Search Through Diversity Grants for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania in the U.S.

Scranton Area Community Foundation

The Scranton Area Community Foundation makes grants to foster good ideas that have the potential to strengthen our community and enrich the lives of the people of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Foundation responds to community needs and opportunities with grants in such diverse fields as health, education, arts, environment, human services, and civic affairs.

Organizations that serve the needs of residents in Lackawanna County are encouraged to keep the Foundation informed of their programs and services and to share their ideas about addressing community needs and opportunities.

Critical Needs Grants

Critical Needs Grants will be made for emergencies or pressing, unanticipated needs to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Letters of Intent (LOIs) for Critical Needs Grants will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year. These grants are intended to be quickly deployed where and when needed.

To ensure that funding is prioritized for the most urgent cases, applicants requesting support for budget shortfalls will be asked to provide documentation of confirmed or enacted funding reductions (e.g., award letters, official notifications, or budget amendments). Support for anticipated shortfalls may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but may not be prioritized.

Background

Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), now including the Pepco Holdings utilities, is the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2015 revenues of approximately $34.5 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon does business in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with more than 32,700 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company’s Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Exelon’s six utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to approximately 10 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania through its Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco subsidiaries

Grants

One way we connect with our communities is through local grants. Exelon’s grant applications are easy to complete. You can submit online applications for program, event and sponsorship support.

Exelon Directs Corporate Giving To Four Key Areas:

We fund programs that deliver measurable, sustainable improvements in the communities we serve. We invest in organizations that have proven track records in these areas:

Through our Building Exelon’s Future Workforce focus area, Exelon funds organizations, institutions, and programs that offer Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering (STEM) education and enrichment opportunities for students; scholarship and mentoring support to increase the number of students graduating with college degrees in STEM fields, STEM career and technical education, occupational skills training programs for older youth and adults, and assistance to remove barriers to employment. The following list includes a selection of strategies that Exelon and its operating companies support to build Exelon’s future workforce:

• Out-of-school education & enrichment programs such as summer or after school STEM programs and clubs,
• STEM career exposure opportunities for students such as career fairs and field site visits,
• Novel in-school STEM learning opportunities such as mobile labs and science outreach,
• K-12 STEM teacher training and professional development opportunities,
• STEM classroom resources and lab equipment,
• High school STEM trades career and technical education and training programs,
• Community college-based STEM trade education, training, and apprentice programs,
• Postsecondary scholarships for students majoring in STEM fields,
• STEM career mentoring and tutoring,
• STEM trade occupational skills training programs for adults and older youth, and
• Employment barrier removal assistance services.

Through our Energy Empowerment in Our Communities focus area, Exelon funds organizations and programs that improve the quality of our environment; promote environmental education, conservation, and preservation; develop cleaner sources of energy; protect endangered species; and beautify neighborhoods. Examples of programs that Exelon and its operating companies support through Energy Empowerment grants include, but are not limited to, the following strategies:

• Alternative energy development, installation, and education,  
• Vehicle electrification,
• Climate resilience or adaptation initiatives and education,
• Endangered species protection, wildlife conservation, promotion of biodiversity,
• Landscape and watershed conservation, restoration, and preservation,  
• Neighborhood beautification and green space initiatives, and
• Environmental and energy efficiency education and outreach.  

Through our Enrichment through Local Vitality focus area, Exelon funds a broad range of organizations and institutions that create local employment opportunities, support families, foster resilience, and strengthen communities. Examples of ways in which Exelon and its operating companies support Enrichment through Local Vitality include, but are not limited to, the following strategies:

• Anchor institutions such as universities, colleges, hospitals, and other organizations that provide employment opportunities, economic benefit, and enrichment in communities,
• The establishment and promotion of business districts,
• Projects carried out through community development corporations,
• Community-based programs and nonprofit organizations,
• Emergency preparedness programs, resiliency hubs, and resources that promote public safety,
• Programs that increase local economic investment and employment opportunities, and
• Local Chambers of Commerce.

Exelon believes that our lives are enriched and our communities are strengthened through individual interactions and collective experiences with the arts. Through our Equal Access to Arts and Culture focus area, Exelon funds cultural institutions with broad public exposure and programs designed to make arts and culture more accessible to a wider and more diverse audience. Exelon and its operating companies support a broad range of programs that promote Equal Access to Arts and Culture, including, but not limited to, the following strategies:

• Arts education and enrichment for all ages carried out through schools, community programs, arts institutions, and other organizations,
• Community-based exhibition spaces such as galleries, theaters, performance spaces, and specialty museums,
• The acquisition and exhibition of culturally and locally relevant arts content, and
• The establishment and promotion of theater and arts districts.

Nonprofit Growth Grants

Awarded throughout the year, Nonprofit Growth Grants range in value up to $10,000 to support the organizational and professional development needs of non-profit organizations.

Background

Through effective partnerships and collaborations, including The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, Catalyst Center for Nonprofit Management and Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO), FCP invests in the organizational and professional development needs of nonprofits serving Bucks County.

Opportunities 

Organizational Development Opportunities:

Funding

Grant funding may cover up to 90% of the proposed project.

Professional Development Opportunities:

Funding

An approved master’s degree candidate will be reimbursed equal to one-third (1/3) of the total tuition cost upon submission of final course grade (B or higher). The organization and the candidate are responsible for the remaining two-thirds (2/3) of the tuition.

An approved Certificate in Nonprofit Management candidate will be reimbursed equal to half (1/2) of the total tuition cost. The remaining cost will be funded by the organization and/or candidate. FCP will reimburse nonprofits that sponsor a certificate track student after five successfully completed courses and again after completion of the program.

An approved DEI certificate candidate through University of Florida and Catalyst will be fully funded, while an approved candidate through Cornell University will be reimbursed equal to half (1/2) of the total tuition cost. The remaining cost will be funded by the organization and/or candidate. FCP will reimburse nonprofits that sponsor a DEI certificate track student after completion of the program.

Background

The Highmark Foundation is a private, charitable, organization of Highmark Inc. that supports initiatives and programs aimed at improving community health. The Highmark Foundation's mission is to improve the health, well-being and quality of life for individuals who reside in communities served by Highmark Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. We fulfill our mission by awarding high impact grants.

Ideally, the Foundation seeks evidence-based programs that impact multiple counties, that achieve replicable long-term models, and that attract collaborative funding by community partners.

Foundation grants have been awarded to hospitals, community health centers, health service organizations, local community groups and government agencies committed to improving community health.

Our focus is health. The Foundation awards health-related programmatic grants to charitable organizations to implement evidence-based programs aimed at improving community health within Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Grant funding is used to support projects that:

• Are consistent with the Foundation’s goals, strategies and focus
• Demonstrate new and sustainable ways to solve health problems
• Illustrate the effectiveness of early intervention and preventive health

Funding Priority Areas

The Foundation awards grants in the area of health, defining health broadly to include social, behavioral and other dimensions beyond illness or disease. The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on four areas:

Chronic Disease

For more than a decade, the Foundation has funded chronic disease intervention and prevention programs for the most vulnerable populations in the region. By analyzing data from global, national, and statewide resources, the Foundation determines where it can make significant impact among populations by reducing the burden on both patients and health care providers.

One major example of the Foundation's leadership is its funding of community-based programs and services that have been created to reduce the effects of diabetes among minority populations. Through comprehensive, multilevel strategies, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars which grant these individuals easier access to diabetes prevention programs.

The Foundation has also supported national efforts—locally. For example, the Foundation was one of the first in the nation to fund an initiative known as Mission Lifeline. This is an initiative of the American Heart Association which advances the systems of care for patients who have experienced the most severe form of heart attack.

Data analysis of other chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, asthma, and many others, are constantly being reviewed by the Foundation staff to determine significant impact opportunities with outcomes that are both measurable and achievable.

Funding Programs and Interventions that Address:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Obesity

Family Health

Family health initiatives have been at the heart of many programs funded by the Highmark Foundation.

For five years, the Foundation's Highmark Healthy High 5 initiative focused on five areas that ultimately impacted family health: physical activity, nutrition, bullying, self-esteem and grieving. Many of the programs funded were not just aimed at children, but incorporated the entire family unit.

Childhood obesity and bullying remain major public health concerns for the nation and the region, and will remain critical issues for the Foundation. To that end, the Foundation is continuing to fund school and community-based programs that directly impact these issues and bring about positive change for children's physical and mental well-being.

The Foundation also funds programs in the area of maternal health, such as the doula pregnancy programs, walk-in clinics for uninsured and underinsured women, and parenting education classes. For the region's senior population, the Foundation funds programs that provide senior access to home health or palliative care, as well as routine health screenings and interventions.

Funding Programs and Interventions that Address:

• Nutrition and Physical Activity
• Adolescent Health
• Maternal Health
• Senior Care
• Mental Health

Service Delivery Systems

Serving a diverse geographic area that encompasses urban and rural populations presents a unique set of challenges. However, despite the differences in these settings, gaining access to quality health care is a challenge for many individuals in both. In urban settings, there is a lack of health care providers, but the underinsured or uninsured often lack the resources to gain access. In rural settings, the situation is even worse. There are very few health care providers available, and those that are available may not have the capacity to serve the underinsured or uninsured populations.

During the past decade, the Foundation has funded many programs across the region to help underserved and uninsured populations gain access to quality and, in some cases, free health care. This is most evident in the area of dental care and oral health, in which the Foundation, through a series of grants, allowed more patients to gain access to quality dental care.

The Foundation has also provided grants to help organizations hire and recruit health care professionals. It has funded millions of dollars in grants to address the nursing shortage in Pennsylvania. In fact, approximately 5,000 nursing students, nurses, medical students, residents, first responders and nursing faculty have benefited from Foundation funding.

Finally, the Foundation has provided grants to organizations planning to invest in new capital and technologies that will better serve their local population. By providing funding for capital expenditures at locations such as Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHC), nonprofit organizations, and community hospitals, the Foundation allows these facilities the ability to serve more patients.

Funding Programs that Address:

• Access to Care
• Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals
• Community Health Clinics
• Screenings

Mission

The mission of the Independence Foundation is to build leadership, provide services, and encourage systems and cultural change through the support of organizations in the fields of healthcare, human services, legal aid, and the arts. The Foundation invests in people and programs that protect, improve and enrich the life experiences of residents of the Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties, with a focus on the vulnerable and excluded. Its work is based on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to justice and services, and appreciates the value of the arts will thrive for generations to come.

Independence Foundation primarily provides unrestricted funding to nonprofits to best help them achieve their missions. Our general operating support offers flexibility to our grantees by allowing funds to be used when and where they’re most needed. 

Funding Initiatives

Arts And Culture

Independence Foundation believes in bolstering the well-being of the region by supporting a variety of opportunities for involvement and participation in the arts. The arts can bind people through shared experience and understanding. Art plays a transformative role in society, one that enriches community and connects people. The Foundation supports programs in the arts that enhance the common artistic spirit through creation or performance. 

Programs which connect the arts with non-traditional participants and increase both access to and awareness of the arts, are of special interest. The Foundation awards general operating grants aimed at strengthening organizations by supporting creative work and administrative capacity, based on community involvement, artistic merit, and leadership in the field. With the exception of organizations currently funded, we do not give grants to dance, music, media arts or broadcasting, museums or historical societies, though we do continue to fund individual artists in some of these disciplines through our Fellowships in the Arts.

Health Care

Independence Foundation believes that high quality, comprehensive primary care and related services result in better health, improved quality of life, reduction in health disparities, and lower costs to the health care system. 

Funding within the health care initiative focuses on the following: 

• Existing nurse-managed health care centers undertaking capacity building projects to expand and/or improve the provision of primary care and related services
• Programs that support health policies and/or infrastructure for nurse-managed and other safety net providers
• Projects designed to inform health care-related planning
• Clinical, community, and/or educational programs designed to improve the health of older adults 

Human Services

Independence Foundation believes that the health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Our region faces many challenges and continually changing demographics have contributed to increased demand for services, while local and federal funding for these services has declined. Community-based organizations fill in the gaps by providing much needed outreach and support.

The Foundation supports organizations that provide direct services to people who do not ordinarily have access to them for the most basic of needs. The current Human Services funding agenda focuses primarily on programs that address the following areas:

• adequate food and food distribution
• affordable housing and access to shelter by homeless persons
• services which support independence for people living with disabilities

Legal Aid

The Independence Foundation is committed to the support of free legal services for the underserved of the Philadelphia region. Grants provide core operating support to strengthen the administrative capacity and the direct service programs of those agencies that deliver critical legal services.

Agencies funded under the Public Interest Legal Aid Initiative address civil legal issues confronting individuals from diverse populations who do not traditionally have adequate access to legal representation, including the indigent, the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless.

Reentry, Recidivism & Restorative Justice 

The Foundation funds community-based organizations doing the following - either by directly assisting individuals, or working to change systems that cause or contribute to the harm addressed:  

• Providing supports to families and individuals involved with and affected by the criminal justice system
• Working to reduce the number of people who imminently face incarceration or a return to prison
• Providing resources to formerly incarcerated individuals that help them become integrated and contributing members once they are released back into society
• Working to reduce harm to families and neighborhoods caused by incarceration

McElhattan Foundation Grants

Welcome to the McElhattan Foundation. We are a Pittsburgh-based grantmaking foundation.

Our mission is preserving and enhancing human life, and we are working toward this by focusing our grantmaking on four program areas: 

End Death on the Job 

The Foundation's interest in preventing death and serious injury in the workplace stems from the family's company, Industrial Scientific Corporation, which manufactures life-saving gas-monitoring devices. The McElhattan family is deeply committed to ending death on the job by 2050, and we expect the majority of our grant budget will be dedicated to this effort. We are especially interested in innovative safety technology, including virtual and augmented reality.

We do not fund applications from nonprofits for employee training or installing/buying safety equipment; we also do not fund road safety initiatives. If you've found us and are seeking funding for any of these things, we wish you the best of luck-- our team is small and it's necessary for us to stay within our particular areas of focus in this program area.

Education

The McElhattan Foundation believes that learning - about oneself and the world around us - is at the core of human life. After all, we learn throughout our entire lives, and in many different settings from school to home and everything in between. Learning brings joy, frustration, resilience, understanding, and purpose to our lives. Unfortunately, many in our region, specifically children living in poverty and children of color, do not have equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities. There are complex and systemic issues of racial and economic injustice at work. To address these issues, our grantmaking is focused on high-need, high-impact areas. Through careful consideration of evidence and urgency, we make grants to support out-of-school time learning and innovative approaches to expand educator diversity. 

Out-of-school-time (OST) Learning  - Research shows that interest-driven experiences in OST settings are key to unlocking the critical learning and life skills that help children to flourish. Because learning does not stop when the school day ends, we support high-quality afterschool, summer, and other informal learning experiences that take place outside the classroom. We fund hands-on learning experiences where youth can connect to positive adult mentors, feel safe to try new things, and have the opportunity to hone new skills. Through our funding, we work to strengthen and expand OST learning in the Pittsburgh region to ensure equitable access for all children.

We prioritize funding for programs that:

• primarily serve children living in poverty and/or children of color; 
• are community-based, rather than operated by schools; 
• primarily serve children in grades K-8; and 
• operate with dependable consistency and high frequency.

We are particularly interested in funding organizations that demonstrate a commitment to implementing critical quality standards, including:  

• social-emotional learning and skill development;
• positive relationship development among youth and with trusted adult mentors;
• youth-centered approaches that help individuals build on their strengths and talents; and 
• strong partnerships with families and schools.

The McElhattan Foundation aims to provide flexible support to grant recipients in the OST area and will direct the majority of our giving through general operating grants. We also will prioritize organizations with annual operating budgets of $10 million or less.

End-of-Life Planning and Care

The McElhattan Foundation believes it is possible for most people to have a higher quality of life at the end of life. Grants in our End-of-Life Planning and Care program area will support initiatives in three strategic areas: Awareness and Documentation, Caregiver/Provider Training and Support, and Technological Innovation. As always, we seek to fund changemakers—visionary leaders and strong teams who will create dramatic, measurable improvement in how patients and their families experience the inevitable process of dying.

• AWARENESS & DOCUMENTATION - We will support initiatives that educate and empower our community—Western Pennsylvania—about end-of-life decision-making, including clarifying the option of hospice care. We are open to funding broad awareness campaigns as well as targeted efforts aimed at reaching specific segments of the population, especially underserved groups. Once an individual understands their end-of-life options and decides upon their preferences, it’s essential for that person to make their wishes known, in advance and in writing, to their loved ones and medical providers. We will support initiatives designed to make recording and sharing this information easier.
• CAREGIVER/PROVIDER TRAINING & SUPPORT - We support initiatives that offer resources, such as respite care, practical training, and counseling, to family and other nonprofessional caregivers. We support programs that train or retrain professional end-of-life care providers—nurses, doctors, social workers, home healthcare aides, etc.—for careers that pay family-sustaining wages. We are particularly interested in improving communication skills around end-of-life care for providers, and in high-quality home-based care. This work too will be focused in Western Pennsylvania.
• TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION - We believe technology can play a role in improving the “quality of death” for many people. Perhaps there is an application for existing technology, like augmented reality, in training caregivers, or perhaps someone can use emerging technology to prevent pressure sores. We would love to see this innovation begin in Pittsburgh, but we are open to applications from end-of-life tech innovators anywhere in the U.S. (To clarify: the bar here is high. We are not funding requests to purchase equipment like VR headsets, iPads, etc. We are looking for game-changing new ideas that could move the entire field of end-of-life care forward.)

Economic Development in Knox & Franklin, PA

The McElhattan family's roots are in Knox and Franklin, PA, and we would like to see those communities thrive. We aim to support locally-led initiatives that improve residents' job opportunities, health, safety, and general quality of life. We have, for example, contributed to the renovation of Miller-Sibley Park and the renovation of the Franklin YMCA, and have funded the Knox Area Ambulance Company and the Knox Volunteer Fire Department.

Organizations that serve Knox and/or Franklin as part of a larger geographical service area are eligible to apply for funding, but in your LOI, please estimate what percentage of funds will be spent specifically on community development in Knox and/or Franklin. 

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Mission

To strengthen the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of Pennsylvania’s communities through the arts.

Statewide Creative Catalyst Grants

Creative Catalyst Grants - This funding opportunity is designed to encourage and support projects and events that have the potential for statewide impact on the arts and creative sector. Statewide Creative Catalyst grants are not designed to provide ongoing support or to fund projects that occur on an annual or regular basis, but rather to help support special events or unique, strategic opportunities. Applications will be reviewed quarterly by PCA staff; funding recommendations will be presented and voted on at the PCA's quarterly Council meetings. 

Statewide Creative Catalyst Grants support new initiatives and opportunities that advance strategies for strengthening the cultural, educational, or economic vitality of Pennsylvania’s communities through the arts. Applications will be assessed based on the degree to which they meet the following components:

• Align with one or more of the three goals of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts:
• Strengthen Pennsylvania communities through the arts.
• Connect and increase Pennsylvanians’ access to lifelong learning through the arts.
• Champion public awareness and appreciation of the arts in Pennsylvania communities.
• Demonstrate statewide benefit for the creative sector in Pennsylvania.
• Include mechanisms to implement the PCA’s overarching value of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Energizing Education Grants

Supporting equitable and engaging high-quality educational opportunities for all students, these grants fund programs focused on:

• STEM (with a focus on programs that inspires students to pursue careers in the energy industry)
• Literacy and summer learning
• College and career readiness

Scranton Area Community Foundation

The Scranton Area Community Foundation makes grants to foster good ideas that have the potential to strengthen our community and enrich the lives of the people of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Foundation responds to community needs and opportunities with grants in such diverse fields as health, education, arts, environment, human services, and civic affairs.

Organizations that serve the needs of residents in Lackawanna County are encouraged to keep the Foundation informed of their programs and services and to share their ideas about addressing community needs and opportunities.

Community Needs Grants 

Community Needs Grants fund a wide range of Lackawanna County nonprofit organizations and programs that respond to a particular community need or issue and which enhance the quality of life in Lackawanna County.

The Scranton Area Community Foundation responds to needs and opportunities with grants in such diverse fields as education, arts, environment, human services, animal welfare, and civic affairs. Applications will be reviewed by Foundation Leadership and the Grants Distribution Committee. Grant applications are assessed and evaluated according to specific criteria including but not limited to:

Community Impact

• Project should be well-defined and should address a need in the community. Project should indicate a defined population served, indicate how it will impact the quality of life in Lackawanna County, and provide qualitative or quantitative measurable outcomes in a certain time frame.

Organizational Capability

• Organizations should present a well-defined mission; A demonstrated record of success; A financially sound structure; and leadership and staff with proper expertise to complete the project.

Project Feasibility and Sustainability

• The application should include an appropriate budget for the project, and should detail how the project will be completed. Other funders and future funding of the project should be identified.

About The Union City Community Foundation

The Union City Community Foundation assists a diverse group of donors in improving the quality of life in and around Union City, Pennsylvania. The assets in The Foundation’s endowments are currently worth more than $6 million. Grants are made to deserving Union City area charities from the income generated by these endowments.

Oversight of The Foundation is the responsibility of a 18-member board of trustees made up of members of the Union City community. By law, The Foundation may make grants only to incorporated nonprofit organizations having charitable purposes. The trustees encourage Union City agencies that meet these requirements to submit applications for worthy projects.

Scranton Area Community Foundation

The Scranton Area Community Foundation makes grants to foster good ideas that have the potential to strengthen our community and enrich the lives of the people of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Foundation responds to community needs and opportunities with grants in such diverse fields as health, education, arts, environment, human services, and civic affairs.

Organizations that serve the needs of residents in Lackawanna County are encouraged to keep the Foundation informed of their programs and services and to share their ideas about addressing community needs and opportunities.

Innovative Impact Grants

Innovative Impact Grants seek to provide resources for a nonprofit or collaboration of nonprofits to make a measurable improvement in the region. These competitive grants are made to those nonprofits that are committed to new, innovative, transformational, and/or collaborative efforts to: carry out an important goal or address a specific challenge; become more impactful, effective, and sustainable in their work; achieve a greater impact in the community they serve; meet their personal missions.

Overview

Pennsylvania has two coastal areas: 112 miles of coastline along the Delaware Estuary and 77 miles of coastline along Lake Erie:

• Delaware Estuary – Lies within Bucks, Philadelphia and Delaware counties. The coastal zone also contains islands, marshes and shorelands of tributary streams that are tidally influenced. The combined facilities of the Delaware Estuary comprise the largest freshwater port in the world. 
• Lake Erie – Located within Erie County and includes the shorelines of major tributaries. The coastal zone also extends to the middle of the lake, to the boundary with Canada and inland an average of 1.4 miles. The Lake also contains Presque Isle Bay and is one of the state ports for international shipping. 

In order to safeguard these resources from future adverse impacts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, acting through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), developed a unified approach to act as trustee to conserve and maintain the natural resources of Pennsylvania’s coastal regions known as the Pennsylvania Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). The CZMP was finalized and approved in September 1980, under the authority of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. DEP’s Compacts and Commissions Office manages the Coastal Resources Management (CRM) Program in the two defined coastal areas within Pennsylvania.

As a result of the adopted CZMP, annual grants are provided to DEP by the Office for Coastal Management (OCM), NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Grant awards are used to implement the CRM Program and provide a grant-in-aid program if sufficient funds permit. Monies are dispersed to fund projects within the coastal zone and coastal non-point pollution boundaries, such as planning, design, engineering, education, outreach, construction, acquisition and research as authorized by Section 306A of the CZMA, as amended. 

Coastal Zone Focus Areas 

Program policies were developed to further the goals and objectives of the CRM Program: 

Primary Focus Areas 

• Coastal Hazard Areas: Includes Lake Erie bluff recession, shoreline erosion, wave action and coastal flooding, including flooding from projected sea level rise and storm surge.
• Fisheries Management: Involves activities supporting ecologically and economically important fisheries and their habitats.
• Wetlands: Involves the protection, enhancement, and creation of coastal wetlands to maintain benefits for wildlife habitat, flood control, water quality, water flow stabilization and environmental diversity (biodiversity).
• Public access for recreation: : Includes efforts to meet the public need for boating, fishing, birding, walking, picnicking, sightseeing and other recreational pursuits associated with waterfronts.
• Historic sites and structures: Preservation, restoration and enhancement of coastally significant historic sites and structures within the coastal zones.
• Port activities: Development and enhancement of coastal port infrastructure.
• Energy facilities siting: Proper siting of energy-producing facilities to protect fragile coastal ecosystems.
• Intergovernmental coordination: Includes intergovernmental efforts to protect Pennsylvania’s coastal resources, especially the quality of air and water.
• Public involvement: Increase awareness, provide information and create opportunities for public participation in a variety of coastal issues.
• Ocean resources/biodiversity:  Includes efforts directed toward the research, study, and/or management of non-native (invasive) aquatic or terrestrial plant and/or animal species.

Activities that protect coastal waters from nonpoint source pollution resulting from marinas and recreational boating, urban activities, hydro-modifications, agriculture and other nonpoint sources are eligible for funding.

Project Eligibility

CZ grants may be applied to a wide variety of studies, plans, designs, research, acquisition and construction projects pertaining to one or more of the established program policies, which guide the competitive selection process.

Examples of some typical project proposals are as follows: 

• Efforts to educate the public regarding issues of environmental protection, non-point source water pollution, protection of coastal resources or efforts to promote such action to the public. 
• Preparation or revision of local comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances, sub-division regulations and special ordinances containing provisions in support of CRM Program policies. 
• Plans, studies or other projects to improve port facilities and infrastructure, future use of coastal ports or providing public access for recreational use of docks, piers and wharves. 
• Improving resource management and environmental protection programs at the state or local level, including disseminating information or providing technical assistance to coastal communities and the public. 
• Plans, studies or projects that enhance economic development within the coastal zone, including activities to help economically revitalize under-used coastal and/or port facilities.
• Studies for interpretation and enhancement of coastal features and habitats and restoration and preservation of historic coastal sites and structures. 
• Land acquisition of coastal properties, including real estate appraisals, to improve or provide for public recreational access or open-space preservation.
• Preparation of designs, engineering plans and specifications for coastal recreational sites owned or legally controlled by a ‘government’ applicant. 
• Low-cost (defined by NOAA as no more than a total project cost of $400,000) construction projects for recreational access facilities or for rehabilitating significant historic buildings and structures located within the designated coastal zones. *Note: rehabilitation work on buildings and structures should be supported by a structural feasibility study, architectural assessment, engineering plans or similar planning products included as part of the application. If awarded, grantee must wait for NEPA approval from NOAA and notification from DEP. 

A $75,000 grant limit is generally imposed on any single project. Applicants with proposals requesting more than $75,000 in grant funding should discuss funding alternatives with CRMP staff before submitting an application.

Project Requirements

• Be environmentally sound and consistent with current state, regional, county and local ordinances and plans. 
• Obtain applicable federal, state and local permits and/or approvals for all construction projects before any construction may commence.
• Obtain concurrence of any municipal government whose approval is required for project implementation, via letter of support or resolution, if the applicant is a non-governmental agency.
• Benefit the public at large and may not be for the purpose of private gain, benefit or profits.
• Be made available and useful to all members of the general public; therefore cannot be for exclusive use of any particular group of persons.
• Be accessible to persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Be constructed on public property and open to the public.

About PCA

The PCA is a state agency under the Office of the Governor. The PCA's mission is to strengthen the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of Pennsylvania's communities through the arts. By leveraging the immense potential of Pennsylvania's arts and cultural sector, the PCA supports jobs, builds community, inspires lifelong learning, promotes the commonwealth nationally and internationally, and sparks innovation.

Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Overview

Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) is a partnership between local organizations and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA). Operating in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, PPA partners re-grant PCA funds to support a wide variety of local and community arts activities. PPA goals include:

• Expanding constituent access to the arts by (a) making arts programs available to communities that may have been underserved in the past by state arts funding, and (b) supporting a wide variety of arts activities in communities, developed in a variety of local settings.
• Encouraging and supporting local decision making in regranting of arts dollars.
• Increasing awareness of and advocacy for government support and funding for the arts at the local and state levels.
• Enabling the PCA to provide increased assistance to its broad constituency throughout the state.

Creative Sector Flex Fund

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is excited to introduce a new grant program, the Creative Sector Flex Fund (CSFF). The CSFF is designed to address the changing needs of dynamic PA arts organizations with average annual revenue between $10,000 – $200,000.

This grant program incorporates the current needs of the field by offering grantees the flexibility to use $5,000 grants in ways that ensure the most significant impact for their organizations and communities.

Application Review Process

PPA partner advisory panels evaluate them based on the following criteria:

• Community Value
  • Applicant demonstrates:
    • Artistic offerings that strengthen its community culturally, educationally, and/or economically.
    • Artists and artistic offerings and services involve and are meaningful to the community being served.
    • Relevant arts learning opportunities and creative endeavors for community members.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Value
  • Applicant demonstrates:
    • Apart from being audience members or beneficiaries, community members are central to the design of the applicant’s work.
    • Plans and action-oriented practices toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in ways that are relevant to the community, including efforts to reach new audiences.
• Stewardship Value
  • Applicant demonstrates:
    • Planning processes appropriate to its organization, mission, and goals.
    • Capacity to carry out programs and projects as planned.
    • Appropriate financial planning and oversight practices.

EQT Foundation

EQT is proud to be a part of the many communities where we operate, live and work. We believe strongly that giving back is a responsibility, and we’ve stayed true to that belief since the EQT Foundation was established in 2003 as a dedicated resource for financial, in-kind and volunteer support to communities touched by our business.

Since its inception, the EQT Foundation has awarded more than $74 million to nonprofits throughout the operational footprint of EQT Corporation. We are committed to supporting the education and training of children and adults; the development of diverse, livable communities; and preserving our natural environments.

The EQT Foundation believes in meaningful engagement with the communities it calls home and takes great pride in being a responsible and responsive corporate citizen. The EQT Foundation focuses its resources on areas that have a direct effect on the stability of communities and, in turn, contribute to the success of its business operations in those areas.

Funding Priorities

The EQT Foundation’s funding strategy endorses organizations and programs that directly impact the community and its residents. The Foundation supports nonprofits that demonstrate positive, needed, and trusted impacts throughout their community with special attention given to proposals grounded in analysis that demonstrate creative approaches to addressing critical issues.

The EQT Foundation also seeks evidence of:

• Geographic setting that aligns with EQT Corporation’s business locations;
• Ability to manage available resources effectively; and
• Outreach that gains solid public recognition and support for the nonprofit, its programs and sponsors.

The Foundation’s funding priorities are:

Community Enrichment

Encourage the development of diverse, safe, healthy, and sustainable communities, which can help to retain residential, commercial and economic growth.

Examples: Food banks, libraries, farmers markets, arts & music programs, community festivals & initiatives

Education & Workforce

Promote proficiency in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) topics for youth, as well as training programs to create a future skilled workforce.

Examples: In-school STEM-based curricula, computer and science camps, project-based learning, teacher professional development, career planning and preparation

Environment

Support the preservation of natural resources, and educate children, residents, and businesses to employ conservation techniques to minimize adverse impacts on the environment.

Examples: community gardens, watershed conservation, environmental education, preservation and restoration of green spaces

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA)

PCA is a state agency, supports sustainable, collaborative creative investments as vital to vibrant, livable communities.

Mission

To strengthen the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of Pennsylvania’s communities through the arts.

PCA’s Overarching Value - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Promote equitable access for all Pennsylvanians to participate fully in a creative life and in the diverse forms of arts and culture in the commonwealth. 

Creative Communities Initiative

The Creative Communities Initiative provides multi-year funding (grant is per year; up to four years possible) to community-driven, arts-based projects that serve as catalysts for livability, economic development, and community connectedness. Also called creative placemaking, projects funded through this initiative will have a demonstrated, positive impact on their respective communities

Initiative Goals:

• Strengthen Pennsylvania communities through the arts. 
• Promote PA’s communities as places people want to live, visit, work, and play. 
• Support authentic, inclusive, and strong community partnerships. 
• Ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion. 
• Support local leadership and develop future leaders. 
• Promote development and implementation of sustainable programs and projects. 
• Invest in creative industries projects. 
• Leverage additional sources of funding (local government, private sector, foundation). 
• Cultivate innovative, community-driven projects. 
• Promote the unique identities of PA’s communities. 
• Create and implement best practices for project evaluations.

Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.

Inspire Awards

We’re collaborating with MIT Solve to kick off our third year of the Inspire Awards. Nonprofits from across the country are invited to pitch their solution to advance workers through career navigation and workforce development.

This year’s Inspire Awards challenge aims to improve resources and wraparound services for workers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career transitions to uplift themselves—and their families. For workers looking to develop skills to help them adapt to industry changes, career navigation and workforce development solutions can make an impact. These tools can aid smoother career transitions, foster economic mobility, and empower workers to pursue personal growth.

2025 Truist Foundation Inspire Awards Challenge Question

How are nonprofits providing innovative solutions for the reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation needs of adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers?

Challenge Dimensions

We are seeking innovative nonprofit solutions that improve resources and wraparound services for adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation support, including:

• Wraparound Services – Supporting unemployed and underemployed individuals on their journey to economic mobility through innovative and comprehensive resources including transportation support, childcare, mentorship, mental health services, and more.
• Coalition Building – Generating greater buy-in and support for workforce navigation efforts through coalitions, promoting communication and collaboration across diverse sectors and stakeholders including businesses, nonprofits, and government entities.
• Career Navigation – Enabling workers to navigate their career choices more easily, helping to facilitate informed decisions about which high-quality jobs and career trajectories best suit them.
• Upskilling and Reskilling – Providing accessible, high-quality, skill-building and training opportunities for those transitioning between careers or facing unemployment.

Here are the grants for this challenge

• First place: $250,000
• Second place: $150,000
• Runners-up: $25,000
• Audience favorite: $75,000

Who We Are

We are a private, independent foundation in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, part of the Greater Philadelphia region. 

Our foundation was created in 2002 from the sale of the North Penn Hospital in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Originally known as the North Penn Community Health Foundation, we became HealthSpark Foundation in 2016 when we expanded to serve all of Montgomery County.

Our mission is to achieve healthy, equitable, and hopeful communities throughout Montgomery County. Since our founding, we’ve made 1,044 grants totaling $18.4 million to 226 organizations.

Building Community Power Fund

This past fall, HealthSpark Foundation launched our 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, which will direct our efforts to advance positive social change in Montgomery County and to build community power – our belief that people should have influence and control over the policies, programs, and practices that affect their lives.

Every day in Montgomery County, community organizations and leaders are working to address and improve civic engagement, racial and social equity, public policies and systems, and social determinants of health and well-being. Our grantmaking, convening, and leadership will stand behind and support their inspirational and essential efforts. Each year, HealthSpark will prioritize strategic initiatives that support transformative leaders, build thriving communities, and achieve opportunities and justice for all.

Our strategic goals—Community Power, Leadership, and Solutions—are designed to advance our updated mission: to achieve healthy, equitable, and hopeful communities throughout Montgomery County. 

To support our Community Power goal, we are proud to launch the Building Community Power Fund. Based on the belief that advocacy is a critical lever for achieving health equity, the Building Community Power Fund is dedicated to supporting and growing nonprofit organization’s ability to advocate for more just and equitable policies, practices, and programs that impact the health and wellbeing of Montgomery County residents. The Fund provides grant support to build capacity within nonprofit organizations for advocacy and to enhance existing advocacy efforts centered in Montgomery County that are aligned with HealthSpark’s mission, guiding principles, and goals.

HealthSpark Foundation is committed to helping nonprofit organizations in Montgomery County embed advocacy into their culture, daily operations, programs, and long-term goals. The Building Community Power Fund aims to empower them to advocate for community needs, raise awareness of key issues impacting the health and well-being of residents, and create lasting positive change. By fostering opportunities for advocacy, building necessary resources, and strengthening ongoing activities, we believe in driving impactful outcomes for the community.

Grant Funding Details

The 2025 Building Community Power Fund budget is approximately $140,000. HealthSpark anticipates:

• Awarding grants with a maximum of $20,000 for a one-year period beginning mid-April.
• Grants may be awarded as general operating support or programmatic (restricted) support.
• Announcing award decisions in early April.

Vision and Focus Areas

We commit to creating a vibrant, equitable and just Pittsburgh region that supports everyone – regardless of race, identity or circumstance – to thrive and fulfill their potential.

Under our strategic plan, we strive to strengthen our focus on community and the positive impact that can be achieved through our grantmaking. Our current areas of focus are: Basic Needs, Equity and Social Justice, Arts and Culture, Economic Mobility and Environmental Action. From time to time, we have special grant-making opportunities related to specific regions or to issues such as juvenile justice or senior care. 

The Pittsburgh Foundation is committed to helping the communities we serve become equitable and vibrant places where everyone can thrive. We align our grantmaking with resident’s dreams for themselves, their families and their communities and prioritize support in the five focus areas listed below.

Basic Needs

We seek to improve the stability of low-income people by supporting direct assistance to obtain food, housing, health care, mental health supports, child care, education and employment.

Across our basic needs grantmaking, we are committed to expanding knowledge of, improving access to, and improving coordination among local resources and human services.

• Food Access: We seek to support programs and services that assist low-income individuals and families to obtain enough food.
• Child Care: We seek to ensure equitable access to quality child care.
• Education: We strive to ensure access to high-quality in-class education as well as culturally-responsive,  out-of-school time programs.
• Mental and Physical Health: We aim to support the mental and physical health needs of residents by ensuring access to quality, affordable and culturally responsive services.
• Housing: We seek to support or fill gaps in a county-wide eviction prevention system, and help support those living in transitional housing and/or facing unexpected loss of housing.
• Employment: We seek to support youth and adults who experience significant barriers to employment.

Equity and Social Justice

We seek to support civic participation and community organizing to achieve policy changes.

Our equity and social justice grantmaking places strong emphasis on leadership by individuals who have been directly impacted by systemic injustice, as we believe that they are best positioned to propose solutions that remove barriers that impeded their ability to thrive.

• Civic Participation
  • Voter Engagement: We seek to support the ability of the nonprofit sector to engage historically underrepresented populations and communities that have documented low voter turnout.
  • Access to Information: We seek to support public media  outlets and other platforms that produce professional, regionally focused, fact-based news coverage and information.
• Community-Driven Solutions
  • Protect Basic Needs:  We seek to support grassroots organizations and resident-informed initiatives that address barriers that prevent families from being able to meet their basic needs and thrive.
  • End Mass Incarceration:  We seek to uplift and provide resources for community-led efforts to change policies and practices that result in over-policing and over-incarceration.
  • Youth Justice:  We are interested in supporting intervention and prevention activities that support youth who have any involvement with the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Environmental Action

We seek to protect the health of our communities and the preservation of our environment.

Our environmental action grantmaking prioritizes support for projects, initiatives and collaborations that center communities in environmental decision-making and amplify the intersectional nature of working to protect the health of our communities and the preservation of our environment. We recognize that environmental issues span beyond geographic borders. While we will continue to prioritize projects serving residents of Allegheny County, we will also consider on a case-by-case basis projects that work across the southwest Pennsylvania 12-county region.

• Equitable Access to Land, Water, and Air: To promote equitable access to land, air and water, we seek to support community-centered conservation and stewardship of natural resources.
• Learning and Action: We seek to address the harms of chronic pollution and mitigate future impacts, translate research into action to protect the health of communities and their environments and support resident voice in environmental decision-making in their communities.

Arts and Culture

We seek to strengthen small-to-mid-sized arts organizations and support individual artists by fostering a diverse, healthy and just arts ecosystem. 

• Small-to-Mid-Sized Arts Organizations: Small and Mid-Size Arts Organizations face disparities in their ability to access resources.
• Support for Careers and Lives of Individual Artists: Through this funding to individual artists, the Foundation hopes that the Pittsburgh region will be exposed to the breadth of human experience and the unparalleled talent the region has to offer.

Economic Mobility

We seek to reduce the wealth gap in Allegheny County.

• Access to Post-Secondary Education: We seek to support programs that enable students to earn college credit while in high school; admissions navigation support and academic and financial counseling; re-engagement strategies for students who have stopped attending school; and supports for non-traditional students.
• Career Advancement: We are interested in supporting organizations that offer technology training with career potential. 
• Entrepreneurship: We are interested in efforts to increase entrepreneurship.
• Homeownership: In 2025, applications for the Homeownership focus area will be by invitation only.

Types of Grants

Recognizing that nonprofits need flexible support that allows them to adapt to changing community needs, we offer applicants the opportunity to apply for two types of grant support:

• Project/Program Support:  Funds are used to develop and/or implement a specific set of programmatic activities. These grants are usually time-bound and aimed at achieving specific goals and milestones.
• General Operating Support: Funds can be used at the discretion of the organization to cover any costs necessary to carry out its mission. This means that the grant award can be used to cover day-to-day activities or ongoing expenses such as administrative salaries, rent and office supplies, etc., as well as for program costs, software and hardware purchases, and professional development

Our Priorities

We will prioritize funding for organizations that reflect one or more of the following:

• Primarily serve communities disproportionately impacted by poverty.
• Have a demonstrated commitment to addressing the historical and present-day impact of social injustices on the specific communities it serves.
• Have an established history in the communities in which it works.
• Are representative of the communities it serves, including but not limited to, leadership and staff who have lived experience in the community issues that it addresses.
• Meaningfully integrate the experience and perspectives of the communities that it serves in the design, implementation, evaluation and/or decision-making process for its strategies and/or programs.

Funding

Generally, grants will be awarded for no more than two years due to limited availability of funds. One-year grants generally range from $10,000 to $75,000. Two-year grants will generally not exceed $150,000.

In limited situations, proposals that align with one or more of our grantmaking focus areas and with grantmaking priorities, and that clearly demonstrate the need and potential impact, may be considered for a larger grant. Organization leaders should have a conversation with a program officer before submitting a request for more than $150,000.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Powering Equity Grants

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion through programs that move racial and social justice forward such as:

• Diversity Education and advocacy programs
• Programs focused on protecting underrepresented residents (ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and veterans)

Champions in Action

Citizens' Champions in Action program is designed to support nonprofit organizations that address social challenges facing our communities. Since 2002, the program has awarded over $12.3 million to more than 400 Champions. In partnership with media outlets, we also provide support through promotion, publicity and volunteerism to help our Champions in Action better serve our communities.

Champions receive:

• $50,000 in Funding
• Local Media Coverage
• Volunteer Support
• Promotional Opportunities

Current Focus: Uplifting Resilient NonprofitsNonprofits are adapting to a fast-changing environment marked by increased community needs, staffing challenges, and evolving funding sources. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, more than half have experienced a rise in service demands, and nearly 70 percent cite staff burnout as a major concern. In response, many are reimagining their operations to remain effective and accessible.

At Citizens, we are proud to champion organizations that lead through change and deliver lasting impact.

The 2026 Champions in Action award will recognize nonprofits advancing financial empowerment or workforce development through innovation. These organizations are demonstrating resilience and creativity by embracing new approaches to strengthen their teams, enhance results and expand their reach in the communities they serve.

Background

Mid Atlantic Arts was established to promote and support multi-state arts programming in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States, and works in close partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and its member state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Mid Atlantic Arts distinguishes itself through its work in international cultural exchange, model programs in performing arts touring, its knowledge and presence in the jazz field, and its support of folk and traditional arts.

Mission

Mid Atlantic Arts nurtures and funds the creation and presentation of diverse artistic expression and connects people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond.

Vision

Mid Atlantic Arts envisions a future in which artists and creators are actively engaged with diverse communities to energize the transformative power of the arts.

Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects Grant

Mid Atlantic Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects grants fund projects that support the vitality of traditional arts and cultures in the mid-Atlantic region.

Folk and Traditional Arts Community Projects grants fund projects that support the vitality of traditional arts and cultures in the mid-Atlantic region. Non-profit organizations in DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, USVI, PR, or WV may apply for $1,000 to $7,000 grants. A 1:1 match is required.

Eligible project activities may include performances, public art collaborations, workshops/trainings, exhibitions, fieldwork/documentation, and creation of new traditional work. Mid Atlantic Arts encourages projects that cross state/territory borders, as well as projects that support or engage underserved or underrepresented artists, practitioners, traditions, or constituents.

Grant support range: $1,000 – $7,000

Our Mission

To promote wellness and access to opportunities so that individuals and communities can thrive.

Grounded in our work in Connecticut and New York, we support visionary leaders and nonprofit organizations that serve historically marginalized populations, help individuals contribute to their communities, and champion advancements and experiences that make it possible for all people to live healthy and joyous lives.

Innovation Fund

The Tow Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity for nonprofit organizations innovatively expanding access to the care and support that youth need to thrive.

The Innovation Fund intends to make grants, ranging from $300,000 to $1 million over three years, to up to 10 organizations that are improving youth mental health and well-being and serving young people between the ages of 0-25.

Through the Innovation Fund, the Foundation hopes to inspire and invest in bold approaches, and to learn from exploring questions like: What are the most challenging barriers youth and their families face in accessing support for mental health and well-being? What emerging innovations exist to address these barriers? What is the resulting impact of these innovations on youth and their families?

The Innovation Fund takes a broad and inclusive approach when imagining the kinds of care and support that may have a positive impact on youth mental health and well-being. This includes interventions across the prevention to treatment continuum. We welcome submissions from a diverse array of organizations working in a variety of community, school, and clinical settings. For the purpose of this initiative, the word “innovation” could mean scaling proven efforts, attempting to apply existing efforts to new populations or geographies, or experimenting with a novel approach altogether. By not defining “innovation,” we hope to encourage creative thinking.

About

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

Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund - Mid-Atlantic States

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund provides funding to deserving organizations demonstrating commitment to the protection of natural and cultural resources in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Jordan Preservation Excellence Fund was established in November 1996 in recognition of Dr. Jordan’s distinguished service to the National Trust and his visionary leadership of the national preservation movement. Applicants can apply for up to $5,000.

The fund awards programs and activities that:

• Facilitate positive dialogues between the diverse interests of historic preservation, land conservation, business development, transportation, and government in a search for common ground in protecting the environment
• Stimulate the development of local and state policies that protect the cultural landscape and its resources
• Heighten public awareness of or increase involvement in issues relating to the livability and sustainability of communities
• Encourage innovative partnerships and approaches to open space conservation and historic preservation

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Empowering Communities Grants

Enriching the overall vitality of the community through programs that protect the environment and improve people’s lives, these grants support programs focused on:

• Environmental stewardship and education
• Economic development
• Workplace development

Nonprofit Growth Grants

Awarded throughout the year, Nonprofit Growth Grants range in value up to $10,000 to support the organizational and professional development needs of non-profit organizations.

Background

Through effective partnerships and collaborations, including The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, Catalyst Center for Nonprofit Management and Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO), FCP invests in the organizational and professional development needs of Bucks County nonprofits.

Opportunities 

Professional Development Opportunities:

Funding

An approved master’s degree candidate will be reimbursed equal to one-third (1/3) of the total tuition cost. The organization and the candidate are responsible for the remaining two-thirds (2/3) of the tuition.