Search Through Education Grants in Louisville, Kentucky in the U.S.

The C.E. and S. Foundation’s grantmaking is largely focused on Louisville, Kentucky – and a few other communities with connection to the Foundation – to support individuals to become resilient and prepared for opportunities to engage and thrive. We invest in:

Caregiver Engagement

•  to improve the quality and accessibility of early childhood (birth to age 5) learning development opportunities in the home and in professionally managed settings by supporting families and caregivers with practices that increase their effectiveness.

Social Emotional Support (Birth through Grade 12)

• to increase the quality and accessibility of social-emotional support for children (birth through 12th grade) by developing that capacity within providers and programming. 

Academic Support (Kindergarten through Grade 12)

• to increase the quality and accessibility of academic support for children (kindergarten through 12th grade) by developing that capacity within providers and programming.

Family and Household Stability

• to increase the stability of families and households with children in Louisville to provide a solid foundation for social-emotional wellbeing and academic achievement through supportive multi-faceted strategies that reflect the complexity of poverty.

Postsecondary Education Success

• to remove financial barriers to postsecondary attainment for graduates of Jefferson County Public Schools, primarily through the Evolve502 Scholarship Fund, and to provide academic and social-emotional support to those students to increase postsecondary graduation/certification rates.

Within each of our focus areas, the C.E. and S. Foundation looks to invest in leaders, strategies, and programs to have the greatest impact in support of our grantmaking strategy. We are especially interested in projects that emphasize the following dimensions:

Impact: Changes in the quality, capacity, accessibility, or collaboration of programs.

Influence: Changes in policies, regulations, systems, practice, or public opinion.

Leverage: Changes in investments by other public and/or private funders.

Learning: Practices that encourage or advance the field of work and knowledge acquisition to powerfully advance desired outcomes, inform the specifics of a particular impact initiative, or cross-fertilize different initiatives.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Background

Josephine Rudy Smith was a member of First United Methodist Church in Henderson, Kentucky. In 1948, Mrs. Smith’s son initiated the fund through a donation of $40,000, in her memory, for the purpose of assisting ministerial students with their seminary expenses. Matching funds were provided by First United Methodist Church and the former Louisville Annual Conference. Mr. Smith continued to donate funds for several years so that the fund would become a sustaining entity.

Legacy of the Josephine Rudy Smith Fund

Over the years, the Josephine Rudy Smith Scholarship Fund has assisted over two hundred United Methodist clergy in their educational endeavors by providing more than $235,000 in financial support. These clergy have combined to provide for more than 1,000 years of pastoral leadership to the church.

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

About Amgen

Amgen is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. Amgen is a values-based company, deeply rooted in science and innovation to transform new ideas and discoveries into medicines for patients with serious illnesses.

Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Our belief—and the core of our strategy—is that innovative, highly differentiated medicines that provide large clinical benefits in addressing serious diseases are medicines that will not only help patients, but also will help reduce the social and economic burden of disease in society today.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology innovator since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

Non-Healthcare Donations and Sponsorships

Amgen Charitable Donations and Sponsorships are focused on humanitarian, social, education and community programs.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

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

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

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

The V. V. Cooke foundation was established in 1947 in honor of V. V. Cooke. Thanks to our years of experience, we understand the process that a nonprofit organization has to go through to become successful. For over seven decades, we at V. V. Cooke Foundation have dedicated ourselves to helping our community. Led by our executive director, Carl Thomas, our team is here to ensure that you’ll get the support you need through V. V. Cooke Foundation Grant.

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

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

Grant Amount and Types

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

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

Brown-Forman Grants

To Brown‑Forman, being a responsible and caring corporate citizen is more than an investment; it embodies our company’s purpose of enriching life. After 150 years in the business of spirits, we understand that our best spirit is the community we call home. As a company and individually as employees, we believe in donating time, talents, and resources to the vitality of the communities that sustain us. Our long history and deep roots in Louisville, Kentucky make our hometown city the focus of our efforts.

Funding Priorities 

The Foundation partners with organizations that are aligned with its strategic focus areas:

Enhance Arts and Cultural Living:

• Increase access to vibrant, diverse, and educational arts & cultural experiences.

Ensure Essential Living Standards

• Support social services that improve well-being and strengthen communities.
• Fund education initiatives that provide opportunities for lifelong success.

Empower Responsible and Sustainable Living

• Invest in initiatives that encourage moderation and reduce alcohol-related harm.
• Protect the environment and conserve natural resources vital to our communities and business.

Types of Requests

Charitable contributions are divided between the Brown‑Forman Foundation and the Corporation. Nonprofit organizations that meet the funding criteria below may apply one time per fiscal year (May 1- April 30). Separate grant applications are required for each entity (corporation/foundation).

The Corporation will consider:

• Unrestricted operating support
• Restricted program support
• Event or performance sponsorship with any material return benefits such as tickets, product promotion, etc.

Our Mission

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

Our Vision

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

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

Paul Ogle Foundation Grant

Four Common Decision Criteria for Successful Grant Requests

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

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

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

James Graham Brown Foundation

The James Graham Brown Foundation is dedicated to making transformative philanthropic investments in Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky that build on its strengths to continually advance our city and state.

Our Vision

Louisville and Kentucky are recognized as prosperous and vibrant communities for all.

Our Mission

The James Graham Brown Foundation cultivates progress and civic pride through philanthropic investments that promote the image of Kentucky and Louisville and the well‐being of its citizens.

Area of Impact: Education & Workforce Readiness

The James Graham Brown Foundation (JGBF) believes that equitable educational attainment and aligned workforce systems will increase economic and social mobility for all citizens of Louisville and Kentucky, improving prosperity of the Commonwealth. JGBF makes education grants within three primary focus areas.

• K-12 Grantmaking
• Postsecondary Grantmaking
• Place-Based Education Grantmaking

K-12 Grantmaking

JGBF makes grants with the goal of increasing social and economic mobility for underrepresented students. JGBF prioritizes proposals that support efforts to:

• Build and expand access to coordinated wraparound services
• Create clear and equitable pathways from high school to college and to living-wage and high-wage jobs
• Reduce academic achievement gaps within JCPS
• Create greater alignment between K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems

Funding

With occasional exceptions, the Foundation does not generally make grants under $250,000.

James Graham Brown Foundation

The James Graham Brown Foundation is dedicated to making transformative philanthropic investments in Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky that build on its strengths to continually advance our city and state.

Our Vision

Louisville and Kentucky are recognized as prosperous and vibrant communities for all.

Our Mission

The James Graham Brown Foundation cultivates progress and civic pride through philanthropic investments that promote the image of Kentucky and Louisville and the well‐being of its citizens.

Area of Impact: Education & Workforce Readiness

The James Graham Brown Foundation (JGBF) believes that equitable educational attainment and aligned workforce systems will increase economic and social mobility for all citizens of Louisville and Kentucky, improving prosperity of the Commonwealth. JGBF makes education grants within three primary focus areas.

• K-12 Grantmaking
• Postsecondary Grantmaking
• Place-Based Education Grantmaking

Place-Based Education Grantmaking

The goal of this grantmaking focus is to support efforts of postsecondary institutions to accelerate economic growth and social mobility in the two regions that are the focus of JGBF’s community and economic prosperity grantmaking program. Of interest are programs and initiatives to:

• Connect people to jobs with livable wages in sectors of the economy that are stable and growing.
• Increase access to credentials with labor-market value and decrease the time and cost to earn those credentials.
• Accelerate entrepreneurship by increasing access to supports designed to develop the capacity of nascent and novice entrepreneurs.
• Leverage the potential of postsecondary institutions to play a leadership role in regional transformation and in supporting community and economic development.

Funding

With occasional exceptions, the Foundation does not generally make grants under $250,000.

James Graham Brown Foundation

The James Graham Brown Foundation is dedicated to making transformative philanthropic investments in Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky that build on its strengths to continually advance our city and state.

Our Vision

Louisville and Kentucky are recognized as prosperous and vibrant communities for all.

Our Mission

The James Graham Brown Foundation cultivates progress and civic pride through philanthropic investments that promote the image of Kentucky and Louisville and the well‐being of its citizens.

Area of Impact: Education & Workforce Readiness

The James Graham Brown Foundation (JGBF) believes that equitable educational attainment and aligned workforce systems will increase economic and social mobility for all citizens of Louisville and Kentucky, improving prosperity of the Commonwealth. JGBF makes education grants within three primary focus areas.

• K-12 Grantmaking
• Postsecondary Grantmaking
• Place-Based Education Grantmaking

Postsecondary Education Grantmaking

JGBF makes grants with the goal of strengthening the quality of educational opportunities and improving outcomes provided by postsecondary institutions in Kentucky. JGBF prioritizes proposals that support efforts to:

• Emphasize improved outcomes for students of all ages who are low-income, first generation and/or BIPOC
• Accelerate and improve institutional interventions that increase timely degree completion by narrowing achievement gaps
• Improve pathways for students to complete college with meaningful degrees and career ready skills
• Support greater alignment between K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems

Funding

With occasional exceptions, the Foundation does not generally make grants under $250,000.

History

Established in 2010, the scholarship is a tribute to the late Sara “Sally” Shallenberger Brown. It was launched in 2011 to showcase Mrs. Brown's dedication to the environment and ensure that her legacy will continue in perpetuity. A member of the Glenview Garden Club of Louisville, Kentucky since 1939, Sally Brown gave many years of active and influential service to environmental issues and conservation organizations on a local, national, and global level. The establishment of the scholarship both commemorated Sally’s 100th birthday and honored the centennial of the National Park Service. The Brown scholarship was established in partnership with the Student Conservation Association, which was itself founded by Elizabeth “Liz” Putnam, a member of the Bennington Garden Club of Bennington, Vermont. For more about the Student Conservation Association, click here.

Purpose

The purpose of this scholarship will be to encourage studies and careers in the conservation fields, with the opportunity to protect, enhance and gain knowledge and experience for the lasting benefit of the U.S. National Parks. The Sara Shallenberger Brown GCA National Parks Conservation scholarship will fund an annual SCA Apprentice Crew Leader (ACL) and/or Apprentice. ACLs will assist crew leaders to provide support, encouragement, and mentorship of high school crews engaged in hands-on conservation projects.

Apprentices will work under the direct oversight of a land management agency or organization to address specific needs, which often include, but are not limited to, field data collection and management, visitor interpretation and education, and direct service work that maintains trails and improves habitats. The goal will be to provide a college student with the technical and personal skills and field experience to become a future leader in challenging and rewarding conservation service work.

Provisions

Annually provides training and a stipend for each scholar. The scholarship’s founders hope that students will build on their enhanced technical and interpersonal skills and become conservation leaders or pursue related careers in environmental education or outdoor leadership training.

Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund Scholarship

About

The Founding of the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund

In 1893 an ambitious young man, born and reared in Caswell County, North Carolina, came to Martinsville, Virginia to seek his fortune. That young man was Charles B. Keesee. In 1896 Mr. Keesee was married to Miss Olivia Helms Simmons of Floyd, Virginia. Having no children of their own, it was their desire to help worthy young men and women obtain an education at Baptist institutions. Mr. Keesee provided in his will for the establishment of an educational fund, and after his death in 1940, the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund was established in 1941. Mrs. Keesee shared her husband’s interest in assisting young people toward greater educational opportunities. At her death in 1944, she left the major part of her estate to the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund, Inc. Since its inception, the Fund assisted thousands of qualified students in paying their educational expenses.

Funding

Grants in an amount of $4,150 to $8,800 per year (2 semesters) for a maximum of four years may be available to students pursuing an eligible Master's degree who meet the application requirements

Depending upon the seminary or divinity school you attend, a student in the Doctor of Ministry/Doctor of Educational Ministry/Doctor of Education/Doctor of Philosophy program may be considered for a grant in the amount of $3,100 to $4,150 per year for up to three years.

Norton Foundation Grant

We believe that education is the force that reorganizes imagination into inventiveness and that transforms desire into action. 

We believe that to be effective, education must be based on a spirit of hands-on learning and creative participation.

We believe that education in Louisville must be nourished if it is to flourish, and that it requires leadership if it is to be embraced as a community value.

The Norton Foundation is committed to supporting those who share this vision, and in joining with those who believe that education should inspire, guide, and above all, position our city for a more prosperous future and a richer quality of life.

Funding

Grants range from $5,000 to $100,000.

External Agency Fund: Resilience and Community Services

External Agency Fund Applications Being Accepted

On Friday, January 31, 2025, Louisville Metro Government (LMG) will begin accepting applications from local non-profit organizations for programs or activities that align with the mayor’s strategic goals. These grants, which are funded through the city’s General Fund, are awarded to non-governmental or "external” agencies through External Agency Funds (EAF) for LMG fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026).

Overview

• RCS Mission: “To promote stability and advance equity by leveraging relationships with partners and connecting residents with essential resources.”
• RCS FY26 EAF priorities: RCS priorities align with Mayor Greenberg’s commitment to safe and healthy streets and equitable access to essential services for underserved populations.
• RCS Strategic Goals: Housing and support services for homeless community members in the following groups:
  • Senior population (age 55+)
  • Diagnosed with a physical or mental disability
  • Re-entry from a carceral, treatment setting including those convicted of serious crimes
  • Young adults (age 18-25)
  • Families that include children

Support services is further defined to include case management, transitional housing, skillbuilding, or technical training that leads to new or increased employment, and results-driven financial education for the identified populations.

RCS employs a competitive granting strategy and strives to award funding to agencies that demonstrate a measurable positive impact in the community and are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Our goal is to invest in programs that achieve the most effective and efficient results. Successful grantees will be required to report on their success in meeting goals and outcomes on a quarterly basis.

Background

Louisville Metro Government is a catalyst for creating a world-class city that provides all its citizens with safe and vibrant neighborhoods, great jobs, a strong system of education and innovation, and a high quality of life. As Louisville Metro’s Designated Local Arts Agency, the Office of Arts + Creative Industries leads strategic initiatives to elevate the quality of life, economy, and authenticity of the city by supporting artists, creative businesses, and cultural nonprofits. To ensure arts and culture experiences are accessible to all citizens, Metro’s Office of Arts + Creative Industries partners with community organizations, schools, and individual artists to initiate and support city-wide cultural programming that inspires and reflects the vibrancy of Louisville.

Purpose of External Agency Fund Grants

External Agency Fund Grants for Arts + Creative Industries support the important work of Louisville/Jefferson County’s arts and culture nonprofit organizations that are essential to sustaining healthy, innovative, and thriving communities. Operational Support funding is provided to maintain and develop programs, services, and facilities.

Goals of External Agency Fund Grants

• Activate Louisville through the arts and creative industries by providing direct support for organizations that advance the following focus areas:
  • Providing meaningful arts experiences for everyone
  • Growing a creative workforce
  • Cultivating vibrant community spaces and neighborhoods
• Provide support for established and emerging arts and culture organizations to ensure stability, adaptability, and resiliency of Louisville’s creative sector.
• Increase visibility and opportunities for compensation for cultural professional’s and artists’ contributions to the local community.
• Facilitate and encourage all residents of Louisville to increase participation in arts and culture experiences.

Funding

Organizations with budgets of $500,000 or below may apply for $25,000 awards. Organizations with budgets exceeding $500,000 may apply for either $25,000 or $50,000 awards. Budget size refers to total expenses from the organization’s most recently completed fiscal year. In- kind expenses and pass-through funds should not be included in the budget level calculation.

Our Mission

Our mission: Impact100 Louisville empowers women to transform lives through collective giving.

What we do: We award large grants to Louisville and Jefferson County non-profits that work to transform lives.

Background

Impact100 Louisville is a community of women transforming lives through collective giving. We award grants in amounts of at least $100,000, possibly more. The exact amount of funds available for award in any given year depends upon the number of women who join the organization and will be announced at the end of our membership drive.

By providing high impact grants to local nonprofit organizations, Impact100 Louisville is able to expose our membership and our community to valuable services provided by different organizations. Because Impact100 Louisville selects its grant recipients through a collaborative process among its members, its grant process might differ from those of other organizations. Impact100 Louisville believes its grant process benefits nonprofits including the non-grant recipients by increasing the visibility in the community for all finalists, not just the recipients, by exposing their important work to a large and diverse group of charitable minded women, as well as to our community overall.

Focus Areas

Grants must be applied in one of the following Focus Areas:

• Arts & Culture:
  • Initiatives that cultivate, develop, and enhance the cultural and/or artistic climate of Jefferson County, Kentucky.
• Education:
  • Initiatives that further the educational process or improve access to education for children and/or adults in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
• Environmental, Preservation or Recreation:
  • Initiatives that will restore, preserve, revitalize or enhance the facilities, surroundings and/or recreational opportunities of Jefferson County, Kentucky.
  • This category includes housing, urban planning, and community spaces.
• Family:
  • Initiatives that strengthen and enhance the lives of children and families living in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
• Health & Wellness:
  • Initiatives that improve the mental and/or physical well-being of people living in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

Types of Grants

Grants funding will be considered for any of the following:

• Capacity Building:
  • Funding is typically a one-time expense that assists the mission of the organization.
    • Examples: technology upgrades, strategic planning
• Program Support:
  • Funding is given to expand or improve existing activities that support the organization's mission.
• Innovation:
  • Funding for a new idea, method, or improvement.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

Pastoral Study Project

The Louisville Institute Pastoral Study Project Grant (PSP) awards grants of up to US$20,000 to support independent or collaborative study projects on Christian life, religious practices and institutions, and possibilities and ideas for the church, our communities, and the wider world. Grants are awarded to skilled and innovative clergy, lay leaders, and staff working in diverse Christian contexts in North America.

What are Pastoral Study Project grants?

Pastoral Study Project grants offer pastoral and ministry leaders time away from the daily demands of their work in order to dig deeply into significant questions of ministry, the church, and Christian faith in our communities and the wider world. We know that pastoral leaders have keen insight into the challenges and promises of faith, practice, and ministry, and often wish for the opportunity to engage more fully with the meaningful questions they face in their ministries. Our Pastoral Study Project grants give you that chance: financial support of up to US$20,000 that provides time and resources to think, research, ask, learn, study, and reflect about that big idea you’ve been pondering. Grantees share their research through books and other publications, blogs and websites, podcasts, digital media and film, exhibits, worship, music, public presentations, classes, and more. These projects are lifegiving for grantees and their communities, and strengthen the vitality of North American Christianity.

Previous projects have examined topics like aging and dementia in congregations, social justice and racism in hospital chaplaincy, theologies of online worship, spiritual practices for college students from diverse backgrounds, and trauma and resilience in Black, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ Christian communities.

PSP Previous Grant Recipients

Previous PSP grants have been awarded to a variety of Christian leaders, including:

• clergy
• chaplains
• church and denominational staff
• Men and Women Religious
• members of monastic communities
• non-profit and parachurch staff
• artists and musicians
• independent researchers and writers
• pastoral counselors
• ordained ministers not currently employed in religious settings
• others regularly working in recognized positions of pastoral leadership

What is the Pastoral Study Project Consultation?

The Pastoral Study Project Consultation is an annual event held in Louisville, Kentucky, for all PSP grantees. Grantees gather at the beginning of their grant period to learn from others, discuss and hone their projects, and imagine and discover new resources and possibilities. All travel, housing, and other expenses to participate in the gathering are covered by the Louisville Institute. Attending this event is a requirement of receiving a PSP grant.

Background

Every community faces unique barriers that require collaborative solutions to thrive. The Dow Promise Program supports educational and economic challenges Black youth and adults face in the United States by addressing community-identified needs and advancing equitable opportunities. Through grants of up to $10,000 towards social, economic or environmental initiatives, Dow Promise not only fosters a thriving community, but a shared future.

Since 2000, this annual competitive program has committed to uplifting communities in which Dow operates by supporting their needs and investing in positive social change for long-term success.

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.