Our Guidelines

The Douglas Foundation will consider grants to assist credible agencies and institutions serving children and youth, the aged, the disabled, the homeless, the sick, the poor, or the otherwise disadvantaged, and projects benefiting the general community. Grant requests from credible agencies or institutions will be entertained for both specific programs and capital expenditures.

Grants are usually awarded for a limited period. Some grants may be paid over a multi-year period. However, the Foundation generally does not approve grants to any organization on a continuing, annual basis.  The Foundation’s Trustees have final approval of all grants.

Geographic Area of Grant Focus

Preference is given to organizations providing services in the following Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

Applicant Eligibility

Not-for-profit organizations certified as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code are eligible for consideration.  These organizations cannot also be private foundations as defined in section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Grant Limitations

Grants will not be considered or made:

- For influencing legislation and/or elections, promoting voter registration, or for political candidates, political campaigns or organizations engaged in political activities.
- For litigation of any kind.
- For international as opposed to U.S. social issues.
- To individuals.
- To federated appeals or to organizations that collect funds for redistribution to other nonprofits.
- For conferences, workshops, exhibits, travel, surveys, films or publishing activities.

Grants generally are not approved for:

- National organizations that do not have local chapters operating in the geographic area of grant focus, that is, Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
- Regular, ongoing operating support, except in cases where such organizations have experienced an unexpected reduction in financial support for core programs or administrative services. Letters of inquiry and funding applications for such grants will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- Agencies, projects or programs normally financed by government sources.
- Endowment funds.
- Refugee programs.
- Consumer interest groups.
- Environmental groups.
- Financial contingencies or deficit or debt reduction.
- Fund raising dinners or events.