Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is restricted to making grants to charitable, tax exempt, 501 (c)(3) organizations and government entities. The Foundation does not make grants or loans to small business and does not make grants to individuals for any purpose.
With rare exception, the Foundation also does not make grants for activities in the following areas:
Academia
Conferences, seminars, or symposiums
Curriculum development
Documentaries and films**
Capital
Building projects or renovations (including construction materials and labor costs)
Computer hardware or software purchase (where it is the principal purpose of the grant)
Endowment funds
Equipment or furniture purchases
Fundraising events
Land purchases
Payments of debts
Private business ventures
Civics
Athletic events or teams
Civic clubs
K-12 civic education
Fraternal organizations or groups
Traditional leadership development programs (unless they are aimed at underrepresented populations)
Volunteer fire departments
Voter registration* (The Foundation is legally prohibited from funding voter registration)
Culture
Arts
Documentaries and films
Initiatives promoting religious education or doctrine
Preservation of historic properties
Environmental
Animal or plant species preservation or rehabilitation
Environmental education centers
Environmental education programs for children
Greenways
Events (Standalone)
Health and Medicine
Health care
Medical research
Emergency medical service organizations
Social and Human Direct Services
Child abuse treatment or prevention programs
Crisis intervention
Homeless shelters or transitional housing
Local affiliates of statewide organizations (e.g. Habitat for Humanity)
Local court alternatives programs
Local prisoner re-entry programs
Mediation services
Ongoing operating expenses of local domestic violence or sexual assault centers
Ongoing operating expenses of local LGBTQ centers
Refugee or asylee support organizations
Senior citizen services
Services for the mentally or physically disabled
Substance abuse treatment or rehabilitation
Workforce development
**Other local organizations that focus exclusively on direct services
Youth
Adoption and foster care
After-school or out-of school time programs
Athletic events or teams
Drop-out prevention programs
Daycare centers
Environmental education programs for children
K-12 civic education
Local parent-teacher organizations or similar groups
Local affiliates of statewide organizations (e.g, Boys and Girls Clubs, Communities in Schools, etc.)
Ongoing operating expenses for schools
Private or charter K-12 schools
Youth vocational or character development
Scholarships
Summer camps
**Other local organizations that focus exclusively on youth direct services