What We Fund: Grant Criteria We will provide monetary and in-kind support to 501(c)(3) public charities that fit within our philanthropic focus, meet our guidelines and serve our home office communities of Columbus and Kettering, Ohio; New York City; and Rio Rancho, N.M. Complete an online contribution request accessible through the designated link found in the section "How to Apply For Financial Support." Priority is given to those projects that: - Have a Limited Brands associate involved as a board member, committee member, long-time volunteer or active partner;
- Meet identified needs in the community;
- Come from organizations that exhibit strong fiscal management and board commitment;
- Encourage and explore community partnerships and leverage additional support;
- Provide opportunities for possible involvement of our associates.
What We Do Not Fund - Organizations that are not public charities tax-exempt under paragraph 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
- Organizations based outside of the domestic United States.
- Individuals, for any purpose (e.g. scholarships, hardship assistance, field trips)
- Political candidates, committees or organizations.
- Athletes, teams, sporting events or tournaments of any kind (amateur, professional), including charity golf tournaments as well.
- Fundraising events such as telethons or walk-a-thons, except for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in select cities.
- Fashion shows, beauty pageants or contestants.
- Fraternal, labor, social or veteran's organizations.
- Churches and religious or sectarian organizations, unless engaged in a significant project benefiting the entire community.
- Non-academic educational activities such as bands, choirs, proms, after-proms, graduations, etc.
- Individual K-12 schools (unless the company has a business partnership with the school).
- Public service agencies such as police and fire departments.
- Organizations that spend more than 20 percent of their revenue on overhead and fundraising costs.
- Organizations that discriminate against people because of their age, race, creed, gender, handicap, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or national origin.
- Staff positions for governmental agencies.
- Requests to fund publications, audio or video productions. (Although we may make an exception if they serve as supporting materials to a project within our focus.)
- Requests to support travel for groups or individuals when that is the primary reason for the proposal.
Financial Grants Process Grant requests are reviewed three times per year. Requests that are received after the deadline date will be reviewed in the next cycle. The philanthropy staff reviews requests and forwards their recommendations for approval to a Contributions Committee. The Contributions Committee approves specific grant parameters and sends its recommendations to Limited Brands Foundation Board of Trustees, which has final approval on all grants. The Foundation Board is comprised of seven community leaders. Financial grants are approved for a one-year period and are not renewable unless the grant applicant requests and is awarded a multi-year commitment. Typically, only one grant will be committed to an organization in a calendar year. How to Apply for Financial Support Before submitting an application via our online application tool, please review the Grant Criteria section outlined in "What We Fund" to assess whether your organization fits within our guidelines. Requests for Financial Contribution (Grants, Charitable Event Sponsorships):
Limited Brands Foundation accepts grant requests three times per year. Grant applications must be submitted through the website during the following submission windows: Applications must be submitted online through the Limited Brands website. Fax or email requests will not be considered. If you have any questions, please send them to MakeADifference@limitedbrands.com. Decisions are made within 30 to 90 days from receipt of the proposals, and applicants are notified in writing of the decision. Please do not phone for status of your request. Grant applications received outside of current cycle dates will automatically be reviewed in the next cycle. How to Request a Charitable Product Donation Before submitting an application via our online application tool, please review our guidelines, particularly the section "What We Do Not Fund" to assess whether your request matches our criteria. Charitable product donation requests are processed through Limited Brands, Inc. Unlike requests for financial support (e.g. grants, event sponsorship) which have a set review cycle, we accept requests for charitable product donations and in-kind donations continually throughout the year. As with our cash donations, Limited Brands provides product donations to 501(c)(3) organizations that fit within our focus of women, children and education. The types of product donations are as follows: - Product for Fundraisers - gift cards & product baskets
Gift cards and gift baskets for use as auction or raffle items at charitable fundraising events. Because demand for our products outweighs our resources, we only provide such items to 501(c)(3) organizations in our home office communities. Organizations may only request one donation per calendar year. - Excess Product
On occasion, excess product may be available for non-profits who provide direct basic need services to individuals and families.
What We Do Not Provide In line with our philanthropic mission, we prefer that product be utilized to help nonprofits raise additional funds through charity auctions or to be distributed directly to those with the greatest need. Therefore, we do not provide product or gift cards for the following: - Guest favors, conference amenities or event gift bags. We will provide product for this purpose to charitable organizations only when Limited Brands is the title sponsor of the fundraising event.
- Product donations to proms, after-proms, graduations, weddings, golf tournaments, reunions, fundraisers for bands, PTAs, sporting teams, drill teams, choirs, churches, etc.
- Clothing for beauty pageants, fashion shows or fashion reviews. Fashion reporters should contact brand marketing departments directly if seeking product for purpose of a story or review.
- We do not, under any circumstances, provide product directly to individuals. We only partner with 501(c)(3) organizations.
Applications must be submitted online through the Limited Brands website. Fax or email requests will not be considered. If you have any questions, please send them to MakeADifference@limitedbrands.com. Decisions are made within 30 to 90 days from receipt of the proposals, and applicants are notified in writing of the decision. Please do not phone for status of your request. | Review the many causes and initiatives Limited Brands has supported how to receive support Find out if your organization qualifies for support from Limited Brands Foundation. programs Read how we reach all of our associates' diverse community-giving needs and interests through the United Way. Learn how Limited Brands is bringing cheer to thousands of families in need. Through our financial contributions and volunteer efforts, we hope to empower survivors and help find a cure. Share comments or questions about our community programs. |
