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Kemper Foundation Grants Program

Some Kemper Scholars of the Class of 2008 and Kemper Foundation Associate Executive Director E. B. Smith pose in front of Anish Kapoor’s sculpture Cloud Gate (popularly referred to as “The Bean”) in Chicago’s Millennium Park in June, 2006. Nineteen Kemper Scholars spent May 30 – August 11 as interns in leading Chicago not-for-profit organizations.

• College and University Guidelines
• Current Interests
• Kemper Scholars Program
• Application Process for Project Grants
• Cultural Organization Guidelines

College and University Guidelines

(Revised May, 2007)

The mission of The James S. Kemper Foundation is to promote liberal arts education as an ideal preparation for life and work, especially in administration and business.

The Foundation focuses its support primarily on small, private liberal arts colleges, though it maintains a secondary commitment to undergraduate opportunities at Chicago’s cultural organizations. The Foundation partners with fifteen private colleges in a special scholarship/internship program, the “Kemper Scholars Program.” Annually, it also makes project grants to small private colleges and to some of Chicago’s cultural organizations to support projects and programs which further its mission.

Current Interests

The Foundation supports projects that enable, enhance, or promote connections between liberal arts education and experience in not-for-profit and for-profit organization leadership and administration and in business with the goal of better preparing liberal arts students for leadership and career. Internship programs may qualify, but the Foundation is more interested in new and creative connections between liberal arts and business which will directly benefit students, especially students whose financial means would not otherwise allow them to have such experiences. The Trustees contend that undergraduate students should be broadly educated and should major in a liberal arts discipline. They also recognize that various activities and experiences, including off-campus experiences and internships, enrich students’ education and prepare them for careers. Finally, they believe that students should recognize their civic obligations to society.

Kemper Scholar Program

The Kemper Scholar Program, approaching its 60th anniversary year, has always combined financial aid and summer internships. It is sponsored at fifteen partner colleges. Colleges may participate only by invitation from the Foundation.

Application Process for Project Grants

Annual grants typically range from $10,000 to $50,000 ($5,000 to $25,000 for cultural organizations); the Foundation avoids making multiple year grants. Any accredited, small (undergraduate population 3500 or less), non-profit, private U. S. college is eligible to apply for a grant; preference will be given to liberal arts colleges (Carnegie Foundation Baccalaureate Classification). Proposals from Chicago cultural organizations will also be considered. Only public charitable organizations with 501(c)(3) status of types 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) will be funded.

Proposals from other sources, including 509(a)(3) organizations of any type, public institutions, larger universities, international organizations, and cultural organizations outside the Chicago area are ineligible. Religious colleges are eligible insofar as a project’s aim or outcome is not specifically religious or denominational. Capital and endowment projects will not 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 cost. The letter of inquiry should be no longer than three pages and should be received by the Foundation no later than October 15 but preferably before that date to give staff time to review it and respond. Depending on time and the letter of inquiry, Foundation staff may suggest revisions, clarifications, or discussion of details prior to submission of a final proposal. If the proposal fits within the Foundation’s current focus 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 due no later than December 1 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;
Evidence of institutional approval of the proposal;
A concise description of the applicant organization;
A narrative description (in no more than ten single-spaced pages) of the perceived need that the project meets, the project’s goals and activities, and their relationship to the mission of the proposing institution.
In addition, this narrative should address the following:
1. How the project will benefit liberal arts students at the proposing institution and elsewhere. Is it replicable at other liberal arts colleges?
2. How the project offers connections between liberal arts education and possible careers in administration and business.
3. How the project integrates experience with academic learning.
4. How the project demonstrates or promotes the value of liberal arts education generally.
5. How this project builds upon previous work at this institution or by others, and how it is new and different.
6. How success in achieving the project’s goals will be assessed. (Measurable goals are preferred.)
7. If the project is successful, will it be continued; and if so, how will it be supported financially?
8. Which faculty/staff will supervise and participate in the project, noting how their qualifications are appropriate.
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.
7. An executive summary of the proposal no more than 100 words long. The summary should begin as follows: “[Organization name] requests [$amount] to support [project title].” That sentence should be followed by a brief description of the proposed project. If the proposal is not submitted electronically, the applicant must email the executive summary separately so that it can be captured and copied for Foundation documents.

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees holds an annual grant decision meeting in February of each year. For consideration at that meeting, formal proposals must be received by December 1.

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

Chicago Cultural Organization Guidelines

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

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 in the arts (such as acting or writing) as opposed to management and leadership of arts and culture organizations. Grants may range up to $25,000; multi-year grants are almost never approved. Capital projects, general operating funds, 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 cost. The letter of inquiry should be no longer than three pages and should be received by the Foundation no later than October 15 but preferably before that date to give staff time to review it and respond. Depending on time and the letter of inquiry, Foundation staff may suggest revisions, clarifications, or discussion of details prior to submission of a final proposal. If the proposal fits within the Foundation’s current focus and guidelines, the applicant will be invited to submit a full formal proposal by December 1.

Final Proposal (by invitation only): A final proposal submitted by December 1 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;
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 100 words long. The summary should begin as follows: “[Organization name] requests [$amount] to support [project title].” That sentence should be followed by a brief description of the proposed project. If the proposal is not submitted electronically, the applicant must email the executive summary separately so that it can be captured and copied for Foundation documents.

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees holds an annual grant decision meeting in February of each year. For consideration at that meeting, formal proposals must be received by December 1.