To be eligible for funding, applicants must be nonprofit organizations and recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under Sections 501(c)3.

The Tom and Frances Leach Foundation Does Not Fund:

• Individuals
• For-profit businesses
• Organizations that do not have a Federal Tax ID Number

Effective January 2021, the Foundation will no longer accept paper applications and has moved to an online application process. We are establishing this process via our website to ensure that we collect consistent information from all applicants. Follow the link below and submit your application with accurate information and provide all the required appendices. Should a grant request be successfully approved, grantees will be notified by mail, and awards will be issued on or before December 31st of that year.

Please note that the Foundation generally accepts only one application per grantee per year. Organizations receiving multi-year pledge funds are only eligible to apply for new funding in the grant cycle following receipt of their final installment payment. Organizations that receive multi-year grants are required to submit an interim grant report every year that they receive funding on the date listed in their grant funding letter.

Current grantees of the Foundation who have questions regarding applying for funding, please feel free to reach out to the Grant Coordinator by email: leachfoundation@midconetwork.com or by calling 701-255-0479.

All proposals are reviewed by the Foundation's Grant Coordinator. The Grant Coordinator may contact applicants with questions and request more information before presenting a summary of each proposal and a funding recommendation to the board or directors. Proposals are assessed based on:

• Their alignment with the Foundation's funding priorities;
• The organization's capacity to carry out the expected activities without duplicating services already provided;
• How effectively the proposed activities can address an expressed need in the community; and
• The likelihood of achieving measurable, positive impact.

The ultimate grantmaking decision resides with the board of directors and is usually determined during the Foundation's annual board meeting each November. Once a decision is made, applicants are generally notified within three weeks.