Best Operating Grants for Nonprofits in Delaware

The Reeves Foundation supports research aimed at understanding and treating macular degeneration, a condition that has personally affected the founder's family. Established in 1997, the foundation allocates 50% of its grants to research and the other half to local charities in Columbus, Indiana. Nonprofit organizations exempt under IRS code 501(c)(3) are eligible to apply, but funds cannot be used for administrative costs. The foundation prioritizes equipment purchases and partnerships with other funding sources.

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation's Creating Opportunity & Independence Grant supports programs and research that enhance the quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). It welcomes applications from nonprofit organizations and rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. and Canada, focusing on projects that foster independence, community participation, and capacity-building. Priority is given to initiatives that demonstrate broad impact and involve individuals with SCI, ensuring their needs and perspectives shape the proposed activities.

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

Early Career Research

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

National Implementation

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

Community-Centered Implementation

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

Forum:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Program Overview:

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian (LB21) projects build a library and archival workforce that can meet the information needs of communities and increase the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs across the country.  

The program supports projects that:  

• provide training and professional development to library and archives professionals;  
• develop faculty and information leaders; and 
• recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of library and archives professionals. 

Projects can support the recruitment, education, training, and retention of pre-professionals, students, faculty, and the current library and archives workforce. 

Project Type

Planning:

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley is a collection of individual funds and resources given by local citizens to enhance and support the quality of life in the Fox River Valley of Illinois.

We are a tax-exempt public charity that allows individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to establish permanent endowments and temporary funds within the confines of one large foundation.

Foundation funds are used to provide grants to non-profit organizations and scholarships to area students. The Foundation also hosts a Youth Engagement in Philanthropy (YEP) program, which helps high school students learn more about philanthropy and empowers them to make a difference in the community.

The Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley serves the City of Aurora, Kane County, and Kendall County within the State of Illinois.

Fox Valley Marines Detachment 1233 Scholarship Endowment Fund

The Fox Valley Marines Detachment 1233 scholarship is available to two students annually who is an Active Duty, Active Reserve, or Veteran U.S. Marine, Navy Corpsman/Chaplain (attached to an FMF unit), or the spouse, child, or grandchild of the previously listed sponsors. Students must provide a legible copy of the DD Form 214 for proof of service.

The monetary value of each scholarship award varies depending upon the amount available in each individual scholarship fund. The most common scholarship award amount is $1,000 for a single year. Scholarships are designated as non-renewable one-year awards or renewable multi-year awards depending upon the scholarship fund criteria, as established by the donor of the scholarship fund.

The James McKeen Cattell Sabbatical Grant, provided by the James McKeen Cattell Fund, offers supplementary financial support for psychologists' sabbaticals. This grant is designed for faculty members at U.S. and Canadian institutions who meet specific eligibility criteria, including tenure status and recent leave history. The maximum award is capped at $40,000 or half the recipient's salary, ensuring that recipients can extend their research time effectively.

Scholarships support aspiring college students who hold the promise of tomorrow’s progress.

Together, our competitive grants and scholarships help our region rise thanks to the vision and generosity of our donors.

The Congressman Mark Foley Scholarship for Environmental Studies Fund

Must pursue an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies.

About Legacy Foundation

Legacy Foundation is the community foundation for Lake County, Indiana. We connect people, knowledge, and funding to build an equitable, accessible, and inclusive Lake County, now and for generations to come.

Legacy Foundation is supported by a broad base of individuals, families, and businesses connected by the desire to improve Lake County, Indiana. With a growing portfolio of over 300 funds and approximately $80 million in assets, Legacy Foundation is a trusted source for philanthropic giving in the region.

For over 30 years, Legacy Foundation has been empowering people, providing strategic leadership, and impactful philanthropic support to create an equitable Lake County where all people thrive.

Mission Statement

Transforming Lake County by providing strategic leadership and impactful philanthropic support to ensure equitable opportunity for all communities that we serve.

Vision Statement

Create an equitable Lake County where all people thrive.

Thrive Scholarship

Use the chart below to see which scholarships are the best fit for you! You must complete the Legacy Universal Application to apply.

Scholarship eligibility requires students to attend an accredited 2 or 4 year public or private institution of higher learning. All scholarships are for full-time students, unless otherwise noted. Renewable awards are for 4 years of undergraduate study and cannot be used for post graduate coursework; all awards are paid directly to the school or may be used for book reimbursement.

Scholarships support aspiring college students who hold the promise of tomorrow’s progress.

Together, our competitive grants and scholarships help our region rise thanks to the vision and generosity of our donors.

Frances F. Bourque Scholarship Fund Endowment established by Old School Square Center for the Arts

This scholarship honors Frances Bourque’s extraordinary legacy by nurturing the next generation of arts visionaries. It exists to ignite in young people the same passion for creative expression and cultural preservation that has defined Frances’s remarkable life of service.

Scholarships support aspiring college students who hold the promise of tomorrow’s progress.

Together, our competitive grants and scholarships help our region rise thanks to the vision and generosity of our donors.

Theodore Satter Memorial Scholarship Fund

• Must major in business, banking, or finance.
• Not based on financial need.

About American College of Radiology

Founded in 1923, the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) is at the forefront of radiology evolution, representing more than 40,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists.

Richard L. Morin, PhD, Fellowship in Medical Physics

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) is proud to support the development of young medical physicists through the Richard L. Morin, PhD, Fellowship. This fellowship provides one or two medical physics residents the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the ACR.

Morin fellows interact with College staff, gain governance experience and receive fully funded attendance to the ACR Annual Meeting at the end of their Fellowship year.

In addition, the ACR will fully fund a one-week trip to ACR headquarters in Washington, DC, during the fall of their fellowship year, for the fellow(s) to meet College staff across departments and projects.

Fellows who publish an article or complete a project will earn a stipend of $500.

The Cottrell SEED: New Research Directions grant supports early career researchers in chemistry, physics, and astronomy to launch innovative projects. With a maximum award of $60,000, this initiative encourages interdisciplinary and exploratory research without requiring preliminary data. Eligible applicants include Cottrell Scholars and Holland Award recipients, with a focus on fostering a diverse scientific community. The grant aims to enhance impactful research and academic leadership, aligning with the mission of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

The Retina Society, Inc.

The Retina Society was founded in 1968 exclusively for educational and scientific purposes concerning the diagnosis, care and treatment of diseases and injuries to the retina. The Retina Society began as an outgrowth of alumni meetings of Retina Associates, a retina practice founded in Boston in 1951 by Charles L. Schepens. Dr. Schepens is credited with establishing retina surgery as a sub-specialty.  

Our mission is to reduce worldwide visual disability and blindness by promoting the education and professional interaction of vitreoretinal specialists, providing optimal care for patients with vitreoretinal diseases, and encouraging, through clinical and basic research, the discovery and development of new means to further patient care.

Retina Society Research Grants

Supporting the advancement of knowledge and education throughout the global retina community, The Retina Society established a research and education grant program in 2020 to fund annual innovative research grants by Retina Society members in good standing. In 2022, we entered into a partnership with the International Retina Research Foundation to fund three $50,000 grants.

• The applications should fall in one of two categories:
  • basic science/translational research
  • clinical research

Proposed research should attempt to advance our understanding of vitreoretinal physiology or pathophysiology or pursue avenues for potential therapies or therapeutic innovation.

Scholarships support aspiring college students who hold the promise of tomorrow’s progress.

Together, our competitive grants and scholarships help our region rise thanks to the vision and generosity of our donors.

Esther Sheehy McShurley Scholarship Fund

For Esther Sheehy McShurley, giving back has always meant investing in young lives. Whether volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of Port Salerno or raising funds through its annual events, Esther has seen firsthand how early support can change a child’s path.

“It provides a wonderful start for the boys and girls,” she says. “If we can get to children while they’re young, they can become better citizens when they get older.”

Wanting to extend her impact beyond today, Esther created the Esther Sheehy McShurley Scholarship Fund through a charitable remainder unitrust with the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. The scholarship will help graduating seniors from Martin County high schools, with a preference for students pursuing vocational or technical education.

She hopes the fund will empower students who are ready to learn skills, launch careers, and build better futures — especially those who dream of starting their own businesses. “There is a great need for scholarships for young people who want to apply their knowledge directly to making a living,” she says.

Esther sees her scholarship as an extension of the work she loves most: encouraging young people to believe in their potential and take their first steps toward independence.

“This is my legacy,” she says. “It’s nice to know that the children who receive this scholarship will know who I am and what I cared about. It’s a good feeling to know that someone will have an opportunity to make something of themselves — and make this a better world.”

The Cottrell SEED: Exceptional Opportunities grant supports high-impact research activities for Cottrell Scholars and Holland Award recipients. It encourages innovative projects at primarily undergraduate institutions, with a maximum award of $60,000. The initiative aims to advance existing research to new levels of innovation and impact. Eligible applicants include those six years post-Cottrell Scholar Award, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration. Preference is given to proposals in Physics and Astronomy in odd years, while Chemistry is prioritized in even years.

About the Emporia Community Foundation

Our Mission

To connect caring people with causes that build stronger communities within the Emporia area which includes Chase, Coffey, Greenwood, Lyon, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties.

Addie's "Grace" Fund

The purpose of Addie's "Grace" Fund is to provide help to children with life threatening illnesses and support to their families. Grant requests will be considered for children under the age of 18.

Each year, Innovia awards over $500,000 in scholarships to deserving students like you who are college-bound or pursuing vocational or technical training. Single scholarship awards range between $500 and $10,000.

Eilleen Hutchison Scholarship

Primary factors for consideration are academic achievement, financial need and good personal character. Previous recipients of this award are eligible to reapply.

Newport Priest River Rotary & Howard Wildin Education Scholarship

Scholarships and individual awards to achieve a specific objective will be made in the form of grants to students, apprentices or interns participating in a training program, internship, or apprenticeship to prepare them for gainful employment in a recognized occupation that is not prohibited under federal or state law. Such grants will be awarded to individuals to improve or enhance a vocational skill; and develop specialized skills or knowledge in literary, artistic, musical, scientific, teaching or other similar skills or talents.

Outreach Foundation Helen Bonser Scholarship

This scholarship supports the educational aspirations of individuals from Spokane and Kootenai Counties who identify as LGBTQA+ or Allies, helping them achieve their academic and career goals while fostering a sense of community engagement. 

Applicants should demonstrate exceptional character, leadership, and/or LGBTQA+ community involvement. Recipients are eligible to re-apply and compete for the Outreach Foundation Helen Bonser Scholarship after a waiting period of 5 years.

The Helen M. McLoraine Foster Care and Emancipated Youth Scholarship provides financial support for youth from the foster care system in Colorado. With a minimum award of $1,000, the scholarship is aimed at those pursuing post-secondary education, including trade schools and universities. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, resilience, and financial need, ensuring that deserving individuals receive the assistance they need to succeed in their educational goals.

Coral Gables Community Foundation

Led by community leaders, the Coral Gables Community Foundation provides the philanthropic conduit to connect individuals and corporations looking to positively impact the success of the community. Now in its 33rd year, the Foundation has been at the forefront of the evolving needs of Coral Gables while effectively bringing together beneficiaries and benefactors to fund programs with the greatest impact and benefit to “The City Beautiful.”

Coral Gables Community Foundation’s Scholarships Program

Coral Gables Community Foundation is honored to partner with our fundholders to administer generous scholarships as well as manage the Foundation’s own scholarship funds.

The Foundation and its fundholders have proudly awarded over $6.7 million in scholarships in just the last decade.

High-Achieving Four-Year Scholarship

This 4-year scholarship is given annually to students who have demonstrated overall academic achievement and dedication to service within the school and in his/her community, and have low family income. The Foundation also considers applicants’ motivation, financial need, and personal experiences.

Maintenance

In order to maintain the scholarship each year, the recipient must maintain a minimum overall 3.0 GPA throughout his/her college studies.

Stark Community Foundation is one of the area’s major sources of college scholarship support— thanks to the generosity of caring individuals, families and businesses that have created scholarship funds.

The Foundation currently manages more than 100 scholarship funds that support hundreds of deserving students each year from Stark and Carroll counties. In 2025, more than $1,000,000 was awarded to local students to help them achieve their educational dreams.

The Church of Christ (Christian Disciples) Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Church of Christ (Christian Disciples) Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to help students who have permanent residence in Carroll County, Ohio or had a permanent residence on the date they began their post high school education.

Mary O' Neill Mini Grant

Dr. Barbara O’Neill, an AFCPE member and Past President of AFCPE, has made a restricted donation to AFCPE in honor of her late mother, Mary O’Neill, a financially capable woman. The donation will support an annual $5,000 mini-grant for development and implementation of an innovative, high-impact financial educational nonprofit project. 

Winner is notified by October 1 and announced at AFCPE Symposium.

The Northern California DX Foundation Grant supports amateur radio projects that promote education and international goodwill. It provides financial assistance for well-designed DXpeditions to rare locations, especially those generating global interest. Grants are typically awarded to expeditions that align with the foundation's mission, ensuring participants have a financial stake in their initiatives. The foundation emphasizes thorough review of operator qualifications, equipment appropriateness, and operational plans before granting support.