Before submitting the Cellular South Foundation Grant Application, please read the following guidelines and instructions.
Application Process and Deadlines
All entries must be submitted via email 150 days before the event/project. Entrants must complete and submit an official application form. Applications are reviewed based on application criteria and the Cellular South Foundation's available resources. Partially completed forms will not be reviewed.
Eligibility
Grants will only be considered for the following types of organizations: 1) non-profit organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code ("Tax Code"), or 2) schools, hospitals, governmental units and religious institutions.
Organizations must be located within Cellular South's retail territory. Those states include Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida. If you have questions about this, please email the Cellular South Grants Coordinator at csfoundation@cellularsouth.com.
Each organization may submit only one application per year for a Cellular South Foundation Grant (CSFG). If your organization has more than one event/project per year, please select one to enter into the application process.
Cellular South will NOT fund:
- Groups without 501(c)(3) or similar* non-profit status
- Administrative expenses (e.g., salaries, office equipment) or recurring expenses that exceed 15% of the requested amount
- Capital project funding (i.e., building campaigns)
- Political candidates or groups
- Purchase of uniforms or trips for school-related organizations
- Amateur sports teams
- Activities whose sole purpose is promotion or support of a specific religion or denomination
- Grants to individuals or loans of any type
- Any organization owned or operated by an employee of Cellular South
How Grants are Judged
A selection board made up of representatives in a variety of specialized fields will review all proposals based on the following criteria:
- Approach: All proposals must demonstrate a thorough approach in working toward a solution to the identified need or issue.
- Objectives: All goals must be realistic and clearly defined.
- Benefits: The benefits of the project should be fully outlined, highlighting the desired results. All projects must demonstrate lasting benefits to the public.
- Participation: Partnerships are encouraged. Proposals for community-based projects should detail the community's local involvement.
- Evaluation: Results must be measurable. Grant applications must contain a way to determine whether the desired results have been achieved. These results must be included in a Project Evaluation Report to be submitted no more than 30 days after the conclusion of the event/project. The Project Evaluation Report should also include all materials where Cellular South's name and/or logo were used, a list of ALL media coverage of the event/project, and an event recap.
* Most schools, hospitals, governmental units and religious institutions hold similar non-profit status and therefore are eligible
