2024 American Legion Child Welfare Foundation Grant

The American Legion Child Well-being Foundation (CWF) administers a grant program dedicated to enhancing the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of children and youth across the United States. As a philanthropic arm of The American Legion, one of the largest wartime veterans service organizations, the Foundation operates with a deep commitment to addressing the complex challenges facing American children. It supports research, programs, and activities that demonstrate meaningful benefits to youth welfare, providing targeted funding to nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations with the capacity to make a national or large regional impact. CWF grants are intended to fund specific, time-limited projects rather than general operations. These projects must align closely with the Foundation’s mission and be completed within a single calendar year, from January 1 through December 31. Two primary categories of funded work are considered: (1) programs, which consist of activities structured around defined goals benefiting youth across physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual domains; and (2) research, which includes original investigations or reinterpretations of accepted theories for the benefit of children’s well-being. The Foundation explicitly prohibits grant use for operational costs such as salaries, advertising, or utilities, as well as for consultant fees, construction, or projects with materials not in English. Additionally, grants cannot be used to match government funds or support degree-related academic research. To be eligible, applicants must be nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations with projects that serve children within the United States, its territories, or possessions. Preference is given to initiatives with a national reach or those operating at a broad regional scale. The Foundation discourages dominance by any single field of interest, such as health or education, and promotes a balanced portfolio of grants. Projects with a narrower geographic or topical focus may be considered if their impact is sufficiently compelling. The grant cycle operates on an annual schedule, and approved projects must commence and conclude within the defined calendar year unless an extension is explicitly approved due to mitigating circumstances. The submission process is straightforward but stringent. Applications are accepted beginning May 1 and must be received no later than July 15 each year. If July 15 falls on a weekend, the deadline shifts to the preceding Friday. Applications must be typed and formatted exactly as specified, including the use of the provided grant application form. Supporting documentation is limited to a maximum of three additional pages. Upon receipt, applicants will receive an email acknowledgment sent to the designated project leader. All submissions should be mailed to the Foundation’s Indianapolis office. The application form requires detailed information about the project, including a needs statement, implementation plan, goals, geographic reach, and budget. If the project involves the creation or distribution of a product, applicants must explain whether it will be sold and how this might affect its reach. Projects involving intellectual property must disclose relevant details and propose handling methods. Once awarded, grantees are expected to submit annual progress and expenditure reports, with receipts or statements for any line item exceeding $100. Unused funds at the end of the grant year must be returned unless an approved extension is granted. The Foundation also requires clear acknowledgment of its support in all resulting products or communications. Applicants are reminded that personal presentations to the Board to advocate for their proposals are prohibited. The Foundation emphasizes transparency and fairness in its review process and reserves the right to terminate funding if policies are violated. Questions and inquiries may be directed to the Foundation’s main office via phone at (317) 630-1202 or by mail at P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206. Awards are typically announced by the last week of October, giving recipients time to initiate their projects on January 1 of the following year.

Strict formatting must be followed; handwritten or misformatted applications will be rejected; No more than 3 supporting pages accepted.