Thank you for your interest in the James Banks Foundation (JBF). It is our mission to see that animals, specifically domestic canines and African wildlife, live out their lives in a loving, healthy and safe environment. The James Banks Foundation provides funding only to US-Based 501(c)(3) exempt nonprofit and charitable organizations. Applications are welcomed and considered on a rolling basis. Within the United States, we have historically reserved our grants for organizations based in northern Illinois, including Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, as well as Southern Wisconsin. For more information, please read the Grant Application information available in our FAQs, Tips, and Rules/Guidelines below before submitting your organization’s grant application.
Read the following categories below to get a better understanding of our application process.
Follow the steps below to start your application.
Yes; all applicants must be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.
In certain circumstances, JPF will fund capital projects. Even though these types of projects are valuable and necessary to animal care, the grants that are typically approved by the James Banks Foundation are usually devoted more directly to the animals.
JBF will make site visits to organizations they have provided support for in the past, as well as new organizations applying for a grant. More importantly, board members of the foundation will make unannounced site visits to confirm credibility of an organization. JBF will not approve grant requests for organizations that frown upon unannounced onsite visits.
JPF has particular interest in projects or programs that enhance animal life expectancy in a safe and healthy manner.
If all documents needed are received as part of the application, and depending upon the timing of your submission, the process can take anywhere from one to three months. JBF will notify your organization if the board is able to select your application to receive a grant.
Yes; JBF allows organizations to apply for more than one grant but not in the same calendar year. There must be at least a 12-month gap between grants. Multi-year grants will be approved at the discretion of the board; however, applicants should apply annually to receive consecutive grants.
Organizations are eligible to submit one (1) application per calendar year. In the event that your organization is the recipient of a multi-year grant, your organization is eligible to submit a renewal request one (1) year after the last grant check is issued.
Never applied to this Foundation before/new applicant? Use the JBF Application Form.
Applied before and request declined? Use the JBF Application Form.
Applied before and received a grant? Please use the JBF Application Form – just make sure it’s not within 12 month; when you indicate that you are a returning applicant, the Grant Application will populate updated fields for you.
The Board meets periodically, at which time applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received on a rolling basis with no deadlines.
No; the Board does not accept or review letters of inquiry. The first step in applying for a grant is to complete and submit the Foundation’s grant application HERE.
No; the Board will not meet with potential grantees or discuss potential applications with organizations prior to submission of their application form.
If a grant is approved, your organization will receive an agreement letter, which must be signed and returned prior to the issuance of any grant funds.
If your application requests a particular grant amount and the Board would like to fund it at a different level, the Board will approve a grant for the amount they agree upon and will send an agreement letter to your organization. All terms of the approved grant will be outlined in the Grant Agreement Letter.
If your application is declined, your organization will receive a letter by email. Your organization may re-apply after one (1) calendar year. Please describe any and all changes on your next application.
Most of the time applications are either approved or declined and applicants are notified of the Board's decision in writing approximately two weeks after the Board meeting date at which the application was reviewed. Occasionally, applications are deferred to a later meeting, and in this case your organization's application will be reviewed again at the next meeting. If the Board decides they would like more information, you will be contacted by phone or email and will be notified in writing once the Board has reached a decision. If you believe your application may have been deferred, you may contact us HERE for more information.
Are you or your organization thinking of making a grant application to the James Banks Foundation? Below, please find a few guidelines to help you along the way.
Federal regulations mandate that our grants go to 501(c)(3) public charities only. In following James Banks’s vision of helping American canines and African wildlife, our board approves grant applications that exhibit an authentic commitment to benefiting animal welfare and may also demonstrate a significant human element.
At the James Banks Foundation, our grants are exclusively focused on helping animals and the people who love and care for them, in a manner that benefits the animals as directly as possible. Currently, many of our grants are focused on organizations working with American canines and African elephants, rhinos, lions and tigers. We only wish that it were possible to fund every project submitted; therefore, we thank each of you for applying to the James Banks Foundation, and commend your altruistic commitment to animals. The following information is intended to help in determining whether your charity may qualify for one of our grants:
If you think your project fits within The James Banks Foundation’s mission and goals, please prepare digital copies of your group or organization’s most recent IRS Form 990, as well as the group’s permanent IRS determination letter as a 501(c)(3) charity, to be include in your application. Additional information will be requested during the initial grant application process.
Some additional items you will need to provide in order to apply include:
