Organizations may apply for both a Charitable Grant and a Charitable Donation however only one or the other may be awarded.
Grants ($5,000-$25,000)
2025 Charitable Grant Program
As The Renaissance Fund is currently managing multi-year grants through December 31, 2025, no new grant applications will be accepted for 2025. Information regarding our 2026 Charitable Grant Program will be available in November 2024.
Donations ($1-$5,000)
2024 Charitable Donation Program
Effective January 1, 2024, the guidelines and requirements for our Charitable Donation Program have changed. The Renaissance Fund, NFP (“The Renaissance Fund”) awards Charitable Donations to support religious, charitable, educational and scientific purposes of organizations promoting educational and humanitarian efforts and programs in the Greek Community within the United States, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Renaissance Fund does not consider or award donations for capital improvement projects or debt reduction programs.
Attached is The Renaissance Fund’s Donation Request Form for organizations seeking program related assistance. Program related assistance is a request for financial assistance to cover overhead costs or expenses related to the organization’s programs. The Donation Request Form must be filled out in its entirety and organizations must submit a complete application with all required documentation to be considered for a donation. (see list below and Checklist for details). The Donation Request Form must be signed by the organization’s Chairman, President, or Executive Director and Secretary. Make sure to include the Checklist as the top page of your completed application. It is the responsibility of each organization to ensure their application is complete. The Renaissance Fund will not consider incomplete applications. Please make sure to read these instructions very carefully. Please type or print clearly.
The Donation Request Form can be found here.
Selection of recipient organizations will be based on the following information:
• Applicant organization must be a §501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization or affiliated with a §501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
• Answers provided on the Donation Request Form, completed in all sections, including the required signature. NOTE: Optional material may be submitted to supplement the Donation Request Form. If your answer to any question on the Donation Request Form requires more room than is available on the form, please attach a sheet of paper to the form. In addition, please identify on the continuation sheet the question being answered.
• A proposal, no longer than two (2) pages, that describes the proposed program as follows:
- Objectives and purposes of the program
- How the program will achieve those objectives and purposes
- A brief description of your organization and its programs
- Location and the estimated duration of the program
• A budget of one (1) page, identifying the projected expenses and sources of income for the program.
• If your organization is affiliated with the Eastern Orthodox Church, please provide evidence of that affiliation.
The Renaissance Fund also accepts and reviews Donation Requests seeking financial support for the organization’s philanthropic activities and efforts. In these instances, the organization is not required to submit a Donation Request Form, but must submit its request on the organization’s letterhead along with proof of its 501(c)(3) charitable organization status. The Renaissance Fund reserves the right to request and obtain additional information and documents from the organization before considering its Donation Request. The Renaissance Fund does not provide donations to underwrite the expense of an organization’s banquets, festivals, galas or similar fund-raising events. The Renaissance Fund does not respond to, accept, or consider mass mailing fundraising appeals or solicitations.
Each year, The Renaissance Fund allocates a set amount of funds for organizations’ Donations Requests. As a result, The Renaissance Fund, in its sole discretion, may approve a Charitable Donation that is less than the amount set forth in an Organization’s Donation Request. Once these allocated funds are exhausted, The Renaissance Fund ceases to review, accept, or consider additional Donation Requests. Organizations should make every effort to submit a Donation Request to The Renaissance Fund at least four (4) months in advance to when the Organization needs the Donation funding.
Donation Requests are reviewed quarterly and, if approved, your organization may receive a donation award within 90 days of its submission. Any donation request seeking funding in less than 90 days from the date of request may be summarily denied. Donation Requests must be submitted on or before September 30, 2024. As our review process may take 90 days, Donation Requests received after September 30, 2024 will not be accepted. Donation Requests should be sent to:
The Renaissance Fund, NFP
Attn: Charitable Donations
216 S. Jefferson Street Suite 301
Chicago, Illinois 60661
or emailed to admin@therenaissancefund.org with the subject line “(Organization Name) Donation Request”
Any questions should be directed to The Renaissance Fund at admin@therenaissancefund.org with “(Organization Name) Donation Request” contained in the subject line.
NOTE: The Renaissance Fund is committed to protecting the security and integrity of all information provided by an organization. All financial information and/or documents disclosed to The Renaissance Fund through the application process, (“Protected Financial Information”) will be protected and kept confidential. The Renaissance Fund will not directly or indirectly sell, trade, or otherwise disclose your Protected Financial Information to outside parties without your organization’s written consent.
The Renaissance Fund Fellowship
The Renaissance Fund Fellowship was created to recognize students seeking advanced degrees for their past stellar academic achievement and performance and provide financial assistance to those students in their future educational pursuits. The Renaissance Fund Fellowship may be awarded for a single year or multiple years and the amount awarded must be exclusively used for the student’s tuition and fees, books, supplies, equipment, room and board, seminar and educational related travel at an “eligible educational institution”. More information about The Renaissance Fund Fellowship can be found here.