US Bank: Community Possible Grant LOI

Overview

Through the U.S. Bank Foundation, we support organizations and programs that advance the funding priorities described under the Community Possible grant focus areas. Organizations must be based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities.

Community Possible Grant Focus Areas
We support organizations and programs that advance the following funding priorities, focusing on organizations that have an intentional approach to addressing immediate needs and systemic economic barriers to success.  

As part of our commitment to a sustainable future, environmental stewardship is a consideration in each of our three focus areas:  

 1. WORK – Workforce Education & Economic Prosperity
We fund organizations that provide training for small business development, as well as programs that support individuals across all skill and experience levels, to ensure they have the capability to gain employment that supports individuals and their families. Examples of grant support include:

• Small business technical assistance programs
• Job-skills, career readiness training programs with comprehensive placement services for low- and moderate-income individuals entering or reentering the labor force

2. HOME – Neighborhood Stability & Revitalization (ASU is N/A for this priority)

3. PLAY – Artistic & Cultural Enrichment, Learning Through Play & Preserving, Protecting and  

Enhancing Outdoor Places to Play brings joy. It is beneficial for problem-solving, creativity, and relationships. Play is just as necessary for adults as it is for kids, but in low-income areas there are often limited spaces for play and fewer people attending arts and cultural activities. That is why we invest in community programming that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.   

Access to Artistic and Cultural Programming & Arts Education
Our investments ensure economic vitality and accessibility to the arts in local communities and support for arts education. Examples of grant support include:  

• Programs that provide access to cultural activities, the visual and performing arts, museums, zoos and aquariums and botanic gardens for individuals and families living in underserved communities  

• Funding for local arts organizations that enhance the economic vitality of the community  

• Programs that provide funding for arts-focused nonprofit organizations that bring visual and performing arts programming to low- and moderate-income K-12 schools and youth centers   

Learning Through Play 4 U.S. Bank Public
Many communities across the country do not have the resources and/or access to enjoy the benefits of active play. Supporting active play-based programs and projects for K-12 students in low- and moderate-income communities fosters innovation, creativity and collaboration and impacts the overall vitality of the communities we serve.  

Funding support includes:  

• Support for organizations that build or expand access to active play spaces and places that help K-12 students learn through play improving the wellbeing, safety, and unification in low- and moderate-income communities.
• Programs that focus on using active play to help young people develop cognitive, social, and emotional learning skills to become vibrant and productive citizens in low- and moderate-income communities Outdoor Places to Play Environmental stewardship enhances and improves the livability of our communities.
• Supporting efforts to preserve, protect and enhance outdoor spaces is now a part of our PLAY pillar of giving. Funding support includes:
• ​​Clean up efforts in community spaces including (but not limited to) beaches, rivers, and streams​​​​​​​
• Protecting green spaces within the community including planting trees, mangroves, and seagrass
• ​​​​​​​Programs that support community, native and/or pollinator gardens, including community composting 

U.S. Bank Foundation accepts applications by invitation only. However, we have an electronic Letter of Interest (LOI) to identify organizations with unique and innovative programs that fit within our pillars of Work, Home and Play.  

You may access the electronic Letter of Interest through the Submit Letter of Interest link at the bottom the Community Possible Grant Program page. 

The following factors are among those the foundation will consider:  

• Innovation and/or differentiation in our focus areas of Work, Home and Play 
• Programming and services that advance positive community engagement efforts
• Demonstrated outcomes and impact 
• Service delivery to low-and moderate-income women and people of color
• Commitment to strategies advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization
• The financial health of the organization 

Funding Types Within these general guidelines: 

• Operating Grants: An Operating grant given to cover an organization's day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies, etc. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits within a Community Possible grant focus area.  
• Program / Project Grants: A Program /Project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives, and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Community Possible grant focus areas.  
• Capital Grants A Capital grant that is part of an organized drive to collect and accumulate substantial funds to finance fixed assets.  

 The U.S. Bank Foundation considers a small number of requests for capital support from organizations that meet all other funding criteria, whose entire mission statement fits a Community Possible grant focus area and with which the Foundation has a funding history.  

All organizations requesting capital funding must also have a U.S. Bank employee serving on the board of directors. U.S. Bank does not fund more than 1% of the Non endowment total capital campaign fundraising goal.