Best Essex County Grants for Nonprofits in Virginia

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Competitive Grants

Competitive Grants are designed for projects that involve two or more GO Virginia regions (multi-regional) or go beyond what a single region’s annual allocation can support. They give regions the ability to collaborate or pursue initiatives that deliver substantial economic impact. To qualify, a project must present an extraordinary economic opportunity—one that is transformative in scale.

Competitive Grants allow regions to scale their ideas, tackle challenges that cross boundaries, and pursue transformative projects leverage regional strengths aiming to expand opportunities that benefit multiple localities and industries.

Application Types

Competitive Grants can support planning or implementation projects. The type of application depends on whether your project is multi-regional or single region. Competitive Grants include: Multi-Regional Planning Grants; Multi-Region Implementation Grants; and Single Region Implementation Grants.

Multi-Region Implementation Grants

Multi-Region Implementation Grants are designed to turn collaborative plans into action. The goal is to deliver projects that create broad economic impact, strengthening targeted industry sectors, growing higher-paying jobs, and expanding opportunities across all participating regions. Because these projects represent a significant investment, applicants must demonstrate strong regional collaboration, clear economic outcomes, and a plan for sustaining results beyond the grant period.

Successful projects should create benefits that are shared across all participating localities, not concentrated in just one community. In other words, the project’s impact—such as new jobs, business growth, or expanded industry capacity—should be visible in each region that is part of the application.

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Competitive Grants

Competitive Grants are designed for projects that involve two or more GO Virginia regions (multi-regional) or go beyond what a single region’s annual allocation can support. They give regions the ability to collaborate or pursue initiatives that deliver substantial economic impact. To qualify, a project must present an extraordinary economic opportunity—one that is transformative in scale.

Competitive Grants allow regions to scale their ideas, tackle challenges that cross boundaries, and pursue transformative projects leverage regional strengths aiming to expand opportunities that benefit multiple localities and industries.

Application Types

Competitive Grants can support planning or implementation projects. The type of application depends on whether your project is multi-regional or single region. Competitive Grants include: Multi-Regional Planning Grants; Multi-Region Implementation Grants; and Single Region Implementation Grants.

Single Region Implementation Grants

Single-Region Implementation Grants are available for extraordinary opportunities within one region that cannot be fully supported by that region’s annual allocation. These projects are intended to address unique, high-impact needs where the scale of investment exceeds local resources but still delivers outcomes consistent with the goals of GO Virginia.

The expectation is that single-region projects will demonstrate the same level of rigor as multiregional efforts—clear economic impact, measurable outcomes, and long-term sustainability—while making the case for why Competitive Grant support is essential. In some cases, the request may use a mix of per-capita funds and Competitive Grant funds; in other cases, it may rely entirely on Competitive Grant funds.

GO Virginia Program Overview

GO Virginia is a collaborative economic development initiative, that provides project-based incentives to encourage collaboration between private industry, higher education and local government in each region to produce results that will grow and diversify the regional economies and ultimately the commonwealth.

To achieve the program goals, the GO Virginia State Board has created nine regional councils. These councils are responsible for developing regional Growth and Diversification Plans and implementing those plans through the submission of project applications. Applications approved at the regional level are advanced to the GO Virginia State Board for funding.

The GO Virginia State Board has identified four primary investment strategies to achieve the program goals. The four priority investment strategies are:

• Workforce Development – building talent pipelines aligned with business needs that increases the pool of qualified workers
• Site Development and Infrastructure - preparing a regional portfolio of business-ready sites that attract private investment
• Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Startup Ecosystem) - creating a resource-rich environment for scalable start-ups and early-stage companies 
• Cluster Scale-Up -  helping existing regional industries grow and compete at a larger scale

All successful projects should align with at least one of these strategies and demonstrate a clear connection to a region’s Growth & Diversification Plan. See the GO Virginia Program Manual for details.

• GO Virginia is not an economic development incentive program. Individual private businesses may not receive funding, nor can any project provide exclusive benefits to a single private business.

• GO Virginia funds must support new and expanded efforts — not ongoing operations. Funding cannot be used to continue, sustain, or supplement the operating costs of existing programs. Projects must clearly demonstrate added value and represent new activity that advances GO Virginia’s mission. Proposals must fill a documented gap, scale a proven model, or introduce a new approach that supports regional priorities.

Virginia Growth and Opportunity Fund (GO Virginia) Planning, Feasibility, and Small-Scale Pilot Gran

GO Virginia Planning, Feasibility, and Small-Scale Pilot grants are intended to build regional capacity for impactful, saleable projects.

Planning Grants help regions explore and refine ideas that have the potential to drive economic growth. They provide an opportunity to test concepts, formalize strong partnerships, conduct indepth research or feasibility studies, and develop actionable strategies. These grants can also support small-scale pilot initiatives that, if successful, can be scaled up through a GO Virginia Implementation Grant or another measurable investment opportunity.

The primary intent of Planning Grants is to prepare projects for future GO Virginia Implementation funding. In some cases, planning work may also strengthen a project’s ability to compete for other funding sources or, occasionally, determine that an initiative should not move forward. While those opportunities are valuable, applicants should design proposals with a clear line of sight to GO Virginia Implementation as the expected pathway.

This Community Foundation was created by and for the people of Washington County MD, and exists to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens, now and for generations to come, by building community endowments, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

The Tim Moffatt Career Advancement Award

This scholarship will be awarded to deserving students who are graduating from a WCPS high school, or are a non-traditional learner with equivalent education, who have been accepted into a trade school/program/apprenticeship, or who have enlisted in the military. 

The Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) administers a variety of unique scholarship funds that grant over $5.7 million annually to college students. The scholarship funds have been established by thoughtful and generous donors and each has a unique set of eligibility criteria and award structure.

Pi-Squared Scholarship

Benefiting graduating seniors of Spring ISD (Texas), Klein ISD (Texas), and Houston ISD (Texas).

The Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) administers a variety of unique scholarship funds that grant over $5.7 million annually to college students. The scholarship funds have been established by thoughtful and generous donors and each has a unique set of eligibility criteria and award structure.

Roger and Barbara Powell Scholarship for Nursing

Benefiting rural Texas residents pursuing nursing degrees.

The Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) administers a variety of unique scholarship funds that grant over $5.7 million annually to college students. The scholarship funds have been established by thoughtful and generous donors and each has a unique set of eligibility criteria and award structure.

Silver Eagle Distributors Houston Scholarship

Benefiting dependents of Silver Eagle Distributors Houston employees.

The Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) administers a variety of unique scholarship funds that grant over $5.7 million annually to college students. The scholarship funds have been established by thoughtful and generous donors and each has a unique set of eligibility criteria and award structure.

Tradition of Excellence Scholarship

Benefiting dependents of current Perry Homes employees.

The Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) administers a variety of unique scholarship funds that grant over $5.7 million annually to college students. The scholarship funds have been established by thoughtful and generous donors and each has a unique set of eligibility criteria and award structure.

Strong Family Scholarship

Benefiting graduating high school seniors from charter schools in Houston, TX.

Taka Domingo HLP Vocational Scholarship

The HLP Hamakua Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that was formed to benefit the people of Hamakua. Taka Domingo was one of the original board members when HLP was established after the closure of sugar. He was an electrician and County Councilman representing the Hamakua District. The Taka Domingo HLP Vocational Scholarship was established after his death in August 2016. 

Individual award amount: $2,000. 

Possible trades include: welding, tourism, fire science, electrical, early childhood education, agriculture, auto body, auto mechanics, diesel mechanics, carpentry, culinary and others not listed.

Pfizer supports the global healthcare community’s independent initiatives (e.g., research, quality improvement or education) to improve patient outcomes in areas of unmet medical need that are aligned with Pfizer’s medical and/or scientific strategies.

Pre-clinical Investigation of anti-TFPI-mediated Rebalancing Mechanisms in Non-Hemophilic Bleeding Disorders

There remains a scientific gap in understanding of the role of anti-TFPImediated hemostatic rebalancing in the context of inherited or non-hemophilic bleeding disorders. This competitive grant program encourages competitive submissions focsed on generating preclinical/foundational data exploring the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of TFPI modulation in bleeding disorders other than hemophilia.

Funding

• Individual projects requesting up to $50,000 USD will be considered. Request for study drug or compound is allowed (max $50,000 USD), additionally to the study project costs.
• Maximum project length is 1 year.

St. Ignace Area Community Foundation: CTE Technical Scholarship

The St. Ignace Community Fund annually awards scholarships assisting students with higher education, technical training, vocational training or retraining based largely on acknowledgement of student responsibility, community service, and civic involvement. These Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of donors to the various accounts within the St. Ignace Area Community Fund. Some accounts specifically are awarded to recognize higher education in the areas of special education, vocational/technical careers, teaching, law enforcement, and health care.

Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

The mission of Susan G. Komen® is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants

Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants foster promising breast cancer researchers who are in the early stages of their faculty careers by providing support for up to three years of “protected time” for research career development under the guidance of a Mentor Committee. We seek to support those who will emerge as the next key leaders in the fight against breast cancer.

CCR Research Focus: Research projects must be hypothesis-driven, breast cancer-focused studies. They may be considered basic, translational, clinical and/or population science in nature and should align with Komen’s research priorities and mission to save lives from breast cancer. 

Hogg Foundation for Mental Health

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health was established in 1940 at The University of Texas at Austin by the children of Texas Governor James Hogg. For over a quarter of a century, the Hogg Foundation was guided by the passion and insight of the Governor’s daughter, Miss Ima Hogg, who actively promoted the foundation and encouraged its staff to pursue a bold, new vision. Today the Hogg Foundation is based at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work and is funded through an endowment created by gifts from the Hogg family and managed by The University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company.

The Hogg Foundation is inspired by Ima Hogg’s vision for a Texas that supports and promotes mental health, resilience, and well-being. Miss Ima was ahead of her time in believing that mental health was just as important as physical health. She believed all people should have access to community-based resources to support mental well-being and live fulfilling lives, and she championed supports in everyday environments like schools, workplaces, places of worship, and homes.

Stephany June Bryan: Bold Spirit of Achievement Scholarship

The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is offering ten $5,000 scholarships in honor of Stephany June Bryan to individuals facing personal and financial barriers to achieving their educational or career goals due to the impact of living with a mental health challenge and/or supporting a loved one with a mental health challenge.

You do not need to be enrolled in a program at the time you submit your application. However, you will need to provide enrollment verification and/or a certificate of completion when/if it is awarded.

About BlackRock

We’re a global asset manager and technology provider dedicated to helping more and more people experience financial well-being. We help millions of people invest to build savings that serve them throughout their lives. The BlackRock Foundation which funds and partners with organizations that strengthen financial security for more people,

BlackRock Future Builders

BlackRock Future Builders is a $100 million philanthropic initiative funded by The BlackRock Foundation to expand economic opportunity and power the next generation of America’s skilled trades workers. Through this Request for Proposals (RFP) process, The Foundation seeks to support U.S. nonprofit organizations (i.e., registered 501(c)3 organizations) delivering or supporting high‑quality skilled trades training.

This competitive grant opportunity operates in parallel to other BlackRock Future Builders partnerships and is intended to surface additional, regionally grounded solutions across the skilled trades ecosystem. Organizations may propose direct worker training programs or capacity‑building efforts that enable systems to function more effectively and at greater scale. This first round RFP will be administered by Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit that transforms U.S. education and workforce systems.

Focus Areas and Solutions

Applicants may propose worker training or capacity‑building solutions aligned to skilled trades workforce development.

• Worker training interventions may include direct service proposals such as pre-apprenticeship or career navigation programs, workforce training programs, apprenticeship programs, or wraparound participant supports that are supportive of training persistence and completion.
• Capacity-building interventions are organizational and system-focused, rather than in direct service of participants, and may include, but are not limited to, proposals such as ecosystem-building, demonstration projects, technology or tool adoptions, or research, among others.

AΩA is committed to preparing future leaders in medicine and health care. Leadership is about making a positive difference and can be developed through education, observation, experience, and by working with leader mentors. Service learning provides excellent opportunities for students to develop as servant leaders. Only one team from each school may be nominated.

Regional Innovation Fund

Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation's (VIPC) Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) supports entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) that are building and strengthening Virginia’s innovation ecosystem. RIF provides competitive grants for operating and programmatic support to ESOs serving science- and technology-based startups and founders.

VIPC prioritizes support for and partnership with Virginia’s ESOs. Through the establishment of its Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Division (EED) in July 2020, VIPC has worked to strengthen the infrastructure that helps early-stage technology startups grow and succeed. EED partners with accelerators, incubators, training providers, technology councils, chambers of commerce, investor groups, and other Virginia-based organizations that support entrepreneurs in the early stages of business formation and development. To advance this mission, VIPC launched the RIF in March 2021.