Search Through Grants for Mentoring Programs in Raleigh, North Carolina in the U.S.

Making community possible

At U.S. Bank, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in our communities. Through our Community Possible Grant Program, we are partnering with organizations that focus on economic and workforce advancement, safe and affordable housing and communities connected through arts and culture.

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners.

How we partner with nonprofits

We focus on collaborative grantmaking and sustainable, high-impact funding with 501(c)(3) nonprofit partners. We partner with organizations that support:

• Economic and workforce advancement
• Safe and affordable housing
• Community arts and culture

Our strategy

Our community affairs and foundation team work closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, business resource groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that prevailing needs are addressed in all the communities we serve.

To make the most meaningful impact, we prioritize organizations that:

• Focus on economic development issues related to work, home and play
• Address more than one of the grant pillars (work, home and play)
• Are based in and serve designated U.S. Bank communities
• Advance diversity, equity and inclusion

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.

Background

Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation seeks to dramatically improve the lives of underserved communities across the globe by supporting scalable, innovative, and impact-first solutions that leverage existing systems and stakeholders. Our goal is to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic products or services that have a proven ability to positively impact the lives of underserved people, and nurture those organizations at the early stages by providing capacity, capital, and community.

Our application process is designed to be open and accessible, and we accept applications year round from across our priority geographies and sectors. Borrowing from our venture capital legacy, we find exceptional entrepreneurs and provide them with: 

Capacity

• The core of DRK’s model is deep and extensive operational and technical support for each portfolio organization, both through dedicated hands-on Board service and specialist capacity-building resources for fundraising, board and organizational development, leadership, financial support, and scaling strategy,

Capital

• DRK provides up to $300,000 USD in either unrestricted grant funding or investment capital over a three-year period, and

Community

• DRK convenes our portfolio and alumni annually, facilitating connections and community. 

What We Fund

DRK Foundation funds early-stage social impact organizations solving the world’s biggest social and environmental problems using bold, scalable approaches.

What stage of growth does DRK Foundation typically fund?

Early stage: Organizations who are early stage, which we define as post-pilot and pre-scale. This typically means: 

• Your program, product or service is already being used in the market or in the field, 
• You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact on the beneficiary populations,
• Your organization is relatively young (ideally between two and five years old, although we will consider both younger and older organizations).

Venture funding: In the case of for profits, we typically support Seed to Series A organizations, and never lead rounds; we also generally but not exclusively refrain from participating in financings exceeding a $15M USD post-money valuation.  

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

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

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

Culture Grant

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

Funding Priorities in Culture

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

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

Types of Support

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

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

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.

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

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

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

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

John Deere FIRST

John Deere and FIRST are together committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion which encourages teams to be more innovation, creative, and make better decisions. We encourage your team to support and encourage diversity within your team.

John Deere grants are focused on increasing the participation and positive outcomes for students in John Deere home communities who historically have been underserved and underrepresented in STEM (Engineering, Computer Science/IT, and Manufacturing). This focus is supporting John Deere’s Bold Commitment of reaching at least one million underserved/underrepresented youth by 2030.

Current U.S. & Canada John Deere Inspire Home Communities

United States:

• California - Torrance
• Georgia - Augusta
• Illinois - Champaign & Quad Cities
• Iowa - Des Moines, Dubuque, Paton, Ottumwa, Quad Cities, & Waterloo
• Kansas - Coffeyville
• Louisiana - Thibodaux
• Missouri - Springfield
• North Carolina - Raleigh-Durham
• North Dakota - Fargo & Valley City
• Tennessee - Greeneville
• Wisconsin – Horicon

Canada:

• Alberta - Edmonton 
• Manitoba - Altona
• Ontario - Grimsby
• Ontario - Oakville
• Saskatchewan - Regina

FIRST Robotics Competition

Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology

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.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

John Deere FIRST

John Deere and FIRST are together committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion which encourages teams to be more innovation, creative, and make better decisions. We encourage your team to support and encourage diversity within your team.

John Deere grants are focused on increasing the participation and positive outcomes for students in John Deere home communities who historically have been underserved and underrepresented in STEM (Engineering, Computer Science/IT, and Manufacturing). This focus is supporting John Deere’s Bold Commitment of reaching at least one million underserved/underrepresented youth by 2030.

Current U.S. & Canada John Deere Inspire Home Communities

United States:

• California - Torrance
• Georgia - Augusta
• Illinois - Champaign & Quad Cities
• Iowa - Des Moines, Dubuque, Paton, Ottumwa, Quad Cities, & Waterloo
• Kansas - Coffeyville
• Louisiana - Thibodaux
• Missouri - Springfield
• North Carolina - Raleigh-Durham
• North Dakota - Fargo & Valley City
• Tennessee - Greeneville
• Wisconsin – Horicon

Canada:

• Alberta - Edmonton 
• Manitoba - Altona
• Ontario - Grimsby
• Ontario - Oakville
• Saskatchewan - Regina

John Deere FIRST

John Deere and FIRST are together committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion which encourages teams to be more innovation, creative, and make better decisions. We encourage your team to support and encourage diversity within your team.

John Deere grants are focused on increasing the participation and positive outcomes for students in John Deere home communities who historically have been underserved and underrepresented in STEM (Engineering, Computer Science/IT, and Manufacturing). This focus is supporting John Deere’s Bold Commitment of reaching at least one million underserved/underrepresented youth by 2030.

Current U.S. & Canada John Deere Inspire Home Communities

United States:

• California - Torrance
• Georgia - Augusta
• Illinois - Champaign & Quad Cities
• Iowa - Des Moines, Dubuque, Paton, Ottumwa, Quad Cities, & Waterloo
• Kansas - Coffeyville
• Louisiana - Thibodaux
• Missouri - Springfield
• North Carolina - Raleigh-Durham
• North Dakota - Fargo & Valley City
• Tennessee - Greeneville
• Wisconsin – Horicon

Canada:

• Alberta - Edmonton 
• Manitoba - Altona
• Ontario - Grimsby
• Ontario - Oakville
• Saskatchewan - Regina

The Foundation is dedicated to providing financial assistance to organizations committed to improving our world. Solutions to the problems of today's world still lie in the values of innovation, practicality, hard work, and compassion.

The Foundation considers applications for grants in the following areas:

• Education
• Social Service
• Health care
• Civic and cultural
• Environmental

The categories above are not intended to limit the interest of the Foundation from considering other worthwhile projects. In general, the Foundation guidelines are broad to give us flexibility in providing grants.

The majority of our grants are made in the U.S. However, like Dr. Scholl, we recognize the need for a global outlook. Non-U.S. grants are given to organizations where directors have knowledge of the grantee.

Background

The FFAR Fellows Program offers leadership and professional development training to PhD students studying food and agriculture-related sciences in the U.S. and Canada. North Carolina State University leads the initiative, which provides Fellows with training, networking opportunities, and peer support.

Over the 3-year period members of each cohort (25-30 fellows) attend four in-person meetings plus monthly virtual sessions, create and execute annual professional development plans, and network and establish mentor-mentee relationships with industry scientists and others outside of academia.

Program Details

The Fellows Program kicks-off with a one-week orientation session in August at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and a second session at NCSU the following April. These Year 1 sessions and the monthly webinars focus on self-exploration, self-management, creating networks of support (peer, mentor, professional), and improving communication and teamwork skills within an organization. The residential sessions include site visits at agriculture industry locations in Research Triangle Park and meetings with industry scientists and extension leaders including alumni FFAR Fellows.

In Year 2 of the program Fellows have the opportunity to meet in conjunction with the World Food Prize gathering in Des Moines, Iowa (or another university-based location). The Fellows’ spring Year 2 meeting is held in Washington, D.C. This meeting and webinars in Year 2 focus on communicating with policy -makers, understanding the policy process, and exploring careers in the public sector and NGOs. In Year 2 fellows also train to become better mentors and supervisors and how to lead through influencing. They also complete a 360 process whereby they receive largely anonymous feedback from their advisor, mentors, peers, and those they supervise.

The Fellows final in Year 3 has varied, with the most current cohort meeting in St. Louis with with tours of Bayer and the Donald Danforth Center. In Year 3 fellows receive training on creating and managing effective meetings and group and 1:1 assistance in preparing their CV/resume and interview skills for the job search.

Each year fellows complete a Professional Development Plan and have interactions with their mentors (their advisor, and industry mentor, and an additional mentor depending on interests) to identify and achieve their PDP goals. Fellows also receive extensive training on communicating their science in presentation format, poster format, and in the form of a 3-minute recorded talk.

Objectives of the FFAR Fellows Program

• Develop leadership competencies that enhance current and future individual productivity and well-being, and enhance Fellows capacity to contribute to the public good
• Connect young scientists across research domains and geographic areas to promote multi-disciplinary understanding and problem-solving
• Broaden students understanding of their career options and create links to sectors beyond academia (industry, government, NGO)

Stipend + Professional Development Category

Students accepted into the Stipend/Professional Development category will receive $49,500 each year to cover tuition, fees, stipend, and related costs. Students applying to this category should already have a defined research project and an industry or analogous sponsor. The sponsor(s) will commit $32,500 per year to the Fellowship, matched equally by FFAR. The total of $65,000/annually is distributed as follows: $49,500 for student stipend tuition, fees, etc.; $5,500 for university overhead; and $10,000 retained by the FFAR Fellowship Program lead institution, North Carolina State University, for program management and costs of the professional development training.

For the Stipend/Professional Development category applicants must have at least 50% of the sponsorship pledged by a non-academic entity (e.g., company, commodity organization, foundation, state government) to be considered. The remaining funds can be from departmental or university accounts as long as the source is non-federal (examples of federal funds not accepted: USDA, NIH, or NSF grant funds).

EREF’s Scholarship Program

Scholarships are awarded by EREF to recognize excellence in master’s and doctoral waste management research and education. Applications from students outside the United States or studying abroad will receive equal consideration.

Carl J. Apicella Scholarship

Carl is a strong supporter of EREF, having played an important role in the EREF Fall Classic & Networking Event and Annual Charitable Auction for several years. “EREF is the one organization that really focuses on giving back to the environmental industry,” Carl expressed during his announcement of the scholarship during the EREF Annual Charitable Auction, held on April 30 during WasteExpo 2014. “I’ve been blessed to have worked with so many great people and companies over the last 25 years; I wanted to give back to the solid waste industry and supporting EREF is a perfect way to accomplish that.”

Detachable Container Association Scholarship

The Detachable Container Association (DCA) was founded in 1954. The first meeting consisted of a group of six men in the waste hauling industry who began discussing the idea of forming an association to improve techniques in waste collection, in particular, by using detachable containers. DCA’s primary mission is to promote education and establish ways to improve the waste industry and the productivity of its members. DCA is noted for advancing modern containerized collection and helping to facilitate numerous innovations and developments in the waste industry.

Many of the members of DCA have served on the EREF Board of Directors and in many capacities within the National Waste & Recycling Association, providing leadership and valuable experience to the waste industry. The membership of DCA in establishing this scholarship desires to fulfill a portion of its mission by furthering opportunities and research in the waste industry.

Evergreen Surety Bond Scholarship

Founded specifically to serve the needs of the waste industry and contractors who need payment and performance bonds, Evergreen National Indemnity Company (Evergreen) has become an industry leader in surety bonds. Evergreen was one of the first firms to tackle the requirements of Subtitle D and is frequently called upon to give recommendations to regulators and rating agencies on surety issues.

Fiessinger Doctoral Scholarship

Francois Fiessinger dedicated his professional life to furthering international research and technology development efforts in the areas of waste and water management. Francois was one of the founders of EREF in 1994. He served on the Board of Directors from its inception until he passed away in 1997. Francois was a visionary who believed in science and engineering as vehicles for improving the quality of our environment and our lives. In 1997, based on a contribution from Lyonnaise des Eaux, the Francois Fiessinger Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to recognize excellence in Ph.D. or postdoctoral environmental research and education.

GMI Scholarship

The Garbageman’s Invitational was founded in 2010 by Kerry Holmes (Vice President of Sales, Consolidated Fabricators), Mike Melideo (Owner, Consolidated Fabricators) and Ray Burke (Vice President, Clean Energy). These three men set out to create a unique annual networking event for their customers and prospects in the solid waste and recycling industry throughout the United States and Canada.

The sponsors of the Garbageman’s Invitational felt strongly that there should be an element of “giving back” to the industry. “As the leader in solid waste research and education, EREF was an easy choice as the charity to benefit from the event,” said Kerry Holmes. “EREF, with its presence throughout North America, is well aligned with the Garbageman’s Invitational’s goal to attract more industry leaders throughout the United States and Canada.”

100% of any donations made to EREF through the Garbageman’s Invitational will fund graduate students pursuing excellence in solid waste management research and education.

Reinhart Master’s Scholarship

Debbie Reinhart, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE is a Pegasus Professor and Assistant Vice President for Research and Commercialization at the University of Central Florida. From 2011-2013 she served as the Environmental Engineering Program Manager at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. She received her graduate degrees in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining UCF, she served as a consulting engineer for companies in Atlanta and was chief of the research & development division of the Bureau of Pollution Control in that city. She is currently a member of EREF’s Board of Directors and Research Council.

Debbie has contributed to the advancement of environmental engineering and science professions through her service to professional organizations, higher education, and mentorship. She has been particularly effective at mentoring under-represented engineering scholars. Debbie is most known for her work with bioreactor landfills which produced operational, monitoring, and design information, as well as the first text on the topic. The Reinhart Master’s Scholarship is aimed at funding female environmental engineering students.

Robert J. Riethmiller/PTR Baler and Compactor Scholarship

Robert J. Riethmiller, Chairman of PTR Baler and Compactor, served on the EREF Board as the Chairman of the Scholarship Committee. Riethmiller’s grandfather, also Bob Riethmiller, began working for PTR in 1911, and purchased it in 1929; since then it has been a family-run business. PTR is a fourth generation, family-owned company that manufactures, installs and services balers and compactors in all 50 states and sells internationally. Now retired, Riethmiller worked in the waste industry for over 50 years.

Robert P. Stearns/SCS Engineers Master’s Scholarship

Robert P. Stearns, Chairman and CoFounder of SCS Engineers, joined the EREF Board of Directors in 1999 and served as Chairman from 2004–2005. At SCS, he directed or served in a review capacity on many of the firm’s solid waste management-related projects. Under his leadership SCS grew to more than 500 employees located in 9 regional offices throughout the United States.

Following his retirement in 2006, Bob continued as SCS Chairman of the Board focusing on strategic planning and acquisitions. In 2007 EREF awarded the first Robert P. Stearns/SCS Engineers Master’s Scholarship, which was established to expand EREF’s successful doctoral-level scholarship program.

Tom J. Fatjo Jr. Scholarship

Tom Joseph Fatjo, Jr. was a true visionary. He was the ultimate optimist and believed there was nothing that could not be accomplished. His charismatic personality and positive attitude became a foundation for his ability to attract, develop and lead his business partners. His honesty and integrity were hallmarks of who he was. Early in his career, he came across a challenge to improve waste collection in his neighborhood. Tom embraced this challenge which led to the creation of Browning-Ferris Industries. After exploring other fields, Tom returned to his roots in the waste business in 1990 and over the next 10 years founded Republic Waste, TransAmerican Waste and Waste Corporation of America. Tom is a true “pioneer and founder of the modern-day solid waste industry.” An EREF scholarship honoring Tom Fatjo has been established.

Waste Industries Scholarship Honoring Lonnie C. Poole Jr.

Lonnie C. Poole, Jr., one of EREF’s founders and currently a Director Emeritus, is the founder of Raleigh-based Waste Industries USA, Inc. Lonnie, who grew up on a farm in North Carolina, was the first in his family to attend college. After graduating with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University, he served as a pilot in the U.S. Army for three years, and then returned home to earn his MBA at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He then found success in the business world, excelling as both a sales manager and an engineer. In 1970 Lonnie founded Waste Industries, a non-hazardous solid waste services company, which now serves more than 1.25 million customers across five states.

EREF Scholarship

As part of its mission, EREF furthers education in the solid waste management industry. In the past, multiple outstanding candidates have applied for the Fiessinger award in the same year, prompting EREF to periodically utilize foundation funds to award additional scholarships. EREF now regularly awards Master’s and Ph.D. scholarships to notable candidates, expanding the scholarship program.

Background

The FFAR Fellows Program offers leadership and professional development training to PhD students studying food and agriculture-related sciences in the U.S. and Canada. North Carolina State University leads the initiative, which provides Fellows with training, networking opportunities, and peer support.

Over the 3-year period members of each cohort (25-30 fellows) attend four in-person meetings plus monthly virtual sessions, create and execute annual professional development plans, and network and establish mentor-mentee relationships with industry scientists and others outside of academia.

Program Details

The Fellows Program kicks-off with a one-week orientation session in August at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and a second session at NCSU the following April. These Year 1 sessions and the monthly webinars focus on self-exploration, self-management, creating networks of support (peer, mentor, professional), and improving communication and teamwork skills within an organization. The residential sessions include site visits at agriculture industry locations in Research Triangle Park and meetings with industry scientists and extension leaders including alumni FFAR Fellows.

In Year 2 of the program Fellows have the opportunity to meet in conjunction with the World Food Prize gathering in Des Moines, Iowa (or another university-based location). The Fellows’ spring Year 2 meeting is held in Washington, D.C. This meeting and webinars in Year 2 focus on communicating with policy -makers, understanding the policy process, and exploring careers in the public sector and NGOs. In Year 2 fellows also train to become better mentors and supervisors and how to lead through influencing. They also complete a 360 process whereby they receive largely anonymous feedback from their advisor, mentors, peers, and those they supervise.

The Fellows final in Year 3 has varied, with the most current cohort meeting in St. Louis with with tours of Bayer and the Donald Danforth Center. In Year 3 fellows receive training on creating and managing effective meetings and group and 1:1 assistance in preparing their CV/resume and interview skills for the job search.

Each year fellows complete a Professional Development Plan and have interactions with their mentors (their advisor, and industry mentor, and an additional mentor depending on interests) to identify and achieve their PDP goals. Fellows also receive extensive training on communicating their science in presentation format, poster format, and in the form of a 3-minute recorded talk.

Objectives of the FFAR Fellows Program

• Develop leadership competencies that enhance current and future individual productivity and well-being, and enhance Fellows capacity to contribute to the public good
• Connect young scientists across research domains and geographic areas to promote multi-disciplinary understanding and problem-solving
• Broaden students understanding of their career options and create links to sectors beyond academia (industry, government, NGO)

Professional Development Category

Students accepted into the Professional Development category are full members of the cohort and take part in all professional development activities. Sponsors are invoiced for $5,000 per year for each of the three years of the program. Sponsorships cover the costs of participation in the program. Students do not receive direct payments.

Calling to Serve

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

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

Areas of Interest

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

Grant Considerations

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

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

Community Partnership Award

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

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

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

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

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

John Deere FIRST

John Deere and FIRST are together committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion which encourages teams to be more innovation, creative, and make better decisions. We encourage your team to support and encourage diversity within your team.

John Deere grants are focused on increasing the participation and positive outcomes for students in John Deere home communities who historically have been underserved and underrepresented in STEM (Engineering, Computer Science/IT, and Manufacturing). This focus is supporting John Deere’s Bold Commitment of reaching at least one million underserved/underrepresented youth by 2030.

Current U.S. & Canada John Deere Inspire Home Communities

United States:

• California - Torrance
• Georgia - Augusta
• Illinois - Champaign & Quad Cities
• Iowa - Des Moines, Dubuque, Paton, Ottumwa, Quad Cities, & Waterloo
• Kansas - Coffeyville
• Louisiana - Thibodaux
• Missouri - Springfield
• North Carolina - Raleigh-Durham
• North Dakota - Fargo & Valley City
• Tennessee - Greeneville
• Wisconsin – Horicon

Canada:

• Alberta - Edmonton 
• Manitoba - Altona
• Ontario - Grimsby
• Ontario - Oakville
• Saskatchewan - Regina