Starting August 1, 2019, the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) will open the online grant application for the Louise Bowers Slentz Grant Program. The Louise Bowers Slentz Foundation, Inc., Advise and Consult Fund, a component fund of the Amarillo Area Foundation, was created in 2016 with the finalized transfer of assets of an estate gift from the Louise Bowers Slentz Foundation. The creation of this fund through the transfer of assets had been in the planning stages since 2010 following the passing of Mrs. Slentz.
A native to the Pampa area, Mrs. Slentz had a legacy of philanthropic giving to social service organizations as well as to area educational institutions. The Louise Bowers Slentz Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2011 at the Amarillo Area Foundation and had its inaugural year of scholarship recipients in 2013. Since 2011, the Slentz fund advisors have also worked with AAF staff to identify needs in the community for annual donor-advised grant distributions from the Slentz Advise and Consult Fund to nonprofit organizations in the 26 northernmost counties of the Texas Panhandle. These grants benefitted organizations that promoted health, education and animal welfare. This year, the advisors decided to implement an online application process which would help enhance awareness of this grantmaking opportunity.
On August 1st, the Fund Advisors for the Slentz Advise and Consult Fund will begin accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) through the AAF online Spectrum Portal (aaf.spectrumportal.net) with requests up to $300,000. The focus areas for grants to be considered include need-based direct health care, post-secondary education, and animal welfare programs, capital projects, and emergency requests. General Operating requests will not be considered. Although applications from organizations that benefit the top 26 counties on the Texas Panhandle will be considered, Mrs. Slentz had named the counties of Gray, Wheeler, Roberts, Donley, Carson, and Hemphill as priority areas for funding. Starting in 2020, there will be two grant cycles with deadlines in late April and late September. The deadline for 2019 Slentz LOIs is Friday, September 27, 2019, at noon.
For more about the Slentz Foundation History, CLICK HERE (opens in a new window)
Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) will only be received through the Spectrum Portal: CLICK HERE (opens in a new window).
