Best Small Grants for Nonprofits in Florida

The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund, managed by Refed Inc., supports innovative solutions to minimize food waste and reduce methane emissions, a cost-effective strategy for climate action. This fund prioritizes initiatives that enhance food recycling and improve supply chain efficiency in the beef and dairy sectors. By focusing on proven methods, the grant aims to accelerate impactful changes in the food system, ultimately fostering sustainable practices and collaborative efforts to combat food waste.

The Anderson-Rogers Foundation Grant supports U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations focused on environmental protection, animal welfare, climate change mitigation, and social support. Established in 2001, this family foundation prioritizes innovative projects and general operating support for small organizations facing financial constraints. Note that applicants must first submit a letter of inquiry, as the foundation does not fund scholarships or grants to individuals or religious organizations, nor does it support organizations outside the U.S.

The Southeastern Branch John Henry Comstock Award recognizes outstanding Ph.D. students in entomology, promoting interest in the field and supporting attendance at the ESA annual meeting. Awardees receive an all-expenses-paid trip, a $100 cash prize, and a certificate, with additional cash prizes presented by the Southeastern Branch. Eligibility includes being a current member and demonstrating excellence in graduate studies. This award fosters professional development and engagement within the entomology community.

Florida Department of Health

Led by the State Surgeon General, the mission of the Florida Department of Health is to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's Disease Research Program

The program awards grants for research relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of Alzheimer’s disease. The Legislature has established the following goals, with priority for research designed to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease:

• Improve the health of Floridians by researching better prevention and diagnoses of and treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Expand the foundation of knowledge relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of Alzheimer’s disease
• Stimulate economic activity in the state in areas related to Alzheimer’s disease research

Researchers at any university or research institute in Florida are eligible to apply. The following types of applications may be considered for funding:

• Investigator-initiated research grants
• Institutional research grants
• Pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowships
• Collaborative research grants, including those that advance the finding of cures through basic or applied research

Priority will be given to project proposals that focus on:

• therapeutic strategies for dealing with behavioral and social needs of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers;
• the discovery and validation of a broad spectrum of potential therapeutic targets or novel therapeutic strategies, or discoveries which provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, and/or identify novel biomarkers;
• stimulate a consortium of clinical centers to conduct high quality clinical research studies of greater breadth than described in priority two;
• epidemiologic studies to improve our understanding of genetic, epigenetic, and acquired neurodegenerative, cardiac, and vascular disorders that result in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease and how these conditions affect Floridians; and
• support for physician or postdoctoral fellowship training in Alzheimer’s disease research. Refer to the Research Priorities section of this FOA for more information. 

Funding Information

Applicants must request funding in the grant categories outlined in this FOA for research in the areas of focus outlined in the Research Priorities section of this FOA. Specific grant funding amounts are available for each grant category.

Grant Categories

Applications in response to this FOA must align to a grant category to pursue an area of focus from the Research Priorities section of this FOA. Applications for research infrastructure grants that are reviewed and assigned exceptional scientific merit will be considered for preferential funding. 

The grant categories are: 1) Consortium Grant; 2) Standard Grant; 3) Pilot Grant; 4) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grant

Grant Categories: Consortium Grant

Grants will stimulate a consortium of clinical, basic, translational and underrepresented research institutions/centers to conduct high quality grantsupported research. The consortium should involve partnerships to be developed among investigators across the state of Florida, with the award made to the lead organization. The lead organization of the consortium must perform a substantive role in conducting the planned research including providing oversight of all scientific, programmatic, financial, and administrative matters related to the grant. The collaborating organizations must have well-defined roles that contribute to the common scientifically rigorous research goals, and include sound background information, hypotheses, protocols, and promising practices that address clearly one or more areas of research interest. A letter of commitment from all collaborating organizations is recommended. The consortium must support the exploration of the focus areas listed within Priority Areas 1 and 3. Grants may range from discovery science to more mature projects that are attempting to advance a therapeutic approach or concept.

The Health Center Program assists health centers in FEMA-declared disaster areas, specifically Hurricane Helene, by allowing them to request an advance of up to 25% of their FY 2025 award. This funding aims to cover unforeseen costs related to maintaining access to essential primary care services. However, it's important to note that the final award will be reduced by the requested advance amount.

The Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) offers a Production Grant aimed at supporting Southern documentary filmmakers. With funding made possible by the MacArthur Foundation, SDF prioritizes nonfiction projects in production that showcase the rich tapestry of Southern stories. Up to seven grants of $15,000 each will be awarded to help elevate underrepresented voices and narratives. Applicants must have ties to Southern states and meet specific eligibility criteria to apply.

The ASP Conservation Small Grants program is dedicated to supporting primate conservation efforts. It invites proposals for conservation research or related projects, including education, with awards up to $3500. This initiative encourages ASP members, especially those in habitat countries, to submit impactful projects that contribute to broader conservation goals. The program emphasizes funding for local salaries, research supplies, and educational materials, ensuring the sustainability of primate conservation efforts.

About NCRC

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) is a nationwide network of nearly 800 organizations and champions working for a Just Economy, where all Americans can build wealth and provide for their families with stability and dignity.

Our vision: To solve America’s historic racial and socio-economic wealth, income and opportunity divides. This vision is the foundation of the Just Economy Pledge.

NCRC Field Empowerment Fund (FEF) - Housing Counseling Services

The Field Empowerment Fund (FEF) empowers NCRC network members to level up established service lines.

The Housing Counseling Services series within FEF supports HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in driving homeownership, such as through pre-purchase counseling. In addition, the program builds agency knowledge on heirs’ property challenges to better equip first-time and low-income homebuying households with the know-how to retain intergenerational wealth.

In doing so, FEF-HCS aims to help underserved families begin their homeownership journey, with an additional goal of ensuring foresight into the long-term future of their home purchase.

The FEF-HCS series is funded in partnership with Key Bank and HSBC, and targets communities within the Key Bank and HSBC branch footprints.

Through these partnerships, $2.5 million in Key Bank geographies and $1.5 million in HSBC geographies has been allocated for the subgrants for direct-to-client housing counseling services that will be awarded in three rounds in the FEF-HCS track.

Funding Support

Awardee agencies will receive subgrants to support their housing counseling services to clients.

Knowledge Building

Awardee agencies will attend a training session on heirs’ property challenges and best practices, hosted by NCRC National Training Academy. Bolstering counselor knowledge on this topic will ensure that your agency is not only serving clients in their personal wealth-building journey now, but also helping them preserve that wealth in generations to come.

Florida Department of Health

Led by the State Surgeon General, the mission of the Florida Department of Health is to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's Disease Research Program

The program awards grants for research relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of Alzheimer’s disease. The Legislature has established the following goals, with priority for research designed to prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease:

• Improve the health of Floridians by researching better prevention and diagnoses of and treatments and cures for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Expand the foundation of knowledge relating to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of Alzheimer’s disease
• Stimulate economic activity in the state in areas related to Alzheimer’s disease research

Researchers at any university or research institute in Florida are eligible to apply. The following types of applications may be considered for funding:

• Investigator-initiated research grants
• Institutional research grants
• Pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research fellowships
• Collaborative research grants, including those that advance the finding of cures through basic or applied research

Priority will be given to project proposals that focus on:

• therapeutic strategies for dealing with behavioral and social needs of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers;
• the discovery and validation of a broad spectrum of potential therapeutic targets or novel therapeutic strategies, or discoveries which provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, and/or identify novel biomarkers;
• stimulate a consortium of clinical centers to conduct high quality clinical research studies of greater breadth than described in priority two;
• epidemiologic studies to improve our understanding of genetic, epigenetic, and acquired neurodegenerative, cardiac, and vascular disorders that result in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease and how these conditions affect Floridians; and
• support for physician or postdoctoral fellowship training in Alzheimer’s disease research. Refer to the Research Priorities section of this FOA for more information. 

Funding Information

Applicants must request funding in the grant categories outlined in this FOA for research in the areas of focus outlined in the Research Priorities section of this FOA. Specific grant funding amounts are available for each grant category.

Grant Categories

Applications in response to this FOA must align to a grant category to pursue an area of focus from the Research Priorities section of this FOA. Applications for research infrastructure grants that are reviewed and assigned exceptional scientific merit will be considered for preferential funding. 

The grant categories are: 1) Consortium Grant; 2) Standard Grant; 3) Pilot Grant; 4) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grant

Grant Categories: Standard Grant

Grants for research projects that are fully developed, scientifically rigorous, and include sound background information, hypotheses, and promising preliminary results or supporting data. Research organizations are eligible to apply for no more than seven Standard Grants that address the five priority areas.

The Karpus Family Foundation Grants provide support to organizations focused on helping people and animals in need. With a commitment to education and community welfare, the foundation funds various initiatives, including assistance for disabled veterans, prevention of domestic abuse, and animal welfare. Organizations operating in the Greater Rochester area, Florida, and Cleveland are prioritized, and grants are awarded to 501(c)(3) entities that align with these goals. Applications are accepted year-round, with specific cycles for full proposals.

Florida Department of Health

Led by the State Surgeon General, the mission of the Florida Department of Health is to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's Disease Research Program: Multi-Vitamin

Research Focus

The purpose of this announcement is to stimulate research activities that study the impact of daily vitamin use on the improvement of cognitive function and any associated health care cost impacts on populations over the age of 65.

Funding Information

Applicants must request funding in the following grant categories to pursue research in the area of focus outlined in the Research Focus section of this FOA. Specific grant funding amounts are available for each grant category.

Grant Categories

Applications in response to this FOA must align to a grant category to pursue the area of focus from the Research Focus section of this FOA.   

The grant categories are: 1) Consortium Grant; 2) Standard Grant; 3) Pilot Grant; 4) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grant

Grant Categories: Pilot Grant

Exploratory, novel studies that break new ground or extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications. No preliminary data are required but may be included if available. Research organizations are eligible to apply for no more than two Pilot Grants that address the Priority Area listed.

The Mazamas is committed to exploring and preserving mountain environments in the Pacific Northwest through research grants. These grants support nonprofit research that aligns with the Mazamas’ mission, encouraging proposals from graduate and undergraduate students. Successful applicants often conduct field studies that enhance understanding of the region's natural features. Notably, the Mazamas also welcome innovative research ideas that may fall outside traditional grant guidelines, promoting a diverse range of scientific inquiry.

The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation (FBCF) offers education grants for Florida organizations, providing up to $7,500 for single-county projects and up to $15,000 for multi-county initiatives. These grants aim to enhance educational outreach regarding breast cancer through various formats, including one-on-one sessions and virtual technology. Eligible applicants include Florida-based non-profits and educational institutions. Funding supports projects that last a minimum of 12 months and require at least two educational sessions during the grant period.

The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation (FBCF) offers the Scientific Research Grant - Pilot Program, providing up to $100,000 for innovative breast cancer research. This initiative emphasizes collaborative projects that address critical areas such as environmental links to breast cancer, translational research, and psycho-immunological studies. FBCF aims to support new investigators and multidisciplinary teams to transform breast cancer treatment and understanding, ultimately striving for a significant impact on outcomes for patients in Florida.

The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is an initiative aimed at enhancing economic development through workforce training and public infrastructure improvements. It offers grants to support programs at state colleges and technical centers, ensuring that participants gain transferable skills applicable across multiple employers. The program emphasizes inclusivity, allowing all applicants, including those unemployed or underemployed, to participate. By addressing local workforce needs, the fund plays a crucial role in strengthening Florida's economy.

The Health Center Program aims to support health centers in areas affected by Hurricane Milton, providing funding for necessary in-scope activities to ensure continuous access to primary care services. Eligible health centers can request up to 25% of their FY 2025 funding in advance, which will be deducted from their final award amount. This initiative helps maintain essential healthcare services during challenging times.

The Call for Kindness Grant, offered by Riley's Way Foundation, empowers young leaders aged 13-23 to launch impactful social projects focused on kindness and community connection. With grants up to $5,000, recipients receive essential mentorship, coaching, and community support. This initiative has already benefited over 3,500 youth nationwide, promoting values of empathy and social change. Applicants can pursue projects in diverse areas, including environmental justice, ensuring a broad impact in their communities.

The Community Progress Makers Fund, an initiative by the Citi Foundation, aims to empower local organizations by providing $50 million in unrestricted funding. This program, established in 2015, will support 50 selected community organizations over three years with grants of $1 million each, alongside technical assistance and opportunities for collaboration. The fund prioritizes organizations with strong community ties and a proven impact in areas such as affordable housing, economic development, financial health, and workforce readiness.

The Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellowship, awarded by Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, supports first and second-year medical students conducting research over 2 to 12 months. With a total funding of $7,000, students can receive reimbursement for travel expenses up to $1,000 for presenting their findings at national conferences. Eligibility requires enrollment in schools with active AΩA chapters, while those taking a year off for research or holding a PhD are ineligible.

The NRA Foundation supports the future of shooting sports through grants that fund educational and public service programs. Eligible organizations include IRS-recognized entities and government agencies, while applicants must not discriminate based on protected classes. Grants cannot be used for administrative costs or projects requiring NRA membership. The Foundation emphasizes public benefit in funded projects, fostering community engagement and safety in shooting sports.

The LBK Garden Club, established in 1969, is dedicated to promoting gardening and environmental conservation. Each year, they award grants to tax-exempt organizations focused on these areas, with amounts ranging from $100 to several thousand dollars. Applications are due by March 15th, with recipients announced in early April. Grant winners are recognized at the Club’s Annual Meeting on Earth Day. Previous recipients must submit an Annual Report detailing grant usage by March 1st.

The Park Foundation Grants for Animal Welfare focus on advancing the protection and conservation of wildlife, particularly through policy and advocacy efforts for threatened species. The foundation supports innovative, solution-oriented models that foster systemic change and compassion. Key areas include organizing for endangered wildlife, indigenous management practices, and supporting sanctuaries for great apes. Additionally, the foundation is committed to local efforts, including support for the Tompkins County SPCA, ensuring a compassionate society for all living beings.

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Grant supports charitable, religious, and educational organizations focused on improving the lives of underprivileged individuals. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $50,000, often requiring a challenge or match. Eligible organizations must be tax-exempt under IRS codes and located within specific Florida counties. However, requests from primarily government-funded institutions or for certain excluded purposes, such as individual scholarships or operating expenses, are generally denied.

Navigant Credit Union 

Navigant Credit Union is the longest-operating, member-owned credit union in Rhode Island. Since its founding in 1915, Navigant Credit Union has been dedicated to providing its members with unparalleled financial products and services, while working every day to stay committed to the financial well-being of the families, businesses and communities we serve. 

Navigant Credit Union Charitable Foundation Grant

For over a century, Navigant Credit Union has been committed to making a meaningful difference in the community. In 2017, we established the Navigant Credit Union Charitable Foundation to further amplify our impact in five strategic areas:

• Education & Financial Literacy: Organizational and capital support for programs, supplies, building products, sports facilities and teams.
• Social Services: Financial support for programs and organizations for children, veterans, hunger and housing.
• Public Health, Safety & Well-Being: Support for programs addressing public safety, emergency care and eradication of disease.

The Miami-Dade County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program aims to fund vital community projects addressing high-priority needs identified in the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan. This initiative supports local organizations and municipalities, focusing on areas vulnerable to sea level rise, while benefiting low- and moderate-income residents. With a significant allocation from HUD, the program plays a crucial role in enhancing community development and resilience across Miami-Dade County.

Project Lead The Way is offering a rolling grant opportunity for schools across the US to implement the PLTW Gateway program for the first time. With total funding of $9,100, the grant covers participation fees and training registration costs. Schools, including public, private, and charter, are encouraged to apply, particularly those serving low-income and minority majority populations. This initiative aims to enhance educational pathways in STEM for diverse student groups.

The Encova Foundation of West Virginia is dedicated to improving communities by supporting local causes that align with the values of its associates and policyholders. They focus on health, education, and wellness, emphasizing the importance of children's success. Organizations applying for grants must be U.S.-based and verified as charitable. Preference is given to initiatives impacting health and education, especially those involving Encova associates as active participants.