Grant Seekers Outside the US
The Cheng Health Foundation is considered a "public charity" under the laws of the United States. We are, therefore, required to follow certain rules and procedures in making grants to charitable organizations located outside the United States. These rules and procedures are established by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), the US. government department which has oversight over the tax matters of nonprofit organizations.
There are different rules we must follow depending upon the type of organization you are. For example, if we can determine that your organization "qualifies" as a United States "public charity," the rules are easier for you and for us.
THE AFFIDAVIT OF NON-US GRANTEE
The Foundation uses the "Affidavit of Non-US Grantee" to determine what type of organization you are. We have compiled this Affidavit Packet to help us gather the information we will need in order to determine whether we will be able to qualify your organization as equivalent to a United States public charity.
The first part of this packet contains an Affidavit which you must complete and sign if you would like us to determine your status. This document explains your organization's structure, charitable purpose and activities, governing documents, and other characteristics. Your organization must be organized and operated exclusively for charitable or other exempt purposes to qualify for public charity status.
The second part of the packet contains a financial support addendum. This will help us to determine whether or not your organization will pass a "public support test" that must be met by most US. public charities. The "Public Support Schedule" lists the types and sources of your total financial support over the most recent four-year period. If you have not been in existence for four full years, contact the person shown on the top page of this packet and do not complete this addendum. The "Major Donor Support" form helps us calculate what portion of your support is "public," as defined by the IRS.
The Affidavit of Non-US Grantee Packet can be found here. >>
THE FOUNDATION'S RESPONSE
We will send you an acknowledgment that your Affidavit Packet was received, and we will direct it to the appropriate staff members for review. If as a result of that review the Foundation concludes that there is no prospect of Foundation funding, we will notify you promptly. Please allow up to eight weeks for the Foundation to reply. If the Foundation decides that your project might qualify for a grant, we will contact you to discuss next steps and what further information is required.
As is now the case with most charities in the United States who make grants to organizations based outside the United States, the Foundation checks the names of foreign based grantees, and the principal officers and directors of such grantees, against one or more lists maintained by the U.S. government, the European Union, and the United Nations, which contain the names determined by such entities to be terrorist organizations or individual terrorists. This process is a result of legislation passed by the U.S. Congress, Executive Orders issued by the President, and suggested guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
More information about the Foundation's approach to this issue can be found here. >>
All material submitted becomes the property of the Cheng Health Foundation. Materials that are no longer needed by the Foundation will be destroyed. The Foundation sometimes submits inquiries or proposals to confidential outside review.
DEADLINES
With few exceptions, as noted elsewhere, there are no fixed deadlines.
WHAT THE FOUNDATION DOES NOT SUPPORT
Please note that the Foundation does not support political activities or attempts to influence action on specific legislation. We do not provide grants to individuals. We do not provide scholarships or tuition assistance for undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate studies; nor do we support annual fundraising drives, institutional benefits, honorary functions, or similar projects.