Search Through Affordable Housing Grants for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania in the U.S.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a unique federal-state partnership providing social and economic support for a 13-state region stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi, including western North Carolina.

Established by the United States Congress in 1965, when Appalachia was considered "a region apart" from the rest of the nation, ARC has worked to bring Appalachia's 26 million people into America's economic mainstream.

Area Development Program

ARC’s Area Development program relies on a flexible “bottom up” approach to economic development, empowering Appalachian communities to work with their state governments to design impactful investment opportunities supporting our mission and investment priorities.

Within the scope of our Strategic Plan, ARC’s Area Development program makes investments in two general areas: critical infrastructure and business and workforce development. Critical infrastructure investments mainly include water and wastewater systems, transportation networks, broadband, and other projects anchoring regional economic development. Business and workforce investments primarily focus on entrepreneurship, worker training and education, food systems, leadership, and other human capital development.

ARC Strategic Plan

A comprehensive strategic planning process involving federal, state, and local officials and citizens resulted in, Appalachia Envisioned: A New Era of Opportunity – ARC Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which focuses investments under these five general goals:

• Building Appalachian Businesses:
  • Strengthen and diversify the region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development
• Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem
  • Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
• Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure
  • Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and energy efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the region.
• Building Regional Culture and Tourism:
  • Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the region’s local, cultural heritage, and natural assets.
• Building Community Leaders and Capacity:
  • Invest in the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges by providing technical assistance and support to access resources, engage partners, identify strategies and tactics, and conduct effective planning and project execution.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

BackgroundSolving big problems through civic leadership, collaboration, and innovation Henry L. Hillman Foundation inspires, invests in, and leverages great ideas to make Pittsburgh one of the world’s most forward-looking cities.Henry L. Hillman Foundation’s mission is to inspire, invest in, and leverage great ideas and initiatives for outcomes that improve the quality of life in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania.Henry L. Hillman Foundation seeds and scales innovative solutions to address significant community needs. Projects supported by the Henry L. Hillman Foundation are forward-looking, collaborative, and seek to leverage the Pittsburgh region’s competitive advantages.Strategic PortfoliosHenry L. Hillman Foundation has a broad interest in initiatives that are timely and designed to take advantage of an emerging opportunity. The Foundation will prioritize investments that align with the following “portfolio” focus areas:

Aging Well

Preparing for a smaller and older regional population

• Support healthy aging, with a focus on caregivers and aging in place
• Leverage the assets and value of the aging population

Big Ideas and New Models

Solving big problems through collaboration, leadership, and new ways of thinking

• Support and incentivize nonprofit partners to take risks and to try new ways of approaching their work

Capturing the Next Economy

Shaping the future of work and new models of economic development

• Grow and strengthen the region’s innovation economy
• Support Pittsburgh’s growth as a leader in the future of work and learning
• Promote economic mobility and diverse pathways to living wage careers, particularly within the innovation economy

Healthy Neighborhoods

Safe, healthy, and thriving communities that positively influence social determinants of health

• Prevent displacement and concentration of poverty through enhancing the availability of high-quality, affordable housing
• Improve the environment for healthy living, including through safe housing, clean air, healthy food, and accessible outdoor spaces
• Support the vibrancy of Main Street business districts and strive to make Pittsburgh a leading city for individuals who want to start or grow a business

Strengthening Democracy

Good governance and ethical society for collective long-term prosperity

• Support high-quality public media for an informed population
• Increase civic engagement and ensure equitable and accurate representation
• Develop skills and tools for more effective civic participation
• Encourage policy progress and innovation across portfolio focus areas

Sustainable Regional Infrastructure

Innovation and investment in twenty-first century communications, energy, and other systems that support success within the other portfolio focus areas

• Modernize infrastructure and systems through innovation, with a focus on quality, affordability, and security
• Enhance broadband connectivity and the development and deployment of digital tools
• Transition to a low-carbon economy

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Mission

The mission of the Independence Foundation is to build leadership, provide services, and encourage systems and cultural change through the support of organizations in the fields of healthcare, human services, legal aid, and the arts. The Foundation invests in people and programs that protect, improve and enrich the life experiences of residents of the Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties, with a focus on the vulnerable and excluded. Its work is based on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to justice and services, and appreciates the value of the arts will thrive for generations to come.

Independence Foundation primarily provides unrestricted funding to nonprofits to best help them achieve their missions. Our general operating support offers flexibility to our grantees by allowing funds to be used when and where they’re most needed. 

Funding Initiatives

Arts And Culture

Independence Foundation believes in bolstering the well-being of the region by supporting a variety of opportunities for involvement and participation in the arts. The arts can bind people through shared experience and understanding. Art plays a transformative role in society, one that enriches community and connects people. The Foundation supports programs in the arts that enhance the common artistic spirit through creation or performance. 

Programs which connect the arts with non-traditional participants and increase both access to and awareness of the arts, are of special interest. The Foundation awards general operating grants aimed at strengthening organizations by supporting creative work and administrative capacity, based on community involvement, artistic merit, and leadership in the field. With the exception of organizations currently funded, we do not give grants to dance, music, media arts or broadcasting, museums or historical societies, though we do continue to fund individual artists in some of these disciplines through our Fellowships in the Arts.

Health Care

Independence Foundation believes that high quality, comprehensive primary care and related services result in better health, improved quality of life, reduction in health disparities, and lower costs to the health care system. 

Funding within the health care initiative focuses on the following: 

• Existing nurse-managed health care centers undertaking capacity building projects to expand and/or improve the provision of primary care and related services
• Programs that support health policies and/or infrastructure for nurse-managed and other safety net providers
• Projects designed to inform health care-related planning
• Clinical, community, and/or educational programs designed to improve the health of older adults 

Human Services

Independence Foundation believes that the health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Our region faces many challenges and continually changing demographics have contributed to increased demand for services, while local and federal funding for these services has declined. Community-based organizations fill in the gaps by providing much needed outreach and support.

The Foundation supports organizations that provide direct services to people who do not ordinarily have access to them for the most basic of needs. The current Human Services funding agenda focuses primarily on programs that address the following areas:

• adequate food and food distribution
• affordable housing and access to shelter by homeless persons
• services which support independence for people living with disabilities

Legal Aid

The Independence Foundation is committed to the support of free legal services for the underserved of the Philadelphia region. Grants provide core operating support to strengthen the administrative capacity and the direct service programs of those agencies that deliver critical legal services.

Agencies funded under the Public Interest Legal Aid Initiative address civil legal issues confronting individuals from diverse populations who do not traditionally have adequate access to legal representation, including the indigent, the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless.

Reentry, Recidivism & Restorative Justice 

The Foundation funds community-based organizations doing the following - either by directly assisting individuals, or working to change systems that cause or contribute to the harm addressed:  

• Providing supports to families and individuals involved with and affected by the criminal justice system
• Working to reduce the number of people who imminently face incarceration or a return to prison
• Providing resources to formerly incarcerated individuals that help them become integrated and contributing members once they are released back into society
• Working to reduce harm to families and neighborhoods caused by incarceration

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Gupta Family Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, USA. Our mission is to support organizations that provide focused intervention in the lives of people who have been disadvantaged in some way to help them become self-reliant. We take a very broad view of “disadvantage” to include anything that holds a person back from realizing their potential, such as poverty, physical or mental disability, social alienation, etc. The foundation also supports relief agencies that serve people affected by emergencies such as natural disasters.

The foundation evaluates and awards annual and multi-year grants ranging from $5,000 to over $250,000 (USD). Our focus is on funding smaller organizations all around the world that are led by individuals with a deep personal commitment to their missions. 

Our selection criteria include:

• Mission alignment
• The organization is run by the founder or, if not, by a successor who embodies the original inspiration, passion and commitment of the founder.
• At least 90% of grant monies reaches the intended beneficiaries.
• The organization is non-sectarian, i.e.,
  • It does not, directly or indirectly, support or condone the proselytization of any religion,
  • It is not supported by or affiliated to a religious organization.

United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania funds community partners focused on providing programs and services in our five-county region.

Community Impact Grants

Through United Way’s Impact Fund, nonprofit agencies may apply for general funding opportunities that support our three investment priorities: Meeting Basic Needs, Moving Toward Financial Stability, and Building For Success in School and Life.

Grants will be awarded for 3 years and may be adjusted based on the completion of annual reporting and performance requirements, and the availability of funds. 

Investment Priority Framework

• Meeting Basic Needs
  • Individuals and families have a greater opportunity to thrive when they have access to nutritious food, a safe place to live, and supportive community resources.
  • UWSWPA invests in partners committed to:
    • Addressing food insecurity and providing access to nutritious food.
    • Providing individuals and families access to safe and secure housing through programs that provide shelter, address eviction prevention, home repair, and utility assistance.
    • Providing access to reliable transportation.
    • Providing safety and support to survivors of intimate partner violence.
    • Addressing the negative health effects of social isolation by providing interventions that promote connection and community.
• Moving Toward Financial Stability
  • To break the cycle of generational poverty, it is essential that people have resources and supports to earn a living wage and the tools they need to build wealth.
  • UWSWPA invests in partners committed to:
    • Connecting people to employment through skill-building and career development programs.
    • Offering equitable opportunities across race, gender, and ability for peopleto access services and benefits that increase their income and financial security.
    • Advocating for critical policy and systems change by engaging stakeholders across the community
• Building For Success in School and Life
  • Every young person deserves the chance to have a positive start toward adulthood, to learn and succeed to the level of their educational ability and reach their full potential in life
    • UWSWPA invests in partners committed to:
      • Providing affordable, high-quality early childhood educational opportunities and family supports.
      • Working collaboratively with school districts and other community partners that provide positive out-of-school time opportunities for young people.
      • Addressing learning loss, social and emotional well-being and kindergarten readiness.
      • Providing career and college readiness tools and resources to historically underrepresented groups of students.

About Cigna

Our Mission

To improve the health and vitality of those we serve.

Our Vision

A better future built on the vitality of every individual and every community.

Improving Veteran Mental Health

Across the United States, veterans face an elevated risk of homelessness relative to the general population. On any given night, an estimated 40,000 veterans go without shelter, and another 1.5 million veterans are considered at-risk of homelessness.1 Research shows that veterans experiencing housing instability are at an increased risk of mental distress disorders.

We seek to collaborate with and support nonprofit organizations that leverage evidence-informed programs and services to help local veterans feel stable where they live and ultimately create positive impact on their mental health. Nonprofit partners must align to at least one of these grant program goals:

• Increase permanent housing available for veterans.
• Improve affordability for housing for veterans through rental or mortgage assistance.
• Enhance the offering of wraparound services for veterans transitioning from shelters.

Small Grants Program

Through the Small Grants Program (SGP), the Foundation supports nonprofits with a streamlined grant application and review process. Grants awarded under this program — operating, program, or capital — must still align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, or Aging. The maximum Small Grant amount is $50,000 over two years.

Aging

All individuals deserve to age with respect and dignity, with the support they need to thrive. Older adults often face unique social, physical, and economic challenges that can undermine their health and quality of life, as well as their ability to remain in their homes and connected with their community.

Priorities

• Safe and Accessible Homes: The Foundation supports projects that enable older adults to live in their home safely and comfortably and maintain their independence. Projects must consider an individual’s goals and living situation and incorporate supportive services tailored to the needs of older adults.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Home modification and repair programs that also deliver a variety of other services, such as occupational therapy and case management.
    • Programs that focus on health and overall well-being to prevent hospitalization and institutionalization.
• Aging in Community: The Foundation supports efforts to foster the best quality of life possible for older adults. Projects must connect older adults with a range of services that help them age independently and stay active and engaged in their community.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Affordable housing with services that allow residents to age independently.
    • Housing communities and services that foster a supportive environment for individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.
    • Coordinated, comprehensive medical and social services that allow individuals eligible for nursing homes to remain in their community.
    • Shelters and comprehensive services for individuals fleeing physical, mental, economic, and sexual abuse.

Capital Grants

Capital grants fund the purchase, construction, and/or renovation of a building; the purchase of major equipment; home modifications for low-income homeowners; and select technology projects.

To qualify for capital grant consideration, the proposed project must meet the following criteria:

• Specific, confirmed plans, including value-engineered drawings and confirmed total project costs.
• At least 50% of project costs have been raised (either pledged or received).
• Direct services provided as a result of the project should align with the Foundation’s funding priorities in its focus areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, and Aging.

The Foundation’s charter also sets a threshold for the total funding that it can provide to any one capital project at a maximum of 30%. However, grants are often approved for lower amounts.

The Small Grants Program (SGP)

Through the Small Grants Program (SGP), the Foundation supports nonprofits with a streamlined grant application and review process. Grants awarded under this program — operating, program, or capital — must still align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, or Aging. The maximum Small Grant amount is $50,000 over two years.

Housing

Stable housing provides a foundation for individuals, children, and families to lead healthy and productive lives. Without a place to call home, individuals and families cannot put themselves on a path to a healthy, stronger future.

Priorities

• Housing With Supportive Services: The Foundation supports nonprofit housing development to accelerate the production of affordable housing that integrates into the broader community and includes services to help people achieve and maintain stability.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Permanent supportive housing developments or units serving people who are exiting homelessness.
    • Working capital for predevelopment of supportive housing or to build nonprofit developers’ capacity to create more housing, such as expanding their real estate development teams.
• Community-Led Development: The Foundation supports innovative, community-driven efforts that preserve affordable housing for generations. Projects should have the potential for replication or expansion and enable residents to live and thrive in their home communities.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Community land trusts primarily in Baltimore and Hawaiʻi that prioritize people experiencing housing instability.
    • Models for community ownership or community wealth building to prevent resident displacement.
    • Mixed-income housing integrated into the community that is designed by and for individuals who are often marginalized, such as people with disabilities, youth, and residents of rural areas.
• Coordinated Responses to Homelessness: The Foundation supports projects to improve collaboration across public systems and organizations that serve people without housing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Projects should involve individuals who have been homeless to inform planning and implementation.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Partnerships to coordinate services across organizations that address homelessness. Projects should demonstrate how the work improves the lives of people served.
    • Leadership development and other opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness to participate in planning and decision making about programs designed to serve them.
    • Models for sustainable funding of supportive services that help people maintain housing.

Capital Grants

Capital grants fund the purchase, construction, and/or renovation of a building; the purchase of major equipment; home modifications for low-income homeowners; and select technology projects.

To qualify for capital grant consideration, the proposed project must meet the following criteria:

• Specific, confirmed plans, including value-engineered drawings and confirmed total project costs.
• At least 50% of project costs have been raised (either pledged or received).
• Direct services provided as a result of the project should align with the Foundation’s funding priorities in its focus areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, and Aging.

The Foundation’s charter also sets a threshold for the total funding that it can provide to any one capital project at a maximum of 30%. However, grants are often approved for lower amounts.

Small Grants Program

Through the Small Grants Program (SGP), the Foundation supports nonprofits with a streamlined grant application and review process. Grants awarded under this program — operating, program, or capital — must still align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, or Aging. The maximum Small Grant amount is $50,000 over two years.

Aging

All individuals deserve to age with respect and dignity, with the support they need to thrive. Older adults often face unique social, physical, and economic challenges that can undermine their health and quality of life, as well as their ability to remain in their homes and connected with their community.

Priorities

• Safe and Accessible Homes: The Foundation supports projects that enable older adults to live in their home safely and comfortably and maintain their independence. Projects must consider an individual’s goals and living situation and incorporate supportive services tailored to the needs of older adults.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Home modification and repair programs that also deliver a variety of other services, such as occupational therapy and case management.
    • Programs that focus on health and overall well-being to prevent hospitalization and institutionalization.
• Aging in Community: The Foundation supports efforts to foster the best quality of life possible for older adults. Projects must connect older adults with a range of services that help them age independently and stay active and engaged in their community.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Affordable housing with services that allow residents to age independently.
    • Housing communities and services that foster a supportive environment for individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.
    • Coordinated, comprehensive medical and social services that allow individuals eligible for nursing homes to remain in their community.
    • Shelters and comprehensive services for individuals fleeing physical, mental, economic, and sexual abuse.

Operating Grants

Operating grants fund the overall operating costs of an organization.

The Small Grants Program (SGP)

Through the Small Grants Program (SGP), the Foundation supports nonprofits with a streamlined grant application and review process. Grants awarded under this program — operating, program, or capital — must still align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, or Aging. The maximum Small Grant amount is $50,000 over two years.

Housing

Stable housing provides a foundation for individuals, children, and families to lead healthy and productive lives. Without a place to call home, individuals and families cannot put themselves on a path to a healthy, stronger future.

Priorities

• Housing With Supportive Services: The Foundation supports nonprofit housing development to accelerate the production of affordable housing that integrates into the broader community and includes services to help people achieve and maintain stability.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Permanent supportive housing developments or units serving people who are exiting homelessness.
    • Working capital for predevelopment of supportive housing or to build nonprofit developers’ capacity to create more housing, such as expanding their real estate development teams.
• Community-Led Development: The Foundation supports innovative, community-driven efforts that preserve affordable housing for generations. Projects should have the potential for replication or expansion and enable residents to live and thrive in their home communities.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Community land trusts primarily in Baltimore and Hawaiʻi that prioritize people experiencing housing instability.
    • Models for community ownership or community wealth building to prevent resident displacement.
    • Mixed-income housing integrated into the community that is designed by and for individuals who are often marginalized, such as people with disabilities, youth, and residents of rural areas.
• Coordinated Responses to Homelessness: The Foundation supports projects to improve collaboration across public systems and organizations that serve people without housing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Projects should involve individuals who have been homeless to inform planning and implementation.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Partnerships to coordinate services across organizations that address homelessness. Projects should demonstrate how the work improves the lives of people served.
    • Leadership development and other opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness to participate in planning and decision making about programs designed to serve them.
    • Models for sustainable funding of supportive services that help people maintain housing.

Operating Grants

Operating grants fund the overall operating costs of an organization.

The Small Grants Program (SGP)

Through the Small Grants Program (SGP), the Foundation supports nonprofits with a streamlined grant application and review process. Grants awarded under this program — operating, program, or capital — must still align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, or Aging. The maximum Small Grant amount is $50,000 over two years.

Housing

Stable housing provides a foundation for individuals, children, and families to lead healthy and productive lives. Without a place to call home, individuals and families cannot put themselves on a path to a healthy, stronger future.

Priorities

• Housing With Supportive Services: The Foundation supports nonprofit housing development to accelerate the production of affordable housing that integrates into the broader community and includes services to help people achieve and maintain stability.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Permanent supportive housing developments or units serving people who are exiting homelessness.
    • Working capital for predevelopment of supportive housing or to build nonprofit developers’ capacity to create more housing, such as expanding their real estate development teams.
• Community-Led Development: The Foundation supports innovative, community-driven efforts that preserve affordable housing for generations. Projects should have the potential for replication or expansion and enable residents to live and thrive in their home communities.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Community land trusts primarily in Baltimore and Hawaiʻi that prioritize people experiencing housing instability.
    • Models for community ownership or community wealth building to prevent resident displacement.
    • Mixed-income housing integrated into the community that is designed by and for individuals who are often marginalized, such as people with disabilities, youth, and residents of rural areas.
• Coordinated Responses to Homelessness: The Foundation supports projects to improve collaboration across public systems and organizations that serve people without housing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Projects should involve individuals who have been homeless to inform planning and implementation.
  • Examples of appropriate projects:
    • Partnerships to coordinate services across organizations that address homelessness. Projects should demonstrate how the work improves the lives of people served.
    • Leadership development and other opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness to participate in planning and decision making about programs designed to serve them.
    • Models for sustainable funding of supportive services that help people maintain housing.

Program Grants

Program grants fund specific programs within an organization.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education,
• environment,
• enrichment and
• entrepreneurship.

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Vision and Focus Areas

We commit to creating a vibrant, equitable and just Pittsburgh region that supports everyone – regardless of race, identity or circumstance – to thrive and fulfill their potential.

Under our strategic plan, we strive to strengthen our focus on community and the positive impact that can be achieved through our grantmaking. Our current areas of focus are: Basic Needs, Equity and Social Justice, Arts and Culture, Economic Mobility and Environmental Action. From time to time, we have special grant-making opportunities related to specific regions or to issues such as juvenile justice or senior care. 

The Pittsburgh Foundation is committed to helping the communities we serve become equitable and vibrant places where everyone can thrive. We align our grantmaking with resident’s dreams for themselves, their families and their communities and prioritize support in the five focus areas listed below.

Basic Needs

We seek to improve the stability of low-income people by supporting direct assistance to obtain food, housing, health care, mental health supports, child care, education and employment.

Across our basic needs grantmaking, we are committed to expanding knowledge of, improving access to, and improving coordination among local resources and human services.

• Food Access: We seek to support programs and services that assist low-income individuals and families to obtain enough food.
• Child Care: We seek to ensure equitable access to quality child care.
• Education: We strive to ensure access to high-quality in-class education as well as culturally-responsive,  out-of-school time programs.
• Mental and Physical Health: We aim to support the mental and physical health needs of residents by ensuring access to quality, affordable and culturally responsive services.
• Housing: We seek to support or fill gaps in a county-wide eviction prevention system, and help support those living in transitional housing and/or facing unexpected loss of housing.
• Employment: We seek to support youth and adults who experience significant barriers to employment.

Equity and Social Justice

We seek to support civic participation and community organizing to achieve policy changes.

Our equity and social justice grantmaking places strong emphasis on leadership by individuals who have been directly impacted by systemic injustice, as we believe that they are best positioned to propose solutions that remove barriers that impeded their ability to thrive.

• Civic Participation
  • Voter Engagement: We seek to support the ability of the nonprofit sector to engage historically underrepresented populations and communities that have documented low voter turnout.
  • Access to Information: We seek to support public media  outlets and other platforms that produce professional, regionally focused, fact-based news coverage and information.
• Community-Driven Solutions
  • Protect Basic Needs:  We seek to support grassroots organizations and resident-informed initiatives that address barriers that prevent families from being able to meet their basic needs and thrive.
  • End Mass Incarceration:  We seek to uplift and provide resources for community-led efforts to change policies and practices that result in over-policing and over-incarceration.
  • Youth Justice:  We are interested in supporting intervention and prevention activities that support youth who have any involvement with the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Environmental Action

We seek to protect the health of our communities and the preservation of our environment.

Our environmental action grantmaking prioritizes support for projects, initiatives and collaborations that center communities in environmental decision-making and amplify the intersectional nature of working to protect the health of our communities and the preservation of our environment. We recognize that environmental issues span beyond geographic borders. While we will continue to prioritize projects serving residents of Allegheny County, we will also consider on a case-by-case basis projects that work across the southwest Pennsylvania 12-county region.

• Equitable Access to Land, Water, and Air: To promote equitable access to land, air and water, we seek to support community-centered conservation and stewardship of natural resources.
• Learning and Action: We seek to address the harms of chronic pollution and mitigate future impacts, translate research into action to protect the health of communities and their environments and support resident voice in environmental decision-making in their communities.

Arts and Culture

We seek to strengthen small-to-mid-sized arts organizations and support individual artists by fostering a diverse, healthy and just arts ecosystem. 

• Small-to-Mid-Sized Arts Organizations: Small and Mid-Size Arts Organizations face disparities in their ability to access resources.
• Support for Careers and Lives of Individual Artists: Through this funding to individual artists, the Foundation hopes that the Pittsburgh region will be exposed to the breadth of human experience and the unparalleled talent the region has to offer.

Economic Mobility

We seek to reduce the wealth gap in Allegheny County.

• Access to Post-Secondary Education: We seek to support programs that enable students to earn college credit while in high school; admissions navigation support and academic and financial counseling; re-engagement strategies for students who have stopped attending school; and supports for non-traditional students.
• Career Advancement: We are interested in supporting organizations that offer technology training with career potential. 
• Entrepreneurship: We are interested in efforts to increase entrepreneurship.
• Homeownership: In 2025, applications for the Homeownership focus area will be by invitation only.

Types of Grants

Recognizing that nonprofits need flexible support that allows them to adapt to changing community needs, we offer applicants the opportunity to apply for two types of grant support:

• Project/Program Support:  Funds are used to develop and/or implement a specific set of programmatic activities. These grants are usually time-bound and aimed at achieving specific goals and milestones.
• General Operating Support: Funds can be used at the discretion of the organization to cover any costs necessary to carry out its mission. This means that the grant award can be used to cover day-to-day activities or ongoing expenses such as administrative salaries, rent and office supplies, etc., as well as for program costs, software and hardware purchases, and professional development

Our Priorities

We will prioritize funding for organizations that reflect one or more of the following:

• Primarily serve communities disproportionately impacted by poverty.
• Have a demonstrated commitment to addressing the historical and present-day impact of social injustices on the specific communities it serves.
• Have an established history in the communities in which it works.
• Are representative of the communities it serves, including but not limited to, leadership and staff who have lived experience in the community issues that it addresses.
• Meaningfully integrate the experience and perspectives of the communities that it serves in the design, implementation, evaluation and/or decision-making process for its strategies and/or programs.

Funding

Generally, grants will be awarded for no more than two years due to limited availability of funds. One-year grants generally range from $10,000 to $75,000. Two-year grants will generally not exceed $150,000.

In limited situations, proposals that align with one or more of our grantmaking focus areas and with grantmaking priorities, and that clearly demonstrate the need and potential impact, may be considered for a larger grant. Organization leaders should have a conversation with a program officer before submitting a request for more than $150,000.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More