Search Through Billings Grants for Nonprofits in Montana

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

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.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Diagnostics Accelerator

The path to approved Alzheimer's treatments starts with a better way to diagnose patients. Bill Gates and ADDF Co-Founder Leonard A. Lauder partnered to adopt a new approach that brings together philanthropic capital with a venture mindset to advance bold ideas for easier, more accurate, and earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Currently available tests for Alzheimer's are expensive and invasive. The development of reliable and affordable biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s— just as cholesterol is an early biomarker for heart disease risk— has the potential to revolutionize how we approach the disease. Biomarkers will allow us to better understand how the disease progresses, improve clinical trial design, and more accurately monitor response to treatments. All are critical to the development of effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Launched in July 2018, the Diagnostics Accelerator has mobilized commitments totaling $100 million from Bill Gates, Leonard A. Lauder, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), Eli Lilly & Company, Biogen, the Shanahan Family Foundation, the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, and others.

Diagnostics Accelerator Digital Biomarkers Program Funding Priorities

Platforms: A variety of digital platforms such as portables, sensors, or software are encouraged. The proposed platform should have the potential to be easily deployed at scale. Passive approaches to data collection are encouraged.

Examples of digital approaches include, but are not limited to:

• Wearables devices (e.g., smart watch)
• Mobile/tablet apps
• Smart home systems
• Virtual and augmented reality platforms
• Desktop/web apps

The following is out of scope for this RFP:

• Diagnostic hardware for traditional digital imaging platforms (e.g. optical coherence tomography, neuroimaging)
• Proposals focused on speech and language biomarkers

Symptom Domains: The RFP encourages digital biomarkers emerging from one or more of the symptom domains below. Proposed approaches will be evaluated based on the existing evidence around the biological link of the symptom domain to disease and how measuring the proposed symptom domain will improve current screening or monitoring methods in patients.

Symptom domains of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Cognition (e.g. memory, processing speed, executive function, or geolocation)
• Activities of Daily Living (instrumental basic activities or higher order activities)
• Motor function (e.g. gait, body motion, or fine motor skills including tapping, swiping, and tracing on touchscreens)
• Sensory Acuity (e.g. hearing, smell)
• Affect (e.g. mood, facial expression)
• Sleep Patterns and Characteristics
• Oculomotor (e.g. eye movement)
• Pain Assessment
• Autonomic Nervous Function (e.g. heart rate, galvanic skin response)

Combinations of these or other symptom domains with a clear link to the disease are also encouraged.

Diagnostics Accelerator

The path to approved Alzheimer's treatments starts with a better way to diagnose patients. Bill Gates and ADDF Co-Founder Leonard A. Lauder partnered to adopt a new approach that brings together philanthropic capital with a venture mindset to advance bold ideas for easier, more accurate, and earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Currently available tests for Alzheimer's are expensive and invasive. The development of reliable and affordable biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s— just as cholesterol is an early biomarker for heart disease risk— has the potential to revolutionize how we approach the disease. Biomarkers will allow us to better understand how the disease progresses, improve clinical trial design, and more accurately monitor response to treatments. All are critical to the development of effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Launched in July 2018, the Diagnostics Accelerator has mobilized commitments totaling $100 million from Bill Gates, Leonard A. Lauder, Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), Eli Lilly & Company, Biogen, the Shanahan Family Foundation, the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, and others.

Peripheral Biomarkers Program Funding Priorities

Modalities

Blood and other peripheral markers, including saliva, urine, and ocular biomarkers are encouraged. The development of CSF and neuroimaging biomarkers will not be considered for this program; however, we encourage the use of these modalities to validate proposed biomarkers.

Biomarker targets

Proposed approaches will be evaluated on biological plausibility linking the biomarker to disease pathophysiology. Examples of target areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Vascular injury and blood-brain barrier integrity
• Neuroinflammation
• Neuroprotection and Neurodegeneration
• Biomarkers of interest in fronto-temporal degeneration (FTD)
• Protein misfolding
• Synaptic integrity and/or activity
• Mitochondria and metabolic function
• Other novel approaches that are supported by compelling evidence that demonstrate a rational biological connection to the disease process are encouraged.

Sample sharing program

Clinical validation of a biomarker requires well characterized samples across multiple cohorts. The Diagnostics Accelerator has partnered with Janssen/Shionogi, Eisai and Roche pharmaceuticals to make available samples from their clinical trials to our researchers conducting validation stage studies.

The peripheral RFP is open to all biomarker categories that will advance drug development for Alzheimer's and related dementias. The expected context of use, which defines a biomarker's intended use clinically as a diagnostic or in drug development, should be described in the application. These categories, as defined by the FDA, include diagnostic, monitoring, predictive, prognostic, pharmacodynamic/response, safety, and susceptibility/risk biomarkers. Additionally, the applicant should articulate where in the path to commercialization the study falls and what is the proposed plan forward.

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

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.

Our Grants

RAF provides grants to organizations whose work promotes our vision of a world where the inherent value of people, plants, animals and the planet are honored and stewarded in a way that regenerates both human and natural communities.

Our Grantmaking Process

Much of RAF’s grantmaking is conducted with participatory grantmaking processes, including our farm bill advocacy support and Restorying Regenerative Agriculture. RAF has one annual distribution of its general grantmaking, conducted by invitation only, in the summer.

RAF was created as an intermediary funder for multiple reasons:

• To provide pooled funds and other tools to support collaborative funding into regenerative agriculture from across multiple sectors. Regenerative agriculture may not be the central focus of foundations that prioritize grantmaking in climate, public health, racial equity, and rural economic development, but regenerative agriculture is an important vehicle for advancing all of the goals.

• To encourage funders to see their work as part of an ambitious, transformational vision for agricultural systems. Agriculture is inherently a risk-averse sector dependent on annual cycles, and consequently change tends to be slow and incremental. Yet for many reasons, our ecosystems and our communities need systemic solutions, and fast. RAF seeks to create connections and partnerships between these short-term and long-term efforts, assuring that we collectively learn from the project work and celebrate each small step while continuing to envision long-term transformation.

• To serve funders as a repository of information and guidance about opportunities to advance regenerative agriculture. RAF staff, board, and partners maintain relationships with nonprofit organizations and networks across the country and are happy to talk with funders about grantmaking.

Regenerative Agriculture Foundation Funds:

• domestic organizations located within the United States and Tribal Nations
• organizations advancing RAF’s vision of a world where the inherent value of people, plants, animals and the planet are honored and stewarded in a way that regenerates both human and natural communities
• bold, on-the-ground efforts frequently outside the prevailing agricultural practices that are underappreciated as climate solutions
• a racial & climate justice emphasis on BIPOC-led and/or BIPOC-serving organizations

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.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

What We Do NYFA was established in 1971 to serve individual artists throughout New York State. Since then, we have extended our programs and services throughout the United States and internationally and expanded our scope to serve additional members of the arts community.Rauschenberg Medical Emergency GrantsProgram DescriptionNew York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is proud to partner with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation to administer the Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants. Robert Rauschenberg was committed to assisting fellow artists in need of emergency medical aid, ultimately establishing the nonprofit foundation Change, Inc. in 1970. In this spirit, this program is designed to serve artists in financial need who otherwise may delay critical treatment or incur substantial and perhaps overwhelming debt. We recognize the urgency of caring for and helping one another and, while artists are famously self-sufficient, we encourage you to ask for support when needed.

This is a competitive grant program. Please review our eligibility requirements and the eligible types of expenses to determine that you are eligible before applying. If you have questions, please contact the grants administrator. This project is supported by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

We strongly encourage artists of color, LGBTQ+ artists, artists with disabilities, and artists living outside of the East and West coasts to apply.

Additional guidelines can be found here FAQ

The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.

GPER Mini-Grants: Emergency Support

Emergency Support grants support individual GPER members who are facing unanticipated financial challenges. Emergency mini-grants have a maximum of $500 per award.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Our Commitment

The Herb Block Foundation is committed to defending the basic freedoms guaranteed all Americans, combating all forms of discrimination and prejudice and improving the conditions of the poor and underprivileged through the creation or support of charitable and educational programs with the same goals.

The Foundation is also committed to providing educational opportunity to deserving students through post-secondary education scholarships and to promoting editorial cartooning through continued research. All efforts of the Foundation shall be in keeping with the spirit of Herblock, America's great cartoonist in his life long fight against abuses by the powerful.

Defending Basic Freedoms

This program helps safeguard the basic freedoms guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, to help eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination, and to assist government agencies to be more accountable to the public. The Herb Block Foundation will also consider contemporary societal issues that may arise. Grants are available nationwide.

Zimmerman, Edward and Beverly Memorial Scholarship Fund

For a West Noble High School senior attending a 2 or 4-year college or university with evidence of community service/volunteer involvement. Preference to students with a GPA of 2.50 to 3.00 and to those students pursuing the field of study in the following order of agriculture, education (teaching), social work, or accounting. Pays $1,000 one time. (CFNC)

Donor Fund Story:

Edward served in the Marines and used the GI Bill to graduate from Iowa State with a degree in agricultural economics.

Beverly spent many hours volunteering and was named Ligonier Citizen of the Year in 1985. She served on the Board of Directors for the Ruth Shultz Nursery School and Lighthouse Ministries in Ligonier, and was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and the Ligonier Study Club.

Ed and Bev were avid supporters of West Noble High School, where their four children (Karen, Bruce, Crystal, and Amy) participated in athletics, cheerleading, drama, and extra-curricular clubs.

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants

YSA is excited to announce the launch of the 15th Annual Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation Youth Grants! With the generous support of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, we are again offering project grants to youth changemakers—aged 5 to 25—to lead awareness, direct service, advocacy, and philanthropic projects that focus on ending childhood hunger in their communities.

“Why focus on hunger?” you may ask. According to the latest estimates, nearly 1 in 5 children (19.2%) in the US is living at risk of hunger, an increase from around 12.8% in 2021. While this may be the result of kids skipping meals, families living in food deserts, an increase in the cost of food, parents having to choose between buying food and paying bills, or a whole host of other factors, one thing remains the same: 13.8 million children live in food-insecure households in the wealthiest country in the world.

This year, youth may apply for grants of $500 for projects that engage at least 50 other youth as volunteers (project planners, project leaders, and day-of volunteers) in activities designed to help end childhood hunger in their community.

About Third Wave Fund

​​Third Wave Fund is the only national fund that supports youth-led Gender Justice activism to advance the political power, well-being, and self determination of communities of color and low-income communities in the United States.

We hold the following beliefs:

• People directly impacted by an issue are best positioned to design and lead solutions.
• The leadership of young women of color, trans, intersex, queer and gender non-conforming youth brings critical analysis and power to all social justice movements.
• We will only achieve deep and lasting change if we address the root cause of an issue.

Mobilize Power Fund

The Mobilize Power Fund is a rapid response fund that resources gender justice organizations to adapt or pivot their work when met with unanticipated, time-sensitive opportunities or threats to their movement building work and organizing conditions. ​The Mobilize Power Fund prioritizes organizations that are responding to specific incidents or changes of circumstances that have occurred in the last six months. This can include rapid response mobilizations, healing justice work, conflict resolution/conflict transformation, community accountability, mutual aid, direct actions, emergency safety, security, and defense needs, and more. This fund prioritizes groups and organizations who are experiencing an unanticipated incident. Because of this, organizations applying on behalf of a budget shortfall or preplanned events or ongoing programming will not be prioritized.

History

We launched the Mobilize Power Fund because powerful movements need the ability to respond to and heal from immediate threats and opportunities with flexible and responsive funding. Mobilize Power Fund’s first iteration was to support organizers against HB2, the transphobic “Bathroom Bill” proposed in North Carolina in 2016.

Who is the fund for?

The Mobilize Power Fund prioritizes organizations that are led by young women of color (transgender and cisgender), and trans, queer, gender non conforming and intersex young people of color under 35, led by and for communities directly impacted by the issues they focus on, have an intersectional gender justice lens, and have a total organizational budget under $500k​. Groups do not need 501c3 of fiscal sponsor status to apply.

What kind of work do the funds support?

The fund covers unanticipated and time-sensitive community organizing or direct action, Participatory Action Research, healing justice work, conflict mediation/resolution, legal or bail fees, marches or rallies, leadership training & skills building, mutual aid, unanticipated legislative or ballot initiative campaigns.

How much are the grants for?

Grants can be made for up to $10,000 USD. Larger grants may be made on a case-by-case basis. Partnership or coalitions of two or more groups can request up to $20,000 USD.

Mission

The Karst Waters Institute is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit institution whose mission is to improve the fundamental understanding of karst water systems for professionals and the public.

William L. and Diane C. Wilson Scholarship for Karst Science

The William L. Wilson and Diane C. Wilson Scholarship in Karst Science was established in 2002 to recognize the significant contributions of the late William (Bill) L. Wilson. Bill used a variety of techniques, and unusual creativity, to tackle some of the most difficult karst science questions in Florida and elsewhere. He developed a leading karst consulting company in the United States, Subsurface Evaluations, Inc. To stimulate the development of new, energetic, motivated, and creative karst scientists, and to remember Bill Wilson and his dedication to karst science, the scholarship has been established in his memory. The initial donation of funds to establish the scholarship were made by Diane C. Wilson, and, upon her passing, the name of the scholarship was changed to include recognition of her commitment to supporting karst science. The scholarship includes recognition at the KWI spring banquet, a plaque naming the awardee, and a one-time award of $2,500.

What We Do

The community foundation is like the community’s charitable savings account. We pool resources from community members, invest them and then use them to make grants for the betterment of the entire community. We exist to serve donors, nonprofit organizations and the community as a whole. Donors to ACCF enjoy tax advantages not available to private foundation donors. They also receive professional services without hiring staff. Nonprofit organizations receive grants from community foundations to support their programs and projects. Many nonprofits also establish their own endowment funds with the foundation as a means of investing for the future. We’re also engaged as a community leader. We help set the vision for Ashland County while ensuring charitable gifts are used effectively to meet the community’s present needs and to build a brighter future.

Bill and Cay Harris Scholarship

The Bill and Cay Harris Scholarship was initiated in 2010 by many friends of Bill and Cay. In 2010, Bill completed sixteen years of service in the Ohio General Assembly, representing Ashland County and surrounding counties as State Representative, as Senator, and as President of the Ohio Senate from 2005 to 2010. Previously, Bill was CEO of Bill Harris Dealerships, a successful family business now operated by his three sons. Bill, a decorated Major in the United States Marine Corps, served 23 years in the military and is a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Mary Catherine (Cay) has prayerfully supported Bill’s political career in Columbus. Her community involvement includes a career with the Department of Job and Family Services and volunteering with the Ashland Symphony. Cay’s other interests include the Ashland Garden Club and Precepts Bible Study. Bill and Cay are members of Grace Brethren Church of Ashland. They continue to reside in Ashland, and are parents of 11 adult children, 16 grandchildren, and a growing family of great-grandchildren. The Bill and Cay Harris Scholarship will be awarded to graduating students exemplifying Christian service and leadership qualities. 

What We Do

The community foundation is like the community’s charitable savings account. We pool resources from community members, invest them and then use them to make grants for the betterment of the entire community. We exist to serve donors, nonprofit organizations and the community as a whole. Donors to ACCF enjoy tax advantages not available to private foundation donors. They also receive professional services without hiring staff. Nonprofit organizations receive grants from community foundations to support their programs and projects. Many nonprofits also establish their own endowment funds with the foundation as a means of investing for the future. We’re also engaged as a community leader. We help set the vision for Ashland County while ensuring charitable gifts are used effectively to meet the community’s present needs and to build a brighter future.

William & Martha Buckingham Scholarship - Renewal

Martha and Bill were relocated numerous times during Bill’s career with The Mead Corporation and Warner and Swasey. They found their permanent home in Ashland in 1978 and purchased Lake Erie Frozen Foods in 1986. Over the years, they have adopted Ashland as their new “home town” and participated in organizations that have had a positive impact on Ashland and Ashland County. Bill and Martha chose to “give back” to their community through a scholarship fund to benefit Ashland County students to help them reach their full potential. 

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

True Inspiration Awards

The True Inspiration Awards® program was created in 2015 to honor the legacy of Chick-fil-A® founder S. Truett Cathy. Through these annual grants, it is our pleasure to celebrate and support nonprofit organizations making an impact in their local communities.

S. Truett Cathy Honoree

One organization will be selected as the S. Truett Cathy Honoree. The S. Truett Cathy Honoree embodies the generous, innovative spirit of Chick-fil-A’s late founder — pioneering new ways to solve problems and serve others.

Category winners

In 2025 we will continue to support nonprofits with a total commitment of $6 million in grants ranging from $30,000-$350,000.

Sixteen organizations will be awarded for their work in these areas.

Caring for People (four winners): Programs or projects supporting educational initiatives, including fostering character and leadership development, academic excellence and community involvement in underserved youth.

Caring through Food (four winners): Programs or projects focused on addressing hunger and food insecurity facing children and their families.

Community (four winners): Programs or projects focused on providing housing and other direct services to support young people and their families.

Caring for our Planet (four winners): Programs or projects that show care for our environment and our planet, or that demonstrate environmental stewardship through initiatives directly related to our other True Inspiration Awards categories of food, community and people (i.e., community beautification, education opportunities, community gardens, outdoor classrooms, etc.) 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

We are a nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world.

About Grand Challenges

Grand Challenges is a family of initiatives fostering innovation to solve key global health and development problems.

A Family of Initiatives with One Purpose

Grand Challenges initiatives use challenges to focus attention and effort on specific problems, and they can be traced back to the mathematician David Hilbert, who over a century ago defined a set of unsolved problems to spark progress in the field of mathematics. Grand Challenges initiatives launch challenges as open requests for grant proposals, refining the process of sourcing innovation over time. Each challenge is an experiment in focusing innovation on making an impact. Each addresses some of the same problems, but from differing perspectives. Each builds a grant program that fosters collaboration across projects to speed impact.

Innovations for Exceptionally Low-Cost Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) Manufacturing

Background

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most powerful tools in modern medicine, offering a highly specific and effective treatment for a range of conditions - from infectious diseases like COVID-19 to chronic illnesses such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. These biologic therapies provide targeted interventions that can save lives and improve the quality of life for millions of patients globally. Yet, the high production costs associated with mAbs limit access to these lifesaving treatments for patients in low- and middle-income settings.

With efforts to improve technology and affordability, mAb costs have decreased significantly in the last 30 years and have stagnated at around $50-100 per gram. These high costs are driven by the complexity of the manufacturing process, which involves sophisticated methods, strict regulatory compliance, expensive raw materials, and significant infrastructure investments. Reducing production costs is critical, as many applications of anti-infective antibodies may require doses on the order of hundreds of milligrams (as seen for the antibodies that achieved emergency use authorization and/or approvals for COVID-19). In order to improve mAb affordability in low- and middle-income countries, we will need to reach a final drug substance cost-of-goods of $10 per gram - a goal long championed by our late colleague, Dr. Steve Hadley, former Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation.

To reach our goal, we will need to draw on innovation and novel approaches from a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines. While those in the biopharmaceutical field are already deeply engaged in the challenge of reducing mAb manufacturing costs, there is tremendous potential for breakthroughs as we incorporate learnings from adjacent industries, such as dewatering and filtration, blood fractionation, industrial enzymes, and food and beverages. By bringing together diverse expertise and encouraging out-of-the-box thinking, we believe it is possible to achieve this ambitious goal.

The Grand Challenges family of initiatives seeks to source and seed innovations and accelerate the development of transformational solutions. The Gates Foundation, in collaboration with LifeArc, a self-funded medical research charity in the UK, is calling on innovators, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs- whether they are seasoned experts in biologics or pioneers in related fields- to join us in this Grand Challenge. Together, we can unlock new pathways to reduce costs, enhance production efficiency, and ultimately expand access to life-saving treatments for all.

This Grand Challenge is calling for proposals that are bold in their vision and approach, offering clear pathways to achieving the $10 per gram target. This is not just a technical challenge; it is an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. We invite you to bring your expertise, creativity, and passion to this effort and help shape a future where the best medical treatments are available to everyone, everywhere.

The Challenge

The Gates Foundation and LifeArc are soliciting proposals to develop proof-of-concept for manufacturing platforms that produce monoclonal antibodies at a final drug substance cost-of-goods of $10 per gram (Option A). The goal is to catalyze and accelerate multiple, diverse, innovative bioprocessing approaches that hold the promise of low cost-of-goods mAbs.

Additionally, the Gates Foundation is interested in hearing from organizations that have already completed proof-of-concept work that could result in cost-of-goods of $10 per gram and may be interested in additional support (Option B).

Applicants can apply with solutions meeting the criteria for either Option A or Option B but should not submit entries to both options.

Objectives of the Challenge (both Option A and Option B)

• Advance innovative and bold ideas that enhance production efficiency and improve overall process economics for mAb production, resulting in a final drug substance cost-of-goods of $10 per gram.
  • This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Alternative hosts to mammalian cell culture
    • Alternative to standard downstream purification methods
    • Reduction in material costs
• Push the boundaries of current technology by harnessing disruptive innovations, possibly from parallel industries, and identify process improvements to reduce manufacturing costs
• Rethink existing methods of working such as release testing process and costs, high-quality and affordable raw materials and critical reagents

Option B: Operationalization and Economic Viability

Independent of the Proof-of-Concept (Option A), the Gates Foundation recognizes that some organizations may already have proof-of-concept data that could support a final drug substance cost of-goods of $10 per gram and would like to partner for further development funding. If you have existing data meeting Technical Readiness Level 3-5 (POC Defined, Lab Scale Demonstrated, or Pilot Scale Demonstrated) please share a solution with additional information listed below, as well as any non-confidential data demonstrating Technical Readiness Level 3-5 for production of a monoclonal antibody at a final drug substance cost-of-goods of $10 per gram. The proposal review committee will evaluate this information and reach out to you if there is interest in exploring further.

Option B: Funding Level

Potential funding and grant terms will be evaluated on a per-project basis. The funding and timeline are intentionally open given that the work is exploratory at this time. Application budgets should be commensurate with the scope of work being proposed.

The Center for Cooperative Media, a grant-funded program within the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University was founded in 2012 in response to the downsizing of New Jersey news organizations and the changes in the ownership of regional public media. These shifts in the news and information landscape hurt the volume of local news available in a state that has historically had limited news coverage, due to its proximity to the major metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. With 564 municipalities packed into a densely populated state, New Jersey was—and is—ripe for innovation in local journalism.

The mission of the Center for Cooperative Media is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center coordinates statewide and regional reporting, connecting more than 300 local news and information providers through its flagship project, the NJ News Commons. We offer innovative professional development seminars, with training sessions on topics such as data and investigative journalism, fact-checking, OPRA, podcasting, video production, digital sales, and business planning, among many others. We also offer one-on-one coaching. The Center’s research agenda is focused on issues impacting local journalism, especially collaboration and sustainability questions.

About Civic Science Media

At its core, civic science media is created when journalists and other storytellers work intentionally with diverse community members and scientists to collaboratively address issues of shared interest. Civic science media serves as an important bridge between scientists or scientific organizations and the people most impacted by scientific discovery, and promotes a dynamic conversation between scientists, media, and the public. The goal is both to inform and support active participation in solving or addressing community-identified concerns related to science, including climate change, public health, and artificial intelligence.

Civic Science Media Project Funding

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is delighted to announce a funding opportunity for civic science media projects, thanks to support from the Rita Allen Foundation. The awards aim to accelerate civic science media collaborations across the United States with funding and coaching.

This is the second open call for pilot awards in support of projects that can bridge the gap between scientists, media, and communities, with a focus on increasing public participation in science, expanding public deliberation about emerging science and creating opportunities for science to be informed by diverse communities.

• The award builds on a global research project conducted in 2020 and 2021 by the Center that studied how and why journalists and civil society organizations around the world collaborate to achieve and increase impact. Led by Dr. Sarah Stonbely and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research showed that journalists have become more willing to partner with civil society organizations in order to achieve tangible impact on issues such as corruption, governance, climate and environment, and human rights.
• With new openness among journalists and media makers to partner with civil society and community organizations, rapid advances in scientific discovery and debate, and increased polarization across communities, there is an urgent need to create a culture of civic science — where all people feel a sense of belonging in, and benefit from, the practice of science so they can inform meaningfully deliberation about society's most pressing problems.
• Rita Allen Foundation recently published the industry’s first in-depth analysis of civic science media, in a report that highlights a broad range of civic science media initiatives from across the country. The landscape scan showcases a range of civic science media projects and insights from leaders in this emergent field; potential award applicants should familiarize themselves with the paper.

The Award

A total of 10 awards up to $15,000 each are available. This opportunity is not meant to fund long-term, multi-year partnerships, but rather short-term pilots that:

• Foster ongoing, multidirectional dialogue between media organizations, scientists, and local communities.
• Include direct community participation in the scientific and/or media-creation process, ensuring that local concerns and perspectives substantially influence the conversation.
• Enhance science literacy by making complex scientific topics more accessible and engaging.

In addition to funding, participants will receive hands-on coaching, including regular check-ins, peer-to-peer meetings, and tailored support to align goals, address challenges, and ensure robust and impactful community engagement.

Priority areas include artificial intelligence, climate science, and neuroscience, which align with the broader goals of the Rita Allen Foundation’s overall civic science program.

The awards are intended to cover the cost of the applicant’s and co-collaborator’s time, project materials, equipment, and associated production/editing costs to complete the project. Audience participation incentives are also encouraged; applicants should ensure they are not being extractive when it comes to involving members of the public.

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