News Archive
Past Grants
2008 Grants: Coming soon
2007 Grants: Coming soon
2006 Grants: Coming soon
2005 Grants: In 2005, The Lumpkin Family Foundation awarded 64 grants through five competitive grant programs and an additional four through the Board Opportunity Fund. Click here to see a list of all 2005 grants.
2004 Grants: In 2004, The Lumpkin Family Foundation awarded 65 grants through five competitive grant programs. Click here to see a list of all 2004 grants.
2003 Grants: In 2003, The Lumpkin Family Foundation awarded 34 grants through three competitive grant programs. Click here to see a list of all 2003 grants.
Commissioned Studies and Reports
Results of Capacity Building Study Available: In the fall of 2006, The Lumpkin Family Foundation commissioned a study to obtain independent perspective on how to enhance capacity building services available to communities and determine an appropriate future role for our own Nonprofit Excellence Program. Click here to view a copy of the study.
Planning Study for a Local Food Program: The Lumpkin Family Foundation has issued a Request for Proposal for a Planning Study to support and launch its Local Food program. Click here for more information.
Nonprofit Excellence Program Results of Fundraising Survey: The Lumpkin Family Foundation held two-day training workshops in 'Fundraising for Small Nonprofits' on both October 1-2 and November 13-14, 2003. A total of 87 staff and board members, representing 57 different organizations in Central Illinois, attended the sold out events.A brief survey was distributed at the workshop to better understand where organizations were in terms of their fundraising and training needs. Click here for survey results.
Downstate Illinois Needs Assessment
In 2002, The Foundation commissioned an environmental needs assessment of Downstate Illinois. The objective of this research was to help The Foundation better understand the region and better focus its efforts as an environmental grantmaker to ensure maximum impact. The final report describes the socio-economic and political atmosphere of the region and outlines the three primary issues of environmental concern to area leaders. Click here to view the full report (4mb).
Public Perceptions of Water Quality in Illinois
The Lumpkin Family Foundation and Prairie Rivers Network commissioned the Illinois Natural History Survey to conduct a survey of residents and policy-makers in East-Central Illinois during the spring of 2003 to determine attitudes and perceptions on water quality. Survey results show that Illinois residents view water quality as an important issue, with fully 59% saying it is the most important community issue. Click here to view the full report.
Feeding Ourselves: Strategic Steps Toward a More Diversified Illinois Food System
In 2004, The Foundation joined with several other funders to commission a study of the Illinois Food System. The Foundation's purpose in doing so was to learn how we might more effectively support downstate farm communities. Click here to view the full report.
Illinois Water Quality and the Clean Water Act Report
The Foundation commissioned The Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Midwest's leading environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization, to study and report on the water quality of Illinois' rivers, lakes and streams, and Illinois' implementation of the Clean Water Act. Click here to view this report.
Foundation Evaluation and Reports
A message from the president and the executive director of The Lumpkin Family Foundation issued May 11, 2009. The Lumpkin Family Foundation (LFF) issues a detailed report to the community approximately every second year. As we began preparing our 2008/09 report in the last part of 2008 and the beginning of this year, global markets entered their largest single decline since the great Depression. The endowment on which all our programs depend declined by about a third. In response to reductions of our financial capacity, as well as the economic challenges we know organizations in our communities are facing, the LFF Board of Trustees began a thoughtful discussion about how to make the best, most effective distribution of available funds. These significant events will no doubt change our path in ways we cannot now predict. Amid such uncertainty it felt odd to provide our normal report, heavy on past accomplishments. Instead, we have elected to publish this simple message outlining – to the best of our ability – where we are today and where we think we are heading beyond this year. Please click here to read this message.
As a part of the The Foundation's intent to be transparent and accountable, every third year we ask applicants to evaluate how Foundation staff and members comported themselves in their relationships with applicants. The survey is conducted by an independent consultant to ensure the confidentiality of the responses and the integrity of the information. Click here for a summary of the most recent independent report. Click here to see the response to the 2008 Grant-Seeker Perception Survey.
Evaluating Ourselves: At the end of 2005, The Lumpkin Family Foundation wrapped up its first ever strategic plan. One element of this plan was to become more accessible to potential grantees and more transparent in our communications. With the understanding that grant-seeking organizations are more likely to provide honest feedback to an outside consultant, we engaged Iris Krieg & Associates to survey the 134 nonprofits that had applied for a grant the previous year. Click here to see the full results of the survey.
Acting On What We Learned: We asked nonprofit organizations to take the time to fill out a questionnaire and speak to a consultant. You might wonder what will change as a result. We listened to what you said and now we are making some changes. Click here to see the list of the consultant’s 10 recommendations and The Lumpkin Family Foundation’s response to each.
50th Anniversary Report: Click here to view the 50th Year Anniversary Report.
Recent Programs
The Lumpkin Family Foundation is pleased to begin work on the next phase of the Nonprofit Excellence Program. Click here to see the Steering Committee members leading the creation of a nonprofit network and a virtual center.
New Grant Program Receives 38 LOIs: The Regional Alliance for Youth (RAY) is an outgrowth of a Summit sponsored by the Lumpkin Family Foundation in March 2006. Summit participants founded RAY out of a desire to help children and youth in the region reach their potential. Through its grant program, RAY will support initiatives designed to bring about systemic change in the sector providing services for children and youth in the region. RAY is no longer accepting LOIS for 2007. Click here for more information about the Regional Alliance for Youth.
The Lumpkin Family Foundation is offering a workshop on March 21 - 22 for Central Illinois consultants who work with nonprofit organizations. The workshop will focus on innovative tools and strategies that can be used during strategic planning exercises with nonprofit board and staff members. Four spaces still available. Click here to learn more about this event.
Regional ACTION TEAM to be Formed as Follow-up to Summit: Nominees are sought for a regional ACTION TEAM to advance the vision of an East Central Illinois where all children and youth are helped to reach successful futures. Nominations must be received by November 10, 2006. Click here for more information about the ACTION TEAM.
The Kids Summit: On March 29 and March 30 , 2006, 74 people from across East Central Illinois came together to learn from each other, strengthen their relationships, and prepare for coordinated action. Click here to see a copy of the findings and recommendations from this summit hosted by The Lumpkin Family Foundation.
The Lumpkin Family Foundation, in partnership with Eastern Illinois University's Business and Technology Center, hosted a leadership training program from January to April 2006. Twenty nonprofit professionals came together eight times over this period to learn, connect and grow. Click here to see the evaluation of the The Institute for Nonprofit Excellence.
Downstate Illinois Nonprofit Conference: This exciting first-time event brought together nearly 200 nonprofit professional from across the downstate area to hear inspirational and education speakers and connect with their colleagues. Visit the conference page.