Best Public Infrastructure Grants in Alabama

Alabama local governments, conservation districts, and tribal sponsors can receive support to repair public watershed infrastructure and reduce flooding and erosion risks. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service provides technical and financial assistance for debris removal, streambank stabilization, drainage repairs, levee and structure repair, vegetative cover, and floodplain easements on damaged lands following natural disasters.

Communities and counties in Alabama can apply for competitive funding to improve public infrastructure and housing, with awards ranging from US $400,000 - US $500,000. Focused on community development, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs invites eligible non-entitlement jurisdictions to propose projects like water and sewer upgrades, housing rehab, and neighborhood or downtown revitalization.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Alabama with $100,000+ budgets can seek funding for workforce preparation, youth development, and community accessibility projects. RBC Foundation USA provides Alabama public-serving groups with support for job readiness, skills training, inclusive prosperity, and net-zero transition efforts in communities where RBC Wealth Management has an active presence.

Very small, financially distressed rural communities in Alabama can use this program to fund predevelopment planning for water and waste disposal infrastructure projects. Focused on rural public infrastructure, USDA Rural Development invites eligible local governments, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes to seek support for feasibility studies, preliminary design, engineering analysis, and technical assistance for future construction.

Researchers conducting quasi-experimental evaluations of social programs and policies in the U.S., including work on public infrastructure, may be eligible for funding to study causal impacts. Grants from Arnold Ventures help Alabama and other U.S. public infrastructure, education, workforce, reproductive health, and public finance researchers build rigorous evidence to inform policy and improve outcomes.

Industrial and energy-focused organizations in Alabama developing thermal or electric storage concepts for industrial facilities can access funding through the U.S. Department of Energy. The Industrial Energy Storage Systems Prize offers up to US $700,000 across three competitive phases to design, prototype, and validate cost-effective industrial energy storage solutions that improve efficiency and support public energy infrastructure.

Federally recognized Indian Tribes in Alabama can seek funding to plan, design, engineer, and construct safer public bridges through the TTP Bridge Program. Focused on public infrastructure, the Federal Highway Administration supports improvements to BIA/Tribally owned and other eligible bridges in poor condition, including rehabilitation, seismic retrofits, and safety countermeasures.

Alabama public entities planning major surface transportation or public infrastructure projects can access funding through the US Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program. State and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities in the U.S. territories and states may receive up to US $25,000,000 for impactful, multi-modal projects.

Bradley-Turner Foundation provides Alabama public infrastructure and community organizations, especially in the Chattahoochee Valley, with approximately US $50,000 for capital projects, scholarships, community initiatives, and arts and culture institutions. 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Russell County and nearby eligible counties may benefit, particularly those addressing chronic local needs or undertaking strategic capital campaigns.

Nonprofits, government entities, and tribal organizations working on community traffic safety and public infrastructure in Alabama can seek US $50,000 - US $200,000 to implement innovative, evidence-based road safety projects. The National Safety Council’s Road to Zero Coalition program supports Safe System approaches that reduce traffic fatalities and address disparities in mobility safety and access across the U.S.

Local governments and community-based nonprofits in small to mid-sized U.S. cities, including Alabama, can seek up to US $25,000 to plan and deliver temporary street safety pilot projects that address dangerous, divisive roads. Smart Growth America’s Community Connectors program offers a yearlong cohort with training, support, and an in-person convening for selected teams.

State and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and higher education institutions in eligible Appalachian counties of Alabama can seek funding for critical public infrastructure and workforce or business development projects. With a mission to strengthen Appalachian communities, Appalachian Regional Commission provides Alabama public infrastructure initiatives with support for water, wastewater, transportation, broadband, and related economic development systems.

Public infrastructure and transportation policy organizations in Alabama can seek funding for U.S.-focused transportation research, data, and policy reform projects. With a mission to improve lives through evidence-based solutions, Arnold Ventures provides up to US $200,000 for work on surface transportation, access and mobility outcomes, cost and delivery challenges, and related public transit and infrastructure issues.

State and local transportation agencies in Alabama seeking to deploy advanced transportation technologies can apply for competitive ATTAIN grants, with awards up to US $12,000,000, to improve safety, mobility, and system performance. DOT Federal Highway Administration supports projects enhancing public infrastructure, congestion management, intermodal connectivity, and infrastructure return on investment across the U.S.

Friends of NRA

Friends of NRA is the National Rifle Association’s premier fundraising program, supporting the future of shooting sports. Since day one, Friends of NRA has been a 100% grassroots effort fueled by a united front to secure the Second Amendment and raise money for the shooting sports.

Committee volunteers are appointed to State Fund Committees to make recommendations for local grant funding in areas such as youth education, women-focused clinics, law enforcement training, hunter safety, range improvement, firearms and marksmanship training and safety. Recognizing the impact American youth has on the future of the shooting sports, State Fund Committees frequently recommend grants for youth programs, allocating the most significant portion of monies to this vital area.

Grant awards fund activities and support programs in the United States to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those in the shooting sports, and to educate the public about firearms in their historic, technological and artistic context.

Friends of NRA: Capital Improvement Grants

Any request to support a project that seeks to improve a facility is considered a capital improvement. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Range improvements
• Berm improvements
• Clubhouse/Classroom facility improvements
• Shelter structures/covered firing lines/pavilions
• Road improvements
• Commercial-grade trap machines (see section regarding trap machines, below)
• Any other permanent improvement to an organization’s property or facility

The Grant Program considers requests for certain trap machines to be a capital improvement to the facility. Specifically, requests for commercial grade trap machines that have a capacity of 300 clays and up.

The Impact Aid Discretionary Construction Grant Program (84.041C) offers $19M in funding to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to address urgent school facility needs. This initiative supports repairs, renovations, or replacements required to maintain safe educational environments. Grants cover projects that improve accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ensure that facilities meet health standards. The program aims to enhance learning conditions by responding effectively to emergency situations.

The Wiregrass Foundation Grant aims to enhance the health, education, and quality of life for residents in Houston, Henry, Dale, and Geneva counties, Alabama. Eligible organizations must have been in operation for at least two years and focus on areas such as health, education, and community well-being. The foundation does not fund churches, political organizations, or individual scholarships, ensuring that resources are directed to impactful community-driven projects.

About Boeing

A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity.

The Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company

One of the largest employee-managed funds of its kind in the world, the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company has empowered employees to make a greater impact by pooling their tax-deductible donations for more than 60 years. Employee-led grantmaking committees at 20 Boeing sites provide combined employee donations to nonprofits in their communities through ECF grants.

Charitable or educational organizations can apply for grants from the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of The Boeing Company.

Puget Sound Chapter

The Employees Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing Puget Sound is a pooled fund consisting of recurring payroll contributions from generous Boeing employees. It funds local nonprofits that help thousands of families and individuals in the Puget Sound region where Boeing employees live and work.

ECF focus areas

ECF makes grants to 501(c)(3) Health & Human Service nonprofits such as food banks, job-training programs, shelters, transitional housing, mental health services, and low-income medical clinics. ECF seeks the direct client benefit of each grant to ensure that our employees’ contributions directly help those in need.

ECF funding criteria

ECF has two distinct grant categories – Supporting Grants and Capital Campaign Grants.

ECF of Boeing Company: Puget Sound Chapter Supporting Grants

Consideration is given to nonprofits/agencies that are performing well and are seeking to upgrade, replace or modify elements of their infrastructure.

• Supporting grants cannot exceed $50,000. The requested amount cannot be more than 10% of an agency’s gross annual revenue.
• Supporting grants will be considered only for agencies benefiting residents in the Puget Sound Region.
• Supporting grants help agencies continue to effectively provide services through enhanced direct client benefit by aiding them in procuring and/or paying for items such as:
  • Equipment (ex. office, kitchen, industrial, furniture, etc.)
  • Vehicles used to support clients and/or transport food and/or goods (cost of vehicle and accommodations, tax, and licensing only; operating expenses, such as insurance, fuel, etc. is not allowed)
  • Phone systems
  • Cell phones for direct client use
  • Remodels and/or renovations (must hold at least a 10-year lease or own the building)
  • Purchase or construction of new buildings
  • Computers or tablets for direct client benefit and/or use
  • Software for direct client benefit and/or use (ex. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device)
  • Information Technology expenses, without which procured tools would not work
  • External improvements for client safety (i.e. security system, exterior lighting, improved ADA accessibility, new or refinished pavement or concrete)
• Supporting grants which are accepted must be spent as approved within nine (9) months.

Alabama public infrastructure and community-focused 501(c)(3) charities or government entities can seek support for projects that strengthen local facilities, services, and community wellbeing. SC Johnson Giving backs initiatives that advance healthier lives, environmental sustainability, and economic and social mobility, including programs that improve public infrastructure in communities where the company has operations across the U.S.

The Affordable Rural Cooperative (ARC) Energy Program, initiated by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), aims to enhance rural electric systems through substantial funding of approximately $175 million. This initiative focuses on increasing emission-free nuclear power and improving transmission infrastructure efficiency, promoting long-term reliability and affordability. Eligible entities include electric cooperatives serving rural areas and their subsidiaries. The program aligns with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, thus fostering a sustainable energy future.

The OpenAI A People-First AI Fund supports U.S.-based nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, focusing on AI literacy, community innovation, and economic opportunity. It aims to enhance public understanding of AI, promote participatory design in AI applications by communities, and expand access to meaningful work through inclusive practices. Organizations at all stages of AI adoption are encouraged to apply, especially those addressing the needs of traditionally marginalized populations. This initiative emphasizes equitable distribution of AI benefits.

The EA Infrastructure Fund Grant supports projects that enhance effective altruism by improving access to talent, capital, and knowledge. With grants typically ranging from $5,000 to $200,000, it welcomes applications from individuals, nonprofits, and academic institutions worldwide. However, individuals must ensure their projects conclude by August 31, 2025. The fund aims to amplify the impact of direct charitable work and foster a community committed to effective altruism principles.

The M J Murdock Charitable Trust offers the Strategic Projects: Program & Staff Grants to support nonprofits in the Pacific Northwest. These grants focus on capacity-building for mission-driven projects and infrastructure investments. Eligible organizations must demonstrate a commitment to community flourishing, with funding available for new programs or expansion of existing ones. The Trust prioritizes initiatives that align with its strategic goals, fostering sustainable nonprofit growth and impact in the region.

The Sparklight/Cable One Charitable Giving Fund supports local nonprofits and organizations focused on education, food insecurity, and community development. They prioritize impactful partnerships that strengthen communities. The fund welcomes various funding requests, including special projects and capital campaigns, while adhering to specific eligibility requirements such as tax-exempt status. However, they do not fund basic operating expenses, loans, or religious organizations for general support, ensuring that their contributions foster meaningful community growth.

The Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Corridor Community Grants, provided by Keep America Beautiful, aim to empower communities to revitalize and beautify MLK corridors across the U.S. These grants support various projects, including murals, community gardens, and cleanup efforts, contributing to the initiative's goal of beautifying 25,000 communities by 2026. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, local governments, and community organizations, with a focus on sustainable impacts and local engagement.

The Ash Grove Charitable Foundation Grant supports public charities with 501(c)(3) status, focusing on capital projects that enhance community life in states where Ash Grove operates. With a commitment to environmental sustainability, education, and human services, the Foundation prioritizes funding for renovation and construction projects. Grants typically reach up to $25,000, aiming to foster better living standards and support local initiatives that are vital for community growth and resilience.

The Pop Culture Collaborative offers Major Grants to support initiatives that promote long-term narrative change and social justice through pop culture. Targeting U.S.-based nonprofits, for-profits, and individuals, these grants aim to engage mass audiences in transformative experiences. With a focus on communities often marginalized, the Collaborative's efforts are designed to foster a pluralistic society where everyone belongs. Grants range from $20,000 to $200,000, depending on project scope and duration, with applications reviewed biannually.