Best Grants for Mentoring Programs in North Carolina

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charities serving adults with workforce development, job readiness, or small business support programs in North Carolina can apply for Truist Foundation grants of more than US $15,000. Funding supports career pathways to economic mobility, reskilling and upskilling, and strengthening networks that assist diverse and women-owned small businesses, which may include mentoring components.

The McGraw Foundation offers annual grants to not-for-profit organizations, primarily in the greater Chicago area, focusing on education, conservation, and human services. Grant amounts typically range from $2,000 to $10,000, with larger grants available for particularly impactful projects. While supporting diverse initiatives, the Foundation does not fund individuals or specific events. Organizations must be tax-exempt under IRS regulations to qualify for funding. The Foundation encourages innovative approaches and partnerships in grant applications.

Nonprofits, government entities, tribal governments, schools, and qualifying organizations in western North Carolina can access funding to launch, grow, or scale youth and young adult well-being programs through Nantahala Health Foundation; awards up to US $50,000 support education, healthcare access, and career pathways. North Carolina mentoring and tutoring programs serving disadvantaged youth may be especially competitive.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, and government programs in North Carolina that provide ongoing academic or life-skills mentoring for low-income youth can receive US $300 - US $500 in Ross gift cards to buy school or professional clothing. Grants from Ross Stores Foundation help mentoring and tutoring programs serving socioeconomically disadvantaged youth near Ross or dd’s DISCOUNTS locations.

Undergraduate and recently graduated college students in North Carolina interested in public health and healthcare careers can access a full-time, 10-week summer mentoring internship through John Muir Health. Focused on tutoring and mentoring, this program prioritizes underrepresented, first-generation, low-income, and underserved students seeking real-world experience, networking, and support in health-related fields.

High school, undergraduate, and medical students in North Carolina interested in healthcare careers can apply for John Muir Health’s CLIMB Near Peer Mentorship Program, a year-long, multi-level mentoring experience. This virtual program focuses on tutoring and mentoring, connecting participants with medical students and opportunities to mentor high school students exploring medicine.

Focused on film music creation, New Music USA invites developing composers in North Carolina and across the U.S. to seek support for original scores. Eligible individual composers on independently financed feature-length films in production or post can receive approximately US $20,000 for scoring costs, including composer fees, musicians, equipment, studio time, and engineering.

North Carolina students interested in legal careers and mentoring-focused development can access the Josh Dubin Fellowship, a seven-week paid professional and educational experience. Offered by the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, it supports current SCF scholars nationwide with legal research, case analysis, site visits, mentorship, and additional scholarship aid for undergraduate educational expenses.

Students and early-career researchers pursuing computer science, data science, or AI mentoring and research experience can apply for the Ai2 Predoctoral Young Investigators Program, open to candidates in the U.S., including North Carolina. Grants from Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence help participants gain intensive research mentoring, co-author publications, and prepare for top PhD programs over 1–3 years.

High school seniors pursuing business or engineering with strong character and interest in mentorship can access funding and one-on-one mentoring support through Bradley Family Foundation in North Carolina. This renewable scholarship supports U.S. citizens planning full-time bachelor’s study and may benefit students involved in school- or community-based mentoring programs.

Undergraduate, master’s, and medical students interested in pediatric oncology research in North Carolina and beyond can receive up to US $5,000 for a mentored summer research internship. With a mission to change the lives of children with cancer, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation provides hands-on training that may complement tutoring and mentoring-focused programs.

High school seniors seeking undergraduate education funding and mentorship can receive US $3,000 - US $5,000 scholarships through Rotary Club of Milwaukee, including structured mentoring support. With a mission to support higher education, Rotary Club of Milwaukee Community Tr provides need-based awards that may benefit students involved in tutoring and mentoring programs, including those similar to North Carolina initiatives.

North Carolina mentoring and tutoring leaders developing youth-focused mentoring systems can access funding through the Bergel Institute’s FE3 Fellowship to spend a year designing a credentialed mentoring profession in the U.S. This $30,000, mostly virtual fellowship supports intensive research and project development, including training, certification, licensing frameworks, and a pilot site launch.

Early-career live entertainment production managers in North Carolina and across the U.S. can apply for the Carolyn A. Satter Production Management Mentorship Program, which offers US $2,000 for conference-related expenses and intensive one-on-one mentoring. Eligible applicants must be current USITT members and able to participate in virtual prep and the Annual Conference.

Faculty developing or expanding undergraduate mentoring and discussion-based programs in the liberal tradition, including those in North Carolina, can apply for Institute for Humane Studies’ Free Society Grants to support sustained intellectual engagement. Eligible projects include mentorship programs, reading groups, workshops, symposia, and student research activities at U.S. higher education institutions.

First-generation master’s and doctoral students in exercise physiology, sports science, kinesiology, or sports nutrition at U.S. schools can receive US $4,000 - US $6,000 for research plus one-on-one mentorship. With a mission to educate and empower professionals, American College of Sports Medicine Foundation provides North Carolina and other U.S. graduate researchers with funding and professional development support.

North Carolina students seeking higher education support and mentorship can access funding through a national Pizza Hut Foundation scholarship and 14-week mentorship program. Eligible applicants are ages 17–26, legal residents of the U.S., Guam, or D.C., with at least a 2.5 GPA and eligibility for federal student aid, enrolling in accredited undergraduate or vocational programs.

$20K for changemakers with transformative ideas & firsthand insight in early childhood

About the Imagine Award

The Imagine Award by the Promise Fund offers $20,000 in flexible funding (see definition in FAQs) and a six-month cohort-based learning experience for community-rooted early childhood leaders with ideas for transformative impact. ​​Award recipients are at the idea stage and will launch a pilot within six months, testing their solutions with real users, gathering feedback, and refining their approach.

Imagine Award recipients will learn strategies for designing and executing lightweight tests for rapid learning while gaining clarity on their idea's direction using impact and business models. They will craft a compelling story about their work to build future partnerships and run a focused pilot with strong feedback loops for gathering data, all while growing alongside a supportive peer community.

What We Provide

Our grant dollars are flexible and meant to be used at award recipients’ discretion for the pursuit of tests or a pilot of a transformative idea. Read the FAQ for more information.

Direct, one-on-one support from our team to help you learn, get tailored help, and make relevant connections.

Multi-day gathering for peer connection, learning, and pilot design.

Access to a bench of mentors to guide you as you transition out of the program and navigate next steps with your pilot.

Light, tailored coaching to support pilot preparation, launch, and implementation.

Ongoing peer community and resources to continue learning and collaboration

About the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium

Empowering Arkansas in Aerospace: ASGC's Vision and Mission

The Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) is a pivotal part of a nationwide network funded by NASA to enhance America's aerospace science and technology capabilities. ASGC partners with 17 four-year universities and colleges across Arkansas, dedicated to advancing space science education, research, and public outreach. Through scholarships, research grants, and educational programs, ASGC supports students and faculty in STEM fields, aligning with NASA's mission to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and explorers. This commitment underscores ASGC's role in fostering a culture of innovation and discovery within Arkansas and beyond.

Current Student Opportunities

The Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) is excited to offer scholarships and awards to students attending affiliated colleges and universities across the state. These opportunities aim to support students’ academic and research endeavors in STEM fields, while recognizing their achievements.

Workforce Development Award

May 15, 2026 – August 14, 2027

The Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (ASGC), a participant in the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (NSGCFP), invites applications for the NASA Space Grant Workforce Development Award. This award offers internships at NASA Centers or aerospace-related industries, aimed at encouraging students to prepare for careers in professional aerospace fields.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) offers research training programs aimed at advancing education research through two key initiatives: the Early Career Development and Mentoring Program and the Methods Training Program. These programs support emerging researchers in developing their skills and enhancing their research capabilities to address vital education issues. The funding is designed for early career investigators and current education researchers, fostering rigorous and relevant research that informs education policy and practice.

Chicken & Egg Pictures Inc

Chicken & Egg Films was founded in 2005 by documentary film industry veterans Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and Judith Helfand. As filmmakers, teachers, funders, and impact producers, they were inspired to utilize their collective expertise to uplift the power of fellow women storytellers. Chicken & Egg was thus created to help address financial and creative challenges uniquely faced by women in the field–a model that married funding with mentorship to create not just an organization, but a growing community. 

Chicken & Egg Films shapes a more equitable and just world with the catalytic power of documentary films by providing funding, mentorship and industry access to a global community of women and gender-expansive filmmakers. 

Chicken & Egg Award

The Chicken & Egg Award recognizes women and gender-expansive filmmakers at advanced stages in their careers who are poised to reach new heights in their creative and impact trajectories across the world.

Despite progress by talented women and gender-expansive documentary filmmakers across the globe, there are often still numerous roadblocks that stand in the way of a true industry breakthrough. These barriers are often tied to gender, race, class, disability, and geography. Only a few women and gender-expansive nonfiction directors in the United States and abroad are able to work full time as independent storytellers, and few are folks of color, from working-class backgrounds, or from under-represented countries. 

There are, however, a growing number who are getting close. Each has made several films, and each is an influential leader for the issues they explore on screen. With this Award, Chicken & Egg Films is making a bold investment in these creatives and a statement about gender equity. A greater diversity of voices participating in storytelling drives change. We believe this effort is inextricably connected to elevating critical social justice, environmental, and human rights issues. 

The Chicken & Egg Award consists of a $75,000 USD cash award and a year-long mentorship program. Of the total, $50,000 is unrestricted, allowing filmmakers to decide how to use the funding to support their creative and business practices. The additional $25,000 is a grant for the project(s) the filmmaker will work on during their program year. Our in-depth mentorship program is focused on strengthening Awardees’ professional infrastructure, increasing their visibility, and fulfilling their personal and creative goals.

Davie Community Foundation

Founded in 1988, Davie Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to improving the lives of Davie County residents, today and for generations to come.

Mission: The Davie Community Foundation inspires philanthropy to strengthen Davie County for present and future generations. Vision: We envision Davie County as a vibrant community where everyone can thrive!

S.U.R.F. Board Grants

The S.U.R.F. (Students Understanding Real Futures) Board provides grant funding to support youth-led projects that make a positive impact in Davie County. These grants are designed to empower young people to identify needs in their community, develop solutions, and take an active role in carrying out meaningful projects with the support of an adult advisor and a sponsoring organization. If you are a student or youth group with an idea to benefit youth in our community, we encourage you to apply.  

Each year, the S.U.R.F. Board raises funds and awards grants to youth-led projects that make a positive difference in Davie County. Students are not only learning the value of giving their time, talents, and resources – they are actively identifying needs, evaluating proposals, and making real decisions that benefit their peers and their community.

This youth grant program gives high school students a hands-on opportunity to lead, learn, and give back.

The Established Clinician Investigator Award to Support Mentoring (KS1) is designed to provide established clinician investigators with dedicated time for mentoring early-career clinician research scientists. This initiative by the US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health (NIH) aims to enhance the quality of mentorship, fostering the development of future leaders in clinical research. It supports a sustained commitment to training and guidance, ensuring a robust pipeline of skilled professionals.

The Mentored Career Transition Award (KT1/R00) offers a biphasic funding opportunity for up to 5 years, supporting the transition of postdoctoral researchers to independent faculty positions. The first phase provides 1-2 years of mentored career development, while the second phase grants up to 3 years of independent research support, contingent upon satisfactory progress and faculty appointment. This grant aims to enhance the capacity of early-career researchers in achieving research-intensive roles.

The Mentored Clinician Research Scientist Career Development Award (KC1) from the NIH supports clinician research scientists for up to five years, providing dedicated time for intensive research career development. This award aims to guide candidates with clinical doctoral degrees towards achieving research independence by pairing them with experienced mentors who can help navigate their career paths.

The Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (KR1) offers crucial support for researchers aiming for independence. Funded by the US Dept. of Health & Human Services through the NIH, this award allows candidates to engage in intensive research training under a mentor's guidance for up to five years. It is designed for those with research doctoral degrees, facilitating their transition into independent research roles and enhancing their contributions to the scientific community.

The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust Grant supports educational programs and initiatives that assist individuals demonstrating financial need. Founded in 1975, it prioritizes funding for organizations that enhance educational opportunities, arts, culture, and community initiatives, particularly for youth and disadvantaged populations. The Trust encourages proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations, with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. It also considers limited proposals in disabilities, environmental protection, and historic preservation, focusing on educational impact.