2012 Grant Guidelines

To apply for a grant from the Simón Bolívar Foundation Inc. (the "Foundation"), a 501(c)(3) private foundation funded by CITGO Petroleum Corporation for the Foundation’s Bronx Social Programs in 2012, your organization must meet the following criteria:

Must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and operated exclusively for charitable, scientific or educational purposes;
Must provide charitable, scientific or educational services in at least one of the following focus areas, as described below:

Education:

Fostering civic engagement by empowering parents and youths to become leaders who advocate for increased educational opportunities.
Developing comprehensive literacy and critical thinking skills among both youth and adults.
Supporting college access for youth through guidance navigating schools, support through the application process, and financial aid assistance.

Environmental:

Programming that promotes job skills as a means of developing a green workforce (e.g. tree planting, river restoration, green-roof installation, weatherization) and/or provides a direct pathway to job placement in green businesses.
Providing urban agriculture programs that emphasize education around food justice issues in neighborhoods with little or no access to open space. Funding is not available for ornamental gardening.

Health:

Direct service programs that address immediate health needs (e.g. food access, health screenings, reproductive health) while leveraging services that educate and empower participants to develop local leadership.
Promoting and empowering the community by strengthening and building self-esteem and emotional health.

Arts and Culture:

Providing in-school and after-school arts programs that support academic achievement.
Providing arts education programs aimed towards bridging generations and diverse cultural groups.

Must be located in the Bronx, New York and provide services in the South Bronx, New York, defined as the neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Hunts Point, Melrose, High Bridge, Morrisania, East Tremont, Tremont, Morris Heights, University Heights, Belmont, Fordham, Bedford Park, West Farms, Longwood, and Soundview, and must utilize all grant money for programs/operations in at least one of the focus areas mentioned above.
Must not be a political, sectarian, fraternal, professional, veteran or religious (other than accredited educational institutions or organizations that provide services to the Bronx community regardless of religion) organization.
Must have an annual operational budget that does not exceed $3 million.
Must not employ any individual that is employed by (and is not a spouse or equivalent, ancestor, child or child’s spouse/equivalent, grandchild or grandchild’s spouse/equivalent, or great-grandchild or great-grandchild’s spouse/equivalent of anyone employed by) the Foundation, CITGO Petroleum Corporation (“CITGO”), Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (“PDVSA”), or any affiliate or subsidiary of the Foundation, CITGO or PDVSA; and/or any governmental agency with responsibility for decisions affecting the business interests of the Foundation, CITGO, PDVSA, or any affiliate or subsidiary of the Foundation, CITGO or PDVSA.

A 501(c)(3) organization may file a grant application as a fiscal sponsor of another organization, provided that the 501(c)(3) organization otherwise meets all of the requirements for the Bronx Social Programs.

The maximum grant allocation per organization is up to $100,000. If an organization submits any request greater than this amount, the organization will be asked to resubmit its application.

Start-up organizations, defined as organizations with a budget of less than $100,000 per calendar year and little or no history of managing public or private funding, will be eligible for a grant in the maximum amount of up to $20,000.

Transitional organizations, defined as organizations implementing a pilot program or demonstrating a lack of expertise or technical knowledge in the programming area, or organizations undergoing a transition in leadership, will be eligible for a grant in the maximum amount of up to $20,000.

The funding will be available for:

Program Implementation: Day-to-day management of the approved projects.
Operation and Administrative costs: Staff salaries, utilities, rent, supply expenses and other expenses as described in the approved projects. Operation and Administrative costs are not to exceed 40% of the total funding request.

Any organization seeking funding must first submit a completed Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to the Foundation. Any incomplete LOI may delay or cause denial of the LOI. The LOI period is open from December 28, 2011 to January 27, 2012. Any LOIs received after January 27, 2012 will not be considered. All LOIs must be completed in English.

LOIs must be completed on-line. If your organization’s LOI is accepted, you will be asked to submit a complete proposal providing more detail of the activities summarized in your LOI. If your organization is selected, your organization must submit a complete proposal by the required deadline which will be communicated by the Foundation.

All documentation submitted to the Foundation becomes the property of the Foundation and will not be returned. Funding decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Foundation in accordance with the Foundation’s policies and procedures as well as other factors, and the Foundation's decisions are not subject to review or appeal.

The Foundation may in its sole discretion consider recommendations from Bronx-based organizations and/or community leaders in connection with the Bronx Social Programs. Any such recommendations will be provided as a donation, and at no cost to the Foundation. The Foundation reserves the right to amend or terminate the Bronx Social Programs at any time and without notice.

If your organization is selected by the Foundation to receive a grant, your organization must sign a grant acceptance agreement and submit any other documentation provided by the Foundation.

The 2012 Bronx Social Program application cycle is currently closed.

If you would like to receive updates about the program, please email sbf@citgo.com.
Please type "Bronx Social Program" in the subject line.