Best Grants for BIPOC

Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN) provides grants to innovative projects that address urgent needs in Nebraska. Since 2011, WIN has awarded over $1.9 million to various initiatives through a member-driven process. Each fall, two grants are given, one to a University of Nebraska project and another to a nonprofit. Eligible applicants include Nebraska nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and university departments, focusing on bold solutions to pressing issues.

Benton County Affiliate Grantmaking Program

The Benton County Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life for individuals in Benton County through thoughtful grantmaking and community leadership. The Benton County Community Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, chosen for their knowledge of the area. Grant decisions are made by the grant committee.

The unique role of a community foundation is to conduct a flexible community grantmaking program which addresses the most important needs of the community at any one time. The flexibility this requires is made possible by charitable donors who established unrestricted or field-of-interest funds and place the decision-making in the hands of the community leaders serving on our Board of Directors as well as dollars raised by the Benton County Community Foundation.

Grant proposals are accepted according to an announced time table, and grant recommendations are made as funds are available.

Maximum request amount:

• $2,500. 

In awarding grants, the CFO and its affiliates will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status. Grantees must not, in the use of CFO grant funds, discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status either in its employment practices or in its policies and procedures concerning access to services.

The PATH Make It Happen! Grants provide funding up to $25,000 to support innovative community projects in Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Culpeper counties. The grants aim to inspire engagement and creativity, addressing local challenges while aligning with the PATH Foundation's mission. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis until funds are exhausted, with a review process that takes about 30 days. Projects must be completed within six months, with final reports due shortly after.

The PATH Better Together Fund supports nonprofit-led community events in Fauquier, Rappahannock, and Culpeper counties. Established in 2021, it aims to reunite communities by offering grants of up to $2,500 per event. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, educational and religious institutions, and local government entities. Events must align with health guidelines and occur within a year of application. This initiative fosters community engagement and strengthens local connections.

Med Center Health is a dedicated not-for-profit health system focused on enhancing community well-being and quality of life. It operates several hospitals across Kentucky and offers a range of services, including specialized care in over 50 medical fields. With more than 4,000 employees and a commitment to improving lives, Med Center Health invites organizations aligned with its mission to apply for sponsorship opportunities, fostering community support and healthcare access.

The Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University offers Undergraduate Humanities Honors Fellowships to support students pursuing honors projects in Humanities or Humanistic Social Science. With a focus on interdisciplinary engagement, these fellowships provide mentorship and a platform for students to present their work. The initiative aims to deepen undergraduates' understanding of the Humanities while fostering a vibrant intellectual community. Applicants are encouraged to align their projects with the annual theme of Democracy: Past, Present, Future.

The Spotlight Miami Grant aims to empower non-profit organizations that significantly impact Miami-Dade County. This one-year grant supports emerging charities with annual budgets of $2 million or less, encouraging them to apply for funding that can transform their operations. Applicants can reapply every three years, with funding requests limited to half of their operating budget, ensuring that the funds are directed toward meaningful initiatives in the community.

The Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry at Emory University offers Postdoctoral Fellowships to support early-career scholars in humanistic research. This program fosters a vibrant intellectual community, emphasizing collaborative scholarship on themes such as 'Democracy: Past, Present, Future.' Fellows benefit from an academic year of research, engagement, and access to innovative methodologies, enhancing their professional development while contributing to the humanities at Emory and beyond.

The Princeton Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts offers postdoctoral fellowships in the humanities, fostering interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching. Committed to diversity, the Society invites applications from individuals with various experiences, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Fellows engage in research and teaching, contributing to a collaborative academic community. This prestigious fellowship includes opportunities for local and international field trips, workshops, and events aimed at enriching the educational experience for undergraduates in the Program in Humanistic Studies.

The Princeton Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts offers interdisciplinary fellowships in humanities and related social sciences. Open to diverse applicants, the program emphasizes innovative scholarship and teaching, with postdoctoral fellows conducting research while teaching at the University. The Society fosters a collaborative community, creating opportunities for intellectual exchange and growth, particularly welcoming underrepresented backgrounds and ensuring a rich diversity of perspectives in academia.

Community GrantsWe believe nobody understands what a community needs better than its residents and the people already at work there. That’s why we offer Community Grants to community groups, nonprofits, schools, faith-based organizations, and other neighborhood anchors.

Community Grants come in four levels:

Spark – Up to $2,000

Small – Up to $5,000

Medium – Below $50,000

Large – Up to $100,000

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

The Gaston Community Foundation's Unrestricted Competitive Grant Cycle invites nonprofit organizations to submit innovative proposals aimed at improving the quality of life in Gaston County. Grants are awarded based on demonstrated community support, potential for measurable positive outcomes, and sustainability plans. Eligible organizations include tax-exempt public agencies and 501(c)(3) charities. The Foundation prioritizes projects that enhance community collaboration and avoid duplication of services, ensuring that funds effectively address the needs of local citizens.

The Community Foundation of Boone County offers a Programming Grant Opportunity to support local nonprofits in addressing community needs. Eligible organizations can submit one application per cycle and will have one year to utilize the grant funds. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of life in Boone County by funding programs that tackle local challenges and their root causes.

The FTSC Community Grants aim to enhance the quality of life in the Tri-State area by providing funding for innovative projects that strengthen non-profits and address significant community challenges. Eligible organizations, including 501(c)(3) charities, can apply for these grants, with a focus on improving management capacity and testing new solutions. The Foundation awards grants biannually, ensuring a responsive approach to community needs.

Who is the Oldham County Community Foundation?

The Oldham County Community Foundation (OCCF), an affiliate of the Community Foundation of Louisville, was formed in 2010 by a group of Oldham Countians who are committed to enriching our community today, tomorrow, and forever. Our goal is to attract charitable dollars that will forever benefit nonprofits providing services for the benefit of the Oldham County we call home.

The Oldham County Community Foundation Advisory Board is seeking grant proposals. We plan to award approximately $48,000 worth of grants from our community funds. In 2023, approximately $40,000 was awarded to 21 organizations with an average award of $1,900.

What is the focus of the 2026 grants? 

Grants may be made to any organization that serves members of the Oldham County community at the discretion of the OCCF Grant Committee.

Grant requests can support programs or a project including tangible, one-time purchases such as equipment or furniture. The funds can also be used to buy new hardware or software, provide training opportunities for staff, and address other needs critical to improving the organization’s efficiency or effectiveness.

Mission

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, international, nonprofit organization founded in 1923. The Council fosters innovative research, nurtures new generations of social scientists, deepens how inquiry is practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues.

Driving University Impact: Expanding the Public Exchange Network

With generous support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Social Science Research Council is pleased to invite U.S. R1 research universities in SSRC’s College and University Fund for the Social Sciences to apply for funding to join the Public Exchange Network. Public Exchange is a new network that turns university research expertise into real-world action and impact. Foundedat the University of Southern California in 2020 and expanded to Washington University in St. Louis in 2025, Public Exchange connects researchers with government, nonprofit, and industry partners to tackle pressing challenges—from disaster recovery and climate solutions to food insecurity and homelessness prevention. Since its founding, Public Exchange has developed high-impact collaborations between 48 partners and 142 researchers including:

• CLEAN LA and CLEAN STL: One of the largest free soil testing programs for lead in Los Angeles County following the January 2025 wildfires, and a related program in St. Louis to test soil and air for contaminants following the May 2025 EF-3 tornado;
• The California Solar Canal Initiative: An ambitious public-private research collaboration to advance solar panel infrastructure along California’s 4,000 miles of open aqueduct, conserving water and generating renewable energy;
• Food Base LA: LA County’s first food systems data dashboard, helping LA County and non-profit partners target distribution of millions of pounds of food and related resources to families experiencing food insecurity;
• ShadeLA: A people-powered campaign to cool Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics by advancing natural and built shade cover in the region.

Partners have included the City and County of Los Angeles, the State of California, the City of St. Louis, Yelp, Solar AquaGrid, the United Nations Foundation, Keck Medicine of USC, the Southern California Association of Governments, Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Department of Angels and many more. In addition to real-world impact positively affecting millions of lives, Public Exchange collaborations have resulted in over $18m in research funding, some helping to incubate new centers or areas of research, more than 40 academic journal publications, hundreds of media hits, and dozens of student career opportunities. 

The Public Exchange Model

Public Exchange is a partner-driven program, working collaboratively with external partners to: (1) define a research scope, timeline, and deliverables; (2) identify the right team of multidisciplinary academic experts to analyze the problem; (3) provide project management from concept and strategy development to project outputs and tools delivery; and (4) manage the public and stakeholder engagement related to the project, as well as communications and design needs. Public Exchange staff are not researchers, but come from government, industry, and non-profit backgrounds, uniquely equipping project teams to understand partners’ needs and lead projects to action. Staff oversee activities including partnership and proposal development, funder cultivation, research translation, dissemination, and communications, impact and scaling strategy, administrative support, cross-sector convening, and more, to maximize the real-world impact of university expertise. Public Exchange builds results-driven teams that deliver measurable impact and lasting solutions for partners.

How the Public Exchange Network Works

No single university – even a large R1 – has enough faculty expertise available to meet the needs of every partner. The Public Exchange Network was designed to help universities work together seamlessly to build robust partnerships and generate more collective impact. Universities joining the network are independent but affiliated members, with full control over their own program and project portfolios. As a national network with local, on-the-ground capacity, Public Exchange Network members can also share approaches that work, scale solutions to common problems, and build cross-regional partnerships together. 

As an institutional partner in the Public Exchange Network, universities will build capacity to develop, test and implement solutions to the most urgent problems in their regions and beyond. Universities joining the Public Exchange Network get:

• The tools, templates and training they need to start right away;
• A shared brand they can plug into on day one;
• A network of faculty, past and potential partners and philanthropic relationships, benefitting everyone in the network. 

SSRC Public Exchange Network Expansion Grants

Public Exchange Network Expansion grants will cover 75-80% of the minimum estimated annual costs for two years to launch a new Public Exchange. To launch a Public Exchange, universities must have the following in place: (1) a staff executive director with experience launching and leading social impact partnerships, (2) a project seed fund, and (3) a modest operations budget. We also recommend some in-kind project management support from an existing university staff member. The grant includes a two-year Public Exchange Executive Director (ED) compensation subsidy of $300,000 to launch the Public Exchange on campus, and a 2-year license to use the Public Exchange brand. New Public Exchange Network members will also receive ongoing support and guidance from current Public Exchange leadership and staff at USC and WashU, including recruitment support and intensive training for hiring and onboarding an executive director, a sub-site on the Public Exchange website, incubation and project management support from current Public Exchange staff, and a suite of tools for developing and implementing Public Exchange projects.

In addition, every university in the Public Exchange Network benefits from central communications support (currently housed at USC), and access to a collaborative network of project partners, researchers, and funder relationships. Separately, SSRC will select a local research fellow to study and document how the Public Exchange model develops within and between host institutions during the grant term, and how the Public Exchange Network universities work together to effect larger-scale change. 

Expectations

Institutions selected to join the Public Exchange Network are expected to:

• Hire an Executive Director who can launch and lead efforts to incubate social impact projects with public and private sector partners;
• Have in place before public launch: (1) an executive director, (2) a seed fund, (3) a modest operations budget, and (4 – recommended) some in-kind project management support. 
• Develop and sustain at least three high-impact research partnerships during the two-year grant tenure;
• Invest modest resources during the grant term that demonstrate commitment to continuing the Public Exchange model after the end of philanthropic support. This is estimated at approximately $85-$90k annually (with some variation considering local labor markets) to support an operations and project seed fund and any additional capital needed for the Executive Director hire beyond the subsidy. 
• Coordinate with the SSRC research fellow who will examine the impact of Public Exchange at their university and across the network. 
• Work with faculty across their university. Public Exchange can live anywhere within a university at the school or central level. The majority of Public Exchange projects to date at USC and WashU have included researchers from two or more schools, and grantees must be able to work with faculty university-wide. 

Mission

Central Kentucky Community Foundation is the philanthropic focal point in the region, serving as a resource, leader and catalyst to people who wish to improve life in their community.

Central Kentucky Community Foundation Grant

CKCF strives to enhance communities by uniting people and investing resources through philanthropy. We are committed to building philanthropic resources that will enrich the lives of people who live in our nine-county region encompassing Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, Hart, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington counties. One of the ways we carry out this work is through a meaningful and impactful grants program.

The nonprofit organizations serving our communities provide vital services and opportunities making this a great place to call home. Our nonprofits work to help fulfill their mission and bring new opportunities to our community, but serving a growing region comes with challenges. To meet the ever-changing needs of our community, CKCF’s Granted program offers funding opportunities to our local nonprofits.

This program offers grant funding in three categories:

• Capacity Building: funding organizational and financial stability, program quality, and growth, allowing nonprofits to carry out their mission more effectively.
• Capital Improvement: funding essential items to help organizations fulfill their mission. These grants are typically a one-time expense.
• Programming: funding ideas or expand existing programs that align with the mission of the organization.

Funding

Organizations may apply for funding in only one category for up to $7,500. Additionally, we will offer the opportunity for a “stretch” ask for up to $10,000 enabling nonprofits to receive additional funding to strengthen their project.

The Bristol Female Charitable Society Fund, established in 2003 by 88 influential women, supports charitable programs in the East Bay community of Rhode Island, particularly Bristol. Grant amounts typically range from $500 to $5,000, and organizations can apply once per year. This fund emphasizes benevolence and offers assistance to those in need, while allowing simultaneous applications to other Rhode Island Foundation funds.

The MAA Tensor Grant Program, supported by the Tensor Foundation, aims to enrich mathematics education for underrepresented students. It encourages women and pre-college girls to pursue mathematics while also supporting historically underrepresented groups, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American students. Each project can receive up to $8,000 in funding, with a focus on clear plans to achieve the program's goals. This initiative fosters a diverse mathematics community and enhances student engagement.

The Michael John Perry Fund I, established by Michael John Perry, supports Maui residents pursuing a career as commercial pilots. Eligible students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0, demonstrate financial need, and be in good academic standing. The fund prefers previous recipients who continue to meet eligibility criteria. This initiative aims to empower local students in their aviation careers, contributing to the development of skilled pilots from Hawaii.

The Blaine County Community Foundation Fund Grant, managed by the Montana Community Foundation, supports local initiatives that directly benefit Blaine County residents. Since 1988, it has invested over $68 million in philanthropic efforts, with $31 million awarded in the last decade alone. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits and exempt governmental units, focusing on sustainable projects that address unmet community needs. This grant fosters a culture of giving, ensuring Montana's future thrives.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds aim to provide enduring support for initiatives that resonate with Mr. Wilson's passions, including caregiving, design, youth sports, and Grosse Pointe community assets. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $25,000, with some up to $50,000 for specific funds. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, and government entities located in the five Grosse Pointe communities of Michigan, fostering local development and enrichment.

The Mays Family Foundation Grant offers financial support primarily to organizations exempt from tax under 501(c)(3) in Bexar County, Texas. Grants of $25,000 or less are typically awarded promptly, while larger applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The Foundation values community, collaboration, and measurable success, focusing on initiatives that empower and enrich local communities. Applications must avoid partisan politics and benefit disqualified persons, ensuring grants serve the intended community purposes.

The Daniel P. Amos Family Foundation Grant aims to glorify God by supporting charitable organizations that improve community conditions. It prioritizes grants for 501(c)(3) organizations within specific counties in West Central Georgia and Russell County, Alabama. The foundation seeks effective, collaborative organizations that adhere to best practices and demonstrate sustainability. Grants are not available for organizations outside the U.S., loans, social clubs, or political advocacy groups. The foundation values community impact and Christian alignment.

The ASEEES Dissertation Research Grant, specifically the James Bailey Dissertation Research Grant in Folklore Studies, supports PhD students across various disciplines conducting research in folklore. It offers up to $6,000 for research in Eastern Europe and Eurasia, encouraging applications from students with ABD status who are ASEEES members. Research in eligible countries, including Ukraine and Russia, is allowed, although caution is advised due to the current geopolitical situation.

The ASEEES Dissertation Research Grant in Ukrainian Studies supports graduate students conducting research on any aspect of Ukrainian studies. With a maximum stipend of $6,000, it aims to facilitate research outside the US in eligible countries. Applicants must be ABD status, proficient in relevant languages, and ASEEES members. The grant promotes engagement with the complexities of Ukrainian culture, history, and society, encouraging innovative research that contributes to the understanding of this vital region.

The ASEEES Dissertation Research Grant, offered by the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, provides up to $6,000 for graduate students conducting dissertation research in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Open to all disciplines, applicants must be enrolled in a PhD program in the U.S., have ABD status, and be ASEEES members. Research in eligible countries is encouraged, with special considerations for the current geopolitical climate affecting Russia and Ukraine.