ZSR Rarely Fund List

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 

Academic research 
Conferences, seminars, or symposiums
Curriculum development
Documentaries and films**
Overhead and indirect costs for projects of colleges and universities
 
**ZSR does not normally fund the production or distribution of documentaries or films. Recognizing the power of visual storytelling, ZSR is willing to consider proposals for the strategic collection or distribution of video as a tool to promote a civic engagement strategy around issues of importance to the state.

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)

Conferences
Seminars
Sponsorships
Symposiums

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