State Giving Program Frequently Asked Questions
My organization has a pending 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Can I request funding? No. Only organizations with a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are eligible to request funding. Is there a minimum grant size for the State Giving Program? Yes. The minimum grant size for this program is $5,000. Is there another program that provides grants equal to or less than $5,000? Yes. Our Community Grant Program allows our local facilities to support needs within the communities we do business. Where can I learn more about the Community Grant Program? You can learn more about our Community Grant Program and request a grant application by speaking with the facility manager at your local Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. facility. Can my organization request a product donation instead of a financial gift through the State Giving Program? No. The State Giving Program only provides financial gifts. Where can I request a product donation? You can request a product donation at your local Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club location. Do I have to complete the entire application in one online session? Yes. Until the application is submitted, it will not be saved in our system. Can I delete an application after I have already begun to fill it out? Yes. Applicants can exit the application screen without submitting their request by exiting the webpage. Can I get a copy of the online application form? Yes. You will be able to print a copy as you are completing the online application form. Can I leave any answers blank on the application form? No. All text boxes must be completed in full before the application can be submitted. Can I mail a copy of my request directly to the Foundation or another Wal-Mart contact? No. State Giving Program applications will only be accepted through the online application process. Should I mail any materials to support my funding request to the Foundation? No. If the Foundation has any questions about your application, a member of the Foundation team will contact the individual listed as the primary contact on your application. Does the program in my application have to align with one of the Foundation’s new focus areas? No. At this time, the Foundation is simply encouraging applications that align with our four new areas of focus-- Education, Job Skills Training, Environmental Sustainability and Health. How will I know if the State Giving Program budget is exhausted for any given state? Once a state’s program budget is exhausted, the online application will not accept funding applications for that particular state. If I haven’t received a response within a month, should I contact the Foundation? No. You will be notified of the Foundation’s funding decision within the month following the submission deadline for the funding cycle you applied in. Why are scholarship programs excluded from this funding program? Why is Children’s Miracle Network excluded from this funding program? Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is involved in many initiatives to raise support for Children’s Miracle Network. For more details about how Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. supports Children’s Miracle Network, visit http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/239.aspx. Can I submit a funding application for a capital campaign? Yes. Capital campaigns are eligible to receive funding through this program. If I submit a funding application this year and I don’t receive a grant, will my application automatically be resubmitted for the following year? No. Eligible applications will only be valid for the submission deadline and review cycle in which they are submitted. Why doesn’t the Foundation make multi-year commitments through the State Giving Program? In order to evaluate the success of programs and initiatives we have funded through the State Giving Program, we require returning grant recipients to submit a new funding application each year. Can I submit multiple funding applications to the State Giving Program? Yes, but organizations are only eligible to receive one grant within a fiscal year (February 1 – January 31). Another chapter of my organization has already received a grant through the State Giving Program, is my chapter still eligible to receive a grant? Yes. Individual chapters or affiliates of a national organization are considered separate entities. Each chapter or affiliate is eligible to receive funding one time each fiscal year. Why can’t funds received through the State Giving Program be directed to relief efforts in foreign countries? The purpose of the State Giving Program is to support the unmet needs within each state. The Wal-Mart Foundation supports international relief efforts through other programs and grants. Who makes funding decisions for grants awarded through the State Giving Program? The Wal-Mart Foundation has created State Advisory Councils in each state in order to determine how best to distribute State Giving Program funds. Each council is comprised of local Wal-Mart Stores, Inc associates. All 50 states as well as the District of Columbia have an Advisory Council. Each Advisory Council will identify the needs within their state, review and evaluate funding applications, and make funding recommendations to the Foundation. The Foundation will make final funding decisions. If I apply for funding through the State Giving Program, will my organization be ineligible to request funding through the Community Grant Program? No. Your organization may still request funding support through the Community Grant program by visiting your nearest Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club location.
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