Welcome

Mission

The AEC Trust is a private foundation established in 1980 as a philanthropic, grantmaking organization. It is governed by an Advisory Board that sets policy and is responsible for the review of grants.

Funding Guidelines

Grants are awarded to charitable organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. No grants are made to individuals. Organizations may apply for a grant only once in a 12-month period. If an applicant has received multiple declinations, they are not aligned with the AEC Trust's interest areas and are strongly discouraged from submitting future applications. Due to the large number of requests received, individual feedback regarding grant decisions cannot be provided. The foundation is unable to respond to telephone inquiries.

Requests for endowment; annual fund campaigns; sponsorships; scholarships; and special events will not be funded. Grants are not made to affiliates of large public charities that receive large public support (i.e. The United Way, The March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, etc.).

Government agencies, political and religious organizations do not receive funding. Occasional exceptions have been made for religious groups which provide social services in the community at large.

An organization that has submitted three or more applications to the AEC Trust without receiving a grant should not reapply.

Areas of Interest

The foundation only considers unsolicited proposals that support the cities of Atlanta, Decatur, or Clarkston, Georgia and Boulder County, Colorado. Proposals from the Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Gainesville, Florida regions are open only to organizations invited to apply by the AEC Trust.

Funding has traditionally focused on arts and culture; education; environment; and health and human services (especially those which target women's issues or people living with AIDS); but can include areas in which the Advisory Board has special knowledge and interest.

Grant requests should be made within the $10,000 to $50,000 range and should not exceed 25% of the organization's annual budget or 50% of the project budget. 50% of total budget.

Grant Application Procedures

The AEC Trust Advisory Board meets twice a year to consider grant proposals. Access to the online Eligibility Quiz and subsequent application will be closed for 45 days following each deadline and the "START" button will not appear below.

Step 1: Take our Eligibility Quiz

Please click on the START button below to take our online Eligibility Quiz to help you identify if your request meets our granting guidelines. The START button is only available when we are in an open application window and are accepting new applications.

Step 2: Submit your online Application

Organizations that meet the requirements of the Eligibility Quiz will immediately be able to access the full application form.

Funding Cycle Application Opens Application Deadline Board Meeting Decisions
Fall May 15th September 1st October November/December
Spring October 15th April 1st May June/July

Additional Information

The AEC Trust prefers to initiate site visits, if needed, and generally discourages pre-application meetings. Proposals are screened and evaluated upon receipt. Organizations are notified promptly as to the status of each proposal. Those that are considered inappropriate under the guidelines are declined on a rolling basis.

Should you have technical questions regarding the online submission process, please contact our administrator, Foundation Source, at premiersupport@foundationsource.com, and they will be happy to assist you.

To view more of our Frequently Asked Questions, please click here to open them in a new window.

All applications are accepted through the GivingHub applicant portal. If you haven't created an account already, you will need to create one. Once logged in, you can access your current application and add team members.

Click the Start button to begin.