NOTE: Contact your local office to discuss your specific project. Applications for this program are accepted year round.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

NOTE: Updated August 8, 2023: The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has received and requested proposals that will carry us into 2024 with our current staff capacity for review. We are making improvements to our systems, updating our application process, and expanding our staff capacity, all to better support our grantees and the communities we serve. To allow us the opportunity to complete this work, the Trust has instituted a temporary pause on new applications to our strategic project grants process.

Starting September 5, 2023, Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) received for the remainder of 2023 will be reviewed in a 2-3 week window in the order they were received. LOI’s received prior to September 5, 2023 will also be reviewed in the order they were received.

About the Trust

Since 1975 the Trust has invested nearly $800 million into nonprofit organizations in the form of grants and enrichment programs. Jack Murdock’s desire to “nurture and enrich the educational, spiritual, cultural, and social lives of individuals, families, and communities" continues to be reflected in grants, enrichment programs, and all of the Trust’s activities to this day.

Mr. Murdock was an avid learner, innovator, and entrepreneur. His informal education was continuous and lifelong. The special importance he placed on education has been the beacon leading Trust support of many colleges and universities in the five states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

Organizations involved in advancing culture and the arts are welcomed each year, as are projects targeted to elevating human services, health, and health care in the region. These include community-based and faith-based organizations, particularly those that serve youth. From a founder who was thoroughly unpretentious, the Trust has taken his lead to welcome the best ideas from all across the region’s urban and rural areas.

The Trust’s founder believed in science and technology as one of the most important sources of knowledge and inventiveness, knowledge that he believed to be strategic to resolving many issues. As a result, the Trust has long been at the forefront of private support for scientific research and innovation. In recent years, this has realized more than 60 scientific research grants annually.

Mr. Murdock was vitally interested in community issues and encouraged the convening and collaboration of diverse leaders to focus on questions of importance. The Trust continues to bring many voices together to examine and explore ideas and trends in various fields and sectors.

Grant Overview

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish — and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested nearly $850 million into nonprofit organizations that embody our mission.

Every day, we work to further our founder Jack Murdock’s desire to “nurture and enrich the educational, spiritual, cultural and social lives of individuals, families and communities.” We make grants that help improve the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest, and we welcome nonprofits that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Funding Types

The Trust makes grants for building the capacity of nonprofit groups in these primary ways for the following three types of projects:

Capital: Is capital growth or expansion important to your nonprofit’s vision for long-term growth and success? The Murdock Trust regularly makes grants that support construction, renovation, land purchase and other capital projects. In most cases, we prefer to receive requests for these types of projects once your organization has raised a portion of the needed funds.

Equipment & Technology: Best practices suggest that a healthy equipment and supporting technology infrastructure is essential. Please note that with these grants, recipient organizations are responsible for 50% or greater of the purchase cost.

Program & Staff: Expanding programs and adding staff are important markers of nonprofit success. Murdock Trust grants help fund both new programs and the expansion of existing programs, and may be used to cover start-up costs and/or related staff member additions. Typically, we fund program and staff grants on a declining basis over three years (100/67/33%). 

NOTE:  The application deadline has been  extended to December 1, 2023.

About School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN).

Utilizing a unique framework of funding systems offered by the Department of Health and Human Services, managed care organizations, health insurers, and private donors, SBHSN promotes a system of care model (Coaching Model℠) offering a mix of evidenced-based intervention, prevention, and care coordination services to children in grades K-12. The Coaching Model aims to expand quality mental healthcare access on public school campuses and improve children's social, emotional, behavioral, family, and wellness outcomes.

School-Based Mental Health Implementation Grant

In response to the growing number of students who need mental health counseling, the School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN) is accepting applications from Local Education Agencies (LEA), Public and Private Universities, State and local Colleges, Charter School Management Companies, Public Schools, Charter Schools, and Non-Profit Organizations (501c3) to implement and expand mental health program services on local school campuses. Grantees will receive direct funding and reimbursement to support the following activities: 

• Expanding access to School-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Coordinating mental healthcare services with school administration and staff. 
• Delivering mental healthcare services and coordinating academic-support activities to students with a history of attendance, behavior, and poor academic performance.

FUNDING

5-Years, renewable based on meeting performance goals 5-year award ceiling is $5,500,000.

Jessica Stevens Community Foundation Grant Program

As an Affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation, the Jessica Stevens Community Foundation’s (JSCF) goal is to support projects that enhance the quality of life for northern Susitna Valley residents, addressing immediate needs while working toward long-term improvements. We are continually listening and learning about what is important to you.

We use proceeds from our growing permanent endowment to award yearly and discretionary grants to support charitable organizations and programs in the northern Susitna Valley area. Grants support a broad range of community needs, including health and wellness, education, the great outdoors, arts and culture, and community development.

Purpose

The Jessica Stevens Community Foundation Healthy Communities Grant Cycle is designed to support charitable organizations and programs in the northern Susitna Valley. The focus of the cycle is for projects that support compassionate health care, innovative education, community enrichment, active enjoyment of the natural environment, and arts and cultural expression. We seek projects that have the potential to impact a broad range of residents. Projects engaging in collaboration with other organizations are encouraged. 

NOTE: We have temporarily paused grantmaking. Until mid-2024, Tier 2 and PRI proposals that already have been received will be considered and decided on by December 2023. No new proposals will be accepted until mid-2024.

Tier 2 Grants

Grants of more than $25,000 for large capital (building) projects, projects of demonstrable strategic importance or innovative nature that address issues of broad community or statewide significance.

Tier 2 grants may also support technology updates and creative works that comply with the description above. The project must demonstrate long-term benefits or impacts, and be initiated by an established organization(s) with a history of accomplishment. 

The Foundation is rarely the first, the largest or the only contributor to any Tier 2 project. The Foundation expects the community in which the project is located will provide significant financial support.

The Foundation will consider requests for major capital projects when the following have been demonstrated:

• Strong, committed local cash support is in place
• The board and key staff have supported the project financially
• The site has been secured and permits are in place
• Plans have been completed
• A budget has been developed
• A fundraising plan is in place, if applicable
• Government funding has been requested and/or committed, if that funding reflects a significant portion of the project budget
• Applicant is able to demonstrate that the project is sustainable

NOTE: We encourage organizations who are approaching us for the first time to follow the For Grant Seekers steps outlined above. By submitting the Organization Information Form, you allow us to review your goals and missions to determine if you qualify for partner status and an invitation to submit a proposal. We will accept and review Organization Form data from January 1 - August 31. 

What We Fund

To maximize the impact of our financial support, the Foster Foundation cultivates long-term partnerships with organizations whose work aligns with our priority funding issues. By identifying well run nonprofit programs with the vision and capacity to get things done, we continue to make sound investments in the people, communities and future of the Pacific Northwest.

Priority Areas

Building strong communities benefits all of us. Improving community life encompasses not only meeting critical needs such as food, housing, healthcare, education and employment, but also enriching community spirt and well-being through the support of artistic expression, cultural programs and sports/recreational opportunities.

We seek to identify and fund under-resourced opportunities to make a difference in these four areas:

Social Services/ Human Welfare

We fund emergency and critical human services that support people and families in need. This includes food, emergency/transitional housing, job/life's skills training, counseling and other resources and opportunities that build economic self-reliance.

Education

We support innovative programs that improve literacy, learning and academic success for all ages. Training, tutoring, mentoring and enrichment programs are examples of our outreach in this area.

Medical Research, Treatment & Care

We provide funding for promising medical research to aid in the understanding, treatment and prevention of diseases. The Foundation also supports hospice care as well as HIV/AIDs research and education.

Community Engagement

We nurture the spirt and well-being of Northwest communities by supporting cultural, artistic and recreational activities that engage all ages and populations. Foundation grants help sustain arts organizations and programs that express and grow the creative imagination. We also support community sports/recreational programs, centers and activities that promote health, well-being and teamwork.

Geographic Reach

With both family and business roots in the Pacific Northwest, The Foster Foundation takes a regional approach to giving. We target our funding to assist nonprofits engaged in our priority funding concerns within Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

In addressing the founders' original intent, the Foundation will expand our philanthropy into smaller, more diverse communities within this five state area over the coming years. We will continue to support existing grantees. But, we desire to learn about and fund other pioneering initiatives and nonprofit programs that address the underserved and disadvantaged segments of this population―especially children, women and seniors.

NOTE: Funding will be available through the 3 proposed deadlines or until the money is used. 

Community Care Fund

Community care keeps us alive and plants seeds for queer and trans futures.  

Community care is the antidote for isolation, exploitation, and oppression. We create the joy, rest, pleasure, and healing we need to sustain and transform ourselves. For queer and trans people, there are infinite possibilities for how we protect and care for each other—and this fund supports our collective efforts to practice that care.  

For us, community care is any effort to respond to community threats, harms, needs, hopes, and healing. Whether it’s mutual aid, safety planning, opportunities for healing, or any number of practices—we want to help support whatever “community care” means to you.  

Guidelines

For this grant, the definition of ‘community care’ is broad; ‘community care’ is any collective efforts to protect and care for queer and trans communities.

This funding will be unrestricted (unless you want it to be restricted) .

We define “community care” as any effort to respond to community threats, harms, needs, hopes, and healing. We welcome your own definitions and practices of community care. Examples of community care include, but are not limited to:    

• Mutual aid and financial relief 
• Community organizing, policy advocacy, political education and mobilization
• Gifts cards & stipends for community members  
• Access to housing, transportation & health care i.e. rent support, mental health, gender affirming care & abortion access 
• Opportunities for rest, grieving, healing, play, pleasure, and joy  
• Bringing community together though virtual and in person events  
• Protecting people from violence, criminalization, incarceration, detention, and deportation e.g. bail and legal fees    
• Leadership and professional development, for topics ranging from herbalism to accounting  
• Language access and justice i.e. captioning, interpretation and translation  
• Food access and justice 
• Land access and justice 
• Conflict resolution, accountability and efforts to address trauma and harm 
• Safety planning 
• Disaster and crisis preparation and response  
• Administrative and technological support for events, programs, and organizations (e.g. hardware, software & licensing) 

Grant Priorities

We prioritize funding queer, trans, and gender diverse organizations for and by Black, Brown, Indigenous and other Racialized Peoples (BBIRP).

We prioritize funding BBIRP-led LGBTQIA2S+ organizations that practice the following social justice values. We don’t expect organizations to practice all of these values, and we hope to learn more about what’s important to you:

• Racial justice
• Anti-colorism
• Gender Justice
• Feminism
• Disability Justice
• Reproductive Justice
• Fat Liberation
• Prison Abolition
• Transformative Justice
• Economic Justice and anti-capitalism
• Healing Justice
• Climate & Environmental Justice
• Housing Justice
• Immigration Justice
• Anti-imperialism and anti-militarism
• Decolonization
• Anti-ageism

We prioritize BBIRP-led LGBTQIA2S+ organizations for and by the following people. We don’t expect organizations to have every identity present, we are excited to learn more about your communities:

• People living with HIV/AIDS
• People discriminated by colorism
• Queer people
• Trans people
• Non-binary, Two-Spirit, and Gender Expansive People
• Women and people discriminated by misogyny and patriarchy
• People with disabilities
• People targeted by sizeism and fatphobia
• People who are targeted by law enforcement, incarcerated, and criminalized
• People whose livelihoods are criminalized e.g. sex work
• People exploited and harmed by capitalism
• People harmed by climate change and disasters
• People harmed by pollution, resource extraction, and land appropriation
• People experiencing houselessness and housing instability
• Immigrants
• Refugees
• People exploited and harmed by militarism, imperialism, and nationalism
• People exploited and harmed by colonization
• Youth
• Elders  

Ms. Foundation for Women

The mission of the Ms. Foundation for Women is to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. We achieve our mission by investing in, and strengthening, the capacity of women-led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural and economic change in the lives of women. Ms. has six grantmaking initiatives, one of which is the Birth Justice Initiative.

Birth Justice Initiative

Our Birth Justice Initiative aims to:

• advance equitable birth outcomes and experiences;
• strengthen the capacity, organizational infrastructure, and financial stability of grassroots Black, Indigenous and women of color-led birth justice organizations; and
• expand the frame of birth justice to support intersectional movements and strategies that recognize the full spectrum of experiences and identities in birthing, parenting, and family building.

We believe that Black, Indigenous, and women of color (including trans women and non-binary people) are key experts and should be decision-makers in shaping policy and culture change around birth justice. By investing directly into organizations led by and for women and girls of color, we are ensuring that the movement to address racial based disparities in healthcare, including birth outcomes and experiences, is led by those who are impacted most. Strengthening the collective power of communities of color is critical to addressing the root causes of these disparities and advancing birth justice for all.

The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates of all developed nations and Black women die at three to four times the rate of white women in birth – one of the widest racial disparities in women’s health. Systemic racism, implicit bias, and anti-Blackness all contribute to the significant disparities in birth outcomes among Black, Indigenous and birthing people of color. Moreover, the spectrum of intersectional issues that comprise birth justice and the ability to have children and parent with dignity, are not only limited to the birth process.

As such, the Ms. Foundation’s Birth Justice Initiative invests in organizations who represent the full spectrum of birth experiences including–but not limited to–preconception health, mental health and wellness, infertility, abortion access and abortion care, comprehensive sex and sexuality education, non-racist culturally affirming and gender expansive healthcare, access to birth workers of color, access to lactation support and services, postpartum health and wellness, grief and loss care and support, and sexual assault prevention and survivor support services. Organizations supported collectively utilize a range of movement building strategies to advance birth justice—such as narrative change, policy and systems change, advocacy, leadership development, direct service among others. And finally, they work at the intersection of birth justice and other movements, such as disability justice, youth justice, LGBTQIA+ justice, environmental justice, economic justice, and criminal legal reform.

Funding

During this cycle, Ms. will provide one-time grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 to selected organizations not currently receiving funding from Ms.’ Birth Justice Initiative. The grant period will comprise two years.

NOTE:  Those interested in applying are strongly encouraged to call ACF staff prior to submitting an online application.

Social Justice Fund

The Social Justice Fund grant opportunity is designed to facilitate strategic collaborations that prioritize and promote strong civic engagement; equity and inclusion; access to quality health care and education; and community leadership. The goal of this grant program is to support Alaskans in their efforts to address the root causes of social justice issues within their communities and across the state.

The Social Justice Fund was created in 2015 when John Rubini and Clare Bertucio made a generous $1 million pledge to support organizations leading progressive and social justice work in Alaska.