Search Through Georgia Grants for Nonprofits in the U.S.

About Us

Academy Sports + Outdoors is one of the nation's largest sporting goods and outdoor stores. With 301 stores across 21 states, we offer a broad assortment of quality hunting, fishing, and camping equipment and gear, along with sports and leisure products, footwear, apparel and much more.

Community Relations

By providing members of our communities with the right gear and knowledge while also promoting safety and responsibility, we empower people with the confidence to simply get active, have fun together, and enjoy life.

Our Pillars

• Empower
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors encourages safety so that everyone can feel confident and comfortable doing what they love. We help people gear up properly for sports and outdoor activities, and we promote ways to be smart and stay safe. We’ve got your back… and the rest of you too.
• Encourage
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors makes it possible for people to enjoy more sports and outdoors activities. We believe being active is an essential part of life. Starting with our assortment, we motivate people to try new things and give them opportunities to enjoy a variety of fun activities. We’re always game.
• Connect
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors creates ways for members of the community to connect and have fun with each other. We build connections within the community by supporting events, programs, and organizations that make a positive impact. Let’s get together.

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of The Auto Club Group Foundation is to work on behalf of our members and the communities we serve to create lasting solutions, inspire learning and provide funding in the areas of traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy.

Our History

In 1902, nine motor clubs across the country joined together to form the American Automobile Association (AAA) to protect the rights and interests of automobile users and promote better highway and traffic safety. Today, The Auto Club Group Foundation continues to support those interests by investing in traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy initiatives. The Auto Club Group Foundation which is a private Foundation, represents 14 states and 2 U.S territories, and is an integral part of AAA's evolution and success.

How We Work

Our approach to grant funding comes from a very basic principle which is to have an understanding of the goals and objectives of local communities. Our relationships, which have developed from years of community service, allow us to offer support in a more impactful and meaningful way.

The Auto Club Group Foundation, which is a private foundation, is funded by our sponsoring organization, AAA – The Auto Club Group. We award grants to organizations and initiatives that enhance our mission in the areas of Traffic Safety, Driver Education and Financial Literacy throughout our 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories.

Priority Areas

Traffic Safety

The Auto Club Group Foundation is dedicated to supporting traffic safety programs and initiatives that make our roadways safer for all users. The ACG Foundation strives to be responsive to emerging traffic safety issues by considering grant applications that are forward thinking and address new technology.

Financial Literacy

The Auto Club Group Foundation supports financial literacy programming in grades K – 12, empowering students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions.

Driver Education 

The Auto Club Group Foundation wants to ensure everyone has access to quality driver education by supporting scholarships and programming needs in underserved communities.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

As the philanthropic arm of Elevance Health, Inc., the Elevance Health Foundation promotes the organization’s commitment to improving lives and communities.

For 25 years, we’ve been committed to, connected with, and invested in communities across the country. It all started with our signature Healthy Generations program, through which the Foundation targeted specific preventable health concerns while addressing the disparities and social drivers that affect them. By using innovative social-mapping technology and by analyzing public-health data, we gained a snapshot of the major health issues affecting each state, which allowed us to drill down to the zip-code level and target initiatives positively affecting the conditions that matter most. We called this “putting science behind the art of grantmaking.”

In 2021, the effects of COVID-19, together with social unrest, began to call attention to racial inequities and health disparities that have plagued our communities for too long and resulted in poorer health outcomes. Recognizing that health is so much more than healthcare, and understanding the needs of our communities, the Elevance Health Foundation redefined its approach and tightened its focus.

Over a three-year period (July 2021–July 2024), the Foundation committed up to $90 million toward partnerships and programs that improved maternal health, encouraged food as medicine, reduced substance use disorders, and supported community resiliency and disaster relief. We are proud to report that the Foundation has exceeded its commitment and awarded $97.3 million in grants, providing funding to over 12,000 nonprofit partners across the country. The Foundation will continue to focus its efforts in four key areas: Maternal/Infant Health, Food as Medicine, Behavioral Health, and Community Resiliency & Disaster Relief.

 Behavioral Health Grant

As a catalyst for positive change, the Elevance Health Foundation drives innovative and scalable solutions to address physical, behavioral, and social needs through a multi-lever approach to community investment.

Over the next five years, we will continue our grantmaking focus on substance use disorder (SUD) and expand our support to include mental health (MH) initiatives. We invite qualified nonprofits with a history of successful community initiatives to join us in this mission.

The Foundation will prioritize funding for programs that increase the number of individuals receiving treatment for MH and/or SUD, support prevention and early-intervention strategies, and seek to reduce loneliness among individuals with these disorders.

Types of Programs / Locations

Elevance Health will consider proposals from qualified organizations across the U.S. with an emphasis on:

National programs. Promoting scalable and sustainable systemic change, or

Local programs. Implementing relevant interventions in California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.

Grant Program Goals

Elevance Health Foundation is requesting proposals for programs and initiatives that support one or more of the following goals:

• Achieve a percent increase in the number of individuals receiving treatment services for MH and/or SUD
• Support prevention and early intervention strategies to reduce risks and harms associated with MH and/or SUD
• Reduce social isolation and feelings of loneliness among individuals with MH and/or SUD

About Us

Headquartered in the historic city of Frankenmuth, Michigan, Frankenmuth Insurance has been providing high quality insurance products and unparalleled service since 1868. We’re represented by more than 700 independent insurance agencies in 15 states— selling personal, commercial, and life insurance, neighbor to neighbor.

When you place your trust in us, we work to build a lasting relationship by exceeding your expectations with honest, open, and upfront service — every single time. It’s why 89% of our policyholders would recommend us to others, based on their claims experience. What are your dreams for the future? What worries keep you up at night? We want to know. And it all starts with a frank conversation.

Frankenmuth Insurance Foundation Charitable Grant

In the spirit of neighbor helping neighbor, the Frankenmuth Insurance Charitable Foundation was founded in 2016 to support qualified charities. The foundation supports tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations and governmental units focused on community betterment and basic human needs.

The foundation focuses on supporting the following types of causes:

• Building better communities
• Basic human needs, such as affordable housing and food
• Disease research, preventive solutions, and general health and wellness programs
• Music, theater, and the arts

Some examples of not-for-profit organizations we’ve supported include:

• Meals on Wheels
• Food kitchens and food banks
• Domestic violence shelters
• Boys and Girls Clubs
• The Red Cross
• The United Way
• Toys for Tots and more

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

MagMutual is a leading provider of medical liability insurance.

For more than four decades, MagMutual has been a leading provider of medical professional liability insurance. Today, we deliver comprehensive insurance coverage, along with customized advice, exceptional claims support and consistent financial benefits, to more than 40,000 healthcare providers and organizations nationwide.

Our Precepts

• While we continually innovate, evolve and grow to stay ahead of a changing healthcare environment, our core precepts remain steadfast and our commitment to them unwavering.
• Always put you, our PolicyOwners, first
• Deliver the best product to you
• Improve your practice and business environment
• Optimally manage your company

MagMutual Foundation Grant

One of our core precepts is maximizing our positive influence, and the MagMutual Foundation was created to help us deliver on that promise. We are advocates for our PolicyOwners, and work to enact meaningful change in the practice of medicine within the communities we serve.

About Us

Saving pets. Together.

The Petfinder Foundation has been helping animal shelters and rescue groups since 2003. We are the ONLY national organization that does nothing but give cash and product grants to adoption groups.=

How We Work

Our programs are designed to keep homeless pets physically and mentally healthy so they can find loving forever homes.

Our grants put food in bowls, provide medical care, and help rescue animals from disasters. When pets are in need, we’re there to help.

P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds 

Applications are reviewed and awarded 10 Chill Pads on a monthly basis to specific geographical regions. 

The Petfinder Foundation has partnered with P.L.A.Y. Pet Lifestyle and You through the Warm Bellies Initiative to give luxury beds to shelter pets. P.L.A.Y. joins us in the belief that every pet deserves a warm and cozy place to sleep

Applications are reviewed and awarded 10 Chill Pads on a monthly basis to specific geographical regions. You may apply for this grant program once. Grant applications from this program are reviewed based on the location of your organization and the monthly state awarding schedule below:

• January: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
• February: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York
• March - Pennsylvania, New Jersey
• April: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
• May: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
• June: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin
• July: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky
• August: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
• September: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming
• October: Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas
• November: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada
• December: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

Investing in nonprofits that are advancing a new, transformative system of justice with the core values of racial equity, economic well-being, and fundamental fairness for all.

Grants Overview

Public Welfare Foundation awards grants to nonprofits that honor the Foundation’s core values of racial equity, economic well-being, and fundamental fairness for all. The Foundation looks for strategic points where its funds can make a significant difference and improve lives through policy and system reform that results in transformative change.

Our Work

Public Welfare Foundation aims to catalyze a transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just.

• Adult Criminal Justice
• Youth Justice
• Legacy Initiatives
• Jurisdictions

Working in Communities, With Communities

Public Welfare Foundation believes that the best ideas bubble up from communities so we work to engage deeply in and with the communities we fund.

We work with communities to drive transformation from multiple angles including policy advocacy, organizing, leadership development, and demonstration projects. Public Welfare Foundation is committed to funding innovative solutions and investing in the leadership of those most proximate to the issues facing this nation.

Focusing our efforts on criminal justice and youth justice reforms allows us to achieve greater impact in the overhaul of the systems that were created to marginalize and contain our nation’s most vulnerable populations.

Grants Process

The Public Welfare Foundation has a two-step application process that includes both a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) and a full proposal. We invite full proposals after reviewing letters of inquiry. We only consider full proposals we have invited that fit within the program guidelines and available resources.

Current focus areas include:

• Organizations and projects with a focus on structural and systemic changes in the U.S. criminal justice system.
  • The Foundation does not typically fund direct service work (ex. individual support services, case management).
  • However, the Foundation will consider initiatives that aim to further a demonstration project to make the case for non-carceral alternatives and transformative approaches to justice reform.
• Organizations, projects, or special initiatives with a focus on reducing harm and violence using community-centered interventions.
• Reframing the narrative and fostering greater transparency and urgency around the U.S. criminal justice system through storytelling, journalism and other targeted efforts.

Grant Types: How We Fund the Work

General Support Grants

• General support grants are for day-to-day operating costs or to further the work of your organization. These grants are not earmarked for a particular program or project.

Program or Project Support Grants

• Program or project support grants support a specific program or activity of the organization. These are restricted grants and must be used for that program or project.

Special Opportunities Grants

• The Special Opportunities Program supports projects reflecting the Foundation’s mission and underlying values. These are one-time only grants that are especially timely and compelling. At times, this kind of grant serves as a laboratory for new ideas.

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.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

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.

About Georgia Humanities

Founded in 1971, Georgia Humanities is the only nonprofit organization in Georgia providing statewide support of the humanities, and does so through connecting people and communities to encourage understanding and inspire hope. Georgia Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, shares and supports programming that engages all ages and backgrounds to explore what shapes us as individuals and binds us together as Georgians. As a facilitating organization, Georgia Humanities sees its grants program as an opportunity to better understand who is and isn’t served by ongoing humanities programming within the state. We look forward to partnering with organizations who are equally invested in this endeavor.

Georgia Humanities awards grants for cultural programs that bring together and strengthen communities through dialogue and shared experience.

Georgia Humanities supports the efforts of nonprofit organizations seeking to foster connections between people and ideas. Through a competitive process, we award grants to such cultural, civic, and educational entities as museums, libraries, universities, and historical societies for a range of projects, including walking tours, exhibitions, author talks, lecture series, and literary festivals. Proposed grant programs can also be virtual!

What we fund

Georgia Humanities awards program grants to support public humanities efforts across the state that are creative in their approach to organizing and delivering the knowledge and understanding of the humanities to the general public. Proposed projects should apply the vitality and substance of the humanities to the concerns of Georgia’s citizens and provide for a meaningful experience for the local community.

Grant-supported programs have included, but are not limited to, both in-person and virtual models of the following:

• Lecture series, public seminars, or panel discussions
• Exhibitions (traveling or permanent) with related programming
• Historic walking and driving tours
• Living history programs
• Author talks
• Literary festivals
• Workshops
• Reading and discussion programs

All proposed projects should be open to the public at no or minimal cost, and should be designed for diverse audiences and points of view. 

Become a Partner on the Mission to End Hunger.

Operating a food pantry or providing meals through your church or community organization? We're here to support you. We work with nearly 700 community-based, nonprofit partners, including schools. Learn how you can join our network and make a difference in your community.

High Priority Programs

Our vision is to ensure individuals experiencing hunger in our service area have access to the nutritious meals they need. We have numerous partners who are open during the week and during the day, but we’re actively seeking and prioritizing partners who can open their doors on weekends and evenings. Currently, we only accept applications for new partners that fall within our service area.

Perdue Farms is a fourth-generation, family owned U.S. food and agricultural company. We were founded on trust—a value that carries through everything we do. Through our two operating divisions, Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, we’re making steps every day toward our goal of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. Our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger.

We're Committed to Being Careful Stewards. Stewardship is one of our company's core values. Our stewardship platform, "We believe in responsible food and agriculture®," challenges us to continually improve. Learn more about the progress we've made in the areas of food, environment, animal care, people, community and our partners.

What we support

We believe in putting our resources where there is a direct benefit to a broad-based spectrum of the community.

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities

Our Responsibility

• Food Producing: Quality Food
• Environment: Protecting the Environment
• Animal Care: Providing for the Welfare of Animals
• People: Caring About Others

About the Foundation

The mission of The Halle Foundation is to promote understanding, knowledge, and friendship between the people of Germany, as seen in its European context, and those of the United States. In furtherance of this mission, the Foundation supports, primarily through grantmaking, initiatives and activities in the fields of education, culture, science, technology, language, scholarship, and international relations. The Foundation makes grants to organizations organized and operated in both the United States and Germany.  Funding is largely limited to US-based public charities exempt under section 501(c)(3) and to German organizations which are the tax equivalent of such charities. In keeping with the founder’s preference, most U.S. grants are made to organizations and institutions operating within, or with some discernable connection to, the state of Georgia.

Grantmaking

The Foundation seeks to help organizations with strong leadership and a proven track record of success exploit new opportunities or meet extraordinary needs that will further the missions of both the organization and the Foundation.

The threshold requirement for consideration for grant funding from The Halle Foundation is that the proposed project or activity must directly further the Foundation’s core mission of promoting understanding, knowledge, and friendship between the people of Germany and those of the United States.

Who We Are

The roots of the Community Foundation for the CSRA run deep in Augusta and its surrounding communities. For more than 25 years, we have faithfully connected the philanthropic spirit of our community members with nonprofits and community initiatives throughout Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie and Burke counties in Georgia and Aiken and Edgefield counties in South Carolina. All of our work is grounded in our collective desire to enhance the quality of life for all residents of our region — for today and tomorrow.

In everything we do, we strive to:

• Cultivate generosity by giving donors the tools and information they need to make a significant difference in our community
• Strengthen non-profits by connecting organizations to financial resources, training and opportunities for meaningful collaboration
• Engage our community around issues that matter to us all

Women in Philanthropy

Women in Philanthropy is a charitable organization of over 200 women in the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia and South Carolina who are committed to a philanthropic effort focused on the unique needs of women and children within the local communities.

Focus Areas:

• Arts
• Education
• Health and Social-Well Being

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?

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.

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.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

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.

About the Foundation

It was fitting — and only natural — that, upon her death in 1974, Marian Woodward Ottley would establish by Will, the David, Helen, and Marian Woodward Fund in loving memory of her parents, and in her words, “In order to carry out their wishes and mine in attempting to make this a better world for those who come after us.” Her Will created a distribution committee to direct the trustee to distribute income and principal exclusively to or for the benefit of non-profit institutions, corporations, and associations that are located in Georgia or one of its neighboring states and that are organized and operated exclusively for religious, educational, charitable, or scientific purposes. The fund also awards grants to governmental agencies. Mrs. Ottley suggested that, in considering grants, the committee take into account the fact that during her lifetime the preponderance of her gifts to education and charity were distributed to institutions that had religious affiliations. The distribution committee has attempted to carry out Mrs. Ottley’s wishes. It will continue to do so in an effort to make this a better world for those who come after her generous family.

Mission

As stated in the Will of Marian Woodward Ottley, the fund’s mission is “to make this a better world for those who come after us.”

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities 
• Education 
• Environment, animals 
• Health 
• Human services 
• International/foreign affairs 
• Public/society benefit 
• Religion

Mission

The mission of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public's health by providing U.S. researchers, health professionals, the public health workforce, educators, and the public with equal access to biomedical and health information resources and data.

Purpose

The Health Information Outreach Award provides funding for projects that seek to improve health information literacy by either increasing the public’s ability to find and use health information, or by improving health professionals’ access to, awareness of, and ability to locate high quality biomedical health information.  

Potential Project Ideas

• Training health professionals in the use of electronic health information resources, with an emphasis on NLM databases and NNLM resources.  
• Placing internet-accessible computers in locations where they can be used to research health information needs such as free clinics, community health centers, etc.  
• Improving access to health information and information technology for groups without adequate access to library and information services.  
• Evaluating health information and training needs of a target audience and implementing a training plan for that audience.  
• Creating programs on locating and evaluating consumer health information found on the Internet.  
• Incorporating NLM resources into new or existing health programs.   
• Developing educational materials using NLM resources for educators/teachers.  
• Starting train-the-Trainer projects that enhance the skills of library/organization staff to train a target population on locating and evaluating health information.

Established in 2021, the prize is offered annually to recognize a historian for leadership and sustained engagement at the intersection of historical work, public culture, and social justice. The prize is named in memory of John Lewis (1940–2020), the civil rights leader who represented Georgia with grace and distinction in the United States House of Representatives for 34 years. All of us, insisted Lewis, must “study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time.” The prize was established with an endowment gift from the Agentives Fund.

Community Solutions Challenge 

The Community Solutions Challenge (CSC), launched in 2021, works to advance health equity through the support of community-based nonprofit programming that prioritize the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of historically excluded and disenfranchised populations. To date, CSC has provided more than $2.6 million to over 100 local nonprofit programs working to address health inequities and advance opportunities in STEM among underserved communities.

Program Focus: Community-based programs must cover one of the following areas:

Nutrition

Address nutrition as a social determinant of health, including reducing food insecurity and providing comprehensive nutritional education to improve health outcomes.

Healthcare Access

Improve access to quality healthcare by addressing barriers, including health education, access to preventive screenings, and transportation services.

Lung Health

Improve lung health and achieve improved health outcomes for those impacted by asthma, COPD and lung cancer