The Coca-Cola Foundation is our company's primary international philanthropic arm.

Since its inception in 1984, The Foundation has awarded more than $1.4 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world.

Giving Back to Communities

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the independent philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, is committed to a charitable giving strategy that makes a difference in communities around the world. In 2021, The Coca-Cola Foundation contributed $109.2 million to approximately 350 organizations globally.

Read more about our priorities in the 2021 Business & Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

NOTE: For nonprofit organizations new to U.S. Bank Foundation, a Letter of Interest is available. Community Affairs Managers will review Letter of Interest submissions periodically to learn about new and innovative programs and organizations in their regions and markets. After reviewing a Letter of Interest, a Community Affairs Manager may reach out with a request for a full application. You can access the Letter of Interest by clicking the “Submit a letter of interest” link at the bottom of this page. Letters of Interest may be submitted at any time during the year.

Community Possible Grant

Through U.S. Bank’s Community Possible® grant program, we invest in efforts to create stable jobs, safe homes and communities.

Funding Types

Within these general guidelines, we consider the following funding request types:

Operating grants

An operating grant is given to cover an organization’s day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies and more. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits a Community Possible grant focus area.

Program or project grants

A program or project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities, with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Community Possible grant focus areas.

Capital grants

A capital grant is given to finance fixed assets. The U.S. Bank Foundation considers a small number of requests for capital support from organizations that meet all other funding criteria, whose entire mission statement fits a Community Possible grant focus area, and with which the Foundation has a funding history. All organizations requesting capital funding must also have a U.S. Bank employee on the board of directors. U.S. Bank does not fund more than 1% of the non-endowment total capital campaign fundraising goal. All capital grant requests are reviewed and approved by the national U.S. Bank Foundation Board or by the U.S. Bank Foundation President.

Focus Area: PLAY

Creating vibrant communities through play.

Play brings joy, and it’s just as necessary for adults as it is for kids. But in low-income areas there are often limited spaces for play and fewer people attending arts and cultural events. That’s why we invest in community programming that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.

Access to artistic and cultural programming and arts education

Our investments ensure economic vitality and accessibility to the arts in local communities, as well as support for arts education. Examples of grant support include:

• Programs that provide access to cultural activities, visual and performing arts, zoos and aquariums and botanic gardens for individuals and families living in underserved communities
• Funding for local arts organizations that enhance the economic vitality of the community
• Programs that provide funding for arts-focused nonprofit organizations that bring visual and performing arts programming to low- and moderate-income K-12 schools and youth centers

Supporting learning through play.

Many young people across the country do not have the resources or access to enjoy the benefits of active play. Supporting active play-based programs and projects for K-12 students located in or serving low- and moderate-income communities fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration and impacts the overall vitality of the communities we serve. Funding support includes:

• Support for organizations that build or expand access to active play spaces and places that help K-12 students learn through play and improves the health, safety and unification of neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income communities
• Programs that focus on using active play to help young people develop cognitive, social and emotional learning skills to become vibrant and productive citizens in low- and moderate-income communities

Focus Area: WORK

Supporting workforce education and prosperity.

We know that a strong small business environment and an educated workforce ensure the prosperity of our communities and reducing the expanding wealth gap for communities of color. We provide grant support to programs and organizations that help small businesses thrive, allow people to succeed in the workforce, provide pathways to higher education and gain greater financial literacy.

Investing in the workforce.

We fund organizations that provide training for small business development, as well as programs that support individuals across all skill and experience levels, to ensure they have the capability to gain employment that supports individuals and their families. Examples of grant support include:

Small business technical assistance programs

Job-skills, career readiness training programs with comprehensive placement services for low- and moderate-income individuals entering or reentering the labor force

Providing pathways for educational success.

To address the growing requirements for post-secondary education in securing competitive jobs in the workplace, we support:

• Organizations and programs that help low- and moderate-income and at-risk middle and high school students prepare for post-secondary education at a community college, university, trade or technical school and career readiness
• Programs and initiatives at post-secondary institutions that support access to career and educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income and diverse students

Teaching financial well-being for work and life.

Financial well-being is not only critical for financial stability, it’s crucial in helping individuals be successful in the workplace. Examples of grant support include programs that positively impact:

• K-12 and college student financial literacy
• Adult and workforce financial literacy
• Senior financial fraud prevention
• Military service member and veteran financial literacy

Focus Area: HOME

Working to revitalize communities one neighborhood at a time.

Children and families are better positioned to thrive and succeed in a home that is safe and permanent. Access to sustainable low-income housing is increasingly challenges for low-moderate income families. In response, our giving supports efforts that connect individuals and families with sustainable housing opportunities.

Access to safe, affordable housing

We provide financial support to assist people in developing stability in their lives through access to safe, sustainable and accessible homes. Examples of grant support include:

• Organizations that preserve, rehabilitate, renovate or construct affordable housing developments for low- and moderate-income families, individuals, seniors, veterans, and special-needs populations
• Organizations that provide transitional housing as a direct steppingstone to permanent housing
• Organizations that focus on Veterans housing and homeownership
• Construction of green homes for low- and moderate-income communities
• Energy retrofit programs for low- and moderate-income housing developments

Home ownership education

Owning and maintaining a home requires significant financial knowledge, tools, and resources. We support programs that assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers and existing homeowners. Examples of grant support include:

• Homebuyer education
• Pre- and post-purchase counseling and coaching
• Homeownership-retention programs designed to provide foreclosure counseling

NOTE: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis year-round and subject to DDARF Board approval quarterly.

Our Mission

Transforming oral health through collaboration, innovation, education, and service.

Our new mission statement charts a bolder, more innovative path. We are focusing on building dynamic partnerships with Arkansas non-profits, government agencies, and schools to develop long-term solutions. Our goal is to fund projects and initiatives that prevent severe oral health issues in an effort to avoid costly interventions later on. We will still fund smaller-scale, transactional programs and will continue to work with organizations to integrate oral health into existing or new programs.

Oral Health Education Grants

Oral Health Education Grants seek to increase oral health knowledge and empowerment through community partnerships that reach underserved, uninsured, and/or underinsured Arkansas residents of all ages, ethnicities, genders, and socio-economic statuses in Arkansas.

Oral Health Education Grants seek to improve oral health care through funding innovative educational programs that build the following healthy habits:

• Brushing Teeth
• Flossing Teeth
• Visiting a Dentist

Funding

Oral Health Education Grants range from $2,500 up to $30,000 per organization

NOTE: The Foundation’s board reviews proposals in June and October of each year. We invite applications from organizations we deem eligible after reviewing their organizational summaries.

Mission & Vision

The Babcock Foundation’s mission is to help people and places move out of poverty and achieve greater social and economic justice. We recognize that poverty is complicated and multi-faceted. We believe in the need for significant changes in the systems and structures—laws, behaviors, attitudes, policies and institutions—that make a difference to people and their communities. To overcome tough barriers, people often need concrete assistance, like access to employment, workforce training or affordable housing, that results in direct improvements and supports them in achieving their full potential. We also believe people who develop skills and believe
 in themselves can successfully improve their own lives and act collectively to increase opportunity for themselves and their communities.

Our vision for the South is anchored in a belief in people, organizations and the power of partnerships. We believe more people must directly influence the institutions and leaders that shape their economic and civic lives. Better policy and more collaborative institutions, public and private, should provide supportive and equitable ladders of economic opportunity. More people and communities need to access, control and build assets essential for economic mobility and stability. Progress along all three pathways—civic engagement, supportive policy and institutions, and economic opportunity—is critical to moving people and places out of poverty.

We recognize there are serious challenges to this vision in the South and beyond: Structural racism and other forms of discrimination are major barriers. Political control remains too concentrated. Disinvestment in public goods like education and the safety net has eroded the foundation people need to get ahead. The economy too often rewards short-term market behavior that hurts low-wealth people, communities and natural systems.

Overcoming these challenges and advancing this vision is not easy work. It takes long- term and patient investment. It takes collaboration among unusual partners. It takes effective and well-resourced organizations, enterprises and networks working together in new ways across race, geography, strategy and issues. It requires low-wealth and directly affected people to be central to the solutions in their communities and across the region. It takes
 a commitment to democracy, equity and inclusion.

While these solutions are not simple, we believe they are not only possible but essential to promoting economic opportunity and reducing poverty and inequality in the South.

Our Approaches

Layered Strategies

We don't believe in a "silver bullet" approach to poverty alleviation. Investments in multiple organizations and coalitions over time, using complementary strategies and informed by their understanding of place, are most successful.

Engage with all Assets

We strategically deploy 100 percent of our financial assets (grants, program-related investments and market-rate investments), use our intellectual and reputational capital to influence and leverage investments from other sources, communicate strategically and look for opportunities to convene grantees and other partners for peer learning. We deploy staff as "network officers" to engage deeply in a place, learn the context and determine how best to support our partners.

Robust Networks

We believe networks of people and organizations who bring together diverse strategies, capacities and perspectives have greater impact than those working alone. We support efforts to develop leaders who are directly affected and connect them to partners and opportunities that increase their influence.

Capacity Building

We aim to strengthen every dimension (program, governance, management, administration, finance, culture, etc.) of healthy organizations and networks through patient, long-term general support and attention to organizational development.

Shared Learning

Since its founding in 1953, the Babcock Foundation has been building on its experiences to hone its work and tell the story of the South. We reflect on and capture lessons and share them broadly with our grantee and philanthropic partners. We seek out important crosscutting topics, commission research as needed and share our findings with our colleagues in the field. 

Place-Based

There are many Souths. Each state and region has its own context, history, challenges and opportunities. We believe an understanding of and focus on place are central to defining unique opportunities, challenges and partnerships to move people and places out of poverty.

Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation Grant

We support nonprofits helping people & places move out of poverty & achieve greater social & economic justice.

The Foundation also remains open to new thinking about how to address poverty in the South. In addition to our primary focus, MRBF is interested in supporting new approaches to achieving economic opportunity, systems and policy change, or democracy and civic engagement outcomes. These efforts must demonstrably advance our vision of social and economic justice in the South. Our annual grantmaking allocation for new approaches is significantly smaller than for our primary focus. 

Types of grants

Organizations may use grant funds in a variety of ways, including:

• General operating support 
• Project support
• “Glue” support for networks of grassroots and partner organizations
• Organizational development support

The size and duration of grants is matched to the applicant’s scale of impact, need, capabilities and opportunities, and typically follow these guidelines: 

• We provide one-year funding for initial grants We consider continuation of funding in two-year increments 
• We rarely make grants that exceed 30% of a project or organizational budget

Program-related investments (PRIs): We look for opportunities to make below-market-rate investments to spur economic development in low-wealth communities.

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Health Care and Hospitals

A growing area of need in many of the communities the Foundation serves. In 2017, more than $2.9 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities. 

Human Services

The Foundation awarded over $7 million to human service nonprofits in 2017, and the majority of grants in this area were awarded to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including the Kansas 4-H Foundation, Kids TLC, Ronald McDonald House & Boys & Girls Clubs. 

Higher Education

In 2017, the Foundation awarded more than $10 million to over 45 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities. 

Arts and Culture

NOTE: When you first set up an account, you’ll be asked to share a brief summary of your idea. Proposed ideas must have a direct impact within the state of Arkansas and align with AR Equity 2025. Before submitting an idea, we recommend you learn more about our priorities and approach. 

Our Mission

The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation exists to relentlessly pursue economic, educational, social, ethnic and racial equity for all Arkansans.

Our Vision

WRF affirms the legacy of our founder who envisioned a thriving and prosperous Arkansas that benefits all Arkansans.

How We Work

 Our approach to philanthropy centers on changing systems and policies to solve problems over the long term and expand power and access for marginalized communities. 

We work with multiple sectors —public, private, and nonprofit—to support the leadership, policies, movements and cultural changes that are required to achieve widespread equity and prosperity in Arkansas.

We use our tools and resources in grantmaking and capacity building, strategic communications, strategic partnerships, convenings, and program- and mission- related investments.

Program and Mission Related Investments

From GrantCrafts’ Program-related Investing: Skills and Strategies for New PRI Funders: Program Related Investments (PRI) are investments made by foundations in support of charitable purposes, with the explicit understanding that those investments will earn below market returns, adjusted for risk and mission. Although a PRI is not a grant, it counts toward a foundation’s payout requirement in the year a disbursement is made.

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.

Arkansas Arts Council

The Arkansas Arts Council advances and empowers the arts by providing services and funding for programming that encourages and assists literary, performing and visual artists in achieving standards of professional excellence. The Arkansas Arts Council also provides technical and financial assistance to Arkansas arts organizations and other providers of cultural and educational programs. This statewide programming and assistance ultimately provides cultural, educational and economic opportunities for the benefit of all Arkansans.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, now the Division of Arkansas Heritage.

The Arkansas Arts Council is an agency of Arkansas Heritage and shares the goals of all big Division of Arkansas Heritage agencies, that of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the State of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.

General Operating Support Grants

These grants are designed to help fund administrative and operational costs for established nonprofit organizations with programs involving the arts. The program is for local arts agencies or single discipline arts organizations with total incomes between $50,000 and $999,999. GOS funding may only be spent for non-programmatic, administrative expenses, including, but are not limited to, administrative staff salaries, general marketing and fundraising costs, facility rental, utilities, maintenance of the facility and staff travel. 

NOTE: Transportation Systems Deadline: June 30, 2021;

Coastal Areas Impacted by Wildfires Deadline: July 6, 2021

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What is an eligible area?

Rural Business Development Grant money must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Check eligible areas. 

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.