Search Through Community Development Grants in Madison, Wisconsin in the U.S.

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

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.

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.  

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. 

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

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.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

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 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.

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. 

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.

Faculty Grants

The Wisconsin Partnership Program’s Faculty Grants support innovative research to prevent, diagnose, treat and cure diseases. These grants target a multitude of issues affecting Wisconsinites, including Alzheimer’s disease, blindness, cancer, diabetes, infectious disease, maternal and child health, obesity and more.

Collaborative Health Sciences Program Request for Proposals

Goals and Description

Through the Collaborative Health Sciences Program (CHSP), the Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC) supports interdisciplinary team science to advance novel research or education approaches that bring together different disciplines to target complex health problems while advancing health, health care or health equity in Wisconsin and beyond.

Proposals must be led by a collaborative team composed of a Principal Investigator and one or two Co-Principal Investigators from two or more of the following disciplines: basic, clinical, education, informatics/data, population, social/behavioral, and/or translational sciences. Teams with a history of collaboration must explore a new direction. This includes teams with two or more individuals who have collaborated in the past, e.g., partnered on grants or published papers together.

Proposals should be highly innovative and have the potential for leveraging additional funding sources. They should also describe how the project will improve health, health care or health equity in Wisconsin as well as explain the path to translate discovery to application in the clinical setting or in communities. At least one of these topics must be addressed:

• Etiology, pathogenesis and mechanism of disease — including discovery studies with short- and long-term goals aimed at treatment or prevention of injury or disease, health promotion and/or biological basis for health inequities
• Clinical knowledge, improved diagnosis or disease management
• Health policy or health care delivery, such as quality and cost of care, access to care, health equity, and public and community health interventions
• Innovative training and development of current and future health and health care professionals and/or biomedical scientists to better address statewide health needs and health care practice
• Community-engaged research to address the needs of communities disproportionately impacted by health inequities
• Other topics in alignment with the Wisconsin Partnership Program 2024-2029 Five-Year Plan Framework (PDF)

The PERC recognizes that projects may require the development of new infrastructure. However, the project focus must be to advance novel basic, clinical or educational research, not solely to establish or create the infrastructure. 

Funding Scope and Duration

The maximum award is $600,000 over three years. Depending on the availability of funds as well as the topics covered and rigor of the application submissions, PERC anticipates funding up to five projects this cycle to include at least one community-engaged research project and at least one basic or translational science project.

Our Mission

The purpose of the Ono Initiative is to support scientist Principal Investigators (“PIs”) with creative ideas in selected scientific research fields with the mission of seeking discoveries/solutions and development of high impact science.

Goals

The goals of the Ono Initiative are:

• Supporting Innovation
  • Identify and help develop innovative research proposals and results that could lead to the development of breakthrough treatment solutions for patients.
• Promoting Scientists
  • Support academic research and the career development of promising young and established scientists.
• Building Relationships
  • Build strong relationships within the community in order to lead to transformative research aligned with the Ono Initiative’s goals.

Area of Research

Annually, the Ono Pharma Foundation considers proposals from PIs for research that could ultimately transform human health. Although additional areas of research may be added in future years, the Ono Pharma Foundation will only consider proposals for scientific research addressing Chemical Biology research.

Chemical Biology is defined as research that deals with the interface between chemistry and biology. The criteria for this field are deliberately broad so as not to disqualify potentially innovative and groundbreaking projects.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be assessed, and Awards will be made based upon the following criteria:

• Scientific merit of the research LOI and/or Proposal
• Relevance of proposed research to the mission of the Ono Initiative
  • Significance
  • Innovation
  • Approach
• Technical considerations for the research
  • Applications will be judged on their consideration and understanding of the technology required for completion.
• Qualifications and relevant experience of the PI
• Evidence of a suitable research environment

Funding

All grants awarded by Ono Pharma Foundation have a three year term.

Awards will consist of annual funding of $300,000/year, totaling a maximum of $900,000 for the normal term of a research project. The Ono Pharma Foundation will provide up to an additional 15% ($45,000) per year to be used for indirect costs of the PI’s institution. In total, Ono Pharma Foundation’s three-year research awards provide up to $1,035,000 to researchers and their institutions.

Wisconsin Art Board

Mission Statement

The Wisconsin Arts Board is the state agency which nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, stimulates community and economic development and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. 

Values

The Wisconsin Arts Board values:

• ​imagination
• creativity
• curiosity
• freedom of expression
• respect and appreciation for all cultures and people
• artistic quality
• a broad definition of the arts
• audience and patron development
• community engagement

Woodland Indian Arts Initiative

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Woodland Indian Arts Initiative (WIAI) is designed to promote and develop a foundation of cultural and economic support for traditional and contemporary Native American arts in Wisconsin. As part of this work, the Arts Board annually distributes funds from Gaming Compact monies to support artistic activities among Wisconsin's tribes, bands and urban Indian communities, including:

• Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Brothertown Indian Nation
• Forest County Potawatomi Community
• Ho-Chunk Nation
• Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
• Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
• Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Sokaogon Chippewa Community
• St. Croix Chippewa Community
• Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians
• Urban Indian populations in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse and other urban centers

Types of Activities Funded​​​

Funding priority goes to activities that work to build a long-term structure of support for Native arts in Wisconsin. These include but are not limited to:

• Professional arts administration positions in support of Native arts,
• Documentation of arts activities and cultural knowledge in Wisconsin’s Native communities,
• Technical assistance and professional development to Native artists and arts organizations,
• Presentation and promotion of Wisconsin’s Native artists through festivals, markets, exhibitions, various media and other forms of presentation, and
• Planning grants in preparation for any of the above.
• New, expanded or existing projects are eligible. 

Traditional and contemporary art forms are welcome.

For additional information on the grant program and reports on needs articulated by Wisconsin Native artists, can be found on this page.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications to the WIAI grant program will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• The degree to which the proposed activity will serve a need or interest in one or more of the identified Native American communities in Wisconsin.
• Quality of the proposed art form,
• The feasibility of the proposed activity,
• The feasibility of the proposed budget,
• And the degree to which the proposed activity will develop a foundation of cultural and economic support for Native arts in Wisconsin.

Background

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is home to the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a grantmaking program within SMPH established as the result of a generous endowment gift from Blue Cross Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Partnership Program is committed to improving health and advancing health equity through investments in community partnerships, education and research.

A true embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea, WPP awards grants to innovative projects and initiatives that propel medical research, enhance health education and workforce development, support community health partnerships, advance health equity and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The work of WPP and its grantees touches all corners of the state, across a wide range of health challenges, communities, populations and geographic areas.

The Wisconsin Partnership Program’s vision, mission and values as well as its goals and grantmaking strategies are described in the 2024–2029 Five-Year Plan.

Goal and Description

Social determinants of health — economic stability, social and community context, access to health services and healthcare, neighborhoods and the built environment and education — have a strong and scientifically proven impact on human health and well-being. The structures, policies, systems and environments that guide individual’s daily lives shape these determinants and thereby enhance or impede health. As such, many of the complex health issues are rooted in structural inequities that affect the health status of disproportionately affected populations.

Through the Community Impact Grant Program, the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s Oversight and Advisory Committee (OAC) supports evidence-informed, community partnership initiatives that address the social determinants of health to advance health equity in Wisconsin’s urban, rural and tribal communities. These partnerships require substantial and authentic community leadership to make progress toward sustainability and must be supported by evaluation.

Proposals must address health inequities and their root causes and be informed and implemented by those who are most affected by these inequities. Community partnerships strengthen our ability to successfully address and influence health and advance health equity.

Funding Scope and Duration

The Community Impact Grant Level Two: Accelerate awards are designed for larger organizations with annual expenses of more than $1,000,000. An academic partner is required.

Awards are for up to $500,000 for up to three years. There are no renewals allowed at the end of the initial award; however, organizations may apply for a new award during the annual competitive application process of their final year.

The OAC anticipates allocating up to five Level Two: Accelerate awards during this grant cycle depending on the availability of funds.

In addition to the funding through this grant, the Partnership Program offers a Learning Collaborative that provides in-person and virtual learning and networking opportunities for grant recipients alongside their academic and community partners to maximize the impact of collective efforts to address health and health equity and to optimize sustained success. Participants learn  from, engage and problem-solve with each other as each grantee team works toward systems and structural changes for health equity. We believe that experiencing this work together — and looking for mutually beneficial opportunities — will increase the ultimate success and sustainability of these grants.

2025 New Investigator Program Request for Proposals

Goal and Description

Through the New Investigator Program (NIP), the Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC) seeks to develop and sustain the academic and research excellence of early-career SMPH faculty as they initiate new, innovative research or education pilot projects to improve health and advance health equity in Wisconsin and beyond.

Proposals must be innovative and advance scientific understanding with potential to improve health or advance health equity through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure of disease. The Principal Investigator (PI) must describe the potential to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin and must clearly explain the steps necessary to translate discovery to application in the clinical setting or in communities. The proposal must include clear and measurable benchmarks to track progress toward the overall objectives and the specific aims. The PI must describe how completion of the project will advance their career development, including plans to leverage future funding from federal or other granting agencies.

Funding Scope and Duration

The maximum award is $150,000 over two years. The PI must dedicate and maintain a minimum five percent annualized full-time equivalent (FTE) professional effort to the project. This effort must be fully justified in the budget justification. PERC anticipates funding up to six projects this cycle, depending on availability of funds.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage

Goal and Description

Social determinants of health — economic stability, social and community context, access to health services and healthcare, neighborhoods and the built environment and education — have a strong and scientifically proven impact on human health and well-being. The structures, policies, systems and environments that guide individual’s daily lives shape these determinants and thereby enhance or impede health. As such, many of the complex health issues are rooted in structural inequities that affect the health status of disproportionately affected populations.

Through the Community Impact Grant Program, the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s Oversight and Advisory Committee (OAC) supports evidence-informed, community partnership initiatives that address the social determinants of health to advance health equity in Wisconsin’s urban, rural and tribal communities. These partnerships require substantial and authentic community leadership to make progress toward sustainability and a commitment to evaluation supported by the WPP evaluation team (see technical assistance), academic partner or evaluation consultant as applicable.

Proposals must address health inequities and their root causes and be informed and implemented by those who are most affected by these inequities. In addition, proposals should focus on the services being delivered and the personnel providing those services. Community partnerships strengthen our ability to successfully address and influence health and advance health equity.

Funding Scope and Duration

The Community Impact Grant Level One: Engage awards are designed for small to medium-sized organizations with annual expenses less than $1,000,000. An academic partner is not required, although an existing partnership or goal of academic partnership development during the grant period should be described in the proposal.

Awards are for up to $250,000 for up to three years. There are no renewals allowed at the end of the initial award; however, organizations may apply for a new award during the annual competitive application process of their final year.

The OAC anticipates allocating up to five Level One: Engage awards during this grant cycle depending on the availability of funds.

In addition to the funding through this grant, the Partnership Program offers a Learning Collaborative that provides in-person and virtual learning and networking opportunities for grant recipients alongside their academic and community partners to maximize the impact of collective efforts to address health and health equity and to optimize sustained success. Participants learn from, engage and problem-solve with each other as each grantee team works toward systems and structural changes for health equity. We believe that experiencing this work together — and looking for mutually beneficial opportunities — will increase the ultimate success and sustainability of these grants.

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?

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.

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.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Engineering - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Engineering course in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional course in the 2027-2028 academic year (two different courses in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Engineering courses of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Engineering - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Engineering program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Engineering course not previously offered, and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Engineering courses previously offered, and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Engineering courses for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting. 

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Gateway - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Gateway unit in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional unit in the 2027-2028 academic year (two different units in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Gateway units of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Gateway - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Gateway program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Gateway unit not previously offered, and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Gateway unit previously offered, and/or training additional teachers in a PLTW Gateway unit for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Launch - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Launch module in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional module for the 2027-2027 academic year (two different modules in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Launch modules of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Launch - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantees must use these grant funds to expand their program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Launch module not previously offered, and/or offering existing PLTW Launch modules to more students, and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Launch Classroom Teacher Training or PLTW Launch Lead Teacher Training for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting.