Fifth graders from the St. James School in Arlington Heights, Illinois stand before the American flag given to their school through an Old Glory Grant provided from the Thirteen-Fifty Foundation.

Learn more about our Old Glory Grants

Through our Ideas Abroad program, the Thirteen-Fifty Foundation has been able to assist in the rebuilding of libraries in countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Haiti.

Learn more about our Ideas Abroad program

The United States was built on a strong tradition of philanthropy and service. The Thirteen-Fifty Foundation believes that philanthropy is one of the most direct ways citizens can make a difference in their communities and the lives of others. To this end, the foundation has developed three programs of financial support, which celebrate those who celebrate America and the American flag through their participation in civic society and/or their unique expression of American ideals represented by the three colors of the flag: white – purity and innocence; red – hardiness and valour; blue – vigilance, perseverance and justice.

Patriot Prizes

Education is the cornerstone of the United States. It is and always has been its strength; its bastion; its protector against the forces of ignorance, intolerance and tyranny. Long before early settlers cried declarations of independence; long before they fought for and gained their freedom; and long before they drafted The Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, they looked to education, which stood as a beacon to all the fledgling nation was and all it could be. As historian Samuel Eliot Morison pointed out, "Enthusiasm for education was one aspect of that desire to know and do the will of God that bound the puritans together, and led them to brave the sea, the wilderness, and the New England climate...Newly launched colonial commonwealths needed men broadened by education to guide them through the perils" of a new land (Morison, 1965).

The Thirteen-Fifty Foundation believes in the power of education and in this regard, provides awards to individuals enrolled in elementary, secondary or higher education. Patriot Prizes are awarded to talented students, who in addition to their scholarly work, serve the foundation’s mission of engaging in active and purposeful citizenship within their community.

Old Glory Grants

In 1831, Captain Stephen Driver, a ship master serving on the brig Charles Dogget of Salem, Massachusetts, was poised to leave his ship which had rescued the mutineers of the H.M.S. Bounty. As he made his way to leave, he was presented with an American flag, which at the time had 24 stars. As the flag was unfurled for the first time and Driver beheld the sight, he shouted in awe and reverence, "I name thee, Old Glory!" and the phrase was coined for posterity. During the Civil War, when Tennessee seceded from the Union, Confederates sought out the flag to destroy it for they did not wish to have the 24-star flag, which included a star representing the State of Tennessee, flown in defiance of their secession. Driver safeguarded the flag, taking care that it was never defaced or destroyed eventually raising it over the Tennessee capitol building at the end of the Civil War.

The Thirteen-Fifty Foundation believes that one of the ways to celebrate and honor the American flag is to treat it with the respect it deserves. Citizens can do this by displaying it properly and keeping it in presentable condition. Oftentimes, educational and other nonprofit organizations do not have the funds with which to replace a flag that has been torn or tattered.

Sometimes, they do not have the funds to purchase items, which would allow for the proper display of the flag. The Old Glory Grant program provides financial support to institutions’ wishing to replace and or/or display the American flag in a manner, which honors and celebrates our nation’s time-honored symbol of freedom.

To apply for an Old Glory Grant, please send a letter of request from the organization’s chief administrative officer on official letterhead addressed to the "Old Glory Grant" program. The letter should detail the nature of your request, i.e. the type of flag(s) needed including the proper dimensions, whether the flag will be displayed from a pole affixed to a wall stand, poll cemented in the ground, or a portable floor stand; whether it is for outdoor or indoor use; where it will be displayed; why the flag needs to be replaced; and why the flag has not been purchased previously by the requesting organization — why the need has not been filled. Also, please include a letter documenting the organization's IRS 501 c 3 status. Mail the request to:

Thirteen-Fifty Foundation
3014 North Seminary
Chicago, IL 60657

Old Glory Grants are not guaranteed and are based on availability of grant funds and requesting organizations meeting the eligibility requirements.

Program Grants

The Thirteen-Fifty Foundation provides financial support for programs which seek to promote patriotism, a better understanding of America and American history and/or a more engaged citizenry.