THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS AS FOLLOWS: STEP 1: DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY BY VIEWING FUNDING GUIDELINES AT THE ROBERT AND JOAN DIRCKS FOUNDATION'S WEB SITE AT WWW.DIRCKSFOUNDATION.ORG STEP 2: THE APPLICANT WILL COMPLETE THE APPLICATION AND FORWARD IT, WITH INFORMATION REQUESTED, TO THE FOUNDATION. THE TRUSTEES REVIEW APPLICATIONS FIVE TIMES EACH YEAR, JANUARY, MARCH, MAY, AUGUST AND NOVEMBER. STEP 3: IF A SITE VISIT IS REQUESTED BY THE FOUNDATION A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FOUNDATION WILL CONTACT THE ORGANIZATION TO SET A DATE. STEP 4: AFTER AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN REVIEWED AT A BOARD MEETING, AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION IS MAILED. THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATES WHETHER THE REQUEST HAS BEEN ACCEPTED OR REJECTED, THE AMOUNT AWARDED, THE PROJECT BEING FUNDED AND THE TIMING OF WHEN THE GRANT WILL BE MAILED. STEP 5: AFTER THE PROGRAM OR PROJECT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, THE FOUNDATION REQUIRES A COMPLETED ROBERT AND JOAN DIRCKS EVALUATION FORM.

FUNDING GUIDELINES: THE ROBERT AND JOAN DIRCKS FOUNDATION FOCUSES ON PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO CHILDREN AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY OR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. THE FOUNDATION CONCENTRATES ON SMALL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT PREVENT OR SOLVE PROBLEMS. GRANTS ARE AWARDED FOR ONE YEAR ONLY AND TYPICALLY RANGE FROM $1,000 TO $15,000. RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT ON THE PROGRAM THAT WAS FUNDED AND EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS: GRANTS ARE ONLY AWARDED TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TAX EXEMPT UNDER SECTION 501(C)3 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. ONE GRANT CAN BE AWARDED BY THE FOUNDATION TO AN ORGANIZATION WITHIN ONE CALENDAR YEAR. THE ROBERT AND JOAN DIRCKS FOUNDATION DOES NOT AWARD GRANTS FOR POLITICAL OR LOBBYING ACTIVITIES, OPERATING BUDGETS, DEFICIT OR DEBT REDUCTION, LOANS OR HOUSING PROJECTS. GRANTS ARE NOT MADE TO PROGRAMS OF NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL SCOPE.