Best Grants for Small Nonprofits in Georgia

About

Created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1981 as an executive branch agency, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is a statewide body established to build consensus and unity among the State's diverse and interdependent criminal justice system components. CJCC is legislatively charged with twelve areas of criminal justice coordination. Among those responsibilities is to serve as the statewide clearinghouse for criminal justice information and research, develop criminal justice legislative and executive policy proposals, and serve in an advisory capacity to the governor on issues impacting the criminal justice system.

FY27 State Crisis Intervention Program – Behavioral Health

The Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP), authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, provides formula funds to support gun violence reduction programs and initiatives. Grant funding will focus on behavioral health deflection, which refers to strategies and programs within the criminal justice system designed to redirect individuals with behavioral health needs away from traditional punitive measures (such as incarceration) and towards rehabilitative and supportive services. These strategies aim to address the underlying issues of behavioral health and reduce potential violence by providing alternatives to prosecution and promoting interventions that support recovery and reintegration into society.

Service Objects In-Kind Grants support non-profit organizations dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainability. By leveraging their data validation services, they aim to assist projects that promote ecological health and responsible resource management. The program prioritizes applications with clear, measurable objectives and impactful outcomes within one to three years. Organizations with 501(c)(3) status in the U.S. are eligible, while initiatives lacking detailed plans or focusing on generalized education will not qualify. This grant fosters community involvement in environmental stewardship.

The Great American Cleanup Grants, offered by Keep America Beautiful, aim to enhance community beautification and environmental efforts across the U.S. This initiative encourages KAB affiliates to remove litter, plant greenery, and restore public spaces, contributing to the larger goal of cleaning up 25 billion pieces of litter by 2026. With cash grants available, this program fosters collaboration among communities, promoting sustainable practices and a cleaner, greener future for all.

The US Department of Health & Human Services, through the NIH, invites applications for innovative approaches to implement SBIRT/P for addressing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use in adults facing health disparities. This funding opportunity encourages research that tests screening, brief interventions, and referrals for treatment or prevention services. Applications are due on specified deadlines from February 2024 through March 2027, fostering collaboration with healthcare and community partners to enhance public health outcomes.

The Wildlife Viewing Grants Program by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources offers small grants aimed at enhancing public awareness and appreciation of nongame wildlife and rare native plants. This initiative supports local governments, nonprofits, and for-profit entities in developing wildlife viewing projects that align with conservation priorities in the State Wildlife Action Plan. With millions participating in wildlife viewing annually, the program aims to foster appreciation while ensuring sustainable practices.

The Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant supports entry-level athletics administrative positions for one academic year, promoting diversity in NCAA Division II. It provides $30,000 for intern salaries and $3,000 for professional development, benefiting six schools annually from a total budget of $180,000. Eligible applicants must be active NCAA members, with a focus on enhancing ethnic minority and gender representation in athletics administration. This initiative encourages professional growth and compliance in diverse environments.

The Ernest Morgan Memorial Scholarship, managed by CommunityGiving, supports central Minnesota student athletes and leaders to pursue higher education outside their home states. This scholarship aims to expand students' horizons and experiences, with a total award of $5,000 available. Open to high school seniors from specific schools, applicants are encouraged to apply online and demonstrate their leadership or athletic skills. This initiative enhances educational opportunities and fosters personal growth among local youth.

The Area Development Grant Program, managed by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), supports economic growth in Appalachia through investments in critical infrastructure and workforce development. Targeting 423 counties across 13 states, the program encourages local communities to collaborate with state governments to identify and implement impactful projects. Key focus areas include enhancing utilities, promoting entrepreneurship, and strengthening local leadership. This initiative aims to uplift the 26 million residents of Appalachia, fostering sustainable economic opportunities.

The National Forest Foundation's Matching Awards Program connects communities to forests by funding stewardship activities that promote engagement with National Forests and nearby public lands. This program aims to create lasting impacts, ensuring that all communities can benefit from the rich resources of these natural areas. By supporting various projects, the program fosters a deeper relationship between people and the environment, ultimately enhancing conservation efforts and community well-being.

The Great Apes and Gibbons Program Grant, administered by the Arcus Foundation, supports conservation efforts for great apes and gibbons across 24 priority landscapes in Africa and Asia. The program emphasizes sustainable coexistence between humans and wildlife, having awarded over 2,000 grants to more than 500 organizations globally. Funding is not available for individuals or specific lobbying activities, ensuring resources are directed towards impactful conservation initiatives.

The Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation supports various initiatives in metro Atlanta, focusing on early childhood education, K-12 education, human services, health, and youth development. The foundation seeks to enhance educational opportunities and improve quality of life for vulnerable populations. Through collaborations with established organizations, it aims to address community needs and invest in proven solutions that empower children and families, ultimately fostering economic opportunities and health improvements in the region.

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

The Asia-Pacific region, home to over half the world's population, faces challenges due to its development goals, which strain natural resources, communities, and cultural heritage. These issues are exacerbated by adverse environmental changes. While research has shed light on these problems, it's clear that more challenges lie ahead. The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is well-positioned to generate new knowledge and solutions for these evolving global change and sustainability issues by supporting collaborative research and scientific capacity development activities, particularly those aimed at training the next generation of early career professionals.

APN 2025 Call for Proposals: CAPaBLE Programmes

CAPaBLE, our scientific capacity development programme, aims to enhance the capacity of scientists, policymakers and practitioners to assess global change issues, and explore options to resolve issues towards achieving sustainability. Through CAPaBLE, we support activities that enhance capacity at individual, organizational and systemic levels.

Activities of interest under the CAPaBLE Programme

APN supports CAPaBLE activities that enhance existing capacities of developing countries at three levels of individual-based capacity development; group, organisation, network-based capacity development; and societies, governance, and system level capacity development. APN accepts CAPaBLE proposals that engage 1 or more member/approved countries. Proposals must address one or more of the following activities:

SCIENTIFIC CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES that promote the following approaches related to one or more of the six thematic areas of APN:

• Utilising and strengthening existing capacity, 
• Creating opportunities to use/instil capacity, 
• Developing new capacity through innovative approaches.

AWARENESS-RAISING AND DISSEMINATION activities through policy- and decision-making communities, civil society, and/or the general public.

SCIENCE-POLICY interfacing in the context of the priority topics.

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES that contribute to the capacity development components of the evolving global change arena, including the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, IPCC, IPBES, post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science, and ongoing and new global change and sustainability research programmes.

Activities geared towards using SCIENCE COMMUNICATION to disseminate knowledge generated from projects, particularly to non-science audiences.

The Malone Family Foundation aims to enhance community welfare by improving education and self-esteem among students from pre-kindergarten to higher education. The Foundation prioritizes innovative projects that maximize impact, long-term value, and effective management. It specifically supports 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in Alabama, with limited consideration for Florida and Georgia, while excluding groups not aligned with its mission, including those lacking operational history or those engaged in political activities.

About PCORI

PCORI funds patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER).

Our Mission

PCORI helps people make informed healthcare decisions, and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes, by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers, and the broader healthcare community.

Broad Pragmatic Studies PCORI Funding

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to issue a Broad Pragmatic Studies (BPS) PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA), seeking to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects. 

Research Initiative Highlights

CER compares at least two available health treatments, services or care delivery strategies. PCORI seeks proposals that compare clinical interventions (e.g., pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, screening and diagnostic approaches) and healthcare delivery system interventions (e.g., workforce, technologies, healthcare service delivery designs) to evaluate potential benefits and harms of different treatment and care delivery options, thus generating evidence that empowers patients, caregivers and the broader healthcare community with information to make informed choices that reflect their needs and preferences.

Special Areas of Emphasis

For Cycle 2 2026, PCORI is particularly interested in submissions that address the following Special Areas of Emphasis (SAE) within the BPS funding opportunity. The purpose of identifying these SAEs is to encourage submissions to these areas, rather than limiting submissions to these topics. Applicants addressing one of the below SAEs should identify the area that is best associated with their research approach:  

• Addressing Obesity
• Diabetes Prevention, Care and Treatment
• Management of Urogynecological and Pelvic Pain
• Pain Management for Individuals Living With Sickle Cell Disease

In PCORI-funded research, patients and other research partners are expected to meaningfully contribute their lived experience or professional expertise to ensure studies are patient-centered, relevant and useful for healthcare decision making. Applicants must address PCORI’s Foundational Expectations for Partnerships in Research — an evidence-based framework supported by tools and resources to guide effective engagement strategies. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consider the inclusion of a broad range of patient-centered burdens and economic outcomes. 

Broad Pragmatic Studies PFA: Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 Study Specifications

PCORI will commit up to $120 million in direct costs through this funding opportunity. This funding opportunity contains three categories for funding:

• Category 1: Category 1 will support research projects with direct costs up to and including $5 million.

• Category 2: Category 2 will support research projects with direct costs greater than $5 million and up to a maximum of $12 million. Applications for funding under Category 2 will be required to provide additional information in the Letter of Intent (LOI) and application to justify the size and scope of the proposed research projects and to explain how additional funds are necessary with respect to the scale, scope and complexity of personnel and material resources needed to address the research question.

• Category 3: Category 3 will support research projects with direct costs up to $12 million that utilize PCORnet® to conduct observational studies and/or pragmatic trials that are national in scale. Category 3 PCORnet Studies® must include two or more Clinical Research Networks and share study progress, performance metrics and best practices with the network to promote continuous learning and improvement. PCORnet Studies® will leverage the PCORnet Common Data Model® as appropriate. Additional details about Category 3 can be found on the PCORI website.  

The Express Health Information Outreach Awards aim to enhance public health by increasing access to biomedical information for U.S. health professionals and the general public. These awards support projects that improve health information literacy among consumers and caregivers, ensuring they can effectively find and utilize health information. Focused on partnerships and outreach to underrepresented communities, the initiative seeks to promote healthy behaviors, prevent illness, and improve health outcomes through informed decision-making.

The Watson-Brown Foundation Grant supports organizations dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the South. It offers various types of grants, including for educational programming and historic preservation, with a focus on southern studies. Eligible recipients include public charities in the southeastern United States. The Foundation's Junior Board of Trustees also awards grants to preservation projects in east central Georgia, emphasizing youth engagement in cultural heritage.

The Ragan and King Charitable Foundation, established in memory of Mrs. Carolyn King Ragan, provides grants to Georgia Baptist or Southern Baptist affiliated entities for religious, charitable, or educational initiatives. The foundation reviews applications annually in September, distributing funds to eligible organizations that qualify under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, ensuring support for meaningful community projects.

The Sapelo Foundation Grants focus on enhancing social justice in Georgia, particularly for marginalized communities. Their mission includes fostering civic power and environmental protection through effective policies and practices. They prioritize voting rights and criminal justice reforms, aiming to empower more Georgians to engage in civic advocacy. Grants are typically awarded to 501(c)3 organizations committed to serving areas outside metro Atlanta, ensuring broader participation and equitable access to resources.

CommonSpirit Health offers the Community Health Improvement Grant to enhance health equity and service systems for underserved populations. Through collaborative efforts with 501(c)(3) organizations, this initiative provides financial support for essential health projects. Grant amounts range from $19,500 for small grants to $150,000 for standard grants, varying by hospital. Participating hospitals include those under Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health, aimed at addressing significant community health needs.

Gail Ingram Scholarship

The Gail Ingram Scholarship was established at the North Georgia Community Foundation in 2010 by family, friends, and students of Gail Ingram to honor her 40 years in education. As a teacher of English, debate, speech, and journalism, Gail has made a lasting impact on countless students. She always encouraged students to know the world outside their community by reading critically and widely.

Recipients of the scholarship must be a graduating senior from any public high school in Banks, Hall, Habersham, Jackson, Lumpkin or White counties, and planning to attend a public school in the University System of Georgia or the Technical College System of Georgia as a full-time student.  The 2026 scholarship will be a one-time award of $1,000.

The Marvin R. and Pearl E. Patterson Family Fund Scholarship, offered by the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, supports students aspiring to study graphic or fine arts, as well as those interested in environmental sciences. Open to high school graduates from the Tri-Cities area, this scholarship considers leadership, community involvement, and academic achievements, although financial need is not a requirement. Applicants must provide transcripts and relevant documents to qualify for this opportunity.

The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship, established in 1989, offers financial support to students pursuing degrees in horticulture across 16 southeastern states. Administered by the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund, this scholarship honors the legacy of Sidney B. Meadows, a dedicated advocate for education in the horticultural industry. Applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria related to academic standing and residency, with preference given to those intending to work in the field after graduation.

The Southern Partners Fund's Discretionary Fund Grant aims to support grassroots community organizing for social, economic, and environmental justice in the Southeastern United States. It provides financial resources and technical assistance to rural organizations and leaders focused on transformative change. Eligible applicants include self-governed rural groups engaging in advocacy and community development. The fund prioritizes education reform, immigration rights, and voter engagement, allowing up to two requests per year, with a maximum award of $3,500.

The Lattner Family Foundation, established in 2006 and located in Delray Beach, Florida, focuses on making impactful grants in areas such as arts, education, health, and social services. With a strong community presence, it encourages innovative programs that foster hope and personal responsibility. The foundation primarily supports projects in Palm Beach County, Florida; Kansas; Rhode Island; and Georgia, aiming to inspire others to contribute to meaningful causes.

The Enbridge Community Grant aims to enhance the quality of life in North American communities through strategic donations and sponsorships. With funding ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, the grant supports organizations focused on safety, education, environmental stewardship, and Indigenous culture. Enbridge encourages early applications, with decisions typically made within eight weeks. The grant seeks to empower local initiatives that foster community strength, vibrancy, and sustainability.

The Halle Foundation aims to foster understanding and friendship between Germany and the United States through grantmaking in education, culture, and international relations. It primarily funds US-based public charities and German organizations that are tax-equivalent. Preference is given to organizations in Georgia or those serving Georgia beneficiaries. The Foundation seeks projects with strong leadership and a clear connection to its mission, while generally not funding ongoing operational support or projects lacking sustainability.

Chantal and Tommy Bagwell Family Scholarship

The Rotary Club of Forsyth County Chantal and Tommy Bagwell Family Scholarship (formerly the Bagwell Scholarship) support Forsyth County high school graduating seniors planning to pursue their post-secondary education at a public school in the State of Georgia. Eligible students may attend an accredited college or university, technical school or trade school. This scholarship prioritizes students with financial need, a commitment to completing their program of study, and clear long-term career goals. Preference will be given to first generation college students who participate in a STEM pathway, CTAE pathway, or another high-demand career pathway.

The Chantal and Tommy Bagwell Family Scholarship encourages students to further their education and build meaningful careers in Georgia. Selected students will pledge to pursue educational success and, when able, give back to help others reach their goals. In 2026, the scholarship will include ten one-time awards, each in the amount of $5,000.