One deserving non-profit organization will be awarded the first-ever Focus Magazine grant, a prize worth $20,000 in marketing services, advertising, and a cash prize provided by Ray Rico Freelance, Focus® Mid-South magazine and the Focus Center Foundation. Applications are being accepted online only at awards.focusmidsouth.com. The deadline for applications is August 4, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.
Ray Rico, publisher of Focus® Mid-South magazine and owner of Ray Rico Freelance agency announced the grant in conjunction with the 4 th Annual Focus Awards event that honors the outstanding work of LGBT+ and allies in the Mid-South.
“One of the biggest pain points for nonprofits is the lack of funding for marketing and advertising locally,” said Ray Rico, owner of Ray Rico Freelance and publisher of Focus magazine. “we aim to help fill that need.”
To that point, organizations must demonstrate current practices that honor the mission, values, and vision of Focus Magazines and the Focus Center Foundation (find these at https://focusmidsouth.com/about/), and submit a nondiscrimination policy that is effectively in place and enforced at the time of the online application.
The applications will first be judged during a social media/online voting period from August 7–14, 2019. Finalists will be determined, and a five-judge panel will then review these finalists and vote for their favorites. The online vote counts 25% while the judges’ votes count 75% towards the total score. One winner and one runner up will be chosen. Announcement of the winner and runner up will be made on August 23, 2019 at the Focus Awards; the winner must be present at this event from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. to be eligible to receive the award. If the first-place winner is not present, the prize will go to the 2nd place finisher. The top two organizations will be given two tickets to the event with more tickets available for purchase.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a 501c3 status in good standing with local, state and federal agencies, and have been in operation for at least one (1) year. Only organizations with 25 or fewer regular employees are eligible to apply (unpaid volunteers do not count towards this total). Verification will be required. Applicants must operate within Shelby County, Tenn.
For a complete set of rules and eligibility requirements, visit awards.focusmidsouth.com.
