U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund

The Foundation will support both single- and multi-year requests. Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $500,000 annually, accounting for organization size and scale and product and program reach. We encourage innovative approaches to meet defined objectives.

The Opportunity Fund asks that grantees submit year-end reports so that the Foundation may evaluate their success in achieving the desired outcomes.

We consider the following funding request types:

• Operating grants – An operating grant is given to cover an organization’s day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies, etc. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits within an Opportunity Fund grant focus area.
• Program/project grants – A program/project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities, with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Opportunity Fund grant focus areas.

The U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund grant program will not provide funding for:

• Organizations that discriminate, including but not limited to, on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status or other factors that are protected by law
• Political action committees, candidates, causes and lobbying
• Religious organizations, unless they are engaged in programs that are non-sectarian and benefit a broad base of the community
• For profit organizations, fraternal organizations, merchant associations, memberships or 501(c)(4), (5), or (6) organizations
• Athletic, or sports teams, programs, or leagues
• Section 509(a)(3) – Type III supporting organizations
• Private foundations
• Endowments
• Fundraising events or sponsorships
• Grants specifically for travel, study and related expenses including student trips or tours
• Individuals, including those seeking scholarships or fellowship assistance
• Deficit reduction

The Foundation receives funding requests that exceed our grant program budget. Therefore, we must decline support to worthy organizations and programs. In order to expand community engagement, we may decline applicants that we have previously supported. Support should not be expected to continue in perpetuity, and declination does not reflect a negative appraisal of the organization or the value of its programs and service.

All decisions of the Foundation are final and there will be no appeal process.