Frequently Asked Questions
Use the quick links below to find answers to your questions about applying for a Community Grant:
Download the Community Grants Guidelines [PDF] Download the Community Grant Request Form [PDF] |
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Grantmaking cycle and application deadlines
How often does the Foundation award Community Grants?
We accept requests for grants based on a quarterly basis. Requests are accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the year, but are considered only in the next grantmaking cycle. As a general rule, requests for funding will not be considered outside of one of the four grantmaking cycles.
What are the deadlines to submit a grant request?
Grant Cycle |
Request Deadline |
Decision Date |
Cycle One |
November 1 |
January 15 |
Cycle Two |
February 1 |
April 15 |
Cycle Three |
May 1 |
July 15 |
Cycle Four |
August 1 |
October 15 |
Request forms must be postmarked by the deadline date. If the deadline date falls on a weekend or holiday, materials will be accepted until the following business day.
Eligibility
How do I qualify for a grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation?
We provide support to a wide array of non-profit organization within the Alliant Energy service area. Eligible institutions include charitable organizations holding a current Section 501(c)(3) designation letter from the Internal Revenue Service, fully accredited public or private schools and universities, and instruments of a federal, state or local government as provided by Section 170(c)(3) of the Code.
What if my program is located outside the Alliant Energy utility service area?
We place priority on supporting organizations in areas where Alliant Energy has a presence and in communities where Alliant Energy employees live and work.
Non-profit organizations located outside of Alliant Energy’s utility service territory but that serve populations in Alliant Energy’s areas are also eligible for consideration.
My organization receives a significant amount of funding from the United Way and local, state and federal government. Are we still eligible for funding?
Your organization is eligible for funding, however United Way funding is a consideration in our decisions. The Alliant Energy Foundation contributes more than $500,000 annually to United Way organizations across the company’s utility service area, and therefore limits support for United Way member agencies.
I have two projects that I would like the Foundation to support/fund. Can I submit more than one grant proposal for review?
An organization will only be eligible to receive funding once per calendar year. That means that you have an option of submitting multiple proposals knowing that only one will be funded or submitting a single proposal that combines the projects.
We received a cash grant from the Alliant Energy Foundation earlier this year. Am I eligible to receive another grant for a different project?
Typically, only one grant will be committed to an organization in a calendar year. Some exceptions may be made when an organization hosts multiple divisions or departments, or when the projects target different areas of focus.
Areas of focus
Will the Alliant Energy Foundation consider a request for capital needs?
No - since 2002, the Foundation has denied funding for capital campaigns and projects (more commonly known as “bricks-and-mortar” projects) in order to direct more resources to projects and organizations that address community needs and benefit a large number of people.
Our board of directors reviews this policy on an annual basis. We also do not provide funding for endowments.
Do you support organizations that are requesting funds for general operating support?
Generally, we prefer to provide grants for specific programs, projects or initiatives in lieu of general operating support.
Types of support and grant amounts
Do you only provide cash grants?
The Foundation focuses its resources on providing cash grants to qualifying non-profit organizations. We periodically also coordinate in-kind donations and volunteer support from Alliant Energy.
If you have a specific request, please send it to foundation@alliantenergy.com.
What is an appropriate request amount?
There is no standard amount that should be requested. The amount should be based on the program's budget, existing organizational resources, and the forecast for additional funding.
We do ask that you provide a rationale for the amount that you have requested as part of the request you submit to the Foundation.
As you determine the amount to be requested, keep in mind that we have limited resources and there are a significant number of needs in all the communities we server. A request for an amount that is not feasible may eliminate your project from our consideration.
You may find it helpful to review our most recent list of grant awards to get an idea of the size of grants typically awarded for similar projects.
What is the range in size of Alliant Energy Foundation grants?
Our grantmaking process is highly competitive. Due to the volume of requests we receive, our focus areas are broad. Based on the past several years, the majority of our grants have been for $2,500 or less. Grants of $10,000 or more are rare.
We consider many factors, including the specific project, program or initiative to be funded and the organization making the request, to determine funding amounts. Before allocating grants, the Foundation also takes into consideration many aspects of your proposal, including your organization’s mission, strategy, reputation, financial health, support from other funding sources, and the proposal’s overall budget and projected impact on the community.
Can we apply for free or reduced rates on electric or natural-gas service for our non-profit organization’s office or facility?
No - regulations that govern the operation of charitable foundations like the Alliant Energy Foundation prohibit self-dealing activities. As such, we cannot provide support for programs that provide assistance with energy costs or energy-related projects.
Ineligible projects include: energy-efficiency building upgrades, new or improved lighting fixtures and equipment, holiday light displays and other projects that might provide a benefit to Alliant Energy or its utility subsidiaries.
As a general rule, we prefer to provide grants to support specific programs, projects or initiatives in lieu of general operating support.
Requesting a grant
Where can I send my request and to whom should it be addressed?
Your request form should be addressed to the Marthea A. Fox, Executive Director of the Alliant Energy Foundation. Send it to: P.O. Box 77007, Madison, WI 53707-1007.
Should I send a copy of our annual report or other materials with the request form?
No. Because of the volume of requests, we ask that you submit only the request form and associated documents. Additional materials will be discarded and will slow the review process.
Should I contact you by phone or e-mail to let you know that I submitted a request?
No we will send a post card (or e-mail, as applicable) acknowledging receipt of your request to the contact person identified on the form.
If you do not hear from us within three weeks after submitting your materials, you are welcome to contact us to confirm that it was received and wasn’t lost in the mail.
Do you accept requests or applications online?
We do not currently accept applications on-line, but do provide the request form in an electronic format for your convenience. Although our Web site offers many guidelines and forms for grantseekers, at this time we only accept requests sent via U.S. mail.
Download the Community Grant Request Form [PDF]
How can I access the “Application for Funding” electronically?
The form is available in Adobe Acrobat, which will allow you to fill in and print the form, but not save the completed copy. Alternatively, you may simply print the form and complete it using a typewriter. The Acrobat Reader is a free download available on the Adobe website.
There is not sufficient space on the form to answer the questions. What should I do?
We encourage you to be as brief and concise as possible when completing the form. If your response requires more space than is allowed, you may attach additional pages, but we would prefer you keep your answers within the space provided.
What do you mean when you ask for a “most recent audited financial statement”? What information can we provide if we don’t have one?
This information allows us to evaluate the stability and financial health of your organization. Most organizations compile data about their assets and liabilities on an annual basis.
If you do not have such a “financial statement,” we will accept a previous year and a current year operating budget and/or a copy of the most recent Form 990 that your organization submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. Financial statements that have not been audited are also acceptable.
For the purposes of this request, we understand that “most recent” may be data that is one year to 18 months old.
What do you mean when you ask for a “complete listing of the organization's officers and board of directors, indicating their affiliations and roles separate from the organization”?
We are interested in knowing the names of your board members as well as what companies or community groups they represent and their responsibilities/titles with that company or group.
This information is useful for us in evaluating the diversity of the board you have assembled as well as the names and types of companies/groups that are demonstrating their support through their involvement with your organization.
What if I miss the deadline for submitting the form?
Grants will only be awarded after all of the required documentation has been received. If you miss the deadline, please submit the form and other documents as soon as possible. A phone call to our office will allow us to make a note that your materials will be late.
Funding process
Who makes the funding decisions?
Requests are reviewed by the Foundation staff with input from local employees in the Alliant Energy service areas that are targeted by the organization, project, program or initiative.
The Foundation’s board of directors, which is comprised of executives of Alliant Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries, approves all grant awards. The decisions of the board are final.
How can I improve my chances of receiving a grant?
You can increase the possibility of receiving a grant and improve the quality of your proposal by carefully reviewing our guidelines and ensuring that your request is complete, well organized, concise, and includes all of the required documents. Incomplete requests will not be considered.
Our non-profit is based in a small community and we are sending the request to your headquarters. How can we be sure that our proposal will receive a fair and thorough review?
To ensure sensitivity to local needs in all Alliant Energy service communities, the Foundation staff works closely with managers and employees who live or work in the area that will benefit from a specific program, project or initiative for which a grant is sought.
Administering our grants program from a centralized, headquarters location reduces costs and ensures that maximum resources are available to fund grants.
When will we be notified if we have received a grant?
We expect to make funding decisions according to the timetable outlined for each grantmaking cycle and will notify the contact person identified in the letter in writing of our decision.
Will my non-profit receive the amount requested?
Our grantmaking process is highly competitive. Due to the volume of request we receive, our focus areas are broad. As you determine the amount to be requested, keep in mind that we have limited resources and there are a significant number of needs in all the communities we server. A request for an amount that is not feasible may eliminate your project from our consideration. You may find it helpful to review our most recent list of grant awards to get an idea of the size of grants typically awarded for similar projects.
Many aspects of your proposal are considered when we make funding decisions. We ask that you be realistic when determining what amount you are requesting from the Foundation and encourage you to provide a rationale for that amount in the proposal letter.
The Foundation receives many more funding requests than it can grant. If it is necessary to deny funding for a worthwhile organization or project, it is not a reflection on the value of the group or its services, but rather on the need to be selective because of limited resources during each grantmaking cycle.
If our organization is awarded a grant, what can we expect?
Organizations that receive an Alliant Energy Foundation grant will be asked to sign a Grant Agreement prior to funds being distributed, and will be expected to provide a written report documenting program achievements, lessons learned and a detailed list of grant expenditures at the conclusion of the grant period.
If we do not receive a grant, can we reapply?
Yes - we simply ask that organizations wait for a full year before submitting a request for the same project. Further, if you reapply to receive a grant for a project that we’ve already denied, please be sure that your new proposal letter addresses any issues that were cited when funding was denied.
Brochures and fact sheets:
Download the Community Grants Program Guidelines [PDF]
Download the Community Grant Request Form [PDF]
Download Alliant Energy Foundation 2007 Summary of Support Report [PDF]
24-hour Customer Service Center at 1-800-ALLIANT (255-4268).