Search Through Capacity Building Grants for Nonprofits in Arizona in the U.S.

What We Fund

Arizona Humanities supports innovative, community-based projects that use humanities disciplines to connect Arizonans to the cultures, peoples, and histories of the state and beyond. We welcome proposals from a wide range of nonprofit, educational, and governmental organizations and encourage projects that are innovative in their approach toward the humanities and public programming. Projects should use the humanities to provide context, depth, and perspective to issues of significance to Arizonans.

Our grants program aims to stimulate thoughtful community exchange, build new audiences for the humanities, innovate new methods in the humanities, and advocate for the importance of the humanities in maintaining a healthy democracy.

Program formats include, but are not limited to:

• Interactive lectures and discussions
• Exhibits
• Publications (must be published through a third-party, peer-review process)
• Public broadcasts; online and/or radio
• Film documentaries
• Discussions before or after performances

Arizona Humanities maintains two levels of grant support: Mini Grants and Project Grants. We encourage you to speak with us about your project before submitting your proposal. Our grants are funded through a larger federal grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and are awarded on a competitive basis.

Mini Grants

 Mini Grants can be used for capacity-building, program planning, and implementation of programs. Capacitybuilding may include training and education for constituents to help plan and/or implement public humanities engagements. The goal of Mini Grants is to foster the capacity-building of small organizations with limited funding, and encourage partnerships and collaboration between nonprofits. The applicant organization’s budget must not exceed $500,000. Larger institutions must partner with a smaller institution that will lead the program or project.

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.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

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

Our Mission

Our mission is to maximize the leverage of philanthropic dollars, time, and effort through the pursuit of two strategies:

• to increase philanthropic resources by supporting organizations, programs and projects that serve primarily to encourage philanthropy, public service and/or volunteerism; and
• to increase philanthropic impact by encouraging and supporting long-term collaborations among nonprofits working in the same or complementary areas in order to increase efficiency and/or impact and to reduce duplication of efforts, and the adoption of other sound business practices.

Our Grant Philosophy

The Lodestar Foundation is focused in its grantmaking and will consider funding only organizations, projects, and programs that further our mission, although we also choose to support special projects from time to time. Moreover, our grants are designed to fully leverage our assets as much as possible. Not only do we try to maximize strategic impact by focusing on projects that support systemic changes in the way nonprofits conduct business, but we also often leverage our funds by establishing challenge and matching grant requirements which may be applicable to our grantees and their boards as well as third parties. We require our grantees to report to us periodically for at least two (2) years after funding to let us know how the grant has impacted their work.

In addition to making direct grants, we also engage in field-building activities to build knowledge and to educate others in the areas of encouraging philanthropy and fostering collaboration.

Strategic Funding Areas

Encouraging Philanthropy

To implement our strategy of encouraging philanthropy, we focus on strengthening organizations that primarily exist to encourage philanthropy, volunteerism, or public service generally for the public good. We support donor networks as well as nonprofits that have as a primary mission the desire to generally (a) grow philanthropy, (b) promote the concept of volunteerism (but not individual volunteer programs), or (c) support, encourage or train citizens to participate in public service.

Collaboration 

We support those nonprofits that have made the joint decision to explore and/or implement permanent relationships. We support sustained collaborations of all types, ranging from joint programming to administrative consolidations (sharing office space and/or services) to mergers and acquisitions to associations and confederations. We also initiate and support efforts to build resources and knowledge about collaboration as a strategic capacity-building tool for nonprofits.

Special Projects

In addition to our two strategic funding areas, we make investments in a number of important projects that deserve to be highlighted. A number of our grants in these project areas qualify as Philanthropy and Collaboration grants and are listed in one of those two categories, as well as being listed as Special Projects.

About Piper Trust

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust honors the commitment of its founder in supporting organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Through strategic grantmaking, nonprofit support, and community leadership, the Trust strives to be a vital part of our region and make a positive, lasting impact on its future.

Grant Priorities

Reflecting our founder’s philanthropic values, Piper Trust concentrates its grantmaking and initiatives in six core areas — arts and culture, children, education, healthcare and medical research, older adults, and religious organizations — and works side-by-side with community partners to strengthen the capacity, leadership, and effectiveness of local nonprofits for the long-term benefit of Maricopa County, Arizona.

Arts & Culture

Arts and culture contribute to individual well-being, improved educational outcomes, community cohesion, and a vibrant economy. Basic access and a sense of belonging for marginalized people ensures that all people of Maricopa County can reap these benefits.

• Efforts that create a sense of welcoming and belonging for marginalized people.
• Efforts that improve access to arts and culture experiences, particularly for young families and older adults.

Children

Children thrive in strong, supported families.

Supporting child well-being and nurturing the social and emotional development of children builds a foundation for strong communities and a vibrant society.

• Access to protective factors – strategies that embrace and support struggling parents and ensure family success.
• Access to quality childcare and after-school programs; and youth development programs that focus on inclusion and belonging.
• Access to unique programs and services that address developmental delays or disabilities; or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Education

Students’ success in school leads to increased opportunities in work and in life.

Programs that support early success build a strong foundation for academic attainment and lifelong learning.

• High-impact programs that support kindergarten readiness and early literacy.
• Intensive strategies that support K-12 students’ academic success; and targeted programs that support persistence.

Healthcare & Medical Research

Individual health is essential to our quality of life and to the well-being of families and communities.

Access to quality care for growing children and aging adults is essential to a thriving society.

• Access to quality care for growing children and aging adults is essential to a thriving society.
• Access to the foundations of individual health and wellbeing – the non-clinical determinants of health.
• Access to essential health services through health insurance or the healthcare safety net, telehealth and transportation services, and practitioners with relevant language and cultural competencies.
• The Trust’s support for medical research is limited to trust-initiated investments in local centers of excellence that strengthen the biosciences ecosystem and workforce.

Older Adults

Older adults are beloved members of families and communities and offer valuable life experience.

Communities that support, respect, and integrate older adults reap social and economic rewards that benefit people of all ages.

• Access to programs and services that allow older adults to age in place, such as practical supports, friendly visiting, and access to community services.
• Access to family caregiver supports, such as home and respite care, support groups, and social connection.
• Access to programs that support a sense of inclusion and belonging, such as community connectedness, civic engagement, and creative aging.

Religious Organizations

Faith-based organizations strengthen our communities by caring for and welcoming those most in need.

Driven by deeply-held values, these organizations support individual welfare, justice, and human dignity.

• Improvements or collaborations that support growth and expansion of faith-based organizations’ delivery of critical health and human services.
• Mrs. Piper’s commitment to Catholic education and Diocesan priorities is sustained through a Trust-initiated partnership with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

Types of grants we typically fund:

Programmatic Grants

Efforts to improve service delivery, expand programs and services, or pilot new approaches. The Trust is committed to supporting the full cost to execute high-impact efforts and will fund indirect expenses included in a program budget.

Capital Campaign Grants

Typically multi-million, multi-year fundraising efforts to support land acquisition, construction, etc.

Capital Project Grants

Typically a discreet short-term, small scale construction effort such as a building expansion; renovation of an existing facility, or capital purchases to support programs and services.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

Inspired to make contributions with a wide-ranging yet personal impact, Carl and Marilynn Thoma founded the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation in 2014 to distinguish their initiatives in and support of the visual arts. In 2021, the Foundation was renamed the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation to more broadly reflect its expanded philanthropic efforts and initiatives, including the Thoma Scholars Program, which aims to strengthen community, leadership, and education initiatives in under-resourced and rural areas.

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation recognizes that the arts and education enhance lives and communities. We make art collection-related grants, as well as lending and exhibiting our own collection. We focus our education funding on the rural Southwest, primarily offering scholarships to students in the greater Texas panhandle. Through these giving programs, we strive to foster leadership, innovation, and equal opportunity.

Nonprofit Organizations

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations whose innovative projects and original ideas will advance scholarship in our collection areas. We accept Letters of Inquiry on a rolling basis for bold proposals that provide promising insights into the fields of art which we collect:

• Art of the Spanish Americas

The Foundation’s Art of the Spanish Americas collection numbers more than 200 works from the 17th to 19th centuries—principally paintings from South America. The collection includes works on religious themes and portraits from the Viceroyalty of Peru (and the smaller entities such as the Kingdom of Nueva Granada into which it was divided in the eighteenth century), as well as a small selection of portraits from the Spanish Caribbean.

•  Digital & Media Art

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation began supporting the field of Digital Art in 2009. Our collection has grown to include over 400 artworks by more than 138 artists, representing a global history of the medium from 1959 to the present. The Thoma Foundation’s core collection of Digital Art highlights the specific achievements of modern computers—their processing speed, infinite data capacity, imaging precision, and virtual networking—to aid artists. Media Art signifies our support of art created with both pioneering and emerging time-based technologies, especially in relation to electronic mass media—the news and photojournalism, film and television, video games, social media, and other cultural experiences produced by communications technology.

• Japanese Bamboo

The Japanese Bamboo collection includes contemporary Japanese Bamboo baskets representing both independent artists and bamboo artists from the two professional associations devoted to the field, Nitten (Japan Fine Arts Exhibition) and the Nihon Kogeikai (Japan Craft Arts Association).

• Post-War Painting & Sculpture

The Foundation’s collection of mid-century global abstract art is centered around the years 1950–79 and the major movements of that period including Color Field, Hard Edge, Op, Washington Color School, Light & Space, and shaped canvas.

We also welcome requests pertaining to the arts and culture of the American Southwest. The projects we support through our Collections-Related Grants for Nonprofits fall within one or more of the following categories:

• Exhibitions

We welcome the opportunity to become an early funder of landmark exhibitions that relate to our collections, and which significantly raise the public profile of those genres while also advancing art historical scholarship. Historically, we have cultivated strong relationships with medium-size museums across the country that reach a diverse regional audience and value innovative curation. Exhibition funding can include development, scholarship, construction, outreach, traveling costs, admissions subsidies, and more. The Thoma Foundation also loans pieces from its collections in support of exhibitions.

• Convenings

To encourage scholarly debate and dialogue, we fund academic conferences and workshops that will significantly advance the fields of art scholarship related to our collections. We urge applicants to familiarize themselves with industry standards for honoraria and per diems in advance of creating a convening budget.

• Academic 

Research, travel, manuscript development, hiring research assistants, equipment, etc. to support original scholarship related to our collection areas. Academic projects should culminate in a clear final deliverable such as a book manuscript or peer-reviewed article.

Individual Fellowships and Awards

In addition to our nonprofit grants, the Foundation runs several fellowship programs for individuals related to our Art of the Spanish Americas collections. This includes two annual fellowship programs geared towards postdoctoral scholars and Ph.D. candidates: the Marilynn Thoma Fellowship in Art of the Spanish Americas and the Thoma Foundation Research and Travel Awards in Art of the Spanish Americas. Biannually, we offer the Exploratory Travel Award to early career Ph.D. students. 

Thoma Foundation Special Project Funding

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation offers a Special Project Funding Grant as part of its broader grant programs described above. Through the above programs, we seek to heighten public interest and awareness, fuel innovative scholarship, and promote dynamic partnerships in the fields of art and art history. For the Special Project Funding, the Foundation takes a proactive and personal approach to giving. Rather than making grants based on a call for applications, we work collaboratively to make challenging projects happen. We support people and their bright futures instead of endowments or capital improvements. Our interests here include:

• Significant art exhibitions and programs supporting artists and the areas of our collection.
• Innovative high school projects and college scholarships that build leaders and communities in the greater Texas Panhandle.

If you have a project you would like to partner with us on, we are interested. We value long-term relationships with grantees and encourage you to connect with us at any stage of the application process. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Background

The goal of ACF of Sedona is to develop a legacy of giving in our communities to enhance the quality of life in Sedona and the Verde Valley. The Arizona Community Foundation (ACF) is an endowment organization that connects community needs to donors who have a passion for meeting those needs. With regional offices around the state, ACF of Sedona serves Sedona and the Verde Valley. Since 1991, ACF of Sedona has developed 88 separate funds with assets exceeding $33 million. ACF of Sedona ha awarded more than $19 million to area nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipalities serving local needs. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

About

The Preservation Leadership Forum of the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a network of preservation leaders — professionals, students, volunteers, activists, experts — who share the latest ideas, information, and advice, and have access to in-depth preservation resources and training.

Southwest Intervention Fund

Grants from the National Trust’s Southwest Intervention Fund are intended to further preservation efforts of the traditional cultures of the Southwest region, exclusively in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, West Texas (West Texas is defined as the area west of US Route 281 from the Oklahoma border to San Antonio proper and north of US Route 90 from San Antonio proper to Del Rio) and Utah. The Fund provides support for preservation planning efforts and enables prompt responses to emergency threats or opportunities in the eligible states. Local partners, nonprofit organizations and government agencies that have strategic opportunities to save sites or help jumpstart preservation projects are eligible for the fund’s small, catalytic grants. Grants generally range from $2,500 to $10,000.

The Fund can support assistance for a single prehistoric or historic place or actions affecting an entire state or part of a state, or several states, so long as all of the states are among the five designated states. Actions aimed at direct intervention to save historic and cultural sites and at capacity building are eligible.

The decision to pursue project funding through the Southwest Intervention Fund must be made in consultation with the National Trust grants office. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your project.  

Background

Vitalyst Health Foundation is on a mission to connect, support, and inform efforts to improve the health of individuals and communities in Arizona. We achieve this through partnerships across Arizona, including capacity building resources and grant support to organizations who share our mission.

Our streamlined “Discovery” process connects collaboratives, nonprofits, and organizational leaders to the best resources to ensure your success improves health outcomes where needs are highest.

Vitalyst Health Foundation has a variety of grant and capacity building resources to "discover" for community-based leaders, organizations, and coalitions working to improve the health of communities across Arizona.

Spark Grants

System change takes time, so Spark Grants support collaborations in their journey to address systemic change. Planning grants to fund time for partners to figure out solutions, not to fund an already identified solution. Support collaborations in the journey to address systemic change.

The intention of the Spark Grants is to support collaborations in their journey to address systemic change.

Key criteria for Spark Grants are:

• clearly identified problem by the community most impacted,
• defined system where the work would occur,
• majority of partners have engaged in conversation and are ready to work together, but there is not an identified solution.
• Spark Grants are planning grants — they are intended to fund the time for partners to figure out solutions, not to fund an already identified solution, pilot or research.   

Award Amount

• One-year awards
• Ranging from $10,000-25,000 total

The Power to Thrive

Encompassing all of our core program areas, Community Impact Grants respond to the diverse needs in each of the communities we serve across Arizona. 

Core program areas

Education and Employment

We will focus on improving access to post-secondary education, advancing teacher success and pathways to careers in energy. This includes innovative programs with measurable outcomes that provide direct educator support or promote educational equity, access, college and career readiness.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

We will expand opportunities for local and underserved entrepreneurs to strengthen local economies and promote inclusive economic growth. This includes programs that facilitate job creation and/or greater market access through capital, capacity-building, technical assistance and technology adoption.

Arts & Culture

We will focus on increasing access to high quality arts experiences for underserved communities and Title 1 students. This includes programs that remove barriers and promote inclusion of underserved youth and historically marginalized communities, as well as projects that use arts teaching and learning as a means for youth development.

Human Services

We will focus on providing basic needs for Arizona’s most vulnerable populations. This includes food security, heat relief, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention and related support services that improve community resilience and promote social cohesion.

Environment

We will focus on building healthy communities, environmental stewardship and promoting equity in Arizona’s clean energy transition. This includes innovative programs with measurable outcomes that preserve Arizona’s natural beauty and deliver locally relevant sustainable solutions. 

Community Development

We will focus on protecting Arizona’s quality of life for future generations through civic engagement, inclusive leadership development, community revitalization and rural development programs.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

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.

About Us

We donate high-quality, nutrient-rich foods to people facing food insecurity, educate youth on building lifelong healthy habits, and invest in local nonprofit programs dedicated to alleviating hunger and improving community wellness.

Grants Program

The Nourishing Communities Grants Program provides financial support to local 501(c)(3) nonprofit meal programs that serve nutritious food to people facing food insecurity. By strengthening the capacity of community-based meal programs, the grants program aims to increase access to affordable, nutritious food for vulnerable populations struggling with food poverty, supporting the mission and activities of qualified nonprofit organizations.

This year, the Nourishing Communities Grant Program support will be directed to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations operating meal programs to feed the underserved in the communities providing fundraising initiatives.

Grants range from $1000 to $10,000.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Arizona Community Foundation

For more than four decades, the Arizona Community Foundation has worked in tandem with generous individuals, families, and organizations to address some of the biggest challenges facing our state.

Patagonia Regional Community Fund

The mission of the Patagonia Regional Community Fund is: Gather, grant, grow for an evolving and vibrant quality of life.

Established in 1998, the Patagonia Regional Community Fund is part of the Arizona Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Phoenix. This provides the Patagonia Regional Community Fund with centralized marketing and administrative resources, technical assistance, and professional investment management, allowing local staff and volunteers to focus on community needs throughout eastern Santa Cruz County.

Background

The mission of the Arizona Community Foundation is to lead, serve, and collaborate to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better Arizona. Founded in 1978, the Arizona Community Foundation is a statewide philanthropic organization with regional offices serving communities across Arizona. The Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County (ACFYC) has been a Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County regional office for over 30 years. ACFYC is a permanent philanthropic endowment organization that connects community needs to donors who have a passion for meeting those needs. A local Board of Advisors guide this family of charitable funds and benefits from cost-efficient, centralized professional services provided by the Arizona Community Foundation.

Fields of Interests

ACFYC seeks to build on the strengths and assets of Yavapai County nonprofit organizations by offering a competitive grant program focused on Fields of Interest or initiatives in one or more of the following areas:

• Animal Welfare (Pat and Gerhard Kroenaur Animal Friends Fund)
  • The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit organizations within Yavapai County whose purpose is to provide services directly to animals.
  • These services include, but are not limited to, rescue, spay/neuter, vaccination, medical treatment, shelter, rehabilitation, and appropriate release to good homes or into the wild.
• Children (Margaret T. Morris Children’s Fund and Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County Children’s Fund)
  • The scope of the fund is to exclusively benefit children’s projects within Yavapai County.
• Environment (Yavapai County Fund for the Environment)
  • The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit projects to sustain the environment, as in protecting and preserving open spaces, vistas, wildlife habitat; and helping solve environmental problems such as air and water pollution through programs, projects and education in Yavapai County.
• Eye Care for Children (Ophthalmic Science Foundation)
  • The scope of this fund is to exclusively support the needs of children in Yavapai County with visual impairments.
  • Applicants must provide eye care for children with visual impairments, provide for educational needs of children with visual impairments or provide for care of children with visual impairments.
• Healthcare (Yavapai County Healthcare Fund)
  • The scope of this fund is to exclusively support medical, dental and mental healthcare to underinsured and uninsured persons in Yavapai County.
• Music and Art (Prescott Gateway Music & Art Fund)
  • The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit projects whose purpose is to support music and art in Yavapai County.
• Social Services (Richard & Jonne Markham Fund) - The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit projects whose purpose is to provide social services in Yavapai County.
• Yavapai County Communities (Yavapai County Community Fund)
  • The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit the residents located in the geographic area of Yavapai County.

ACFYC reserves the right to move a proposal to another fund (this is a rare occurrence – i.e., if an eye care organization applied into the Community Fund and there are no applications for the Eye Care for Children fund).

Funding Request Range

Proposals will be considered for a funding range between $1,000 to $20,000. Applications outside this funding range will not be considered. Total available funding will depend in part on funding amounts from the Foundation's Field of Interest funds

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program

Building a More Just and Sustainable Outdoor and Environmental Movement Together

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations are on the frontlines of the grassroots work being done to build a better planet but our work is chronically overlooked and underfunded. We know that when our voices are left out, our communities suffer, and our planet does too. With the Liberated Paths Program, we envision a way to bridge that gap.

Through this program, we are working to create a more just and sustainable outdoor and environmental movement by shifting resources to and building power with Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color. The Liberated Paths Program supports outdoor initiatives and organizations that cultivate and celebrate the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color and affirm the many experiences and identities our communities hold, through grantmaking, capacity building, and network building.

Through our Liberated Paths regional grants, we support organizations and initiatives of all sizes located in California, the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico), and the Delaware River Watershed that work at the intersection of racial justice, outdoor experiences, and the environment. In 2023, we will also launch grantmaking in North and South Carolina. Our Liberated Paths: Youth Access to Nature Fund supports efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area that increase safe and equitable access to the outdoors for Young People of Color.

We work with leaders and organizations who are rooted within their communities with the lived experiences to understand how to best advance justice and center the needs of the community. We support Leaders of Color to design and lead the types of joyful outdoor experiences and environmental efforts that are most meaningful to them and their communities. 

Liberated Paths support looks like:

• Relationship-driven and trust-based support
• Multi-year grants of $1,000 to $20,000 per year when possible
• Long-term, deep engagement in financial, operational, and fundraising capacity building
• Network building with a cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes
• Eligibility that is not hinged on organization size, ability to do impact reporting, or 501(c)(3) status
• Support for organizations and initiatives of all sizes and in all stages of their development
• Prioritized funding for organizations and initiatives led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• Capacity building trainings and workshops for grantee partners

Capacity Building

Our model offers financial grants, as well as consistent coaching and mentorship. We want to connect our grantee partners with the tools and resources they need to sustain their vital work. To that end, in addition to trainings and workshops for all grantee partners, we work with each partner to identify areas where they want to grow and tailor our support to their needs. These areas could include: board recruitment, financial sustainability, staffing and hiring considerations, executive leadership coaching, budget planning, program design, insurance and liability considerations, safety, guidance on applications for additional grants, and more.

Network Building

Through Liberated Paths, we seek to bring together organizations and leaders working at the intersection of environment and racial justice. We do this through virtual get-togethers and information sessions. We facilitate network building within each cohort of grantees to facilitate shared learning and systems-level changes.

We also bring together funders and partners through a webinar series to connect, share information about the Liberated Paths Grantmaking Program and to also hold critical conversations regarding topics such as the explicit role of race in Liberated Paths, the racial funding gap, and racial bias and its impact in philanthropy.

Introduction

The Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff was founded in 1987 and is dedicated to providing a continuing source of funding support to the Flagstaff nonprofit community. The Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff is a regional office of the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF). The Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff secures, manages and allocates donor gifts for charitable purposes in the Flagstaff area, working to improve the quality of life for all residents. 

Awarding grants to Flagstaff’s nonprofit organizations is at the center of the Foundation’s service to the local community. In this effort grant applicants are our partners, bringing services and programs directly to people throughout the community. To help carry out this mutual goal, the Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff provides a variety of funding opportunities that enable schools, organizations and community groups to carry out projects, and maintain ongoing, high-quality services and programs.

The Arizona Community Foundation of Flagstaff seeks to build on the strengths and assets of Flagstaff nonprofit organizations by offering a competitive grant program focused on Fields of Interest or initiatives in one or more of the following areas:

Flagstaff Education Fund

This fund shall be used exclusively to benefit organizations whose purpose is education, both public and private programs. For example, past recipients have included community classes for adult literacy and young authors summer camp scholarships.

 Flagstaff P-12 Educational Resources Fund

Donor intent for this fund is to Increase educational opportunities for children in pre-school through 12th grade, their teachers, and their families in the community of Flagstaff. This fund supports the following:

• Outdoor and environmental educational programs by non-profits organizations and public-school programs. Emphasis should be on expanding the offering to children and students of lower economic status and a wide range of cultures
• Public school classroom projects and related materials that encompass environmental, community service and experiential learning or
• Early Childhood Education programs.

Flagstaff Environmental Education and Conservation Fund

This fund is used exclusively to benefit organizations whose purpose it is to sustain the environment in Flagstaff. For example, past recipients have included youth summer forestry and environmental programs and general operating sustainability funding for a local environmental education center.

Flagstaff Healthcare Fund

The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit organizations whose purpose is to provide community health care services to the Flagstaff community. For example, past recipients have included education and awareness programs for juvenile diabetes and medical cost assistance for a reproductive health program.

Flagstaff Music Education Fund

The scope of the fund is to exclusively benefit schools and organizations that provide music education to the Flagstaff community. Services and programs shall include, but are not limited to, school music programs, music scholarships, cultural enrichment programs, music performances, and guest musicians. For example, past recipients have included a bilingual music show in school, scholarships for a children’s choir and operating expenses for a symphony.

Pickard Arts & Culture Fund For Flagstaff

The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit organizations and schools providing Arts and Cultural services to the Flagstaff community. Services and programs shall include, but are not limited to, artist in schools residencies, arts scholarships, visual art community showcasing, cultural enrichment programs, and operational support for arts in education. For example, past recipients have included dance studio facility improvement, youth poetry exhibition and a summer theater series.

Flagstaff Social Services Fund

The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit projects whose purpose is to provide social services (basic needs) in Flagstaff. For example, past recipients have included relative and caregiver assistance, homeless assistance, school-based services and general operating expenses.

Flagstaff Victim Services Fund

This fund is to benefit organizations whose purpose it is to provide services to crime victims, their families and others affected by crime, in such areas as advocacy, protection, shelter, training, counseling, transition, and similar programs. For example, past recipients have included victim assistance/advocacy, crime scene cleanup, and general operating expenses.

Flagstaff Youth Fund

The scope of this fund is to exclusively benefit organizations whose purpose is to promote and provide programs that benefit all youth in grades K-12 and younger. For example, past recipients have included scholarships for local youth clubs and funding for career and financial education for middle school children.

Flagstaff Animal Welfare Fund

This fund provides grants to local animal welfare organizations for a variety of programs including low cost spay and neuter services, animal rescue and rehabilitation.

Flagstaff Substance Abuse Prevention Fund

The scope of this fund shall be used exclusively for researched-based prevention and reduction of substance abuse for youth (Preschool-12th grade) through information, education, advocacy or innovative drug-free alternative activities..

Use of Funds

Funds can be used to:

• build the capacity of the organization
• support direct service projects and programs
• support capital expenditures
• provide general operating support and indirect/direct administrative costs
• support one-year and/or renewable funding proposals (there is no guarantee for second year funding)

About Our Program

Our investments are guided by the fundamental belief in the power of live theatre to spark dialogue, bring different viewpoints together on challenging subjects, and provide a lens to process the critical issues of contemporary society.  

Through our Social Impact Theatre grant program, we proudly recognize organizations with production-specific support that are intentional and innovative in engaging with their audiences around these issues and are committed to reaching new audiences. This year, in addition to production-specific grants, we are introducing a new opportunity reflecting our value to support the health and sustainably of the American theater ecosystem.

We understand the current climate for theatres is incredibly challenging – with decreasing revenue sources and increasing costs, many theatres are struggling (and even those thriving face seemingly insurmountable challenges). And yet, we know that in times of challenge, the sector will apply its boundless creativity to adapt models and practices to remain sustainable.

This year, in addition to production specific grant awards, we will be selecting a small number of theatres to receive change capital grants of $10-$25K to kickstart new plans or to adapt and deepen strategies already in process. Awardees will form a cohort to share insights and to support each other and will commit to sharing lessons learned with the Foundation so that we can reshare information to more broadly support the field.

Given our available resources and in the spirit of focusing on our own learning, we will be considering change capital grants in the following three categories:

• Business models. We hear “the current model is broken!” and want to learn how you are experimenting economically. Ex. Letting go of spaces or activating new spaces, shared leadership, cost-sharing partnerships, alternatives to the subscription model etc.
• Building and deepening connection with your community. Are you exploring new programs or projects to increase interconnectivity between your community and the art on stage?
• New leaders. Does your theatre have a leader who has started within the last year who needs capacity to enact their vision and implement necessary changes?

 Grant Process

Interested organizations may request funding for one production and, if interested, one project for which change capital is needed, by submitting an LOI when our grant cycle is open. From this applicant pool, select organizations will be invited to submit a full application. Social impact theatre grants can cover artistic, production, and community engagement expenses.

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

The Arizona Community Foundation of Yuma, founded in 1993, leads, serves, and collaborates to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better Yuma County. ACF of Yuma is an endowment organization that connects community needs to donors who have a passion for meeting those needs. Thanks to the individuals, families, and corporations who have created more than 70 philanthropic funds, ACF of Yuma invested over $1 million in grants and programs to the community last year. With assets exceeding $19 million, it has provided more than $10 million to the Yuma community since inception. ACF of Yuma has been able to increase their competitive grant-making activities in Yuma County through generous annual contributions from Sturges Charitable Trust.

Funds can be used to:

• build the capacity of the organization
• support direct service projects and programs
• support capital expenditures. Please review the funding range available
• provide general operating support and indirect/direct administrative costs
• support one-year and/or renewable funding proposals (there is no guarantee of second year funding)