R.C. Durr Foundation
/OVERVIEW: This foundation supports Northern Kentucky groups working in education, social services, community development, and occasionally healthcare. It accepts unsolicited applications throughout the year.
FUNDING AREAS: Education, social services, community development, healthcare
IP TAKE: Twelve counties in Northern Kentucky can get in on the action here. Grant seekers can request program support, and tie their program into a well-regarded Northern Kentucky regional strategic plan.
PROFILE: The R.C. Durr Foundation is the private foundation of the lifelong Northern Kentucky resident and successful entrepreneur of the same name. It seeks to celebrate “the life and legacy of its benefactor by providing philanthropic support to improve the quality of life of the larger Northern Kentucky region and its people, with a particular emphasis on education, social services and community development.” He built the R.C. Durr Company into one of the largest and most successful heavy construction and highway contractors in Kentucky. Some of the state’s largest railroad, parkway, and interstate projects involved the company.
Durr was also involved in coal mining, horse and cattle ranching, a gravel plant, and served on many boards. He was a quiet philanthropist throughout much of his life (1919-2007), and the foundation continues to give to the greater Northern Kentucky region still today.
The main topics of interest for this funder are education, social services, and community development. Durr may also consider requests in healthcare, especially public healthcare in Northern Kentucky. The region of focus includes the following counties: Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Mason, Owen, Pendleton, and Robertson.
Durr supports projects and programs over general operating support, capital campaigns, or brick-and-mortar projects. The foundation also does not typically support fundraisers, sponsorships, or specific events put on by local schools or neighborhoods.
Local nonprofits can apply for a grant directly or send in a one-page pre-application summary proposal via email or mail. This may save grant seekers the time and trouble of completing a full application for a project the foundation will not be interested in. These inquiries can be mailed to The R.C. Durr Foundation, Inc., 541 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 544, Covington, Kentucky 41017. Telephone calls are not welcome.
Grant seekers can send in a grant request any time of the year, as there are no deadlines. Responses normally come within 90 days. There are also no official forms to download for your application. Just include the basic organization information, IRS letter, board list, executive summary, budget, schedule, evaluation plan, and other sources of funding. In the past, Durr sought proposals that explain how certain projects relate to a regional plan strategy called Vision 2015.
Wilbert L. Ziegler is president and CEO of the R.C. Durr Foundation. He is also a senior member of the Ziegler & Schneider, P.S.C. law firm in Northern Kentucky. Jean Mize is the assistant to the president and the best contact (email or mail only) for grant seekers.
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