Grant Applications
Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation does not accept applications or requests from individuals. Further, the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Unsolicited prospective applicants are welcome to tender a Letter of Interest (LOI) consistent with the instructions provided on the Letter of Interest webpage to provide information on their charitable activities and impact. Our staff are not authorized to assist you completing or submitting the LOI and will not accept or even open attachments to an electronically submitted LOI. You are not to contact us directly to inquire if you should submit an LOI nor while we are evaluating the LOI if you elected to submit one.
Though the plurality of our annual giving budget is allocated to the Jefferson Parish MSA and parts of the Louisiana coastline, the Foundation proudly supports quality projects in other geographic areas in the United States, particularly with regards to medical research and basic science.
The Foundation affirmatively develops its programing years in advance. In 2024 remain focused on our Fundamental Research Program(s), our Shelter & Food Security Program, our SupportSTEM Program, our Summer Camp Program, our Excellence Award Program, and our Service Learning Program. We are also active with our Foundation Center and Tree Nursery (both in Jefferson Parish) for native Louisiana plants and trees.
Our application packets can be found as follows (some are password protected):
1. The 2024 Grant Program's application packet (password protected in field below) is for organizations that are not in one of our Education Department Programs nor our Shelter & Food Security Program but have been specifically invited to submit an application in 2024. The packet is materially the same as in 2023. Few, if any, awards will be made from this program in 2024 as we are focused on more specific programing in 2024. Please mail written correspondence to the Foundation, to request a current password.
2. The 2024 Shelter & Food Security Program's application packet (password protected in field below) is the application packet for any approved applicant addressing housing, shelter and/or food security matters. Only Louisiana and Mississippi based organizations are expected to apply under this program. In 2023, a significant portion of funding under this program was used for research or developmental initiatives with agriculturally oriented universities located within or servicing Louisiana. You may send an LOI to make sure we know about your programming if you believe your organization is a good candidate to be invited to apply to this program in future years. Further details are provided inside the packet. Please mail written correspondence to the Foundation, to request a current password.
3. Summer Camp Program –The application window for the 2024 Summer Camp Program is closed as of January 31, 2024. We likely will run a summer camp program in 2025 with a similar application window of December 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025; however, such decision will not be made until October of 2024 – please check back to this page for updates on whether there will be a 2025 Summer Camp Program in the fall of 2024.
4. SupportSTEM Program – This highly competitive program is seeking the best plans for curriculum implementation or STEM instruction support for K-12 schools. Please visit the Education Department section of this website to download the application. The application deadline for 2024 is March 15, 2024 (no exceptions).
5. Service Learning Program – the Foundation will be working closely with the STEM Library Lab (operating out of the Brown Foundation's STEM Ecosystem Hub building) on the Service Learning Program as we combine our service learning efforts with theirs to foster growth of more schools and more classrooms in this program. All questions relating to proposed service learning plans, reporting on previous plans and general service learning questions should be directed to Maria Landrum who is employed by the STEM Library Lab. K-12 schools should visit the STEM Library Lab’s Service Learning Program website for information on applying for the 2024-2025 school year.
6. Emmy Noether Awards - The Emmy Noether Awards seek top aspiring female research scientists in any STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) field to help realize their potential careers through financial and networking assistance. The Project Coordinator for the Emmy Noether Awards is Nicole Hebert and she may be reached at emmynoetheraward@thebrownfoundation.org.
The above are our only programming with an application. Other programs such as our Oncology, Neuroscience Basic Science Program or Environmental Science Basic Science Program do not have an application in any traditional sense, rather the top tier research organizations themselves (such as LSU, Tulane, Southern University, SALK and the Water Institute of the Gulf) that were invited and are competing in that program are undergoing other protocols.