The Lumpkin Family Fund Program

The Lumpkin Family Fund makes grants to organizations working in East Central Illinois toward long term improvements in the following mission areas:

• Environmental Health;
• Preventative (human) Health;
• Education and Community Access to the Arts; and,
• Civic Engagement and Community/Nonprofit Organizational Leadership.

This is The Foundation’s largest program, reflecting the Lumpkin family's historic connection and commitment to the community. The Lumpkin Family Foundation is committed to spending a minimum of 50 percent of its annual grant-making budget on projects in Central Illinois.

Geographic Areas Of Interest

Generally, we will give priority to organizations working in Coles and the surrounding Illinois counties. However, we encourage inquiries from organizations outside of the area for work that supports one of our mission areas. (e.g. Illinois state-wide projects or policy development).

Focus Of Support

We will accept applications from organizations working in the above mission areas for grants that:

• Support the creativity of nonprofit organizations by seeding new projects and encouraging experimentation and innovation;
• Support organizations demonstrating outstanding leadership in their field or community;
• Promote the effectiveness of organizations and the nonprofit sector by supporting planning, learning and the professional development of staff and board leaders;
• Facilitate collaboration across traditional organization or sector boundaries for community benefit; and,
• Develop public understanding of issues and promote philanthropic support necessary to address issues of community importance.

Examples of past grantees that fit current guidelines:

• Coles County Soil & Water Conservation District, Charleston, $20,000, for the Coles County Partnership for Healthy Forests program which assists landowners with invasive plant removal and provides other educational opportunities.
• Mattoon Arts Council, Mattoon, $5,000, to match fundraising efforts to increase programming opportunities in the community.
• Parkland College, Champaign, $10,000, for the Homework Club program which provides tutoring and mentoring to over 200 third, fourth and fifth grade students.
• Arts Connection of Central Illinois, Effingham, $5,000, to establish a Children's Theater Project, a one week program that introduces children to theater by producing a single show.
• Coles County CASA, Charleston, $7,500, to create a comprehensive fundraising plan including grants, events, appeals for major and planned gifts and a social media strategy.
• Mid-Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters, Charleston, $5,000, to implement new technologies to better serve clients and provide more effective community outreach.

Program Timetables

The 2011 and 2012 timetables for inquiries to the Lumpkin Family Fund program are as follows:

Spring 2011 Cycle: Letters of Inquiry due February 15 (not before January 15); Invited Applications due April 4; Grant decisions made by April 29.
Fall 2011 Cycle: Letters of Inquiry due August 31 (not before August 1); Invited Applications due October 14; Grant decisions made by November 9.

Spring 2012 Cycle: Letters of Inquiry due February 24 (not before January 13); Invited Applications due April 13; Grant decisions made by April 30.
Fall 2012 Cycle: Letters of Inquiry due August 31 (not before August 1); Invited Applications due October 12; Grant decisions made by November 5.

Lumpkin Family Fund program deadlines are also noted in our calendar.

Please direct inquiries on The Family Fund to:

Bruce Karmazin
Health, Education and Community Access to Culture
Bruce@lumpkinfoundation.org
217-234-5915

Annie Hernandez
Civic Engagement and Community Nonprofit Organizational Leadership
Annie@lumpkinfoundation.org
217-234-5702