Search Through Professional Development Grants for Nonprofits in Florida in the U.S.

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.  

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

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

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

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.

Our Mission

The Foundation’s mission is to utilize its assets to assist any not-for-profit organization seeking to promote the arts or create programs that inspire, engage, and teach.

We hope that someday the arts will no longer be considered a school elective or an interest for the few but a necessity for living a full life and for the health of our hearts and minds. 

Through our partnerships in the community, we are utilizing the arts to harness its extraordinary power to inspire, raise educational outcomes for students, and enrich the overall quality of life in marginalized communities.

We believe that there is a great synergy in combining the talents of musicians, museum educators, nonprofit arts advocates, actors, teachers, and writers. We believe that the arts, in all forms, have significant intrinsic societal value and can take on multiple roles in youth education for healthy brain and social development. 

In keeping with our mission, the Foundation values and will support organizations protecting and utilizing nature to enrich peoples’ lives through conservation and beautification. We believe that a healthy environment means a healthier population overall. 

Studies have shown that children benefit both mentally and physically from outdoor activity and clean air. We seek to continue to work with organizations that understand the value of our human connection with and reliance on a thriving and accessible green infrastructure.

Our Foundation is also interested in supporting health science and medical research. We understand that supporting cutting-edge technology and research is paramount in gaining important ground on treating and hopefully curing all forms of cancers and diseases. We are specifically interested in supporting research in treating and curing pancreatic and other forms of high-mortality illnesses that have lagged in funding and medical advancement. 

P/Arts Program

P/Arts Program Information

P/Arts stands for Philanthropic Arts and is our Foundation’s own initiative launched in 2019 to help catalyze non-profit, tax-exempt public charities, accredited schools and universities, and government or public agencies. We want to help implement or enhance educational programs utilizing the arts in daily curricula for early childhood education programs as well as K-12 students.

The P/Arts Program Was Created To Encourage Partnerships Within The Philanthropic Arts And Education Communities.

Organizations applying for P/Arts funding must be accredited 501(c)(3) organizations that are using performing and/or visual arts education to help:

• Enhance and Transform Existing Outdated Public School Curricula
• Motivate & Engage Children and Students
• Deepen Professional Development for Teachers, Professors, and Childcare Workers
• Link School and Home
• Use Evidence-Based, Arts-Based Instruction
• Help to Lessen the Education Achievement Gap

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Our MissionAdvancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.

Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process. 

Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations

Program Description

South Arts strongly believes that skill and knowledge building for arts organizations are integral to success and sustainability. These grants are designed to support the professional development needs of Southern arts organizations for increasing organizational capacity to achieve long-term sustainability, growth, and/or operational stability. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary arts organizations.

Funding can support staff or board participation at conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities and events. In addition, these grants can support expenses for in-person and virtual professional development for organization-wide staff learning and training. Funds support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, or other related expenses (for example, consultant/service fees for staff learning/training sessions). 

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.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Cutler Bay Community Fund

Mission Statement

The Cutler Bay Community Fund was created to support nonprofit organizations that endeavor to improve the life of residents in the Town of Cutler Bay through educational, aesthetic (community beautification), environmental, cultural, social services and other philanthropic programs and services. (Resolution #13-57)

About the Cutler Bay Community Fund

The Town of Cutler Bay established the Cutler Bay Community Fund (Resolution #13-57) in 2013 with the goal of establishing partnerships that will help to improve the quality of life of residents in our community, as well as supporting local nonprofit organizations. The Fund is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that is overseen by a Board of Directors consisting of the current Cutler Bay Mayor and Town Council. Grant awards range between $500 to $2,500 and only one application per organization will be accepted each year.

100% of the funds collected through the community fund are solely used for charitable purposes with priority given to organizations that provide services within the Town of Cutler Bay. The Fund currently has six service categories (priority areas) that direct our grant making; education, aesthetic, environment, culture, social services, and other philanthropic activities.

Cutler Bay Community Fund Priority Areas

Education

The purpose of this fund is to impact student achievement by supporting 501(c)(3) organizations that serve both children and youth, from the time they enter daycare through completion of grade 12, who reside in or attend schools in Cutler Bay. Activities include but are not limited to; out-of-school programs, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, educational field trips, teacher incentive programs, curriculum enhancement/development activities, educational equipment/supplies, personal safety/prevention activities (i.e., anti-bullying, distracted driving awareness, abuse prevention), parenting skills training, life skills training, civic engagement, and college/career preparation.

Aesthetic

The goal of this fund is to support 501(c)(3) organizations that implement programs to enhance the overall safety and anesthetics of our community. Examples include but are not limited to community beautification projects, assistance with code compliance matters for the elderly or low-income residents, graffiti abatement, community message boards, landscaping, community gardening, preserve/enhance green spaces, and/or any other general aesthetic improvements.

Environmental

The Town of Cutler Bay was the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to receive “Certified Silver” designation as a Florida Green Building City. In keeping with our initiative to “Go Green”, the Cutler Bay Community Fund supports 501(c)(3) community programs that promote environmental responsibility. Examples include but are not limited to “green” education and awareness activities, community gardening, recycling, alternative transportation (bicycle, walking programs), conservation, maintenance of environmentally sensitive lands, and/or any other general environmental improvement activity.

Cultural

Culture is represented through art, literature, and music, but mainly through the customs and traditions of a particular nation, people, or other social group. It is the common bond that brings the people of a community together. This Fund aspires to ensure that cultural activities are accessible to all residents regardless of age, ability, or economic status. To this end, 501(c)(3) organizations that provide the following activities will be supported through the Fund; concerts, art in public places, heritage festivals, cultural awareness programs, community festivals, intergenerational activities, artistic performances, monthly cultural displays at Town Hall (Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, etc.), history preservation, and other general cultural activities.

Social Services

The objective of this fund is to support local 501(c)(3) social service agencies for projects that help Cutler Bay residents in need. Examples include but are not limited to; workforce development, healthy living (community bike events, nutrition activities, anti-bullying campaigns, etc.), youth development (support for programs that encourage youth leadership and assists in their transition to adulthood), basic needs (utility assistance, food, and emergency shelter, etc..), outreach efforts, aging in place programs, housing, and other generally defined social services.

Other Philanthropic Programs/Services

The needs of the citizen’s in the Town of Cutler Bay continually evolve. This Fund targets support of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that meet the unforeseen needs of this community or needs that do not fit in any of the other funding priority areas. Examples may include but are not limited to; disaster relief/preparedness, fitness activities, sporting events, healthcare, transportation for the elderly or disabled, efforts that fulfill urgent need in the community, and other generally defined philanthropic services.

Competitive Grantmaking

The role of Community Foundation’s Grantmaking is to seek opportunities proactively in the community that help residents achieve their greatest potential. Through an open competitive process, nonprofit organizations can apply for support where there is an alignment with one of the Community Foundation’s four strategic focus areas: Capacity Building, Economic Opportunity, Education and Youth, and Thriving Communities. 

Four Focus Areas

• Capacity Building
  • Goal: To support, develop, and promote a network of services and resources that strengthen the quality and impact of the local nonprofit sector and community.
  • Focus Area Strategies: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Capacity Building focus area. 
    • Organizations with a mission to support, enhance, improve, and grow high-quality nonprofit organizations and leadership.
    • Programming is designed to support and improve Nonprofit Management and Nonprofit Leadership.
    • Opportunities to provide local nonprofit leaders with short and long-term professional coaching, mentoring and guidance.
• Economic Opportunity
  • Goal: To improve human capital by creating opportunities for strategic and effective workforce preparation leading to economic sufficiency.
  • Focus Area Strategies: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Economic Opportunity focus area.
    • Initiatives promoted by workforce alliances that effectively link employer demand with the educational resources necessary to building a continuum for workforce preparation for skilled workers.
    • Occupational preparation and training for individuals targeted to specific occupations where worker shortages may exist and the potential for increased credentialing and earnings can be maximized.
    • Programs that promote literacy – including economic (financial management), technical (information technologies), and reading – to develop life skills and prevent future impediments to achieving full academic or vocational potential.
    • Programs and projects that assist workforce pipeline for unemployed or underemployed residents.
    • Programs that provide support for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Education and Youth
  • Goal: To provide youth with the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
  • Focus Area Strategies: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Education and Youth focus area.
    • Evidence-based early childhood development programs for children and their families to integrate the process of education into daily living in order to improve likely future outcomes.
    • Opportunities that provide support to address third grade literacy levels.
    • Model high school retention programs for at-risk students, including coaching, internships, or leadership development that provides credentialing and support for pursuit of academic excellence.
    • Programs that connect at-risk youth populations with opportunities that keep them on a positive life trajectory, i.e., mentoring.
• Thriving Communities
  • Goal: To address a broad range of community needs so that residents can live healthy and vibrant lives.
  • Strategy: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Thriving Communities focus area.
    • Coalitions and partnerships that advocate and focus attention on affordable housing needs of low- and middle-income families. For example, social service providers joining with housing advocates, developers, and government officials in responding to the need for permanent, workforce and/or affordable rental housing.
    • Initiatives assisting low- and middle-income households at high risk for foreclosures and/or homelessness with rent or mortgage support, legal assistance, counseling, and supports to ensure an equitable process and/or provide available resources and options to secure safe, affordable housing and achieve economic stability.
    • Programs that provide access for uninsured or underinsured residents to address mental and/or physical health concerns. Programs addressing chronic health conditions in high-need areas will be prioritized. For example, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
    • Increasingly make arts and culture accessible for people with limited economic means.
    • Small- to medium-sized Florida-based arts and cultural organizations that have experienced a significant cut in state-funding (15% or more of organizational budget).
    • Opportunities that address hunger by providing food and assisting with access to support such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
    • Improve the environment through education and efforts such as planting trees, improving coastal areas, or preserving natural resources.
    • Projects that transform green spaces or create safe public spaces for residents to connect and engage. 

Funding

Community Impact grants will be awarded as one-year grants, up to $75,000. Summer grants will be awarded seasonally

Competitive Grantmaking

The role of Community Foundation’s Grantmaking is to seek opportunities proactively in the community that help residents achieve their greatest potential. Through an open competitive process, nonprofit organizations can apply for support where there is an alignment with one of the Community Foundation’s four strategic focus areas: Capacity Building, Economic Opportunity, Education and Youth, and Thriving Communities. 

Four Focus Areas

• Capacity Building
  • Goal: To support, develop, and promote a network of services and resources that strengthen the quality and impact of the local nonprofit sector and community.
  • Focus Area Strategies: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Capacity Building focus area. 
    • Organizations with a mission to support, enhance, improve, and grow high-quality nonprofit organizations and leadership.
    • Programming is designed to support and improve Nonprofit Management and Nonprofit Leadership.
    • Opportunities to provide local nonprofit leaders with short and long-term professional coaching, mentoring and guidance.
• Economic Opportunity
  • Goal: To improve human capital by creating opportunities for strategic and effective workforce preparation leading to economic sufficiency.
  • Focus Area Strategies: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Economic Opportunity focus area.
    • Initiatives promoted by workforce alliances that effectively link employer demand with the educational resources necessary to building a continuum for workforce preparation for skilled workers.
    • Occupational preparation and training for individuals targeted to specific occupations where worker shortages may exist and the potential for increased credentialing and earnings can be maximized.
    • Programs that promote literacy – including economic (financial management), technical (information technologies), and reading – to develop life skills and prevent future impediments to achieving full academic or vocational potential.
    • Programs and projects that assist workforce pipeline for unemployed or underemployed residents.
    • Programs that provide support for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Education and Youth
  • Goal: To provide youth with the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
  • Focus Area Strategies: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Education and Youth focus area.
    • Evidence-based early childhood development programs for children and their families to integrate the process of education into daily living in order to improve likely future outcomes.
    • Opportunities that provide support to address third grade literacy levels.
    • Model high school retention programs for at-risk students, including coaching, internships, or leadership development that provides credentialing and support for pursuit of academic excellence.
    • Programs that connect at-risk youth populations with opportunities that keep them on a positive life trajectory, i.e., mentoring.
• Thriving Communities
  • Goal: To address a broad range of community needs so that residents can live healthy and vibrant lives.
  • Strategy: The Foundation provides the following strategies as examples of the types of programs, services, and proposals that potential funding will be given to in the Thriving Communities focus area.
    • Coalitions and partnerships that advocate and focus attention on affordable housing needs of low- and middle-income families. For example, social service providers joining with housing advocates, developers, and government officials in responding to the need for permanent, workforce and/or affordable rental housing.
    • Initiatives assisting low- and middle-income households at high risk for foreclosures and/or homelessness with rent or mortgage support, legal assistance, counseling, and supports to ensure an equitable process and/or provide available resources and options to secure safe, affordable housing and achieve economic stability.
    • Programs that provide access for uninsured or underinsured residents to address mental and/or physical health concerns. Programs addressing chronic health conditions in high-need areas will be prioritized. For example, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
    • Increasingly make arts and culture accessible for people with limited economic means.
    • Small- to medium-sized Florida-based arts and cultural organizations that have experienced a significant cut in state-funding (15% or more of organizational budget).
    • Opportunities that address hunger by providing food and assisting with access to support such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
    • Improve the environment through education and efforts such as planting trees, improving coastal areas, or preserving natural resources.
    • Projects that transform green spaces or create safe public spaces for residents to connect and engage. 

Funding

Community Impact grants will be awarded as one-year grants, up to $75,000. Summer grants will be awarded seasonally

About the Motorola Solutions Foundation

At Motorola Solutions, we are good citizens by design. Our work makes a difference in the critical moments that shape lives, businesses and the world, but our contributions don’t end there. The Motorola Solutions Foundation acts as the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions and focuses on giving back to the community through strategic grants, employee volunteerism and other community investment initiatives. The Foundation is one of the many ways in which the company lives out its purpose to help people be their best in the moments that matter.

Grant Program Focus

The Motorola Solutions Foundation, which has donated $100 million over the past 10 years, aims to partner with organizations that are creating safer cities and thriving communities, and prioritizes underrepresented and/or underserved populations, including people of color and women, within the three focus areas below:

• Technology and engineering education
• First responder programming
• Blended first responder programming and technology/engineering education programs

Overarching Priorities

• Reach people of color, women and other underrepresented and/or underserved populations within our focus areas
• Leverage robust partnerships with other nonprofit organizations and institutions
• Support organizations that exhibit strong financial health
• Support organizations with data-driven evaluation methods, including quantifiable metrics

Focus Areas

First Responder Programming

• Provide leadership development and training opportunities for underrepresented first responders, including people of color and women
• Provide mental wellness and stress management trainings for first responders and their families
• Provide wellness and scholarship support to families of fallen first responders
• Prepare youth and young adults for careers in public safety through outreach, scholarship and educational programs
• Offer safety preparedness and response training to schools, adults, students and first responders
• Lead safety and disaster preparedness trainings for the public

Technology & Engineering Education

• Engage students in innovative, hands-on technology and engineering activities, such as design, coding and robotics
• Provide vocational skills, scholarships, certifications and workforce placement opportunities in engineering, information technology and data science
• Equip teachers with the skills and training necessary to enhance instruction in technology and engineering
• Prioritize school-aged students ages 8-18, college/university students and young adults

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What is an eligible area?

Rural Business Development Grant money must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. There are two types of RBDG projects, Opportunity grants and Enterprise grants.

• Opportunity type grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.
• Enterprise type grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application.

How may Enterprise type funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports, or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Rural distance learning for job training and advancement for adult students.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

How may Opportunity type funds be used?

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Supporting Historic Sacred Places

A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund for Sacred Places provides financial and technical support for community-serving historic houses of worship across America.

What We Offer

The National Fund for Sacred Places provides matching grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to congregations undertaking significant capital projects at historic houses of worship, along with wraparound services including training, technical assistance, and planning support.

What We’re Looking For

The National Fund for Sacred Places assesses applicant eligibility according to the core criteria shown below, while also striving to build a diverse participant pool that reflects a broad range of geographic, cultural, and religious identities.

Historic, Cultural, or Architectural Significance

We are looking for buildings that have historic, cultural, or architectural significance—and sites that have important and relevant stories to tell. Many of our participants are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the state register, or the local register. Your building does not have to be on one of these lists, but eligibility for one or more of these lists is a good benchmark for National Fund eligibility.

As part of the National Trust’s commitment to telling the full American story, we particularly encourage congregations to apply that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history and that expand our understanding of our shared national heritage. We encourage submissions related to historic sacred places of importance to historically and contemporaneously underrepresented communities including, but not limited to, women, immigrants, Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQIA communities.

Successful applicants are able to demonstrate their place in history by answering questions such as:

• Does the building tell a story relevant to our history—either cultural or religious?
• Does the history highlight previously underrecognized communities, stories, or locations?
• How has the building served the community over time? Does the building have a great physical presence in its community due to its location or programming?
• Is the building the work of a notable architect? If so, is it a high-quality example of their body of work?
• Is the building an exceptional example of its architectural style or building technology?
• Does the building embody the congregation’s resilience over time?

Community-Serving Congregations

We are looking for congregations that are engaged in their communities and that are serving others. Engaged congregations operate and host programming that serves vulnerable, at-risk, and diverse populations; share space with non-affiliated groups and organizations (often at subsidized rates); work with other congregations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or municipalities; and have a widespread reputation for being a welcoming center of community life.

Project Scope and Need

We fund historic preservation projects addressing urgent repair needs and/or life safety. We also fund projects that increase congregations’ ability to open their buildings to new populations or to serve greater numbers of people. All projects must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which is a universally accepted framework for doing work to older and historic properties.

We prioritize congregations/projects where there is a demonstrated need (meaning that the congregation cannot raise the funds alone) or where it is clear that our grant will have a catalytic effect (meaning that our grant is likely to lead to additional monies being contributed to the project).

Readiness

Once-in-a-generation capital projects require a great deal of planning. We are looking for applicants that understand their buildings’ needs and that are ready to undertake a capital campaign. National Fund congregations typically have a history of successful capital campaigns, which demonstrate an ability to raise significant funds and complete a project.

Successful congregations come to us with a realistic fundraising goal, which has been generated with the help of qualified preservation professionals and is not too far beyond the congregation’s fundraising capacity.

Healthy Congregations

The National Fund prioritizes healthy, stable congregations so that our investment is truly impactful and lasting. We look for the following, although this is not an exhaustive list of characteristics that indicate healthy congregations: tenured, well-respected clergy; capable lay leadership; stable or growing membership; financial strength and stability; support of the judicatory or governing body, if applicable; and a history of weathering any congregational conflict or trauma with resilience.

AmeriCorps

Volunteer Florida administers AmeriCorps programs throughout the state. AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides opportunities for individuals to serve their communities in many different capacities. In exchange for a living stipend, educational award and valuable on-the-job experience, members work in nonprofit organizations, educational foundations and government agencies for one year, helping mentor at-risk students, train job-seekers and conserve public land, respond to disasters and more.

AmeriCorps funding is made available by the federal agency AmeriCorps and is administered by Volunteer Florida. AmeriCorps members are selected and managed by their host organization, and spend a year addressing issues critical to the organization’s mission. Full-time AmeriCorps members serve 35-40 hours per week.respond to disasters and more.

Continuation, Recompete and Planning Grant

Each year, approximately 200,000 Americans meet critical community needs through service in AmeriCorps nationwide. With funding from AmeriCorps that is administered by Volunteer Florida, AmeriCorps members in Florida dedicate a term of intensive service and receive workforce development training, living stipend, education award and professional development.

AmeriCorps programs address critical community needs including education, disaster services, economic opportunity, conservation and natural resources, healthy futures and veterans and military families. Sample activities include tutoring and mentoring youth, response to local disasters, restoring natural habitats and job training/placement. Priority consideration should be given when projects demonstrate support for the state’s economic competitiveness and workforce development, prioritize Florida’s environment and natural resources, and/or preserve the quality of life and connectedness of the state’s communities, including the movement of people and goods.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

The Program

Professional Development and Artistic Planning Grants are available to support the professional development needs of Southern presenters, programmers, or curators, for strengthening program design or increasing organizational capacity. South Arts strongly believes professional development for presenters/programmers/curators is integral to success, including traveling to see new works and attending convenings. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary organizations.

This funding can support staff’s travel expenses to conferences, festivals, exhibitions, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. Funding also supports guest artists’ or guest curators’ travel expenses for onsite planning meetings with presenting organizations. These grants support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, and other related expenses. In addition, these grants support expenses for virtual professional development opportunities and staff training (for example, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training or technology training for virtual engagements).

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations led by people with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

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.

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

 St. Johns Cultural Council State of the Arts Grants

The St. Johns Cultural Council administers an annual “State of the Arts” grant program (“SOTA”), with applications opening on September 1st of each year. This year, we are awarding six $1,500 grants to individual artists or arts organizations. The grant process is competitive and not every application will receive funding. There is no matching requirement and the application and reporting requirements are designed to minimize time of completion.  

Nonprofit organizations, individual artists and public schools may apply for funds to support new or expanded programs in disciplines including arts in education; music, dance, folk arts, humanities, literature, film, theatre and musical theatre; visual arts; historic preservation; or the collection or exhibition of cultural or artistic works. Individual artists may also apply for grants to fund professional development. Proposals are evaluated for quality, impact and originality.

Applicants must be St. Johns County residents or organizations based in St. Johns County. All grant activities, other than artist professional development, must take place within St. Johns County, Florida. Proposals for activities that reach underserved audiences, provide arts education, and create art in public places will receive priority.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities

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.