How did The DanPaul Foundation come into existence?

Libby Moore Cornett established the DanPaul Foundation as a Virginia state non-profit
corporation in December 2002.  Mrs. Cornett named the foundation in memory of her two
teenage sons, Daniel and Paul, who were drowned along with their father, Mike Cornett, and
their cousin, Bobby Lee Hurd.  They were sailing together aboard the Morning Dew when it
foundered on the jetty off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, on December 29, 1997.  
The National Transportation and Safety Board launched an investigation of the U.S. Coast
Guard’s handling of the boating accident that resulted in civil charges being filed against the
Coast Guard for negligence and dereliction of duty. Mrs. Cornett and the Hurd family won
their civil court case and Mrs. Cornett used money from the settlement to establish The
DanPaul Foundation to help children in order to honor her sons.


What is the focus or mission of The DanPaul Foundation?

The main focus of the foundation is to, “Teach them how to use the tools they’ll need in
life...”   This is a line Mrs. Cornett borrowed from one of her husbands’ songs he wrote
compelling us to make sure that children had all the resources they would need in life to be
happy, fulfilled, and contributing members of society.  Thus, the primary goal is to help
children in one way or another through the efforts and grant making of the foundation.


What are the areas of program interest The DanPaul Foundation will
most likely fund with it’s grant distributions?

The foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood
development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate their personal social
responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth into adulthood and
beyond.  The foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about
the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and
adequate housing and proper nutrition for all.  Thus programs that will enable passing on
knowledge and practical life skills to youth are of great interest.  The areas of child advocacy
and protection, teaching social responsibility to the environment, the homeless, the poverty-
stricken and the underprivileged are also areas that may be funded. Scholarships to further
education, especially those who plan to use their education in ways which match the
foundation’s goals and interests, are another area of potential funding. Finally, scientific
endeavors and advancements in health to improve quality of life are also areas that may be
funded by grants from the foundation.


What size grants does The DanPaul Foundation consider distributing?

Grants may typically range from a few hundred dollars up to a maximum of $20,000.  In
unique circumstances, the foundation might consider a more significant grant for a program
having a major impact in our particular areas of program interest.


Does The DanPaul Foundation provide grants to individuals or families?

No, the foundation does not typically provide funding for either individuals or families.  The
only exception to this might be rare cases under catastrophic circumstances like relief for
families suffering from natural disasters (torrential flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes).


Does The DanPaul Foundation provide any money for scholarships?

Yes, the foundation does issue grants for scholarships to accredited higher education
colleges and universities.  However, these scholarships are awarded through the financial
aid offices of the school rather than given directly to the scholarship recipients.


Are there any geographical restrictions on the grants provided by The
DanPaul Foundation?

No, there are no geographical limitations for grant requests. The foundation will consider
requests from anywhere in the United States, and on some occasions will also consider
requests for areas outside the U.S. (international grant making is much more complicated
and restrictive as far as legal and fiduciary responsibilities and thus requires different
guidelines).


Who is eligible to receive grants from The DanPaul Foundation?

Any organization that is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable tax-exempt group is
eligible.  In addition, any organization recognized by the IRS as a public charity is also
eligible (for example, The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, public
schools, libraries, local fire departments, etc.).



Does The DanPaul Foundation Board of Trustees make decisions on
which organizations to fund with its’ grant making efforts from Grant
Applications it receives, or from actively seeking out particular
organizations which match their mission and goals?

The foundation actually does both.  We do accept Grant Applications from eligible
organizations (the application is found on our FORMS page of the web site) for grants that
match our mission, goals and areas of programming interest.  We are also actively looking
all the time for organizations which we think are already working in our areas of
programming interest and contact them directly for either site visits or to encourage them to
apply for grants. We seek out these groups through research on the internet, in publications,
from networking in the philanthropic arena through conferences and seminars, and from
word-of-mouth contacts.


How often does The DanPaul Foundation Board of Trustees meet to
review grants and decide on approvals for grant distributions?

The foundation Board meets four (4) times each year on the first Monday in March, June,
September and December.   Applications received by March 1 will be reviewed at the March
meeting and those which will receive grants will be determined at the June meeting and
disbursed that same month.  Applications received after March 1 but before September 1,
will be reviewed at the September meeting and those which will receive grants will be
determined at the December meeting and disbursed that same month.


Where can I get more detailed information on The DanPaul Foundation?

The best source of information is contained on our web site.  The URL address is:
                            www.danpaul.org

You can also contact the foundation office directly if you don’t find the information you are
seeking on the web site.


How do I contact The DanPaul Foundation office?

It is best to contact us through e-mail. The foundation’s main e-mail address is:
             foundation@danpaul.org
The foundation president’s e-mail address is:
             libby@danpaul.org
The foundation manager’s e-mail address is:
             libby@danpaul.org
The foundation mailing address is:
            Post Office Box 148
            Hiltons, VA  24258-0148
The foundation office’s telephone and fax # is:
            276-386-2373


What if I have other questions not answered here or elsewhere on the
web site?

Please don't hesitate to contact us at the foundation with your questions at any of the options
listed above.