Foundation FAQ

What are the foundations funding priorities?

Qwest for Education focuses on enriching the lives of children by supporting solid preK-12 educational programs. Educating children is the cornerstone for building strong and enlightened communities.

The Foundation will consider programs that:

• Effectively use technology to improve preK-12 public school instruction
• Promote innovative models to strengthen preK-12 public school education
• Improve the skills and leadership of educators and parents
• Promote innovative early childhood education programs

Are there funding restrictions?

The Qwest Foundation is unable to fund:

• Direct grants or scholarships to individuals
• Political organizations
• Sectarian religious activities
• Capital campaigns, chairs or endowments
• Private foundations or pass-through organizations
• General operating funds for single-disease health groups
• Goodwill advertising
• Organizations that receive 3 percent or more of funds from United Way

Is there a deadline to apply?

No, requests are reviewed on an on-going basis.

What is the dollar range of the grant award?

Grants generally range from $500 and up.

Where is the Qwest geographic area of interest?

The primary geographic area of interest for Qwest is our 14-state region, including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

What if my program is located outside the Qwest geographic area of interest?

If you are outside of the Qwest geographic area of interest, you may wish to contact your local phone service provider regarding funding. The geographic area of interest for Qwest is our 14-state region including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Does Qwest offer an employee matching gift program for cash contributions?

At the current time, Qwest only offers an employee matching gift program for volunteer time. Employees who volunteer 60 or more hours of service to a non-profit organization over a 6 month time period are eligible to apply for a $500 grant for that non-profit organization.

How does the employee matching time program work?

Employees who volunteer 60 or more hours of service to a non-profit organization over a 6 month time period are eligible to apply for a $500 grant for that non-profit organization. Employees simply complete an application and submit it with proof of 501(c)(3) status to the Qwest Foundation for processing.

Does Qwest have a youth internship program?

At the present time, Qwest works with Inroads on internships rather than working with individuals or schools seeking to place students. If you are looking to place students, you may wish to contact the Public Education and Business Coalition to inquire if they are aware of companies seeking youth interns.

Who do I contact with sponsorship requests?

For sponsorship requests please send a proposal to:

Qwest
Sponsorship Requests
1801 California Street, 50th Floor
Denver, CO 80202

Is the cover letter a narrative of the operation?

We are interested in reviewing a synopsis of how the grant will be used and a brief description of the organization.

Is the one page summary the only description of the operation allowed?

You may include additional information as desired.

When will I receive a response to my application?

Written notifications of funding decisions are made 6 - 8 weeks after the request has been received.

Can we apply for free or reduced rate phone service?

Due to regulatory rules, all local phone carriers are unable to provide special pricing on phone service. You may wish to contact a social service agency in your area to inquire if they have any programs that address your needs.

Does the Foundation provide scholarships for individuals?

No, scholarships for individuals are outside of our funding guidelines.

When could I meet with members of the Foundation Staff?

As much as we would like to be able to meet with all grant seekers, we unfortunately are unable to do so, due to time constraints.

Should your organization fit our grant guidelines, we are pleased to review your application (and required attachments) for possible funding.

Who manages the Foundation's assets?

The Qwest Foundation's assets are managed internally by Qwest.

Can individuals apply for grants?

The Qwest Foundation is unable to provide direct grants or scholarships to individuals.

Who do I contact for general inquiries regarding Qwest Communications?

800-899-7780