links to the Foundation website must be written as “The Merancas Foundation” and links should be made to www.merancas.org
The Merancas Foundation logo may only be used in the formats *provided below. Changes may not be made to aspect ratio or color. Please refer to our brand guide for more information on the use of our logo.
For additional formats or questions about use, please contact us at info@merancas.org.

Vertical Logo:

Horizontal Logo: