APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
- Applicant must be a publicly supported charity or a governmental unit as described in paragraph (1) or (2) of Section 509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Grants cannot be made to individuals or organizations classified as private foundations.
- Organizations need not be accredited to apply.
USE OF GRANT FUNDS
- Grants are usually one-time awards up to $15,000.
- Awarded funds are restricted to the use described in the application. If the project cannot be carried out as described, the funds must be returned to the Wharton Trust.
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Grant funds may NOT be used:
- For organizational purposes such overhead charges, fundraising, marketing, communications, maintenance, legal contingencies, or so-called "soft costs";
- For the construction, restoration, improvement, cleanup or demolition of man-made structures such as buildings, signage, kiosks, gates, fences, bridges, boat ramps and parking lots;
- To contribute to funds held for investment, endowment, stewardship, or legal defense purposes;
- To "re-grant" or transfer to other entities except in the ordinary course of business.
- To support stewardship/stewardship endowment;
IMPORTANT CRITERIA ADVISORS CONSIDER
Further weight will be given to projects where:
- The project’s results will be tangible, promptly accomplished, and long-lasting;
- Management techniques do not require annual or frequent application (i.e. mowing, invasive species control);
- Evidence is provided that the project has a strong likelihood of success;
- A Wharton Trust grant is a meaningful portion of overall project support;
- A Wharton Trust grant will help to attract & secure matching funds from other sources;
- There is coordination by multiple organizations, both public and private, to meet common conservation goals.
LAND CONSERVATION PROJECTS
- For land acquisition projects, preference will be given to those where enforceable legal protection – such as a conservation restriction (CR) or conservation easement (CE) – is provided for the acquired land.
- Grant funds must be applied to the actual purchase price of the land or conservation easement/restriction, and/or to relevant direct costs (e.g. appraisals, legal fees, closing costs, boundary surveys, environmental assessments, and/or ecological assessments).
- Habitat and resource conservation will be given priority over recreational use. Agricultural use is generally not considered.