The following guidelines and geographic restrictions are new as of August 2008. Eligible U.S. Institutions Colleges and universities, especially private, predominantly undergraduate institutions, located in Foundation designated states only Organizations that address undergraduate needs at the national level Institutions Ineligible for Funding Those that are located outside the United States Those that do not have a tax-exempt ruling determination from the U.S. government and (if located in California) the State of California Those in existence less than 5 years Those that cannot provide current full, certified, audited financial statements prepared on an annual basis Private foundations as defined in IRS Section 509(a) or 170(b), or public charities that are not classified under IRS Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) "Conduit" organizations, unified funds, or organizations that use grant funds from donors to support other organizations or individuals Subsidiaries or affiliates of larger entities that do not have a separate board of directors and independent audited financial statements Institutional Criteria Exemplary institutions and organizations with a history of achievement and effective management Institutions and organizations whose financial condition is strong, as demonstrated by their current, full, certified audited financial statements prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles Programmatic Criteria Projects for which one or more of the following applies: Encourage active learning and teamwork Encourage student participation in research, curriculum development and peer mentoring Have strong institutional support, thorough planning and excellent leadership Share knowledge and resources across institutions Include a strong component for ongoing project evaluation Identify measurable outcomes Improve access to under-utilized resources Demonstrate that other funding sources are utilized to the fullest extent possible and that private philanthropy generally, and the W.M. Keck Foundation in particular, is essential to the project's success Projects Ineligible for Funding Routine institutional or general operating expenses, general endowments, deficit reduction, or general and/or administrative overhead expenses General and federated campaigns, including fundraising events, dinners, mass mailings or direct mail campaigns Acquisition, construction or major renovation of facilities Conference or seminar sponsorship Book publication and film or theater productions Projects to be undertaken outside the United States Public policy research or activities of any kind Projects requesting a grant of over $5 million, other than special projects initiated by the Foundation Science & Engineering and Medical Research Undergraduate Education Southern California Program