Best Community & Civic Engagement Grants

AmeriCorps Vista

AmeriCorps is the federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. AmeriCorps brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges through national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities and those serving. AmeriCorps helps make service a cornerstone of our national culture.

Founded in 1965, AmeriCorps VISTA is a federal anti-poverty national service program designed to provide resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to strengthen efforts to address poverty and poverty-related problems in the United States. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, now known as AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps VISTA Request for Concept Paper

Projects must be developed in accordance with AmeriCorps VISTA core principles:

• an anti-poverty focus
• community empowerment
• sustainable solutions
• capacity building

Project applications must address one of the following areas:

• Economic Opportunity
• Healthy Futures
• Education
• Veteran and Military Families

Patagonia’s Corporate Grant supports grassroots organizations focused on bold, direct-action campaigns that address the root causes of environmental issues. The program emphasizes equity, inclusivity, and long-term change, targeting communities affected by environmental exploitation. Grants are awarded to innovative groups within the US and Canada, fostering civic engagement and measurable objectives. Patagonia prioritizes funding for initiatives that confront systemic bias and promote environmental justice, ensuring that diverse voices are represented in the environmental movement.

AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Opportunity

About RSVP

Established in 1971 and now one of the largest senior volunteer programs in the nation, AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP engages people ages 55 and older in a diverse range of volunteer activities. AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP volunteers tutor children, help prepare simple taxes, assist victims of natural disasters, provide nutrition/food support, facilitate opioid and substance abuse education workshops, and serve in their communities in many other ways. AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP volunteers choose how, where, and how often they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to a maximum of 40 hours per week. While serving, AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP volunteers improve their own lives by staying active and civically engaged. 

Funding Priorities

AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP programming is designed to meet community needs. Applicants may propose activities intended to address community needs by thoroughly explaining the unmet need and activities to be completed by volunteers to address that need. In addition, AmeriCorps is interested in programming that addresses agency priorities. AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP priorities for this funding opportunity are:

• Supporting Older Adults and Caregivers: Provide respite, support groups, system navigation, care coordination, and resources for older adults, including custodial grandparents, and caregivers.
• Helping Older Adults Re-enter the Workforce: Offer job readiness, mentoring, training, and remove barriers to employment for older adults (volunteers provide services, not seek jobs).
• Building Strong Families: Support parents in helping children succeed, mentor parents, connect families to resources, and strengthen community partnerships.
• Preventing and Mitigating Fraud and Scams: Use digital navigators and other strategies to protect older adults from financial fraud and exploitation, including emerging AI-driven scams.
• Reducing Homelessness: Develop or renovate affordable housing, assist people experiencing homelessness in finding and maintaining permanent housing, and address housing needs for vulnerable populations.
• Supporting Behavioral Health Initiatives: Improve mental health, reduce isolation, prevent substance use, provide harm reduction tools (Naloxone, fentanyl test strips), peer support, and recovery services.

Award Funding Requirements

Applicants must construct the budget in the following manner. The federal share of the budget must not exceed $75,000 plus up to $350 for every unduplicated volunteer, whether or not they serve in an outcome-based work plan. 

AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation strengthens financial resilience for and with older adults by empowering individuals and improving systems.

AARP empowers people to choose how they live as they age. There are 125 million Americans who are 50 or older, and people want their money, health and happiness to last as long as they do. We are a wise friend and fierce defender, focusing on the priorities of older Americans.

Purpose Prize® from AARP

Honoring extraordinary people 50-plus who put their purpose into action.

Purpose is a powerful force for good. The Purpose Prize from AARP honors extraordinary older Americans who put their purpose into action to support AARP’s mission of empowering people to choose how they live as they age. Winners receive $75,000 and a year of organizational support from AARP to grow the impact of their nonprofits. Examples of organizational support include data and evaluation, governance and succession planning, fundraising strategy, and prospectus development.

The Creation & Development Fund, administered by the National Performance Network, supports the creation and mobility of artistic works that promote racial and cultural justice. It fosters collaboration between artists and communities through financial support, enabling artists to develop meaningful relationships and present their work. The fund emphasizes equity, access, and the importance of public engagement, ensuring that diverse voices are represented while addressing systemic injustices in the arts.

The Grassroots Organizing National Grant Program, funded by the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, supports small, community-led organizations in the U.S. working to confront social and environmental injustices. Grants of up to $30,000 per year are available for two years, prioritizing organizations with budgets under $350,000. The program emphasizes grassroots organizing and community empowerment, inspired by the legacy of John Lewis. Eligible applicants must focus on collective action and local leadership to drive social change.

The NEA Big Read Grant, managed by Arts Midwest, aims to foster community engagement through shared reading experiences. This initiative funds nonprofit organizations to host diverse reading programs, encouraging cross-cultural understanding and creativity. With grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, organizations can conduct book discussions, workshops, and creative events to strengthen community ties and promote civic engagement. The program highlights local voices and invites participation from various audiences, creating a vibrant literary culture.