Eligibility Requirements

If you can answer “yes” to ALL of the following questions, you are eligible to apply for a grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. If your answer to ANY of these questions is “no,” unfortunately the Foundation will be unable to consider your project for funding.

1. If your organization is on the Qualla Boundary or other tribal property of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), is it a tribal or community service organization?
   
   If your organization is NOT on the Qualla Boundary, will the work you want the Foundation to help fund directly benefit the people of the EBCI?
   
   
2. Is your project focused on environmental protection of Cherokee tribal lands, economic development, the creation of employment opportunities or the preservation and enhancement of the Cherokee culture?
   
   
3. Are you already collaborating with other groups that have similar goals, or do you have a concrete plan to work with others on the project you want to propose?
   
   It is very important that regional entities seeking Foundation assistance form a collaborative partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). This means that the ECBI and any other partners will fully participate in the proposed program/project.
   
   
4. Is your organization located on the Qualla Boundary or in either Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon or Swain County, or does it serve people in this specific region?
   
   
5. Does your organization have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or is it a school, institute of higher learning, or government unit (federal, state, local or tribal)?
   
   Even if you have been able to answer each of the questions above affirmatively, grants will NOT be made to individuals or for any of the following purposes:

• Debt retirement or operational deficits,
  
• General fund drives,
• Endowment or reserve funds,
• Efforts to influence elections or legislation,
• General funding of projects of governmental units, or
• Religious purposes.