Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – 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.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Policy Campaign Opportunity

The Policy Campaign Grant Opportunity is designed to support strategic issue advocacy campaigns that advance equitable policies that make the places where kids and their families live, learn, and play healthier. Voices for Healthy Kids supports specific policy priorities that can be reviewed in the link above.

Voices for Healthy Kids is working to ensure funding is directed to organizations with diverse leadership and staff and that grantees are from and engaging communities that historically and systemically experience disinvestment including, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and/or children living in families with low-income. Campaigns must support, drive and inform tribal, state or local policy change efforts that will dramatically improve the health of children who are experiencing the greatest health disparities.

At Voices for Healthy Kids, we believe that collecting and reporting data on racial and ethnic groups is an important initial step to address inequities. We encourage our applicant organizations to collect and report data on racial and ethnic composition of boards and staff. 

Applications will be evaluated on several criteria, including, but not limited to:

Voices for Healthy Kids is evolving to improve the flow of funding to communities facing the greatest inequities and to work with community leaders and organizations that are already making strides for change. We are committed to increasing funding to organizations and campaigns that have leadership that is Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander. Each application will be scored on metrics related to organizational staff, board and leadership diversity.

Funding

Applications can be submitted for $50,000 - $200,000 for a duration of up to 18 months and can support non-lobbying and lobbying activities.

Voices for Healthy Kids funds coordinated tribal, state and local public policy issue advocacy campaigns with a focus on health equity.Policy Campaign OpportunityThe Policy Campaign Grant Opportunity is designed to support strategic issue advocacy campaigns that advance equitable policies that make the places where kids and their families live, learn, and play healthier. Voices for Healthy Kids supports specific policy priorities that can be reviewed in the link above.

Voices for Healthy Kids is working to ensure funding is directed to organizations with diverse leadership and staff and that grantees are from and engaging communities that historically and systemically experience disinvestment including, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and/or children living in families with low-income. Campaigns must support, drive and inform tribal, state or local policy change efforts that will dramatically improve the health of children who are experiencing the greatest health disparities.

Voices for Healthy Kids is evolving to improve the flow of funding to communities facing the greatest inequities and to work with community leaders and organizations that are already making strides for change. We are committed to increasing funding to organizations and campaigns that have leadership that is Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander. Each application will be scored on metrics related to organizational staff, board and leadership diversity.

Grant Priorities

Priority is given to communities experiencing the greatest inequities. By trusting, supporting, and investing in the people and places experiencing the greatest inequities, we can remove barriers that stand in the way of healthy, thriving children and families everywhere.

Priority will be given to campaigns that build power for community change and exhibit an understanding of institutional and systemic racism barriers that impact childhood health disparities and equity.

Bring independent documentary filmmakers to your community for screenings and conversations around powerful stories and the art of filmmaking. Screening Partners are partner organizations that present Southern Circuit screenings, Q&As, and other filmmaker engagements with the community. Screening Partners develop screening audiences through strategic marketing and partnerships. As a group, they participate in the film selection process and discuss programming/marketing strategies for each film. Screening Partners act as hosts to touring filmmakers, providing recommendations for travel, lodging, and dining.

South Arts coordinates filmmaker tours and provides marketing materials for each film. South Arts recognizes the value of filmmaker participation by providing an honorarium for each filmmaker’s tour, with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Screening Partners must be nonprofit, educational, or governmental organizations residing in the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Southern Circuit Screening Partners have included schools, churches, arts centers, municipalities, and other organizations, serving audiences of all ages.

Southern Circuit is invested in partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the South Arts region.

What films are presented?

Southern Circuit prioritizes featuring Southern filmmakers and stories. We are committed to presenting films by filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and filmmakers with disabilities. Selected filmmakers should have an ethical relationship with the topics and individuals/communities represented in their work. We are invested in including emerging and first-time filmmakers.

Screening Partners are provided a Southern Circuit Film Guide with potential selections for the season. Screening Partners work together to select six films that will tour to all Screening Partners. The Southern Circuit Film Selection Meeting will be held in June. At least one representative from your organization will be required to participate.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: Applicants have three options to submit responses to this proposal:

• Live 60-minute Zoom call (First full proposal date)
• Written applications (Second full proposal date)
• Pre-recorded video (Second full proposal date)

Applicants submitting their responses to the Application Narrative Questions via Zoom call or pre-recorded video must submit all required attachments and responses by second full proposal date.

Southern HIV Impact Fund

The Southern HIV Impact Fund (the Southern Fund) supports organizations across intersecting movements to enhance and coordinate HIV prevention, care and support services, and advocacy and movement-building across the South.

The Southern HIV Impact Fund recognizes the historical inequities that Southern organizations face when it comes to implementing and growing when it comes to the global mission of ending the HIV epidemic.

The grants aim to address these inequities by directing funds to and building the capacity of Southern organizations to:

• Increase collaborative efforts across the South to end HIV and reduce health disparities.
• Catalyze a demonstrable increase in leadership in the U.S. South that is more reflective of the regional HIV epidemic, while also providing support to current leaders.
• Increase resources to the South, both through technical assistance and grant making.

$1.2 million in funding is available through the Southern HIV Impact Fund. AIDS United anticipates awarding up to $60,000 in grants to Southern racial, social justice and community based organizations that serve people living with HIV or the communities most impacted by HIV, federally qualified health centers, historically Black colleges and university and other minority-serving institutes, Black Greek lettered and civil and social service organizations, and Southern-based networks of people living with HIV.

The Southern HIV Impact Fund will award 20-25 grants to organizations in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas for to support general operations expenditures and implementation of special projects.

Building Capacity to Increase Older Adult Access to Benefits

AARP Foundation has specific objectives to achieve outcomes for older adults with low income. These objectives focus on increasing income and decreasing expenditures, primarily through gainful employment, securing benefits, and accessing refunds and credits. Our work prioritizes equitable strategies and services that address systemic barriers, racial and ethnic disparities, and other biases that perpetuate economic instability.

Capacity building grants offer up to $50,000 to support direct service organizations in their efforts to work more efficiently and effectively with and for older adults. These grants are intended to aid organizational development at a structural level. Capacity Building grants are not intended to pay for general operating expenses or existing programs and services. These projects should instead focus on enhancing, optimizing or streamlining resources, processes, or programs to better assist eligible older adults with enrollment in multiple benefits during and beyond the grant cycle. Proposals must demonstrate that the expanded capacity is sustainable (financially and operationally) beyond the project lifecycle.

Capacity building support offered through this RFA is limited to organizational planning, implementation or evaluation of projects that focus on enhancing, optimizing or streamlining resources, processes or programs to better assist eligible older adults with enrollment in multiple benefits during and beyond the grant cycle.

Projects in the following categories are eligible:

• Planning
• Partnership/Relationship Development
• Operations
• Technology