James S. Kemper Foundation

College and University Guidelines

(Revised January, 2011)
Given the reduction in the Foundation’s assets in the wake of the 2008-2009 economic recession, the Board of the James S. Kemper Foundation has determined that beginning with the 2011 cycle and for the foreseeable future, the Foundation will no longer accept letters-of-interest or proposals for funding from colleges and universities. Henceforth, the Foundation will fund only its operational program, the Kemper Scholars Program; grants in support of arts management internships to Chicago-area arts and culture organizations; and occasional other projects at the Foundation’s initiation.

The Board has made this decision with regret but felt it unfair to encourage colleges and universities to spend the considerable effort necessary to prepare proposals which the Foundation could not fund. Should circumstances make future grants to colleges and universities possible, an announcement will be made at the Foundation’s website.

Kemper Scholars Program

The Kemper Scholars Program, begun in 1948, has always combined financial aid and summer internships. It is sponsored at sixteen partner colleges. Colleges may participate only by invitation from the Foundation.

Chicago Cultural Organization Guidelines

(Revised January, 2011)
NOTE: The grant program and guidelines may change during the fiscal year because of economic or other conditions.

Although the James S. Kemper Foundation primarily supports its flagship operational program, The Kemper Scholars Program, it also has a secondary goal to provide modest grant support to projects of Chicago’s arts and cultural organizations that promote its interests.

Because of the Foundation’s longstanding interest in undergraduate students and helping prepare them for careers in management or leadership of organizations, successful grant proposals will typically provide experiential opportunities and internships for college students in a variety of fields, including arts administration and development. The Foundation does not support arts education programs or programs designed to prepare college students for careers as practicing artists (such as acting or writing) as opposed to management and leadership of arts and culture organizations. Grants may range up to $25,000 although recently the highest grants awarded have been $15,000. The Foundation avoids committing itself to grants paid out in multiple years although grant recipients may spend funds over more than one year and may reapply for future grants. Capital projects, general operating funds, equipment and endowment requests are not eligible. Only public charitable organizations with 501(c)(3) status of types 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) will be funded.

The application process has two required steps.

Pre-proposal letter of inquiry: First, all applicants must send a brief letter of inquiry to the Foundation, describing the project’s activities, goals, and budget. The letter of inquiry should be no longer than three pages and should be sent as an attachment to an email. To be considered, letters of inquiry must be received by the Foundation no later than October 15 (or the following business day if October 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday) by 4:00pm Central Time, but preferably before that date to give staff time to review it and respond helpfully. Depending on time and the letter of inquiry, Foundation staff may suggest revisions, clarifications, or amplifications prior to submission of a final proposal. If the proposal fits within the Foundation’s current interests and guidelines, the applicant will be invited to submit a full formal proposal by December 1.

Important note: As a result of recent federal legislation (the Pension Protection Act of 2006), private foundations now face significant tax issues if they fund certain types of charitable Supporting Organizations. Pending further clarification from the IRS, the James S. Kemper Foundation will fund no 501(c)(3) organization which is classified as a 509(a)(3) type charity.

To comply with the Foundation’s need for due diligence, organizations applying for grants must include with their pre-proposal inquiry a copy of the organization’s IRS determination letter, which should not only confirm the tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), but should also indicate the section of the Internal Revenue Code under which the organization qualifies for treatment as a public charity. This must be either Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2). Applicants should also certify that the determination letter is still accurate and in force. If the IRS determination letter is silent on the issue of the organization’s public charity status, i.e., specifying Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2), the applicant organization will need to provide another means to confirm its public charity section. Note that the IRS advises that the organization’s specification of its charity type on its 990 tax form does not constitute acceptable confirmation.

Final Proposal (by invitation only): A final proposal should include the following:

Clarification of status as a Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) public charity unless acceptably completed at the time of the pre-proposal letter.

Most recent audited financial statements unless the organization has submitted them in the past year;

A description of the project’s activities and their relationship to the mission of the proposing organization. This Description should also address the following:

• How will the project benefit undergraduate college students?
• How will participants be selected?
• How will the project benefit the proposing organization?
• Is this a new experimental project, or is it part of the ongoing activity of the proposing organization?
• How will the project’s outcomes be assessed? (Measurable goals are preferred.)
• If the project is successful, will it be continued, and if so, how will it be supported financially?
• Is this a new or experimental project, or is it part of the ongoing activity of the organization?
• Which staff will supervise and participate in the project? What are their qualifications?

• A budget for the proposed project and, if it is part of a larger project, a budget for the entire project including sources of funding.
• An executive summary of the proposal no more than 50 words long. This summary should be included in your cover email so that it can be copied and pasted into Foundation documents. The summary should begin as follows: “[Organization name] requests [$amount] to support [project title],” and be followed by a brief description of the proposed project.

Important note: The Foundation now requires that all correspondence and documents be sent digitally. No paper documents or hard copies will be accepted. Submit your proposal and any supporting documents as a single PDF file. Title your file as follows: your_organization_final_kemper_proposal_2012 -- substituting the name of your organization (without any introductory definite article) for the words “your_organization” in the model. This approach will help us organize your proposal in our digital files and keep it from getting lost. Documents which applicants possess only in hard copy, such as IRS letters, should be scanned into PDF and included.

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees holds a grant decision meeting once a year in February or March. For consideration at that meeting, invited final proposals must be received by 4:00 pm Central Time on December 1 unless that date falls on Saturday or Sunday in which case 4:00pm on the immediately following Monday will be considered the deadline.

Letters of inquiry and formal proposals may be addressed to Ryan A. LaHurd, Ph.D., President and Executive Director, The James S. Kemper Foundation, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1823, Chicago, IL 60606; however, they should be submitted via email to dmattison@jskemper.org.