Search Through Grants for Small Nonprofits in New York in the U.S.

About Us

The Achelis and Bodman Foundation was formally established on November 25, 2015, from the merger of The Achelis Foundation (established in 1940) and The Bodman Foundation (established in 1945).

Program Areas

In keeping with the broad purposes in its charter documents, the Foundation has chosen to spread its grants over six program areas. Most grants are made in New York City, reflecting its dynamic not-for-profit sector, large and persistent needs, and the staff's and Trustees' "local knowledge." The Foundation also makes grants in northern New Jersey in recognition of the Bodman family's ties to that state, with an emphasis on Newark and Monmouth County. Over 90% of grants fall into one of the following categories:

Arts and Culture

Cultural institutions are among New York City’s most valued resources. They attract visitors from around the world and are one reason why so many people choose to live here. They are also major employers and vital to the City’s economy. The arts were important to Miss Achelis and Mr. and Mrs. Bodman, and so the Foundation has continued to support this area, generally through operating grants to the City’s prominent cultural institutions. The Foundation is most likely to support organizations that promote and sustain traditional concepts of artistic excellence. 

Education

The failure of inner-city public education is a national tragedy with enormous consequences for the children in these schools and for society as a whole. The Foundation has long believed that accountability and competition can contribute to the improvement of urban public schools. Therefore, the Foundation has funded charter schools, voucher programs, scholarships to parochial schools, and research that examines the impact of competition and other factors on K-12 educational performance. The Foundation also has an interest in helping young people and adults to realize their dreams of a college education. Finally, the Foundation seeks to promote intellectual excellence and balance at American colleges and universities.

Employment

Chronic unemployment or underemployment is a harsh and demoralizing burden. The welfare reforms of the mid-1990s increased the need for effective job training and placement programs. Such programs are especially critical for ex-offenders, chronic substance abusers, those with low educational attainments, and those suffering from mental or physical disabilities. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting programs that emphasize the private sector and entrepreneurship.

Health

It is difficult for small grantmakers to make a significant impact in a field as large and complex as healthcare. Therefore, the focus of the Foundation's grants has been on the health needs of poor children, the disabled, and other disadvantaged populations, as well as on basic biomedical research, where a small grant at a pivotal time in a scientist's research can have a disproportionate impact. The Foundation has also supported the work of policy experts evaluating reforms that would improve the healthcare system and make it more accessible and efficient.

Public Policy

Funding in this category covers a broad range of issues including: K-12 education (listed under ), healthcare, families and marriage, crime prevention, prisoner reentry, philanthropy, the environment, welfare reform, and faith and religion. In all areas, the Foundation's grantmaking is guided by a belief in the merits of economic and political liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.

Youth and Families

The disparate needs of New York City's disadvantaged youth and families are served by hundreds, even thousands, of charitable institutions, ranging from established settlement houses to small neighborhood organizations to local houses of worship. The Foundation supports programs that boost academic achievement, provide positive recreational and educational activities for disadvantaged young people, promote good character and values, preserve families, and encourage responsible parenting. In addition, the Foundation has a special interest in programs that prevent criminal behavior, discourage pre-marital sexual activity among teens, and assist vulnerable populations, such as disconnected youth, children who have been in foster care or suffered abuse, the disabled, and the homebound elderly. The Foundation is particularly interested in funding smaller, neighborhood-based organizations that choose to rely on private support rather than government grants or contracts.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. believed effective change should make an impact from the start, yet carry long into the future. To do both, he earmarked a portion of his estate and the eventual sale of his beloved Buffalo Bills to fund his namesake foundation. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation began operations in 2015 to continue his legacy—one of generosity and innovation, healthy risk taking and collaboration, and an unshakeable community focus.

And today, his hand-picked Life Trustees have determined to focus the efforts of the foundation on Mr. Wilson’s home and adopted home regions of Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

With a structure that dictates spend-down of our funds by 2035, we match the urgency that people in need feel every day and focus on collaborative investments that consider both immediate impact and long-term benefit.

Our time is short. But with collaboration, vision and a healthy dash of courage, transformation that shifts the very foundations of our communities is possible.

Grantmaking Focus Areas

Active Lifestyles

By supporting access to safe spaces and programs that get kids physically active and moving, the Foundation aims to introduce lifelong healthy habits through its Youth Sports & Recreation grantmaking. Spanning all generations, the Foundation’s investments in Parks, Trails & Green Design looks to connect people and communities to each other, nature and recreation.

Preparing for Success

Strong work ethic, confidence and a desire to learn are attributes that can be instilled at a young age and carried through adulthood. Our Preparing for Success focus area is centered on providing the communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills people need to grow and adapt throughout their life and career.

Caregivers

There are more than 40 million family members - spouses, daughters, sons, grandchildren - and friends in the United States caring for older adults, a number that will grow dramatically in the coming years. The Foundation aims to elevate caregivers’ critical roles by highlighting the often-hidden value and contributions they make to families and communities every day.  

Entrepreneurship & Economic Development

Several years into recovery after a decades-long economic slide in both Southeast Michigan and Western New York, the Foundation’s investments in Entrepreneurship and Economic Development look to leverage this momentum by spurring small business growth, place-based community and economic development, and talent attraction and retention. 

Foundation Initiative: Nonprofit Support & Innovation

Without strong, healthy nonprofits that have the resources and support to meet their mission, none of the work the Foundation invests in across its focus areas can happen. While the Foundation works with individual grantees to help them build their own capacity through project-specific grants, it also is taking a sector view of nonprofit support as a special initiative of the Foundation in order to help strengthen communities.

Adirondack Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs Fund (SUN) is a responsive granting resource that can be deployed to assist Adirondack communities and nonprofits during times of crisis. The fund can help an organization address short-term needs where a relatively small grant can assist with unanticipated, unbudgeted gaps in funding. 

We will consider proposals that will allow an organization to address these types of short-term needs:

• Emergency building or mechanical repairs whose sudden and unexpected failure interferes with provision of services and is not covered by insurance
  • Example: repairs to damaged roof due to unexpected weather event, or backup generator failure during power outage.
• Unanticipated or unbudgeted resources without which the work of your organization is severely hindered
  • Example: training on post-traumatic stress disorder for school guidance counselors supporting children in towns severely impacted by disaster.
• Recovery needs in response to an emergency or disaster
  • Example: replacement of materials lost or damaged by an extreme weather event.

Criteria

The SUN Fund can also be used to support local businesses and families in future disaster circumstances if one of the following criteria is established

• aiding individual business owners who are financially needy or distressed; or
• combating community deterioration.

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Mission

Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York assists over 400 member theatres in managing their theatre companies effectively so they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. Over nearly five decades, A.R.T./New York has earned a reputation as a leader in providing progressive services to our members—from shared office and rehearsal spaces to technical assistance programs for emerging theatres—which have made the organization an expert in the needs of the New York City nonprofit theatre community.

A.R.T./New York supports nonprofit theatre companies in New York City by providing four core programs: Funding, Training, Space, and Connections. 

New York City Small Theatres Fun

In partnership with the Howard Gilman Foundation, the New York City Small Theatres Fund is a two-year general operating support grant to New York City-based theatre companies with annual budgets below $250,000. The fund provides multi-year grant awards between $7,500-$10,000 each year.

This grant aims to support a wide range of theatrical aesthetics, methods of production, and artistic communities throughout the five boroughs, engaging their artists and audiences in meaningful, exciting, and committed creation and production. We aim to fund a group of applicants who reflect the diversity of New York City theatre-making and increase opportunities for theatres and artists who have been historically under-resourced due to barriers associated with racial, economic, disability, gender, and/or sexual identity and/or geographic location.

About Mini-Grants

We award Mini-Grants for individual readings ($150 to $450 per session) and/or workshops ($200 to $300 per session) that may or may not be part of a larger reading series or festival. Mini-grants are paid by P&W directly to the individual writer. The entity organizing or hosting the event must act as the lead sponsor and must submit an application for support. As part of the application, please be prepared to provide the name of the participating writer, proposed event date(s), and amount requested, per the ranges listed above. 

New York State and California organizations that sponsor readings and workshops may apply for Mini-Grants to pay writers for their participation. All grants are paid by P&W directly to the writer. Due to a mandate from our funders, grants for events outside of New York City (i.e. New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond counties) are restricted to writers who are New York State residents; there is no restriction in California.

If a grant is awarded, payments are sent directly to the writer approximately two to four weeks after the event. To support as many literary events as possible, we generally grant no more than $3,000 to organizations during our fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), and across all grant opportunities; in California, the annual cap per organization per year is $1,500.

Decisions on maximum grant amounts are based on the availability of funds and are made at the discretion of Poets & Writers. These caps fluctuate depending on the availability of funds in each jurisdiction and the number of applications we receive.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to match P&W’s payment to the writer. However, if an organization is not able to match or add to the writer’s fee, we will still consider the application.

Funding Priorities

As part of our belief that literature is vital to sustaining a vibrant culture and our mission to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public, priority is given to organizations that:

• serve a culturally diverse audience
• feature culturally diverse writers
• feature writers who have not previously presented at that venue
• present programs in rural or other underserved areas
• have not previously received R&W support (If an organization has received R&W funding in the past, we consider whether it has followed the grant guidelines and returned reports in a timely manner.)
• are able to match R&W's payment to the writer (not including in-kind contributions such as meals, lodging, and travel)
• have a publicity and marketing plan to draw audience, and a track record of attracting audiences to past events.

Deadlines

• New York & California- June 1, 2025
• New York- August 31, 2025 ; November 30, 2025 ; March 1, 2026

Background

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established endowment funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to provide annual support for programs and initiatives that reflect the personal passions of Mr. Wilson. These areas of support are: Caregivers; Community Assets; Design and Access; and Youth Sports.

The grants made from these Legacy Funds held at the Community Foundation are distinct from the grants made by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation directly. In most cases, the grants made from these Funds at the Community Foundation serve to support very localized projects across the WNY region for which a smaller grant can make all the difference. In some cases, it may also provide an opportunity to test out ideas and programs on a smaller, pilot level.

About the Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. believed effective change should make an impact from the start, yet carry long into the future. To do both, he earmarked a portion of his estate and the eventual sale of his beloved Buffalo Bills to fund his namesake foundation. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation began operations in 2015 to continue his legacy-one of generosity and innovation, healthy risk taking and collaboration and an unshakeable community focus.

And today, his hand-picked Life Trustees have determined to focus the efforts of the foundation on Mr. Wilson’s home and adopted home regions of Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

Youth Sports 

Provide opportunities for all children to be active through sport. Requests must address one of the following objectives: 

• Ask kids what they want.
• Reintroduce free play.
• Encourage sport sampling.
• Revitalize in-town leagues.
• Think small.
• Design for development.
• Train all coaches.
• Emphasize prevention.

Background

Citizens invests in nonprofits creating measurable impact through innovative programs. Our philanthropic priorities are Workforce Development and Financial Empowerment. At Citizens, we strive to collaborate closely with high-impact nonprofit organizations and build strong partnerships that include opportunities for colleague volunteerism and joint storytelling.

Citizens operates two Foundations—the Citizens Charitable Foundation and the Citizens Philanthropic Foundation.

Focus Areas

Citizens focuses on two specific funding areas, Workforce Development and Financial Empowerment.

We focus our funding on projects that serve diverse, underserved populations and neighborhoods and demonstrate strong results. We look to partner with established 501(c)(3) organizations with programs that strongly align with one or more of the above funding priorities. Grant requests should demonstrate funding priority alignment and impact and should highlight opportunities to showcase the proposed partnership through collaboration and colleague engagement.

Financial Empowerment

We fund programs that provide low to moderate income individuals and small businesses with financial education so they have the tools needed to be fiscally healthy. Citizens prioritizes partnerships that provide opportunities for Citizens colleagues to teach healthy financial practices.

What does this program do?

It provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to:

• To help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund.
• Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs.

What is an eligible area?

• Rural areas outside a city or town with a population of fewer than 50,000 residents. Urbanized areas near a city of 50,000 or more may not be eligible.
• The borrower’s headquarters may be based within a larger city so long as the project service area is located in an eligible rural area.
• The lender may be located anywhere.

 What kind of funding is available? 

• Grants are available to provide technical assistance to rural micro-entrepreneurs or microenterprises, up to $205,000 annually. Funding at the requested level is not guaranteed, and at least 15 percent matching funds are required.
• Loans of $50,000 to $500,000 may be used for establishing a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund managed by the Microenterprise Development Organization.
• Total aggregate debt is capped at $2.5 million.

Microenterprise Development Organizations must demonstrate experience in managing a Revolving Loan Fund, or:

• Certify that it or its employees have received education and training from a qualified microenterprise development training entity so that the applicant has the capacity to manage such a revolving loan fund.
• Demonstrate that it is actively and successfully participating as an intermediary lender in good standing under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan Program or other similar loan programs as determined by the Administrator.

What are the loan terms?

• Maximum term is 20 years.
• Two-year payment deferral.
• Must establish a loan loss reserve fund.

What terms are required on loans to ultimate recipients?

• Up to $50,000.
• Fixed interest rate.
• Limited to 75 percent of project cost.

How may the funds be used?

Microlenders may make microloans for qualified business activities and expenses including, but not limited to:

• Working capital.
• Debt refinancing.
• Purchasing equipment and supplies.
• Improving real estate.

Small and Midsized Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture

This opportunity funds projects initiated by nonprofit arts and culture organizations of any size, with grants of up to $2 million that prioritize accessibility, artistry, cultural development, sustainability, health and safety, and structural and historical improvements. No-match grants of $10,000-$25,000 and $50,000-$99,000 are available for organizations with operating budgets under $2 million. Strong projects combine excellence in design with informed decisions about organizational capacity and community needs that will positively affect the future of arts and cultural organizations across New York.

Mission

Founded in 1972, A.R.T./New York assists over 400 member theatres in managing their theatre companies effectively so they may realize their rich artistic visions and serve their diverse audiences well. Over nearly five decades, A.R.T./New York has earned a reputation as a leader in providing progressive services to our members—from shared office and rehearsal spaces to technical assistance programs for emerging theatres—which have made the organization an expert in the needs of the New York City nonprofit theatre community.

A.R.T./New York supports nonprofit theatre companies in New York City by providing four core programs: Funding, Training, Space, and Connections. 

Creative Opportunity Fund

The Creative Opportunity Fund provides general operating support grants of $2,000-$5,000 to small professional theatres with budgets under $500,000 working throughout New York State. Applicants to the Creative Opportunity Fund are NOT required to be members of A.R.T./New York. The Creative Opportunity Fund is a regrant of a New York State Council on the Arts program. A.R.T./New York regrants NYSCA funds, and all applicants and grantees will interact with A.R.T./New York as their grantmaker.

The grant aims to distribute flexible funding to support theatres throughout the state with capacity building and stabilization and to increase funding opportunities for theatres that have been left out of mainstream funding opportunities because of barriers associated with racial, economic, disability, and sexual identity and/or geographic location. Payments are made via electronic or paper check, depending on the grantee’s preference.  

The Community Foundation for South Central New York

Mission: The Community Foundation offers caring individuals an effective way to endow their community in a manner that is responsible, responsive, and lasting.

Small Grants Program (2025-08-04)

Our Small Grant Program is a available to nonprofits in our five county region. Projects that will take priority will allign with our 2024 Needs Assessment addressing areas including, but not limited to Equity, Housing and Mental Health.

Types of support available

• Program
• Small capital purchases
• Capacity building projects
• Operating
• Economic and Community development

Details

• Cycle occurs four times per year and are due by the fourth Monday in January, March, May and September
• Award requests can be between $250 and $5,000
• Request must be in line with the Community Foundation’s Need Assessment
• Organizations may apply to one small grant cycle per calendar year

Our Mission

To help New Yorkers—especially those in low-income areas—come together and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

Community Leader (All In Neighborhood) Grants

A Community Leaders Grant is a microgrant given out to New Yorkers by CitizensNYC. CitizensNYC awards microgrants of up to $5,000 to community-building projects carried out by resident-led groups to improve neighborhood life, strengthen local leadership, and scale community partnerships.

Selection Criteria

• Clarity
  • Are the descriptions of the project and its goals clear? Is the outreach strategy clear? Is the work plan adequately detailed, focused, realistic and clear? Does it support project goals?
• Quality of Life Impact
  • Is the project expected to improve quality of life issues identified by residents and community members?
    • Major Improvement
      • The impact of the project is anticipated to be lasting (longer than one year) and notice on a daily or almost daily basis.
      • For example: Transforming an abandoned, crime-ridden lot into a multi use community garden where residents begin growing produce and feel safe within the timeline of the project, or creating a new summer internship program for local youth to lead a community farmers market, where youth train new interns for the following year.
    • Moderate Improvement
      • The project is anticipated to either initiate or complete an effort that is anticipated to have a strong impact on the quality of life.
      • The impact is anticipated to last for several months or longer and is noticed on a weekly basis.
      • For example: Cleaning up an abandoned, crime-ridden lot in preparation for establishing a multi-use community garden, creating an athletic program that will last for a season or creating a new youth internship program that lasts for a year.
    • Minor Improvement
      • The project is anticipated to create a temporary (a few weeks or less) impact on the improvement to the quality of life issues identified by residents or community members.
      • For example: Making improvements to an established community garden, hosting a weekend job fair, or continuing an internship program that existed a previous year.
• Community Engagement
  • Is the project expected to build community engagement and capacity for the future?
    • Major Improvement
      • The community group will expand the number of members within the group who are representative of the community; the community group will strengthen its relationships to other organizations, community groups, city services, or public representative (i.e. co- facilitating workshops or engaging partners in ongoing work); the project involves a newly formed group that has an established organizational structure.
      • Alternatively, the project will establish an ongoing forum, space, or activity for community residents to interact around common interests such as history, art, culture, or physical activities.
    • Moderate Improvement
      • Forming a new community group that has an established organizational structure; expanding group membership; the group is strengthening relationships with other organizations, community groups, city services, or public representatives. (i.e. having a partner organization take part in a workshop series as a participant)
    • Minor Improvement
      • Bringing community members and residents together to participate in a one-time social or stewardship activity (i.e. learning/artistic/cultural event, clean-up or gardening event); making small steps towards building relationships with other organizations, community groups, city services, or public representatives (i.e. sending a newsletter to community groups to inform them of a workshop)
• Need
  • Does the proposal clearly convey that the project is warranted and needed in identified neighborhood or for a particular community (identity-based)?

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. There are two types of RBDG projects, Opportunity grants and Enterprise grants.

• Opportunity type grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.
• Enterprise type grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application.

How may Enterprise type funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports, or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Rural distance learning for job training and advancement for adult students.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

How may Opportunity type funds be used?

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Kids need to play.

The Skatepark Project believes encouraging free play and providing youth with opportunities to develop active, healthy lifestyles are key to ensuring their well being. With childhood obesity rates more than tripling since 1980*, access to parks is no longer a luxury—it’s essential to the health of our children.

Children in low-income families are particularly at risk, in part because they have fewer opportunities to participate in organized sports leagues and activities. Fighting obesity has become a critical national priority, with long-term health risks including—but not limited to—heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, and even cancer**. More importantly, healthier kids are happier.

Two of the nation’s most prominent advocates for youth have joined together to address this issue. The Skatepark Project has partnered with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to promote the creation of free, public skateparks in the 16 counties of Southeast Michigan and Western New York served by RCWJRF.

With grant funds of up to $250,000, the Built to Play Skatepark Program supports community groups and municipalities seeking to create free, public skateparks that serve low-income communities. Built to Play Skatepark Grants also include an additional $50,000 to fund processes and design features that lessen the environmental impact of the skatepark. The Built to Play Skatepark Program also provides advisory services and advocacy training to assist groups in organizing and managing their efforts.

While we realize that not every community can afford to build a world-class skatepark, we believe that every community deserves a quality facility created by experienced skatepark contractors. We believe that a small, excellent skatepark is better than a large, flawed one. We also believe that local officials should treat public skateparks the same way they treat public basketball courts or tennis courts, meaning that anyone may show up and use them during regular park hours, unsupervised. We know that kids everywhere love their local skateparks and that more skateparks will result in even more healthier, happier kids. 



The Built to Play Skatepark Program primarily considers skatepark projects that:

• are designed and built from durable, low-maintenance materials by qualified and experienced skatepark contractors.
• include local skaters in leadership and volunteer roles throughout the planning, fundraising, and design process.
• will serve low- to middle-income areas and/or areas with a high population of “at-risk” youth.
• can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment to the project, particularly in the form of fundraising by local skateboarders and other community groups.
• encourage skaters to look after their own safety and the safety of others without restricting their access to the park or over-regulating their use of it.
• are open during daylight hours, 365 days a year.
• don’t charge an entrance fee or require registration.
• are in areas that currently have no accessible skateboarding facilities
• are committed to a process that minimizes the environmental impact of the skatepark.

Supply Vs. Demand

As the benefits of skateparks are felt within a community, the demand for grants from the Built to Play Skatepark Program will become increasingly competitive across the region. If your proposed skatepark does not reflect the priorities outlined above, your project is unlikely to receive a grant through this program.

All Built to Play Skatepark Grant Applicants will receive a detailed review of their projects, whether a grant is awarded or not.

Focus of Built to Play Skatepark Grants

The principal focus of Built to Play Skatepark Grants is to encourage and facilitate the design, development, and construction of new quality skateboard parks and facilities, located in eligible communities in the 16 counties served by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. Skatepark projects in communities outside this service area or those seeking funds for anything other than the construction of a skateboard park may not apply for a Built to Play Skatepark Grant. Built to Play-funded skatepark projects must also incorporate processes and design features that minimize the environmental impact of the skatepark.

More information about The Skatepark Project’s Skatepark Grant program can be found here.

Challenge Overview

Climate change is an omnipresent issue with the hottest recorded year, continuous extreme weather, and long-term impacts that will be determined by near-term choices. While driven by emissions from energy, industry, and agriculture in a concentrated set of economies, climate change disproportionately impacts the up to 3.6 billion people living in contexts that are highly vulnerable to impacts including extreme heat, flooding, and droughts. The climate crisis requires dramatic action, including rapid technology deployment alongside bold policies, financial commitments from governments, private capital, and philanthropy, and global market shifts.

Technology and innovation have an important role to play in contending with the effects of climate change. Technology exists to replace or mitigate all major areas of current emissions but often has minimal adoption due to high costs, a lack of engagement with communities, and the need for design at scale. Innovation can offer new business models, decreased costs, and approaches to scaling impact alongside or in place of new technologies that can help meet mitigation and adaptation goals at the speed of the crisis.

MIT Solve seeks exceptional solutions that leverage technology to address the causes and impacts of the climate crisis. While we are excited to select and support innovators across any climate area, we have a particular interest in solutions that: 

• Adapt cities to more extreme weather, including through climate-smart buildings, incorporating climate risk in infrastructure planning, and restoring regional ecosystems.
• Enable a low-carbon and nutritious global food system, across large and small-scale producers plus supply chains that reduce food loss.
• Strengthen coastal and marine ecosystems and communities through the broader blue economy, including fisheries, clean energy, and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).

Special Call: Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program

Black and Latine communities in the US are structurally the most vulnerable to climate-fueled hazards and the least likely to have access to healthy and affordable food. As part of Solve’s ongoing work on US racial equity, we encourage those working to address racial disparities in climate action across US communities to apply for the Challenge and receive additional support through our Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program.

Prizes

MIT Solve - Solver Award

All Solver teams selected for Solve’s Global Challenges and the Indigenous Communities Fellowship will receive a $10,000 grant funded by Solve.

The Seeding The Future Food Systems Prize

The Seeding the Future Food Systems Prize is open to high impact innovations focusing on transforming food systems to be more sustainable, and to enable equitable access to safe and nutritious food that is affordable and trusted. Solutions benefitting underserved communities, countries or regions are encouraged to apply. Up to $150,000 will be awarded to two or more high-impact solutions selected for any of Solve’s 2025 Global Challenges. This prize is supported by the Seeding The Future Foundation, a private nonprofit organization that seeds and supports innovative solutions to help improve the global food system.

The E Ink Innovation Prize

The E Ink Innovation Prize is open to solutions that currently utilize or propose to utilize ePaper materials, technology, or displays to address problems of global importance in any of Solve’s areas of impact, including topics such as architecture, education, or intercultural understanding. The prize is funded by E Ink, a corporation that advances healthy solutions and a sustainable future using ultra-low power, daylight readable displays. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to up to four Solver teams selected for any of the 2025 Global Challenges or Solve’s existing portfolio of alumni teams. E Ink may also opt to provide materials and technical support to its prize recipients.

The AI for Humanity Prize

The AI for Humanity Prize is open to solutions leveraging data science, artificial intelligence, and/or machine learning to benefit humanity. The prize is made possible by The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropy committed to advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across several Solver teams from any of the 2025 Global Challenges.

The GM Prize

The GM Prize is open to solutions that help create smart, safe, and sustainable communities around the world. The Prize is funded by General Motors, which is working toward becoming the most inclusive company in the world and is dedicated to making STEM education more accessible and equitable. Up to $150,000 will be awarded across up to six Solver teams from the 2025 Global Learning Challenge, the 2025 Global Climate Challenge, and the 2025 Indigenous Communities Fellowship.

The Citizens Workforce Innovation Prize

The Citizens Workforce Innovation Prize seeks to accelerate the development of solutions that will prepare people for today’s opportunities and the workplace of the future, advance new ways of working, and drive economic impact within communities. Funded by Citizens, the prize furthers the company’s commitment to helping communities meet today’s demands while positioning themselves well for the future. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to up to four Solver teams across all 2025 Global Challenges or Solve's portfolio of alumni teams. Preference will be given to solutions that can be implemented to address workforce development challenges in Boston, MA and New York, NY that also have scaling potential to other geographies.

The Crescent Enterprises ‘AI for Social Innovation’ Prize

The Crescent Enterprises ‘AI for Social Innovation’ Prize supports groundbreaking solutions that leverage data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to tackle critical global social challenges. Sponsored by Crescent Enterprises - a diversified conglomerate spanning industries such as ports and logistics, power and engineering, food and beverage, life sciences and business aviation - the prize reflects the company’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and meaningful global impact.

Up to $100,000 will be awarded to as many as four Solver teams addressing the 2025 Global Challenges or selected from Solve’s portfolio of alumni teams. This prize aims to recognise and accelerate the growth of transformative solutions, driving positive change for a better future.

Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Ocean Innovation Prize

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Ocean Innovation Prize is open to solutions supporting innovation for coasts, oceans, and the broader blue economy. The prize is funded by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which is committed to protecting and progressing planetary health. Up to $100,000 will be awarded to one Solver team.

The Community Innovation Prize

The Community Innovation Prize is open to innovative solutions for communities by communities. Up to $200,000, as well as custom workshops addressing innovator needs will be awarded to up to four Solver teams who are current or past Solvers across Solve's US Equity portfolio. Preference will be given to innovator teams based in or implementing/planning to implement in Chicago, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Houston, New York City, and/or Philadelphia in the areas of Health, Economic Prosperity, Climate, or Indigenous Communities.

In 1966, a farmer-owned cooperative, formed a small foundation, the Agway Foundation, to benefit agriculture and the public good. The Foundation was organized as a trust and funded by contributions from Agway Inc. In September 2003, the Agway Foundation, Inc. was formed pursuant to Section 402 of the New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law. The Foundation was formed as a successor organization to the original trust. In May 2009 the organization was renamed the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. (the “Foundation”). It will function as a private foundation to promote the development of agricultural leadership and a better understanding of agriculture and agricultural-related activities within the Northeastern United States. 

The Foundation will provide financial support to organizations which are recognized as qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, accept any gifts, contributions, grants and donations which are deemed appropriate by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and conduct any and all lawful activities which may be necessary or useful. 

The primary goal of the Foundation is to support education and leadership training organizations dedicated to serving the interests of farmers and rural communities in the Northeast. 

Contributions will be focused geographically primarily in the northeastern United States. Programs or projects are expected to be primarily statewide or larger activities.

The Foundation will support organizations whose activities either promote agricultural leadership development, help foster a better understanding of agriculture and/or our food production system, or improve the quality of life for farmers.

 Of particular interest to the Foundation are those organizations that

• provide agricultural leadership training
• provide education about agriculture
• educate citizens, especially youth, about how food is produced and processed
• promote farm safety awareness, especially those which educate and train farmers and their families

The East Hill Foundation is a privately-funded family foundation, which evolved out of the Greatbatch family’s tradition of stewardship. Funding was initiated through small grants out of the family-owned business, Wilson Greatbatch Ltd. In 1986 with the help of Peter Greatbatch, Eleanor and Wilson’s youngest son, the East Hill Foundation was established. The family’s hope was to further the tradition of stewardship which could be enhanced and passed on to future generations. With the sale of Wilson Greatbatch Ltd. in 1997 and the abrupt death of the Executive Director, Peter Greatbatch in 1998, the Foundation was restructured. Ami Greatbatch joined the Board of Directors and was appointed Co-Chairman with her husband Warren Greatbatch. The Foundation’s area of interest was extended to the eight counties of Western New York. In 1999, Michele Schmidt joined the Foundation as the full-time Grants Director.

East Hill Foundation and E & W G Foundation grant funding is currently divided into three components: Western New York Grants, Family/Board/Staff Sponsored Grants, and the North Tonawanda Grants Program.

Western New York Grants

East Hill Foundation considers grant applications from qualified 501(c)(3) organizations, which address community needs and opportunities designed to enhance the quality of life of the residents of Western New York.

Community giving is primarily focused within the eight counties of Western New York:

• Allegany,
• Cattaraugus,
• Chautauqua,
• Erie,
• Genesee,
• Niagara,
• Orleans, and 
• Wyoming County

Funding priorities include basic human needs projects for food, clothing and shelter to assist those less fortunate in our community.

Our Mission

Land O'Lakes, Inc. and the Land O'Lakes Foundation are dedicated to serving the rural and urban communities where our cooperative has members owners, employees, and facilities. Support is focused on organizations dedicated to Hunger Relief, Advancing Education, and Community Vitality.

Region Grants Program

The Region Grants Program is specifically for Land O’Lakes dairy communities in the East and West Regions of our member footprint. The purpose is to improve the vibrancy of the regions where our member-owners are located.

Funds are awarded through two grant rounds: Hunger Relief and Community Vitality.

Funding

• $125,000 total is awarded to both the East and West regions per grant round.
• Total annual program investment is $500,000.
• Organizations may apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.
  • Generally, between 10-20 grantees are funded per grant round.
  • Average grant award is between $5,000 to $10,000.
• Funds are for local programs or projects supporting Land O’Lakes member-owner rural communities and their populations.

Region Grants Open Grant Round: Hunger Relief

Organizations committed to fighting food insecurity and increasing food accessibility:

• Food banks
• Food shelves/pantries
• Prepared meals and meal delivery services
• School meal programs
• Community gardens and local food systems

NYSCA/GHHN Grants

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Program is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports projects from Long Island and New York City. This statewide program now offers three opportunities for collecting institutions in New York State.

• Conservation Treatment
• Preservation Supplies
• Site Assessment 

Organizations may apply to all three opportunities in the same year. 

Preservation Supplies

The NYSCA/GHHN Preservation Supplies Grant is an opportunity under the NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Program partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) that provides funds to purchase collection management supplies for museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. Additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports projects from Long Island and New York City.

What We Fund

Applicants who have consulted with an appropriate professional (i.e., completed a MAP, CAP, NEA’s Small Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions, C2CNYS Circuit Rider, GHHN’s Collections Needs Assessment Program, etc.) or by knowledgeable staff may request funds to purchase collection management supplies and shipping. If an organization has limited experience in rehousing collections, they should work with a Site Assessment consultant to provide guidance in selecting appropriate supply materials.

Applicants may request funds up to $650 for general collections management needs. No match is required. Supplies may include, but are not limited to: storage boxes, acid-free tissue paper, artifact trays, dividers, UV filtering film, Tyvek sheeting, cotton tying tape, item ID tags, HEPA vacuums, dehumidifiers, polyester batting, Ethafoam, environmental monitors, etc. If you have questions about specific collection care supply items, please call us! 

Funding

• Maximum Award: $650
• Funding to purchase collections management supplies

Goldman Sachs Community Development Grants Program

At Goldman Sachs, we believe that strong communities are the foundation of a prosperous society. Through our Community Development Grants Program, we provide funding for non-profits that are making a difference in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities.

Eligible not-for-profit organizations are invited to apply for funding from the Goldman Sachs Bank USA Community Development Grants Program. The grants program seeks to support community development programs that serve low- and moderate- income individuals or communities and address key community needs such as:

• Affordable housing
• Community services such as education, including financial education for youth and consumers
• Small business development
• Neighborhood revitalization

The Equity Builders Initiative will provide organizations with 3-year unrestricted grants. Organizations must focus on affordable housing, small business development, neighborhood revitalization, and/or community services.

In addition to the new Equity Builders Initiative, we are also continuing our practice of offering 1-year program-related grants. This year we are focusing on homeownership for LMI households. Select organizations will receive a one-time grant up to $200,000.

The Equity Builders Initiative

Multi-year Unrestricted Grants

Through more than 50 meetings with nonprofit partners in 2023, we heard an urgent need for trust-based, multi-year, general operating grants.

As a result, we are introducing our new Equity Builders Initiative, which will award more than $1 million in unrestricted funding over three years to each selected organization.

Eligible organizations must serve New York City, Hudson and Essex Counties in New Jersey, or Salt Lake City, UT.

The Change Makers Initiative

LMI Homeownership Focused Grant

In addition to the new Equity Builders Initiative, we are also continuing our practice of offering 1-year program-related grants. This year we are focusing on homeownership for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households.

Select organizations will receive a one-time grant up to $200,000 towards their homeownership initiative.

Eligible organizations must serve New York City, Hudson and Essex Counties in New Jersey, or Salt Lake City, UT.

 Who We Are

The Western New York Foundation is a philanthropic organization created to support activities that improve the quality of life for people who live in the seven (7) counties of Western New York. Since 1951, we have had the privilege of partnering with nonprofits to amplify their good work and maximize their impact on the communities they serve. As we move into 2023, our commitment to supporting the growth of nonprofits remains as strong as ever. We are particularly excited to renew our focus on partnering with organizations that are making an impact on our regional food system

We are looking towards systemic change and the realization of a more self-reliant region. It is with this intentional regional lens that we are committed to bringing a more diverse group of partners into our work to address the growing concerns of Western New Yorkers.

What We Do

We focus on fostering healthy organizational growth and cultivating nonprofit adaptability and resiliency.

The WNY Foundation provides grants to support organizations that are changing our regional food systems and finding equitable solutions to long-standing problems. Our goal is to make targeted investments in specific capacities that will meet the unique characteristics and needs of each individual nonprofit.

We provide the necessary resources to build skills, ability and training that will allow under-resourced agencies to directly address community needs by investing in strategies and structures that result in sound management, strong governance, and greater financial stability.

We support coalitions and collaborations across sectors that encourage innovative solutions. We believe diverse partnerships create more equitable and sustainable results.

Who We Fund

The Foundation strives to empower innovative people with the resources needed to create and implement sustainable solutions that will build a thriving and equitable food system that reflects the community it serves. We prioritize nonprofits focused on the wellbeing of BIPOC communities, families disproportionally impacted by poverty, immigrants and refugees, and disadvantaged people in rural areas. We will support efforts that work to decrease social inequities and reject the disparities of conventional food systems.

The WNY Foundation recognizes the vital role that wellbeing plays in building strong and thriving communities. As defined by the Full Frame Initiative (FFI), wellbeing is a multi-dimensional concept that impacts individuals and the communities they live in. There are five factors in play, which are largely socially determined: safety; stability; mastery; social connectedness, and meaningful access to relevant resources. Our foundation is committed to supporting nonprofits who align with the wellbeing tenets.

Seeds of Sustainability Capacity Building Grant Program

The Seeds of Sustainability Grant Program is designed to provide funding and support to nonprofit organizations that aim to improve their capacity to achieve their mission and do transformative work. This program provides financial assistance to help the organization develop the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to enhance their operations and achieve sustainable growth. We support a range of activities and support services tailored to the specific needs of the organization. These may include:

• Support Strategic Leadership: to develop strong board and staff leadership and assist our grantees in implementing strategic priorities during critical periods of growth and revitalization.
• Foster Collaboration: to strengthen community engagement and support collaborative and strategic relationship efforts that will result in stronger and expanded services.
• Strengthen Communications: to support communications efforts that raise awareness about an organization’s mission and attract attention and resources to the organization’s cause.
• Expand Resources and Stabilize Financials: to develop financial stability by increasing the ability of the nonprofit to develop necessary resources and plan for longer-term sustainability.
• Promote Programming Excellence: to enhance the provision of services by strengthening the nonprofit’s ability to program and evaluate its work.
• Enhance Operational Effectiveness: to improve day-to-day operational productivity and enhance nonprofit functioning in areas such as administration, grant management, finance, human resources, technology, and facility management.

Grant applications are welcome from organizations whose work aligns with our mission and priority areas. For all grant programs, this includes a focus on our local and regional food systems. Additionally, our iCAP programs also consider applications from arts and culture organizations and those serving rural communities. 

NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program

A partnership of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN) that provides support for treatment procedures by professional conservators to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation has provided additional dedicated support for conservation treatment projects in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

What We Fund 

• Support is available for conservation treatment of paintings, works on paper (including individual drawings, watercolors, prints or photographs), textiles (including costumes, domestic textiles, and upholstery), furniture, frames, sculpture, historical, ethnographic, and decorative objects.
• Frames are an integral part of a painting and applicants must address frame condition and treatment when applying for painting conservation.
  • Support is also available for treatment costs for supports, stands, and mounts that are integral to the treatment of the object.
• Grants will support in-state transportation costs for the objects and/or the conservators, and the cost of insurance for the work(s) to be treated.
• Requests for treatment of outdoor sculpture must include the description of an on-going maintenance program already in existence, or one to be implemented, at your institution.
  • An engineer's report may be required for some sculptures.

Funding Priorities

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program embraces the widest spectrum of cultural expression and artistic pluralism and encourages organizations to demonstrate a holistic and comprehensive DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and access) commitment. We believe the objects an organization choose to conserve tells a story of what is valued. Our funding priorities value objects and stories that tell a more inclusive narrative of New York State. Therefore:

• The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Treatment Grant Program will consider all eligible 3D objects for conservation, however we encourage requests for support of objects involving historically marginalized and underrepresented communities.
• For the purposes of this grant, historically marginalized and underrepresented communities may include: African American/Caribbean, Latino/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Native American/Indigenous; LGBTQIA and people with disabilities.
• Additionally, objects that interpret the stories of New York State are strongly encouraged for conservation.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Arts & Culture Initiative

In 2021, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established endowment funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo to support arts and culture in the eight counties of Western New York, plus Monroe County, in recognition of the key role arts and culture organizations play in a thriving economy.

Since the inception of the Arts & Culture Initiative, the Community Foundation has prioritized community feedback in the creation of this annual funding opportunity. 

The result of this work are three funding opportunities for 2025:

About Us

William T. Grant cared deeply about the development and well-being of young people. The Foundation was established to support research that could contribute to “human betterment and social progress.”

Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants

The Youth Service Capacity-Building Grants (YSCG) program supports activities to strengthen the organizational infrastructure of small nonprofit organizations in the five boroughs of New York City that provide direct services to young people ages 5 to 25.

The YSCG program is aligned with the Foundation’s broader focus on reducing inequality in youth outcomes. Inequality in New York City is multifaceted, reflected in racial and economic segregation across boroughs and neighborhoods, in inadequate services for Mexican-descent youth and LGBTQ youth, and in a lack of racial, ethnic, gender identity, and sexual-orientation diversity among executive directors and CEOs of youth-serving organizations. We seek to build the capacity of youth-serving nonprofit organizations that confront these challenges. The long-term goal of the YSCG program is to help build stronger, more stable youth-serving organizations that tackle inequality in youth outcomes.

These grants provide general operating support so that small nonprofits (operating budgets between $250,000 and $1 million) can determine the best way to address capacity-building needs that have been identified through a formal or informal assessment. Capacity-building needs may include: financial management, board recruitment and development, human resource management, staff training, fundraising, strategic planning, information technology, leadership development, communications, and evaluation systems. We welcome other compelling needs beyond this list. Strong proposals will make the case that addressing the capacity-building need will result in a strengthened organization that can yield stronger services for youth.

Eligible youth-serving, nonprofit organizations must meet at least one of the following criteria related to the Foundation’s focus on reducing inequality in youth outcomes:

• Currently provide direct youth services in one of the eleven community districts identified as having the highest community risk to child well-being by the Citizen’s Committee for Children, or;
• Have well-defined existing programming tailored specifically to Mexican-descent or LGBTQ youth, or;
• Have leaders (Executive Director or CEO) who are people of color and/or members of the LGBTQ community.

Our Mission

Land O'Lakes, Inc. and the Land O'Lakes Foundation are dedicated to serving the rural and urban communities where our cooperative has members owners, employees, and facilities. Support is focused on organizations dedicated to Hunger Relief, Advancing Education, and Community Vitality.

Region Grants Program

The Region Grants Program is specifically for Land O’Lakes dairy communities in the East and West Regions of our member footprint. The purpose is to improve the vibrancy of the regions where our member-owners are located.

Funds are awarded through two grant rounds: Hunger Relief and Community Vitality.

Funding

• $125,000 total is awarded to both the East and West regions per grant round.
• Total annual program investment is $500,000.
• Organizations may apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000.
  • Generally, between 10-20 grantees are funded per grant round.
  • Average grant award is between $5,000 to $10,000.
• Funds are for local programs or projects supporting Land O’Lakes member-owner rural communities and their populations.

Region Grants Open Grant Round: Community Vitality

• 4-H, FFA, and ag education programs
• Schools and educational institutions
• City improvement projects
• Fire/Ambulance departments
• Local United Way chapters
• Economic development programs

NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC)

The NY Small Business Funders Collective (SBFC) is a group of philanthropic entities coming together to strengthen the local small business ecosystem across the New York region. Members of the Collective share the belief that entrepreneurship is a powerful lever for innovation, community vibrancy, and economic development. Through pooled grantmaking, the Collective aims to expand opportunities for Black, Latinx, API, and Indigenous entrepreneurs to thrive.

Supplier Diversity Partnership Grant Opportunity

Building on a track record of collaboration, innovation, and partnership, the Collective is embarking on a new round of grantmaking with supplier diversity as its focus. As done in two previous rounds, the Collective seeks to discover and support proximate, community-led initiatives involving a wide range of cross-sector players.

This Request for Proposals aims to reveal and fund innovative solutions in procurement that diversify supplier networks in the city, increase supply chain localization, and increase the number of historically excluded small business owners seeking and securing contracts with purchasers and anchor institutions in NYC.

While the Collective believes that small business entrepreneurs and those that serve them can proactively address challenges that affect their ability to compete for contracts, it feels strongly that equal attention should be paid to the anchor institutions and government agencies that issue contracts and procure goods & services (the “buyers”). The Collective seeks to innovate around systems change and shift perceptions that the supplier diversity issue should be solved by vendors, suppliers, and entrepreneurs (the “sellers”) alone. Instead, our 2024 RFP seeks to address both sides of this equation, spurring creative partnerships between buyers, sellers, and nonprofit entities that help create high-capacity vendors through joint ventures, cooperatives, guilds, and other partner models.

Funding Priorities

Applicants may prioritize one or some of the following solution areas in support of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, AAPI, women, and other historically excluded entrepreneurs in the five boroughs of NYC:

• Capital Access:
  • Extending, designing, and/or growing mechanisms for delivering inclusive capital for businesses, particularly working capital.
• Bonding & Insurance:
  • Providing referrals to ensure small businesses more effectively access the required bonding and insurance needed to bid for contracts (may include advancing to Tier 1 or Prime status).
• Readiness & Certification:
  • Offering personalized analysis and training to small businesses interested in securing contracts.
  • Also includes buyer/seller mentoring and relationship building.
• Capacity-Building:
  • Assisting small businesses in taking their enterprises to scale to successfully bid for public and private contracts.
  • Similarly, educating and providing support to buyers about moving past the “lowest cost provider” and optimizing their spend with diverse suppliers, using BSOs as a conduit.
• Outreach/Networking:
  • Building communication channels that reach to the community level so under invested small business owners connect with contract opportunities.
  • Also includes efforts to overcome “insider” language and structures in procurement.
• Data Collection & Bench-marking:
  • Design, amplify, and share emerging tools such as Artificial Intelligence for buyers to measure progress towards supplier-diversity goals.

The Collective also welcomes additional interventions beyond the list above.

The Collective is also interested in the “disparity within a disparity” noted by the City’s Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael Garner where Black, Hispanic, and Native American owned firms are vastly underutilized in a certification designed to help them. To that point, only 14.94% of M/WBE contracts in FY22 were awarded to Black, Hispanic, and Native American owned firms.

Our desire is for the nonprofit partner leading the application to operate at the local level, and be intimately familiar with the challenges Black, Latinx, Indigenous, AAPI, women, and other historically excluded entrepreneurs face in their community. Together, the lead and partner organizations will address one or more of the six solutions areas mentioned above. Proposals will be evaluated using a scoring rubric, which is available as part of the proposal packet.

A competitive proposal to the SBFC will address specific barriers that small business firms led by people of color, women, and other historically excluded business owners experience as they seek to do business with anchor institutions such as corporations and government agencies. Proposals can address any part of the life cycle of a procurement relationship. Similarly, proposals can address any aspect of the supply chain continuum.

We are most interested in hearing about your unique approach to amplifying and elevating historically excluded small business owners in the procurement space, and what data/research grounds your work. Through this RFP process, the Collective is interested in learning about persistent pain points and innovative solutions to address them.

The Collective is committed to learning and positively impacting the small business ecosystem in NYC, and our intention is to fully engage with the cohort of grantees to discover and learn about new ideas, solutions, pathways to access in the realm of supplier diversity. Awardees will work with the Collective to select measurable objectives for their project. Awardees will also participate in a learning cohort facilitated by the Collective for the period of one year, offering the opportunity for peer networking and shared best practices among lead and partner organizations.

Funding

One-Year Partnership Grants. Expected to range between $100,000-$250,000.