Policies

I. Mission

The BNSF Railway Foundation (the “Foundation”) supports organizations and programs that support and improve the general welfare and quality of life in the communities in which BNSF Railway Company operates.

II. Criteria

The Foundation makes grants to charitable organizations in support of general operating expenses, as well as specific programs, services, and projects. Preference is given to requests associated with civic, STEM education and youth services.

Tax-exempt organizations must have already obtained 501(c)(3) Public Charity tax status or be a division of local government such as first responders, parks and recreation department, etc. Proof of an organization’s status must be provided with your submission before a contribution to the organization can be considered.

Potential grantees must have a broad purpose and impact; demonstrate program effectiveness and credibility; be sustainable; and serve or impact the communities in which BNSF operates. They must also:

Have significant BNSF employee participation in the organization or its programs. Priority will be given to programs and projects closely aligned with the rail industry through tangible connections to BNSF through volunteerism, donations, board service or other involvement.
Be in close proximity to BNSF operations or main lines.
Engage in programs that are related to the railroad industry.
Be engaged in programs that are for a charitable purpose and clearly align with the BNSF Railway Foundation mission’s statement.

III. Ineligible Organizations and Projects

The BNSF Railway Foundation does not fund any of the following:

Start-up organizations or seed funding. We prefer organizations to have a successful track record in their community of a minimum of two years.
Direct support, including travel funds, for individuals or families.
Religious or faith-based organizations, unless the program does not promote a specific religion or faith and is not restricted to populations of specific religions or faiths.
Organizations that have a written policy of discrimination against individuals because of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Athletic teams and fraternal, veteran, social, alumni, or labor organizations, such as university alumni groups, sororities/fraternities, labor unions, exclusive membership clubs, etc. (the Foundation does support organizations that serve veterans, provided the organization is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity under IRS rules).
Health programs and organizations, at a national level.
Corporate memberships or contributions to Chambers of Commerce, taxpayer associations and other bodies whose activities are expected to directly benefit the corporation.
Political campaigns or lobbying organizations, or organizations supporting the candidacy of a particular individual.
Sponsorship of fundraising events (including benefit dinners, auctions, sports competitions, etc.) or goodwill advertising.
Tables and/or tickets to gala fundraisers that would violate IRS law governing self-dealing.
Activities of organizations serving primarily their own membership.
Private foundations.
General endowments.
Programs beyond BNSF's stated areas of interest, or beyond its geographical areas of service (Please refer to the BNSF Network Map to determine if your organization is within our geographic areas of service.)

Note: Contributions to tribal governments are limited to those listed in the current Federal Register publication of the list of Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.

IV. Application Process

There is no deadline to apply; however, if an organization has a specific funding timeline, they are strongly urged to apply well in advance. If additional information is needed, it could take up to one year for a final decision to be made.

Unless they have additional data relevant to the proposal (such as updated financial figures), organizations are asked not to contact the Foundation during the processing period as it could delay the process. Organizations are notified once a decision has been made regarding their grant request.

We are not able to offer guidance on how to write your proposal or review grant applications before they are submitted.