Environmental Education Grants

Global Impact Cash Grants

Cisco welcomes applications for Global Impact Cash Grants from community partners around the world who share our vision and offer an innovative approach to a critical social challenge.

We identify, incubate, and develop innovative solutions with the most impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We’re looking for programs that fit within our investment areas, serve the underserved, and leverage technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services. We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. An initial information form is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application.

Social Investment Areas

At Cisco, we make social investments in three areas where we believe our technology and our people can make the biggest impact—education, economic empowerment, and crisis response, the last of which incorporates shelter, water, food, and disaster relief. Together, these investment areas help people overcome barriers of poverty and inequality, and make a lasting difference by fostering strong global communities.

Education Investments

Our strategy is to inclusively invest in technology-based solutions that increase equitable access to education while improving student performance, engagement, and career exploration. We support K-12 solutions that emphasize science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as well as literacy. We also consider programs that teach environmental sustainability, eliminate barriers to accessing climate change education, and invite student engagement globally to positively affect the environment.

What we look for:

• Innovative early grade solutions using the internet and technology to bridge the barriers preventing access to education for underserved students globally.
• Solutions that positively affect student attendance, attitudes, and behavior while inspiring action by students to improve learning outcomes, whether they participate in person, online, or in blended learning environments. 
• Solutions with high potential to replicate and scale globally, thereby increasing the availability of evidence-based solutions that support student-centricity, teacher capacity in the classroom, and increased parental participation to help students learn and develop.

Note: Cisco does not provide direct funding to schools.

Economic Empowerment

Our strategy is to invest in early stage, tech-enabled solutions that provide equitable access to the knowledge, skills, and resources that people need to support themselves and their families toward resilience, independence, and economic security.

Our goal is to support solutions that benefit individuals and families, and that contribute to local community growth and economic development in a sustainable economy.

We target our support in three interconnected areas:

• Skills development to help job seekers secure dignified employment and long-term career pathways in technology or other sectors, including environmental sustainability/green jobs.
• Inclusive entrepreneurship with small businesses as engines of local growth as well as high growth potential start-ups as large-scale job creators nationally and internationally, in technology or other sectors, including environment sustainability/green businesses.
• Banking the unbanked through relevant and affordable financial products and capacity building services.

Cisco Crisis Response

We seek to help overcome the cycle of poverty and dependence and achieve a more sustainable future through strategic investments. We back organizations that successfully address critical needs of underserved communities, because those who have their basic needs met are better equipped to learn and thrive.

What we look for:

• Innovative solutions that increase the capacity of grantees to deliver their products and services more effectively and efficiently
• Design and implementation of web-based tools that increase the availability of, or improve access to, products and services that are necessary for people to survive and thrive
• Programs that increase access to clean water, food, shelter, or disaster relief and promote a more sustainable future for all
  • By policy, relief campaigns respond to significant natural disaster and humanitarian crises as opposed to those caused by human conflict. Also by policy, our investments in this area do not include healthcare solutions.

Background

The Robert F. Schumann Foundation was established by Mr. Schumann out of his beliefs that the environment is essential to sustain the future of the planet, that education is essential to solve many quality of life issues for society, and that arts and cultural programs offer society hope and the ability to dream.  Mr. Schumann was an avid environmentalist and fought for open spaces where birds and other animals could maintain habitats and where people could enjoy nature.  He supported efforts to improve the planet through environmental education, as well as artistic and cultural institutions that sought to raise the quality of life for local communities. Robert F. Schumann developed a love of birds early in his life.  From a young age, he continued to learn and understand the importance of protecting the environment from over-development and pollution.  He purchased acreage in upstate New York where he created a bird sanctuary known as Nuthatch Hollow.  There he began a partnership with the local university allowing students, faculty and staff to use the land for environmental studies.  Mr. Schumann served on the board of many environmental and educational institutions seeking to encourage the interests of students of all ages to understand and appreciate the importance of protecting and enjoying the environment. Robert F. Schumann died on December 8, 2011.  His legacy of support for the environment, education, arts and culture will continue through the work of his foundation for many years to come.

Mission

The Robert F. Schumann Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life of both humans and animals by supporting environmental, educational, arts and cultural organizations and agencies.

There are no program limitations; however, the foundation is interested in primarily supporting environmental sustainability, education, the arts and humanities.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities 
• Education 
• Environment, animals

NOTE:

Application forms must be requested each year online prior to submitting an application. When you submit an LOI, a member of the foundation staff will be contacting you within the next five business days regarding the status of your request.

Full applications are due at the "full proposal" deadline above. 

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general the Foundation guidelines are broad to give it flexibility in providing grants.

Over the past decade, approximately 28% of our grants have been related to education, 28% to social services, 22% to hospitals and healthcare, 17% to civic and cultural with the remaining percentage spread out in the above categories. The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook.

There is no limit on grant amounts; however, on average, our grants range from $5,000 to $25,000.

Note: The latest deadline is listed above; the application  period to submit an NOI opens in January and closes March 1, 2023. but could close earlier if the expected volume of submissions has been met.

Mission

We partner with communities, providing resources for projects defined by local leaders to improve the lives and well-being of the people in the community.

Vision

We see a world where every person has the basics for well-being: clean water, good food, housing, health care, safety, education, social activity, and jobs. We know that the current state of the world represents many unmet needs. Despite the size of the need which seems unlimited, we choose to act. We believe that small change leads to bigger change and is a preferred option to a default acceptance of the status quo.

Why This Program

We hold that we are connected with one another in the world community. Like thousands of individual cells connected within a single body shaping its health, the actions of individuals within the world community effect the wellbeing of all. Discomfort in a part of our collective body impacts the whole and serves as a source for other downstream social ills. This program is designed for individuals who share a view of a larger self, have decided that they have enough means to live comfortable lives, and want to share their resources with others in a creative and smart way.

Our Values

The following core values inform our mission and guide our actions as investors:

• Respect: We believe the community should decide what the community needs   
• Optimism: We believe that good outcomes can be the rule, not the exception, based on disciplined and continuous effort
• Innovation: We challenge ourselves and our collaborators to think creatively     
• Leverage: We expect that a smart investment process will grow resources, not waste them  
• Accountability: We deliver what we promise and avoid promising more than we can deliver. 
• Efficient: We are careful managers of resources
• Life Affirming: We enjoy being alive and want the same opportunity for all  
• Enlightened Compassion: We care for the well-being of others without neglecting care of self   

How We Work

NextWorldNow learns about community based projects that need more resources to meet their goals. We connect with the leaders, learn about their work, and decide which projects to invest in. Investments may include time spent supporting a project, in-kind resources, and financial grants. We invite community proposals. We rate the likely success and the impact of the project – such as how many people will benefit. We look for people and groups who have new ideas for old problems. We prefer to invest in a variety of geographic locations and issues in order to learn more about the world and its people. We may take on projects that are beyond our funding means by seeking like organizations to partner in the investment. 

What are our target investments?

Consistent with our mission, we are interested in supporting many types of community programs: 

• Civic Participation
• Education
• Effective Development 
• Environmental Mediation – Water, Sanitation, Deforestation
• Health Care Access and Treatment
• Human Rights
• Peace and Human Security
• Shelter
• Smallholder Productivity and Food Security
• Sustainable Markets/Livelihood

NOTE: The Olive Tree Foundation begins accepting grant applications in the first quarter of each year. The increased number of applications we receive each continually exceeds expectations. To ensure our small staff can effectively and fairly review the requests, we decreased the number accepted in 2022 to 50.

About the Foundation

The Olive Tree Foundation, Inc., is an independent philanthropy established in the United States in 1997.

Our mission: The Olive Tree Foundation strives to support U.S.-based nonprofits that provide food, shelter, medical care and education for those in need; make arts and culture more accessible and equitable; invest in community and youth and adult development; and protect the environment.

Grantmaking Focus

Organizations eligible to apply for grants from The Olive Tree Foundation focus on:

Basic necessities

• We support nonprofits that provide food for the hungry, shelter the indigent and infirm and provide medical (physical and emotional) care to those in need.

Youth education and development

• OTF support nonprofits that develop the academic skills of youth. Key objectives should include character-building; fostering ethics, teamwork, self-esteem and self-confidence; broadening horizons and aspirations; strengthening unique abilities and talents; developing community awareness and involvement; improving academic, communication and interpersonal skills.

Adult education and development

• We support nonprofits that promote literacy and workforce development through various programs that empower adults to become self-sufficient and self-sustaining.

Community development

• We support nonprofits involved in the protection of civil rights and the creation of environmental infrastructures that enhance quality of life in the communities they serve.

Arts and Culture

• We support nonprofits that improve the quality of life in communities through arts and cultural enrichment and/or renovate structures that preserve a historical heritage.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Specific focus is placed on:

• Humanitarian Support; 
• Disadvantaged Children;
• Education;
• Arts and Culture;
• Environmental Causes;
• Animals.

Guiding Philosophy

The Foundation believes that it can provide the highest value to the grant recipients where gifts provide a start or a “seed” that can provide a benefit over time. Accordingly, the Foundation will generally give preference to those organizations, individuals, and/or initiatives that will stand the test of time, will inspire others to get involved, and will be a manifestation of our mission.

It is the Foundation’s belief that its philanthropic assets will have the greatest impact on smaller and non-political charitable organizations, so it is likely that most grants will be made to these types of organizations. However, this focus is not exclusive and the Foundation will consider organizations of any size that otherwise meet its mission, guiding principles, and grant-making guidelines. It is intended that end-users get 100% of the charitable contribution with no pass-through of any funds to another organization or person not directly responsible for the use of the money as understood by the Hansen Family Foundation. Additionally, recipient organizations must have at least a 75% giving vs. operating cost ratio to be considered. An organization with a lower ratio requires a 100% BOD-affirming vote to be considered.

There is no geographic limitation of the recipient organization or individual (either where it is located or where the Foundation’s involvement may occur). As a practical matter, however, the Foundation may be better able to include gifts of its time and talents where the charitable recipient is located where Board members live or work.

The Foundation seeks charitable recipients that:

• Share its value and beliefs
• Embrace the Foundation’s commitment and potential involvement
• Want to be accountable and demonstrate results (where the Foundation can cause effective change)

In keeping with the Foundation’s commitment to organizations it supports, gifts will normally be multi-year. One time grants will not be excluded, but these types of grants would not generally demonstrate the level of commitment and partnership that the Foundation seeks to provide to its grantees.

The Foundation will select its charitable recipients with great care and will exercise patience to find the right organizations, individuals, and initiatives that meet the selection criteria of the board. This care will be evidenced by the personal involvement of the board in the nomination, due-diligence, and on-site review process when selecting the recipients.

The Foundation will follow sound financial practices that support the long-term missions and annual objectives of the Foundation.

These practices include:

• Have wise investment and spending policies so that the foundation will grow and thereby provide more money for worthy causes
• Be committed to restrained administrative spending to ensure that foundation principal continues to grow
• Grow in resources and gifts (to be able to increase total grant size each year)
• Be able to see that Foundation has achieved leverage with its gifts and that the organizations supported have truly benefited within the scope of their mission statement.

In addition, we expect the Foundation to be actively engaged with, and be committed to, the organizations and individuals it supports. This engagement and commitment may include monetary and/or non-monetary gifts by some or all of the Board members.

Vision

In 1997, John Loveland founded New Earth Foundation. His vision for New Earth Foundation was, and it still is, assisting to create an enhanced worldwide awareness, manifesting as universal respect for all forms of life, the responsible use of Earth’s resources in sustainable ways, and a common realization that all is interconnected and One. New Earth Foundation envisions greater wisdom in handling human affairs, an increased understanding of other cultures, and the willingness to cooperate.

Mission

It is New Earth Foundation’s mission and delight to fund innovative, humanitarian projects according to the vision of New Earth Foundation, from community efforts that create models of social sustainability, to educational innovations that prepare youth to be future socially responsible leaders; from strategies that offer economic advances, to environmental initiatives that curb pollution and save the planet’s precious resources and earth's natural biosphere.

What NEF Seeks to Fund

New Earth Foundation seeks to fund innovative projects that enhance life on our planet and brighten the future. Smaller, newer 501(c)(3) organizations are the focus of grants given, so that the foundation’s gift can make a more significant contribution to the work of the recipient organization.

The grants given by NEF support a wide variety of projects in many fields of endeavor, including but not limited to environmental initiatives that are working to help eliminate pollution and to save the planet’s ecosystems, community efforts that create models of social sustainability, educational innovations that prepare youth to become the socially responsible leaders of the future, and strategies that offer economic improvement and opportunities.

NEF particularly appreciates projects that are replicable so that excellent ideas and work can multiply and benefit many.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: For the 2023 cycle, In light of the situation with COVID and how it may have affected clubs’ ability to support their chosen charities, at this time clubs must have only supported their nominated charity for six months (instead of the usual one year) before applying for a DG on their behalf. This allows clubs to nominate charities that were perhaps forced to suspend operations for a time due to COVID or charities that may have been borne out of COVID. Support is defined as donation of goods, services or money made by more than two individuals of a FAWCO Member Club or FAUSA.

The FAWCO Foundation Development Grant

The FAWCO Foundation Development Grants financially assist projects which are passionately supported by FAWCO Member Clubs and FAUSA. The purpose of the program is to fund projects that can make an immediate impact and lead to success for the people they support. The assistance offered should be direct, with a goal of sustainability.

Through The Foundation, FAWCO Member Clubs and FAUSA have been aiding worthy and reputable charitable projects around the globe for over 45 years. Some clubs are working “hands-on” with their projects while others make financial contributions or donations of goods. FAWCO Member Clubs and FAUSA are passionate about supporting projects that improve the human condition throughout the world. The DGs provide the financial assistance that can help the recipients achieve their goals. 

The Development Grant categories are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of Education, Environment, Health and Human Rights. 

The Foundation encourages FAWCO clubs to nominate grassroots organizations that receive little or no great sponsorship or support. Each FAWCO club may nominate two different projects each year.

Grant Categories

The grant categories are aligned with the UN Millennium Goals.

The FAWCO Foundation 2020 Development Grants will be offered in these categories:

Education

For projects promoting literacy, supporting academic studies, building or providing classrooms, libraries or general learning facilities for disadvantaged children or providing training designed to lead to economic and other types of empowerment for women and girls.

Due to the generosity in sponsorship, there are three awards available which will be given to the three projects receiving the most votes.

• AW Surrey Hope Through Education $5,000
• Educating Women & Girls Worldwide, sponsored in part by Renuka Matthews $5,000
• For programs specifically aimed at women and/or girls.
• Pam Dahlgren Educating Africa’s Children $5,000
• For programs specifically in the geographical area of Africa and will be awarded to the Africa-focused nominated project which receives the most votes.

Human Rights

For projects in a FAWCO Member Club’s host country or the world:

• providing vocational training, teaching practical skills, promoting social entrepreneurial initiatives for at-risk/marginalized population groups, 
• or addressing the critical problems of violence, food and shelter, healthcare, education, poverty, advocacy, human trafficking, prostitution, refugees, including all those impacted by economic, political or other forced migration,
• or promoting cultural understanding.

Due to the generosity in sponsorship, there are three awards available which will be given to the three projects receiving the most votes.

• Breaking the Cycle, sponsored in part by AW Eastern Province $5,000
• FAUSA Effecting Change for Women and Children at Risk $5,000 
• Safe Haven, sponsored in part by the family and friends of Louise Greeley-Copley $5,000
• For programs specifically supporting the Human Right to Safety and Shelter including:
• Refugee Programs  
• Protection for Women and Children Fleeing Violence
• Victims of Human Trafficking
• Shelters for Natural or Man-made Disasters

Environment

For projects promoting the responsible use of the environment to provide for the basic needs of a family or a community.

• Nurturing Our Planet - $5000

Global Issues - NEW for 2020! 

Close To Home $5,000                  

This Grant can be placed within any of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to which we align our Development Grants in the areas of Education, Environment, Health and Human Rights. In order to recognize FAWCO club’s local charities that are often overlooked on the world’s stage, the TFF is offering this Development Grant that is available for projects that take place in the nominating Club’s home country.

Health

For projects providing medical treatment, diagnostic services, preventive care or medical counseling. This can include, but is not limited to, cancer, HIV/AIDS, communicable, non-communicable and environmental diseases, substance abuse, life-improving surgeries, mental issues, the critically ill, the disabled, the aged, medical transport, special needs and maternal health for mothers and children.

Critical Health Concerns - $5000