Search Through Cycling Grants in Kentucky in the U.S.

Our MissionAdvancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.

Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process. 

Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations

Program Description

South Arts strongly believes that skill and knowledge building for arts organizations are integral to success and sustainability. These grants are designed to support the professional development needs of Southern arts organizations for increasing organizational capacity to achieve long-term sustainability, growth, and/or operational stability. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary arts organizations.

Funding can support staff or board participation at conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities and events. In addition, these grants can support expenses for in-person and virtual professional development for organization-wide staff learning and training. Funds support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, or other related expenses (for example, consultant/service fees for staff learning/training sessions). 

Trust Overview

The Trust for Civic Life is a cross-ideological team of philanthropy and private sector funders making critical investments in the communities that will define the future of the country.

The Trust runs two grantmaking cycles every year:

• Civic Hub Grants and Civic Experiment Grants.

Through a community-led nomination process, local leaders help us identify and direct resources where they are needed most. This process leads to faster, more effective investments that can drive meaningful progress in our local communities.

Civic Experiment Grant

Civic Experiment Grant grants are for individuals and small organizations leading experimental new programs that get their community actively participating in shaping a community vision, identifying challenges, and working together to solve them.

Civic Experiment grant funding goes toward specific programs.

What we look for

The Trust for Civic Life funds a wide range of non-partisan entrepreneurs, programs, organizations and innovative digital leaders who play a key role in their local and regional civic ecosystems. Selection is informed by these key characteristics:

• Embedded in Community: Lives within the communities they serve.
• Rural Focus: Focuses on rural communities specifically in the Black Belt, Central Appalachia, Tribal Lands, Southwest Border, and communities in transition in the rural U.S.
• Community-Led Action: Leads or supports community members to identify problems and work toward solutions.
• Inclusive: Brings together the voices, views, experiences, and participation of the entire community.
• Community Champions: Identifies and celebrates the solutions, innovations, and programs doing great work.
• Bridge Builders: Builds and strengthens community networks by regranting, connecting people to resources, supporting new ideas, leveraging digital tools, and working across sectors.
• Long Lasting: Focuses on programs that create long-lasting civic infrastructure and a thriving community that all residents feel welcome to participate in.

Funding

• Grants Available: ~100
• Grant Amount: Up to $25,000

• Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Program - Improving Health & Wellbeing
• Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Program - Expanding Access to Food & Shelter
• Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Program - Caring for the Environment & Animals

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award up to $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Empowering through Education & Training

Examples:

• Community-wide CPR certification program
• Library for afterschool literacy program
• Equipment and curriculum for job skill training for adults with disabilities

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

Our Commitment To Equity

Recent events have brought into full view the growing inequalities related to race and economic opportunity. If Northern Kentucky is to thrive, we cannot leave any groups behind. We recognize both nationally and locally, there are increasing gaps in three areas that are foundational for human progress: education, health, and employment.

Horizon Community Funds is committed to closing these gaps. We pledge to invest in innovative, collaborative, and sustainable interventions that address these gaps in order to significantly advance the lives of those whom we serve.

Grantmaking Priorities

This year, the Foundation is inviting nonprofits to propose bold, high-impact ideas that address significant community needs. In a change from prior years, the Fund will award support to one or two larger-scale initiatives that best align with our key grantmaking priorities:

• Innovation: New ideas or unique approaches to community challenges
• Acceleration: Moving meaningful, community-centered solutions forward faster
• Leveraging Resources: Strengthening impact through partnerships and shared assets
• Equity: Ensuring benefits reach those most affected by disparities

Through this updated approach, the Community Impact Fund aims to spark meaningful, lasting change across Northern Kentucky.

Our Mission

To fulfill the wishes of Paul Ogle to give back to the community by strategically funding nonprofit organizations, activities and projects that directly improve the lives of the citizens in Southern Indiana.

Our Vision

There are four key areas of interest in grant funding that must be addressed in order to successfully accomplish the Mission:

• Economic: Promote the overall economic prosperity of Southern Indiana by investing in key infrastructural components like commerce, public works, and education along with other special projects that encourage community growth and can be sustained;
• Human Needs: Strengthen the physical and mental well-being of the citizens while assisting those in the greatest of need;
• Regionalism: Foster regional awareness and promote activities that accentuate cross-regional cooperation between the people, organizations and nonprofit entities;
• Preservation: Stress the importance of preserving the artistic, historical and cultural heritage of our community for future generations as long as such projects are manageable and financially sustainable.

Paul Ogle Foundation Grant

Four Common Decision Criteria for Successful Grant Requests

Over the years, we have observed some common decision criteria within many of the grants made by the Ogle Foundation. The following items are probably Ogle’s top characteristics that we have found in a successful grant request and of the organizations that apply for them:

• Fit & Focus – The very first thing that the Ogle Foundation looks at is the type of an organization applying, the purpose of the grant request and how its mission fits within our own mission, vision and core strategic values as set by our donor. Organizations must fit within Ogle’s Grantmaking Guidelines as an organization foremost as well as show how our funds are to be specifically used if given a grant. It must have a focus or impact upon Southern Indiana in some way or at least upon a minimum percentage of its overall clients from there. The Foundation’s Board does alter its priorities and direction from time to time as needs in the community change or if an opportunity to promote a specific issue takes precedent over others in their opinion. That’s why we always require an organization to call or email us first before going through a lot of effort in putting a proposal together, particularly if they are having a hard time decerning this crucial criteria and where you fit within it.
• Sound Financials – Organizations that clearly demonstrate they are good stewards of the funds they raise and spend are always the next key decision factor to the Foundation. We expect that a nonprofit’s request are not creating undue burdens or putting them at risk financially overall, to the point that a grant is the difference between keeping the doors open or not. The Ogle Foundation utilizes Guidestar.com to review an organization’s annual IRS 990 tax filings for overall health as well as request budgets and/or expense-revenue breakdowns for the specific programs or projects that are seeking grants. If your organization is currently in a state of severe financial distress, it is probably best to not apply for a grant as this is a key indicator to us on your ability to successfully implement your grant’s vision and still keep the lights on for years to come, serving your clients and end-users.
• Executive Leadership – We view an organization’s top personnel as very important to the success of its mission and their ability to do what they say they are doing. Executive Directors, Presidents or CEO’s along with their leadership teams should be professional in their works, show expertise in the areas in which their nonprofit operates and a clear vision on how to improve themselves and the community they serve. While longevity in a position(s) is not always indicative of success, it is always good to see a track record from these individuals or their teams, as this gives us a level of confidence in their ability to execute the plans for which they seek our funds.
• Board Oversight – Lastly, Ogle’s Board takes a close look at an organization’s board of directors because we believe that nonprofits need to must have the proper organizational structure and oversight in which survive long-term. A board needs to have the right mix of people with key professional backgrounds and/or expertise in which to help guide the strategic direction of the nonprofit. Professional backgrounds can consist of expertise in professional fields like legal, health, accounting or marketing to name a few along with possessing a strong common interest in the areas in which the nonprofit operates. Also, if you are a Kentucky 501c3, how many of your board reside in Southern Indiana, an area that makes up at least 20% of the Louisville MSA? Ogle believes that the best nonprofits are those that reflect the community in which is serves, with active and engaged boards, ones that have a strong working relationship in its supervisory role with the organizational leadership versus none whatsoever.

While we are sure your organization or cause is worthy of funding, the question for you is “How does it compare in light of what you’ve just read above?”   

About the Program

The Kentucky Arts Partnership grant provides unrestricted operating support to arts organizations to ensure that year-round participation in the arts is available to the people of Kentucky.

 The amount funded is derived from a formula based on the organization’s operating revenues, the panelists' assessment of the application and the funds available for the program.

The Kentucky Arts Partnership Grant Program provides support for the general operating costs of Kentucky arts and cultural organizations whose primary mission is to provide Kentuckians with year-round arts programming.

Goals

• To develop and maintain strong arts organizations.
• To increase arts participation statewide.
• To promote diverse arts and culture.
• To help build an efficient arts delivery system across the state.

Program Support

The arts council staff is available to offer the following support, with prior notice and no later than two weeks before the deadline, to ensure program standards and goals are met:

• Assistance from arts council program directors in selecting appropriate program categories, and in answering questions about programs
• Consultation regarding applicant eligibility, competitiveness for funding, budget issues, etc.
• Referrals to potential partners for programs
• Advice in locating appropriate technical assistance to evaluate and increase applicants’ accessibility and arts participation

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award a total of $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Caring for the Environment, Animals

Examples:

• Permanent wildlife conservation exhibit
• New vehicle for mobile vet clinic
• Park improvements

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana Grant

About Us

• Our Purpose: Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana cultivates healthy communities for all, especially those who are vulnerable, through impact-driven philanthropy.
• Our Vision: Thriving communities where all people live healthier and more enriched lives.
  • We partner with nonprofits in Jefferson, Shelby, Bullitt, Nelson, and Hardin counties in Kentucky and Clark County in Southern Indiana to shape a more thriving future.
• Our Mission: To make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.
  • We offer two grant cycles a year and engage in deeply relational philanthropy, making multiple in-person visits and developing personal relationships with the nonprofits we fund.
  • We believe it takes more than grant money to make the kind of positive changes in our communities that will last.

Funding

We primarily make grants in the range of $25,000 to $500,000. The majority of our grants are above $50,000.

Community Grants 

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees seeks to respond to current community needs through this Community Grant process. Since the Foundation’s mission is broad, it enjoys supporting a variety of projects the improve the quality of life in the Tri-State. Special priority shall be placed on projects that:

• Enhance a non-profit’s capacity. Examples include improving internal management, reducing operating costs, etc.
• Test or demonstrate new approaches and techniques to solve important community problems.

Organizations may submit only one application per funding cycle for a Foundation Community Grant. Awards will be made twice a year, in the spring and fall. 

Trust Overview

The Trust for Civic Life is a cross-ideological team of philanthropy and private sector funders making critical investments in the communities that will define the future of the country.

The Trust runs two grantmaking cycles every year:

• Civic Hub Grants and Civic Experiment Grants.

Through a community-led nomination process, local leaders help us identify and direct resources where they are needed most. This process leads to faster, more effective investments that can drive meaningful progress in our local communities.

Civic Hub Grant

Civic Hub grants are for organizations that play an important role in bringing people together across different communities and sectors to create shared vision, solutions and distribute resources. We welcome you to nominate organizations that align with our Civic Hub grant focus and criteria. Civic Hubs are locally embedded groups that rally community members together around a shared vision, create the capacity and opportunities for people to gather and collaborate, and distribute resources where they are needed most.

​​Our Civic Hub grants will focus strongly on our priority regions (Black Belt, Central Appalachia, Southern Border, and Tribal Lands), with a portfolio target of ~75% from these regions and ~25% from other rural communities in transition

What we look for

The Trust for Civic Life funds a wide range of non-partisan entrepreneurs, programs, organizations and innovative digital leaders who play a key role in their local and regional civic ecosystems. Selection is informed by these key characteristics:

• Embedded in Community: Lives within the communities they serve.
• Rural Focus: Focuses on rural communities specifically in the Black Belt, Central Appalachia, Tribal Lands, Southwest Border, and communities in transition in the rural U.S.
• Community-Led Action: Leads or supports community members to identify problems and work toward solutions.
• Inclusive: Brings together the voices, views, experiences, and participation of the entire community.
• Community Champions: Identifies and celebrates the solutions, innovations, and programs doing great work.
• Bridge Builders: Builds and strengthens community networks by regranting, connecting people to resources, supporting new ideas, leveraging digital tools, and working across sectors.
• Long Lasting: Focuses on programs that create long-lasting civic infrastructure and a thriving community that all residents feel welcome to participate in.

Funding

• Grants Available: 20-25
• Grant Amount: $250,000-$500,000

Our Mission

The Thompson Charitable Foundation was established in 1987 by B. Ray Thompson, Sr., a leader in the U.S. coal industry and developer of the Thompson non-recovery coke oven process.

Reflecting the concerns and interests of our founder, the Foundation supports projects that seek to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. Specifically, the Foundation supports non-profit organizations in the areas of health services and sciences, education, human services, and quality of life.

Areas of Interest

The Foundation supports non-profit organizations in the areas of:

• Health & Human Services
• Education and Workforce Development
• Community and Economic Development
• Quality of Life

About the Program

As the United States prepares to celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the commonwealth is exploring the people, places, and events that created our shared history over the past 250 years. As a legacy of this semiquincentennial, artists, organizations, and communities are invited to commemorate this anniversary and interpret its themes through the arts.

With support from the Kentucky Historical Society, the Kentucky Arts Council is offering grant funds for individual artists, arts and cultural organizations, communities, or other nonprofit entities to fund public art projects, artwork creation, and other initiatives, events, and programs that provide a long-lasting legacy of the America250 commemoration to the people of the commonwealth.  

Objectives

Four objectives will inspire programs and activities for the Amerca250KY commemoration:

Heritage Tourism  

Encourage fellow Kentuckians to visit unexplored areas of the Commonwealth and enhance Kentucky’s tourism industry by drawing visitors from outside the state to patronize local museums, historic sites, and historic organizations.

Education:

Increase awareness and knowledge of Kentucky history and the people of the past and present through new materials, lesson plans, exhibits, public programs, and digital and tangible resources. 

Signature Events:

Local and statewide events will raise awareness and enthusiasm for America’s 250. Events can include speaker series, dedication ceremonies, themed programming, and other activities aligned with America250KY.

Legacy Projects:

Our history, both local and national, affects every aspect of how we live today. Through the 250, we will preserve our history, learn from it, and pass it on for future generations to foster unity and celebrate Kentucky’s unique identity.

Program Support

The arts council staff is available to offer the following support, with prior notice and no later than two weeks before the deadline, to ensure program standards and goals are met: 

• Assistance from arts council program directors in selecting appropriate program categories, and in answering questions about programs
• Consultation regarding applicant eligibility, competitiveness for funding, budget issues, etc. 
• Referrals to potential partners for programs 
• Advice in locating appropriate technical assistance to evaluate and increase applicants’ accessibility and arts participation

Grant Amounts:

For organizations: up to $10,000

For artists: up to $5,000

Kentucky Social Welfare Foundation

The Kentucky Social Welfare Foundation is an independent charitable foundation that provides grants to non-profit organizations serving Kentucky residents.

Purpose

The Kentucky Social Welfare Foundation (KSWF) was established in 1948 to improve the quality of life and opportunity among Kentuckians who experience diminished economic opportunities, whether due to poverty, poor health, disability, or inequality. The Board of Trustees is dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Further, KSWF will continue to achieve a future that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive for all. We embrace access to success and will treat all with fairness and dignity including, but not limited to all families in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The expectation of the KSWF grant recipients is to share our core values in their agency and work.

Targeting our grants to rural areas, small towns, and geographic areas of special need, KSWF seeks to promote efficient and effective social welfare organizations and methods for providing “self-help and training.”

KSWF fulfills this purpose through monetary grants to established non-profit organizations that will:

• “enlarge and broaden their scope of operation” and/or
• develop and implement “new projects to provide services which no agency, already in operation, is planned or equipped to extend.”

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award a total of $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Improving Health & Wellbeing

Examples:

• Mobile health clinic creation
• Playground improvements
• Domestic violence shelter upgrades
• Accommodations for individuals with disabilities

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

Research & Education Grant

Southern SARE is requesting pre-proposals for either Systems Research Projects or for Education Projects and Activities that address issues of sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the region and the nation.

Maximum funding amount for Systems Research Projects is $400,000, and maximum funding amount for Education Projects and Activities is $50,000. Pre-proposals with smaller funding requests are welcomed and encouraged.

Southern SARE accepts proposals from applicants in the Southern region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Proposed projects must focus on Southern SARE’s program objectives in developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing farming systems toward sustainability, as defined by the Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill. Under that law, “the term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs;
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends;
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

About Us Central + Appalachia Kentucky’s Experts in Local Philanthropy Blue Grass Community Foundation is where people go to give to enhance the quality of life in Central and Appalachia Kentucky. We connect charitable individuals, families, businesses, communities and nonprofit organizations with causes they care about to meet community needs and make a difference. We were founded in 1967 by visionary Lexington couple Irene and C.W. Sulier, who created a permanent endowment for our community with simple aspirations: they hoped their fund would grow to support diverse community needs over time and that others with charitable intent might join them. Their dreams have been more than realized. In the past 50+ years, we have grown from one charitable fund to over 700, each with its own unique charitable purpose. Charitable assets total more than $160 million. Most importantly, the Community Foundation, in partnership with our generous donors, has awarded more than $120 million in grants.MissionOur mission is to create generous, vibrant and engaged communities throughout Central and Appalachia Kentucky. To carry out our mission, we:

• Encourage individuals, families, and businesses to partner with us to fulfill their charitable goals
• Make grants to support community issues in Central and Appalachia Kentucky
• Steward more than $140 million in assets across more than 700 charitable funds with the oversight of our Board of Directors
• Convene people to strengthen our community
• Collaborate to develop creative solutions for community needs
• Nurture and strengthen community organizations
• Build endowments to provide for community needs for generations to come

Early Childhood Education & Literacy Grants

With funding from the MacAdam Early Childhood and Literacy Fund, Blue Grass Community Foundation seeks to increase equitable access to pre-K education, early childhood care programs, and/or literacy programs for students in Central Kentucky. BGCF has the goal of narrowing the achievement gap by supporting those organizations/programs specifically serving low-income students, students of color, English-learners, and students with special needs.

Qualified charitable organizations serving Central Kentucky are eligible to submit grant proposals that focus on early childhood teaching and learning; professional development for early childhood educators; parent engagement; and literacy-specific programs for learners of all ages, including adults. Proposals for project support, general operating support, and multi-year funding will be considered. 

The Impact 100 Model

The Impact100 model is designed to empower women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. The model is designed for transformational grant-making within our local community, with a minimum grant size of $100,000.

Focus Areas

We provide nonprofit organizations with grants in increments of at least $100,000 across five broad Focus Areas:

• Arts & Culture
  • Initiatives that cultivate, develop, and enhance the cultural, artistic and historic climate of the Greater Owensboro area.
• Education
  • Initiatives that further the educational process or improve access to education for children and/or adults in the Greater Owensboro area.
• Family
  • Initiatives that strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families living in the Greater Owensboro area.
• Health & Wellness
  • Initiatives that improve the mental and/or physical well-being of people living in the Greater Owensboro area.
• Environment & Recreation
  • Initiatives that will restore, preserve, revitalize or enhance the facilities, surroundings and/or recreational opportunities of the Greater Owensboro area.

Residual Grant

The Residual grant is the remaining amount OVER $100,000 that is collected and will vary from year to year.

The Impact 100 Model

The Impact100 model is designed to empower women to see themselves as philanthropists and overcome the barriers women have historically faced in this arena. The model is designed for transformational grant-making within our local community, with a minimum grant size of $100,000.

Focus Areas

We provide nonprofit organizations with grants in increments of at least $100,000 across five broad Focus Areas:

• Arts & Culture
  • Initiatives that cultivate, develop, and enhance the cultural, artistic and historic climate of the Greater Owensboro area.
• Education
  • Initiatives that further the educational process or improve access to education for children and/or adults in the Greater Owensboro area.
• Family
  • Initiatives that strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families living in the Greater Owensboro area.
• Health & Wellness
  • Initiatives that improve the mental and/or physical well-being of people living in the Greater Owensboro area.
• Environment & Recreation
  • Initiatives that will restore, preserve, revitalize or enhance the facilities, surroundings and/or recreational opportunities of the Greater Owensboro area.

NextGen Grant

Impact100 Next Generation will strive to cultivate a new generation of informed and passionate philanthropists and provide an opportunity for young women to become invested in the Impact100 Owensboro model of transforming lives in the Greater Owensboro area through high-impact and lifelong giving.

The NextGen grant amount is based entirely on the number of members they have and will also vary from year to year.

The NextGen grant application must include a benefit to young people in our community.

Cross-Sector Impact Grants

South Arts’ mission is advancing Southern vitality through the arts, and this program addresses a strategic goal to cultivate and strengthen deep, cross-sector partnerships that are artist and community centered. As our communities continue to change, the arts play an incomparable role in addressing many of our communal and individual challenges and strengths. The value of partnership and working together across sectors brings new opportunities, increased effectiveness, and greater depth to our collective work. Through this program, South Arts seeks to provide significant support to projects developed by partners that harness the power of “Arts & …” (these are projects at the intersection of arts and other sectors). This year, we are shifting to a new program model.

Over the next three years, South Arts is committed to one community impact area – Health and Wellness. Eligible projects must focus on the “Arts & Health and Wellness” theme - for example, arts & mental wellness or arts & physical health. Matching grants of up to $15,000 will be awarded to support approximately 18 projects. We anticipate funding these 18 projects for three grant cycles and expect applicants to commit to the collaborative work for a three-year duration. Funding will be awarded in three separate fiscal years with streamlined, grant renewal forms submitted for cycles two and three. Matching grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to continue or advance the project with the same two partners in cycles two and three.  

South Arts’ mission is advancing Southern vitality through the arts. This program addresses two of South Arts’ strategic goals:

• Connect artists and arts professionals in the South to resources that will increase opportunities for success within and outside the region
• Advance impactful arts-based programs that recognize and address trends and evolving needs of a wide range of communities in the South

Project Requirements

SSouth Arts welcomes applications from partnering entities working together on a project that addresses Arts & Health and Wellness through cross-sector partnerships. Projects must utilize the arts as a tool in creative approaches to address and advance a health and wellness issue that is of importance in their community. Projects should also establish or advance relationships across at least two different sectors, one being in the arts. 

Arts disciplines may include, but are not limited to:

• Performing arts, including dance, music, theater, musical theater, opera;
• Literary arts, including fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry;
• Visual arts, including craft, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media;
• Film or media;
• Traditional and folk arts, including music, craft, storytelling, dance; or
• Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary artforms.

Community impact areas may include, but are not limited to:

• Physical (overall well-being and the ability of the body to function properly);
• Mental/Emotional (overall well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life and their emotions);
• Social (overall well-being that stems from connection and community); or
• Occupational (overall physical, mental, and social well-being of workers). 

Matching Requirements

The minimum grant request is $5,000 and the maximum request is $15,000 (subject to funding availability). A match of at least 1:2 is required; meaning for each grant dollar, the grantee must provide $.50 towards the project expenses. For returning grantees, in cycles two and three, the maximum request is $10,000 (subject to funding availability).

Up to half of the match may be comprised of in-kind contributions such as donated materials, donated services, or other contributed non-cash assets or staff time diverted to this project. At least half of the match must be cash. For staff time diverted to this project, up to 10% of the total project expenses, but no more than $5,000 can be included as a cash expense or cash match for staff time. The remaining staff time must be an in-kind contribution. Contracted individuals and services specifically for this project are eligible cash expenses. 

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award a total of $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Expanding Access to Food & Shelter

Examples:

• Food pantry remodel
• Community garden creation
• Animal shelter upgrades
• Building repairs or renovations

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s mission is to connect generous people with trusted nonprofits to create a vibrant tri-state region where every person has a fair opportunity to thrive.

As the region's leading community foundation, it’s our role to act as a partner, funder, and connector – creating trusted relationships with generous people, nonprofits and community stakeholders to improve quality of life across the region. Since 1963, we have been inspired by your passion and generosity – it fuels our work. Together, we’re making investments in arts and culture, education, housing affordability, health care, job creation, environmental sustainability, human services and more.

Vibrant Places: Community & Cultural Vibrancy 

Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) invites your organization to partner with us to create a Greater Cincinnati where every person has a fair opportunity to thrive.

Our grantmaking in Community & Cultural Vibrancy focuses on two key areas: promoting healthy people and cultivating vibrant places. We believe that a strong community is built through equitable access to resources, arts & culture, and spaces that connect and uplift residents. For the 2025 Vibrant Places: Community & Cultural Vibrancy RFP cycle, GCF has approximately $500,000 available and grants will be awarded for up to $25,000.  Vibrant Places: Community & Cultural Vibrancy RFP funding will be made available annually. However, organizations that are awarded funding are not eligible to apply the following year.

Funding Focus 

All residents should have access to the resources they need to live full, stable and healthy lives. GCF will invest in safe public spaces, accessible parks, arts and culture and resident–led programs to strengthen individual and community well-being. To drive this impact, we invest in:

• Strengthening community spaces and cultural institutions that bring people together.
• Creating and fostering safe neighborhoods through sustained community engagement.

Use of Funds

Funding may be used to support, expand, or strengthen existing programs, enact capital improvements, launch a new program or build organizational capacity. Collaboration between well-aligned organizations is highly favored.

Community Impact Grant

The Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation works to identify passionate leaders who make a difference in the lives of people in need. The Foundation recognizes that without strong leaders and the resources to execute a large-scale vision, high impact in the nonprofit space is limited. We commit to partnering with organizations that have the leadership capability, the know-how, the humility to learn, and the personal passion to help the people they serve reach their full potential.

Community Impact Grants are available for nonprofits located in the state of Kentucky. This cycle we are funding in the following areas: Early Childhood Education, Food Insecurity and Military & First Responder Family Support.

Funding

Grant amounts range from $5,000-$50,000. We will consider some multi year requests, up to 3 years. 

About Us

The Community Foundation of Louisville mobilizes people, networks and capital to provide everyone with opportunities for success. We partner with people who want to use their dollars and and resources to support real change in Metro Louisville by investing in emerging and established solutions. Our grant process is one tool that we use to learn about solutions being used by community changemakers

Community Safety & Healing Fund

The Community Safety & Healing Fund was established in 2022 at the Community Foundation of Louisville together with Cities United, Louisville Metro Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, and other partners. Funding from this grant supports organizations that disrupt the cycle of community violence with a focus on serving Black males ages 15-24, prioritizing those who are not currently enrolled in school or employed. 

For purposes of this Fund, “violence intervention” is defined as:

Disrupting cycles of violence by focusing on individuals already engaged in behaviors that place them at greatest risk for being a victim and/or perpetrator of violence. This includes young people who are between the ages of 15 to 24 years old and are disconnected from school and work– or any other antisocial groups, direct victims of gun violence, and/or individuals in close relationship with someone who has been victimized by gun violence. The work of community violence intervention looks like:

• Mentorship through a case management model to those at greatest risk of becoming a victim or a perpetrator of violence
• High-risk intervention to mediate ongoing disputes and prevent retaliatory violence
• Safe Passage to schools to reduce school violence and improve attendance
• Support to survivors of community violence who are not supported by traditional victim services agencies

Mission Statement

The King’s Daughters and Sons Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. is a faith-based philanthropic organization serving non-profit entities that meet established eligibility criteria.  Funding is determined by need and the amount of monies available during the grant cycle.

Grants

The King’s Daughters and Sons Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. (TKDSF) awarded $645,988 in grants last year to nonprofit organizations located throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. These organizations met grant criteria and demonstrated capability to meet TKDSF’s philanthropic mission of providing impactful, charitable services to Kentuckians. These organizations will serve as TKDSF’s outreach to Kentuckians to address a variety of needs related to health, education, safety, and general welfare.

Funding Priorities

The primary categories for awarding funding by The King’s Daughters and Sons Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. (TKDSF) are Higher Education, Health and General Welfare programs.  Within these categories, grants will be awarded to support projects with an emphasis on capital expansion, equipment purchases, and higher education scholarships for Kentucky residents.  

Funding Examples

Awards from the last funding cycle will positively affect on-going, unmet areas of need to:

• At-risk children and disadvantaged youth
• Elderly and disabled adults
• Vulnerable adults and children with food and medical insecurity
• Individuals needing financial assistance to pursue Allied Health and Nursing degrees

About

Investing in Southeastern Illinois for good, and forever.

Across America, more than 700 community foundations help individuals, families and organizations make permanent charitable investments in their communities. Each works to create vibrant communities within their specific geographic area. Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is proud to be in their company.

Mission

Cultivating philanthropy to build better communities.

In support of our mission, Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is committed to bringing the full capabilities of an independent community foundation to smaller communities in our region by working with local volunteers and donors to improve their hometowns.

Fall Grant Cycle: Siemer Milling Company Fund for Youth Leadership Development

Siemer Milling Company is a family and employee-owned company with mills located in Hopkinsville, KY, W. Harrison, IN, and Teutopolis, IL. The organization has realized success to date because of the commitment of many fine people and their sincere desire to do a good job and deliver a worthwhile product. As the company grows, it will always emphasize attentiveness to the legitimate needs of its employees, customers, and the communities of which they are a part.

The Siemer Milling Company Fund established in 2006 provides a permanent source of funding to programs in Effingham County, Illinois and Christian County, Kentucky, and Dearborn County, Indiana that support the development of young leaders.

Why is Youth Leadership Development important?

For youth to be prepared to work in partnership with adults, they need to develop and enhance their leadership skills. Leadership training prepares youth to manage time, work as a team, set goals, start conversations, facilitate meetings, and make a difference. Promoting youth leadership development is a great way to promote positive life skills learning and prepare the next generation of leaders in our businesses, churches, and community.

The Siemer Milling Company Endowment awards grants to programs aimed at developing youth (ages 19 and under) to become extraordinary leaders by investing in the leadership skills required for improving our shared life, such as:

ENTERPRISE SAVVY — The ability to leverage opportunities with integrity and innovation; to make the right decisions and achieve results.

CONSCIENCE — Strong moral/religious character, working to have an ethical impact on the community.

COLLABORATIVE COMMUNICATION — The ability to engage others inclusively across teams, functions, and cultures, effectively marketing ideas.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year. 

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Greater Cincinnati Foundation’s mission is to connect generous people with trusted nonprofits to create a vibrant tri-state region where every person has a fair opportunity to thrive.

As the region's leading community foundation, it’s our role to act as a partner, funder, and connector – creating trusted relationships with generous people, nonprofits and community stakeholders to improve quality of life across the region. Since 1963, we have been inspired by your passion and generosity – it fuels our work. Together, we’re making investments in arts and culture, education, housing affordability, health care, job creation, environmental sustainability, human services and more.

Building Bright Futures: Education

GCF is excited about our bold new vision for Education partnerships and this inaugural Building Bright Futures grant cycle launch.

Funding Focus

Every child deserves a bright future where they are empowered to succeed and thrive. Meaningful change in student outcomes to realize this future will require innovative and evidence-based solutions. Applications should explicitly address how your organization supports work to ensure every child and young adult is cultivating a future of limitless potential.

Use of Funds

Funding may be used to support efforts to launch a new program, expand or strengthen existing programs, enact capital improvements, build organizational capacity, or for general operating support.