About Us

The Leland Fikes Foundation is a private, non-profit corporation in Dallas, Texas.

The Foundation supports only 501(c)(3) organizations and will not provide funding to individuals or politically partisan groups.

The Foundation accepts applications throughout the year and has no specific deadlines.

The Foundation does accept unsolicited LOIs.

Priorities

The Foundation funds an array of causes, among which its priorities are currently:

Reproductive rights
Progressive values
Dallas-area human services and services of community benefit
Medical research (not open to unsolicited requests)

This list is not intended to be a deterrent to organizations that may not fit neatly into one of the above categories; rather, it is meant to give potential applicants insight into the Foundation's priorities. If you feel that your organization may be of interest to the Foundation, please contact us to discuss whether your organization could be a good match.

LOI

Applying for a Grant
Step I: Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

The Foundation asks organizations with which it does not having a standing relationship to submit an LOI as the first step in the grant-application process. An LOI should be relatively brief (two or three pages) and should include the following information:

Description of the organization (mission, history, and current programs)
Statement of need
Details of the specific program/project for which funding is requested, if applicable

Proposal

Applying for a Grant
Step II: Full Proposal

After careful review of the LOI, the Foundation will let any applicant know whether the organization should submit a full proposal for consideration. The Foundation expects the following to be included in a proposal:

Cover letter, written on the organization's letterhead, that briefly describes the need for funds, the amount of funds requested, and if applicable, the date by which the funds are needed
Brief history of the organization's work and purpose
Specific description of why the funds are needed
Organization's current budget, showing projected income and expenses
Last year's budget, showing budgeted versus actual income and expenses
Program/project budget, if applicable
Statement of financial position (balance sheet)
Copy of a letter from the Internal Revenue Service confirming the organization's 501(c)(3) status
Names and affiliations of the organization's Board of Directors
Other sources of confirmed funding for the organization or the relevant program/project
Plans for evaluation, including any specific goals

There is no formal application form, though you may opt to use the North Texas Common Grant Application, which is available for download here.

Contact

Please e-mail admin@fikesfoundation.org with any questions, including those about an application's status or an organization's suitability to the Foundation.

LOIs and applications may be submitted electronically or in hard copy.

Our mailing address is:
Leland Fikes Foundation
3161 Webb Avenue
Dallas, TX 75205

Staff

Diane Sadler, Grants Administrator
Lauren Blitzer - Director of Philanthropy