Columbia Foundation currently has three program areas:

• Arts and Culture
• Human Rights
• Sustainable Communities and Economies

For detailed information about each program area, please follow the links above. Additionally, please read information about Foundation-Initiated Grants and Media Guidelines.

Columbia Foundation awards program grants of $25,000 to $100,000 per year, and will consider grant awards for up to three years on a single application. Renewal grants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Grant awards to organizations based in the UK will only be paid if Columbia Foundation determines that the organization qualifies as the “foreign public charity equivalent” of a US public charity described in section 509(a)(1), (2), or (3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Qualification is determined by means of an affidavit and financial schedule. Once a grant award decision is made, the foundation will send a cover letter, affidavit and financial schedule to the organization. When completed and returned by the organization, Columbia Foundation will evaluate it and make a determination of the organization’s public charity equivalency status. If such a determination is made, the foundation will send a grant agreement to the organization, which must be signed and returned to the foundation before payment can be issued. If an organization has been determined to be a “foreign public charity equivalent” by another US foundation within the last two years of the grant award date, the foundation may rely on a copy of that determination letter.

Please note that UK organizations need not complete a “foreign public charity equivalency” determination before applying to the foundation. However, applications from organizations in the UK should come from those that are reasonably likely to qualify as public charities. The foundation does not accept applications from for-profit organizations or individuals.

The foundation strictly limits its support of capital and endowment campaigns of large organizations (annual operating budget above $5 million). In the few instances when such grants are considered, it is within the $50,000 to $100,000 range, with multi-year grants limited to three years. Please note that the very few capital, endowment, or sustaining-support grants the foundation makes are usually to organizations of long-term historical interest to the foundation.

Members of the board of directors of Columbia Foundation are involved with many community activities as volunteers, donors, and members of boards of directors or advisory boards. The foundation requires disclosure by its directors of any involvement in organizations under consideration for a grant from the foundation. The foundation also requires disclosure by staff and program advisors of any overlapping involvements with its applicants.