Search Through Grants for the Arts in Wyoming in the U.S.

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

Background

The Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation is a private charitable foundation located in Sheridan, Wyoming, established by area ranchers Homer and Mildred Scott in 1982. The Foundation was activated in 1988. From their earliest days as a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Scott were personally involved in supporting their community. Their deep philanthropic commitment under girded the family’s values, and from the time they were young, their five children heard their parents emphasize the importance of giving back to the community. Mr. and Mrs. Scott established their trust to dedicate its support primarily to organizations in and around the Sheridan area (70 percent) as well as other areas where Scott family members have a presence. The Scotts believed that the organizations they supported should be well run, have a plan, and not rely too heavily on government funds. For that reason they required grantees to secure matching funds as leverage.

Essentially, the Foundation serves as a catalyst to encourage and assist area non-profits in their work. Its areas of interest for grant-making purposes are relatively broad in scope but have and emphasis on youth. In selecting organizations to which grant funds will be awarded, the Foundation will consider organizations which provide educational and character-building opportunities for young people. The Foundation also recognizes that vital communities need economic opportunity, a healthy environment, and arts and humanities.

Our Mission

The Homer A. & Mildred S. Scott Foundation works to strengthen the lives of people who in turn make our community a great place to live.

Our Vision

Communities in which the Homer A. & Mildred S. Scott Foundation has a presence are healthy and vibrant and embrace all citizens.

The Scott Foundation prioritizes funding in Sheridan County, WY with a focus on character building opportunities for youth. The Executive Director will be happy to explain proposal submission procedures, identify due dates, send you a proposal form, and answer other questions.

JFLA Mini Grant For Japanese Arts & Culture Program

This grant aims to support projects that will enhance further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Successful candidates may be granted up to $5,000. The Japan Foundation Los Angeles handles Arts and Culture grants for the 13 states west of the Rocky Mountains. These include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Grant Coverage

• Publicity fees
• Printing costs of programs, flyers, and brochures
• Honoraria for artists and lecturers
• Travel Expenses for artists and lecturers, including per diem and accommodation expenses
• Shipping cost of films, exhibits and other materials related to the proposed event
• Facility fee

The grant will be paid in the form of reimbursement for the preceding expenses. The award money will be remitted upon receipt of the final report and proofs of payment. 

McMurry Foundation Grant

The McMurry Foundation was established in 1998 to have a significant and beneficial impact on the communities within Wyoming. Special emphasis is in Natrona County, Wyoming in the areas of education, religion, children and advocacy for children, health and human services, the arts and humanities, and favorable business environments. In carrying out our work, we are guided by the values of excellence and compassion.

The Foundation invests in...

...innovative ventures as well as established community programs that have the potential to make a lasting difference. We provide seed money to start new programs as well as general funds to expand or improve services offered by established agencies. We also help organizations within our community become more self-sufficient through strategic planning, increasing management capacity, and board development, in order for these organizations to better serve community needs. As we move forward, we will continue to nurture the spirit of innovation while discovering how communities can learn from and share more productivity with each other.

Funding Priorities

Education

The Foundation supports educational programs as a means to address the long-term well-being of the community.

Children and Advocacy for Children

The Foundation believes that all children need to be exposed to a variety of social, cultural, intellectual and recreational experiences to help them develop their identities. We invest in programs that focus on mentoring, developing leadership skills, encouraging community service and building self-esteem.

Religion

The Foundation supports activities that further the religious aspects of our society.

Arts and Humanities

The Foundation seeks to enhance the quality of life through arts and humanities programs.

Children and Advocacy for Children

The Foundation believes that all children need to be exposed to a variety of social, cultural, intellectual and recreational experiences to help them develop their identities. We invest in programs that focus on mentoring, developing leadership skills, encouraging community service and building self-esteem.

Favorable Business Environment 

The Foundation invests in organizations and projects that strive to enhance the dignity and economic independence of individuals, their families and their communities by supporting a variety of community and economic development strategies.

Health and Human Services

The Foundation seeks to create opportunities for all individuals to reach their full potential by supporting programs that relieve suffering and improve living conditions of individuals and families facing transition and crisis. Priorities of the Foundation in this area are programs that address the causes or prevention of social and economic issues and provide basic human, social and physical services.

About the Foundation

Established in 2022, the Roy and Gloria Dinsdale Foundation is a private foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska. The foundation honors the late Gloria and Roy Dinsdale, executive chairman of Pinnacle Bancorp, Inc. and founder of Pinnacle Bank. The Board of Directors is made up of Roy and Gloria’s three children, Jane Dinsdale Rogers, Chris Dinsdale, and Sid Dinsdale.

Roy Dinsdale was the 3rd generation to live in Palmer, Nebraska. He and Gloria married in 1949 and settled in Palmer. Both Roy and Gloria were influenced by their upbringing in small Nebraska towns, where people help each other and support each other, when there is a need.

This concept of helping each other by giving back drives the Foundation to provide support in the communities Pinnacle Bank, Bank of Colorado and other Dinsdale companies serve.

Mission

The Roy and Gloria Dinsdale Foundation seeks to improve lives by providing food, shelter, clothing, and support for daily living, in addition to providing support for the arts and education.

Focus Areas

The family prefers to support local needs, including organizations, programs and initiatives in rural communities that impact the local economy when possible.

• Persons with Disabilities:
  • Provide support for the daily needs and enrichment of persons with disabilities.
• Healthcare:
  • Improve the health and lives of people, emphasizing access to quality care including specialized services such as hospice care in rural communities.
• Education:
  • Enhance educational opportunities and access for children and adults to local educational facilities embedded in community, specifically in the areas of early childhood education, child care, and junior colleges.
• Arts:
  • Increase access to the arts, enrich lives, and contribute to the creation of vibrant communities.
• Veterans and First Responders:
  • Support the needs of veterans, first responders and their families.

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. 

Wyoming Arts Council

The Wyoming Arts Council is pleased to provide funding opportunities for the many worthwhile art projects that our nonprofit organizations, government entities, and individual artists are doing throughout the state of Wyoming.

Mission

The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to champion, sustain, and cultivate community through the arts.

Vision

The Wyoming Arts Council envisions a Wyoming where the arts are a driving force in the social, economic, educational, and everyday life of its citizens.

Philosophy

• The arts are a foundation for community development, education, economic development, health, and cultural vitality.
• The arts help us understand ourselves, our world and our cultural heritage
• The arts preserve and protect our cultural history while opening a door to new cultural frontiers
• The arts influence lifelong learning practices that allow innovative ideas to flourish in all sectors of economic development.
• The arts prepare children and adults to become creative, productive citizens of the state

Arts Access Project Grant

This grant is available to organizations for arts project funding designed to increase access to the arts for under-served communities (individuals with a disability, older adults, veterans, economically disadvantaged individuals, rural communities, English as a second language speakers, individuals with multifaceted identities & cultural backgrounds, folk and traditional arts and artists) through comprehensive and collaborative community engagement.

Organizations that did not receive a Community Support Grant are eligible to receive up to two Arts Council grants in the other grant programs for different programs/events, depending on criteria for each specific grant.

Wyoming Arts Council

The Wyoming Arts Council is pleased to provide funding opportunities for the many worthwhile art projects that our nonprofit organizations, government entities, and individual artists are doing throughout the state of Wyoming.

Mission

The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts.

Vision

WAC envisions a Wyoming where the arts are integrated into the economy, education and everyday life of its citizens.

Philosophy

• The arts are a foundation for community development, education, economic development, health, and cultural vitality.
• The arts help us understand ourselves, our world and our cultural heritage
• The arts preserve and protect our cultural history while opening a door to new cultural frontiers
• The arts influence lifelong learning practices that allow innovative ideas to flourish in all sectors of economic development.
• The arts prepare children and adults to become creative, productive citizens of the state

Professional Development/Career Advancement Grant 

This grant is specifically designed to help grow the capacity of organizations and individuals that work in, and support the arts. Projects can include but are not limited to: board development, leadership development, conference attendance, professional development training, fundraising development, strategic planning, creation of marketing plans, equipment purchases, etc.

Organizations that did not receive a Community Support Grant are eligible to receive up to two Professional Development/Career Advancement Grants for different programs or events. 

Individual Artists can receive one Professional Development/Career Advancement Grant every other fiscal year. 

ABOUT WYOMING HUMANITIES

Wyoming Humanities is our state’s affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and an independent 501(c)3 non-profit governed by a board of private citizens who believe the humanities can help us better understand the issues of our times. 

Founded in 1970 in response to the National Arts and Humanities Act of 1965 enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson, we are one of 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils. Wyoming was one of the first states to implement this independent nonprofit model to provide public humanities programs for our citizens.  

Our purpose is to use the humanities to strengthen our democracy, enhance the Wyoming narrative, and promote engaged communities. We bring together public and private funding to accomplish our goals and are a statewide organization that strives to serve all 23 counties and 99 communities of Wyoming every year.

SPARK Grants

Projects may start a minimum of 30 days after grant application due date. Applicants will hear decision within approximately 15 days of due date.

The project must be humanities centered. The humanities encompass the study of all our forms of human cultural expression: our history, arts, literature, philosophy, religion, laws, cultural studies, and languages. These break down further into subsets such as ecological humanities and gender studies. However, projects like arts performances that do not have a Q&A or talk-back session to delve into the meaning and context of the experience of art fall into the realm of Wyoming Arts Council funding.

The program must be built around a public event. If the project isn’t about directly engaging a public audience (through outreach components like lectures, documentaries, digital medias, curated exhibits, moderated film series, etc.) then it is probably not a fit for Wyoming Humanities funding. For the same reason, Wyoming Humanities strongly prefers to support public events that do not charge admission.

Examples of SPARK Grants projects include

• A storytelling circle at the Big Horn Folk Festival.
• A live play reading and discussion series by Relative Theatrics.
• A panel discussion with two Apsaalooke (Crow) tribal members and two Wyoming lawyers to discuss the Apsaalooke religious connection to Heart Mountain and how that relationship plays out today in legal and social justice work in Wyoming.
• Humanities scholars accompanying a regional tour of a dance interpretation of Ellis Island oral histories. The scholars gave lectures at high schools and facilitated post-performance discussions on immigration, both broadly and specific to Wyoming’s rich immigrant history.

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.

Oregon Trail Community Foundation

The Oregon Trail Community Foundation is a benevolent community trust organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska for the benefit of the citizens of western Nebraska and Goshen and Platte Counties in eastern Wyoming.

The Oregon Trail Community Foundation is dedicated to supporting projects that improve education, our schools, wildlife preservation, historical landmarks, the arts, healthcare and scientific research.

The Foundation offers grants, scholarships and other services to organizations and individuals through funds provided by donations, memberships, bequests, trusts and other financial vehicles.  The Oregon Trail Community Foundation helps you contribute to the betterment of your community.

The Community Foundation of Teton Valley elevates lives through the power of generosity. It achieves that mission, in part, by hosting a Competitive Grant Program to award funds to our nonprofit community in the most strategic and impactful way.

Competitive Grants Program

The Community Foundation supports a wide variety of proposals. Ideas for addressing issues in the arts, environment, social services, education, recreation, animal, and civic arenas are all welcome. Applicants may request funding to support new or existing programs, capital projects, professional development, strategic planning, new or existing projects, pilot projects, equipment purchases, general operations, and capacity building.

Laura Jane Musser  was born June 4, 1916, the child of Drew Musser and Sarah "Sally" Walker Musser. She lived in Little Falls, MN all of her life at the family home, Linden Hill. Upon her death in 1989 at the age of 73, The Laura Jane Musser came into being to continue on with some of her interests in life, including the arts and helping children, as expressed in the guidelines.Rural Arts ProgramGeneral Operating Support Program In recognition of Laura Jane Musser's life-long commitment to excellence in the arts, and with awareness that pivotal and life-changing experience can occur for individuals through introduction to and participation in the arts, the Laura Jane Musser Fund hopes to encourage and excite a wider population to appreciate, learn, and participate in the arts.  The Musser Fund hopes to assist nonprofit arts organizations in rural communities to develop, implement or sustain exceptional artistic opportunities for adults and children in the areas of literary, visual, music, and performing arts. Priority is placed on organizations that:

• Increase access to the arts through scholarships, hands-on activities, community venues, workshops, discounts and other innovations;
• Demonstrate capacity to engage their community in the creation of art;
• Demonstrate support from their community (through volunteerism, membership, in-kind, or other types of support).

Grantees that request second and third years of support will be asked to report on their progress toward the goals they articulated in their previous year's application, especially in the following areas:

• Increasing access to their services;
• Increasing their organizational sustainability;
• Increasing support from their community. 

THE LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND was established by the estate of Laura Jane Musser of Little Falls, Minnesota to continue the personal philanthropy which she practiced in her lifetime.

Intercultural Harmony Grant

The LAURA JANE MUSSER FUND would like to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between groups and citizens of different cultural backgrounds within defined geographical areas through collaborative, cross-cultural exchange projects. Projects must be intercultural and demonstrate intercultural exchange, rather than focused on just one culture.

Priority is Placed on Projects that . . .

Include  members of various cultural communities working together on projects with common goals

Build positive relationships across cultural lines

Engender intercultural harmony, tolerance, understanding, and respect

Enhance intercultural communication, rather than cultural isolation, while at the same time honoring the unique qualities of each culture

Projects must demonstrate:

• Need in the community for the intercultural exchange project
• Grassroots endorsement by participants across cultural lines, as well as their active participation in planning and implementation of the project
• The ability of the organization to address the challenges of working across the cultural barriers identified by the project
• Tangible benefits in the larger community

Available Funds

Planning (up to $5,000) 

These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.

Implementation (up to $25,000)

These funds are available to implement collaborative cross-cultural exchange projects. The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months. Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period

Outcomes

Outcomes should include:

• A demonstration of intercultural exchange between cultures
• Increased comfort in interaction between the groups and individual citizens addressed by the project
• Harmonious shared use of public space and community facilities
• Continued cooperation by the participants or communities addressed by the project

Intercultural Harmony projects can be carried out in a number of areas, including (but not limited to):

• Community service
• Youth activities
• The arts

What the program will cover

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• The planning or implementation phase of a project

For over 25 years the Wyoming Community Foundation (WYCF) has connected people who care with causes that matter to build a better Wyoming. Over the years we have granted nearly $50 million to Wyoming nonprofits, while also providing a variety of supports to our agency fund holders.

WYCF serves donors and communities by connecting them to causes they care most about. We make giving easy by accepting a wide-range of gifts, including estates and gifts of stock among others.  WYCF is overseen by a volunteer board who ensures your funds are being used to best support Wyoming.

Pacific Power Foundation

The Pacific Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Pacific Power. Our mission, through our charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of our communities. In 2021, the Pacific Power Foundation awarded more than $1 million to local nonprofit organizations.

Apply for a Grant

The foundation manages its grants in four cycles. This helps the foundation carefully review similar requests to ensure maximum benefit.

Education/STEM Grants

Electrical safety, energy efficiency education, higher education institutions, K-12, literacy and reading programs, STEM education initiatives, teacher/professional educator development, workforce development/careers and employability, and youth development.

The Wyoming Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that connects people who care with causes that matter to build a better Wyoming. WYCF is governed by a statewide board of directors, which grants funds to nonprofits across Wyoming that make an impact in their communities.

We accept applications in the areas of:

• Arts and Culture
• Health and Human Services
• Education
• Environment and Conservation
• Civic and Community Building

Wyoming Arts Council

The Wyoming Arts Council is pleased to provide funding opportunities for the many worthwhile art projects that our nonprofit organizations, government entities, and individual artists are doing throughout the state of Wyoming.

Mission

The Wyoming Arts Council provides leadership and invests resources to sustain, promote and cultivate excellence in the arts.

Vision

WAC envisions a Wyoming where the arts are integrated into the economy, education and everyday life of its citizens.

Philosophy

• The arts are a foundation for community development, education, economic development, health, and cultural vitality.
• The arts help us understand ourselves, our world and our cultural heritage
• The arts preserve and protect our cultural history while opening a door to new cultural frontiers
• The arts influence lifelong learning practices that allow innovative ideas to flourish in all sectors of economic development.
• The arts prepare children and adults to become creative, productive citizens of the state

Community Support Grant

The Community Support Grant offers operating and/or project support, as well as a portion dedicated to arts learning support for organizations that provide services to their community through the arts. All funded projects must be available to the general public.

An organization is eligible to receive up to $10,000 in operating and/or project support and up to $5,000 in arts learning support for a total of up to $15,000 in grant funding. The amount of funding requested cannot exceed 50% of your total project/operating expenses and requires a 1:1 cash match.

Arts Learning Component

Funding that is available through the Community Support grant offers funding for projects that enliven or improve arts learning to increase knowledge, understanding of, and skills in one or more art forms. Arts Learning is offered to non-profit organizations, social service agencies, tribes, community centers, school districts and local art agencies.

Funded activities can include year-long projects, a series of related or unrelated projects, a season of arts learning programs and technical assistance projects, such as curriculum development and planning for arts learning programs.

This funding can support:

• Making interactive art opportunities a basic component of arts learning.
• Developing and strengthening arts learning in community and schools.
• Providing opportunities for professional artists to work in community settings, outreach organizations and schools.
• Providing arts learning opportunities for all ages and in myriad settings.
• Obtaining expertise from elders, artists, instructors and educators to help design new arts programming, strengthen current programs or grow a teacher’s personal growth in knowledge and skills in an art form.

About the Foundation

Myra Fox Skelton was born July 26, 1899, in Osceola, Nebraska. At age 12, the Fox family moved to Dubois where she attended grade school and high school. In 1919, she attended the University of Wyoming. Following graduation in 1922, she moved to Thermopolis. She was elected superintendent of schools in Hot Springs County at age 23, the youngest person ever to hold a like office in the United States.

She married Warren V. Skelton, and together they became involved in the oil and gas leasing business. She moved to Casper in 1939 when Warren became the oil and gas Commissioner for the state of Wyoming.

Over the years, her philanthropic activities included the University of Wyoming Alumni Association, Casper College, and various religious and service organizations.

In 1983, she established the Myra Fox Skelton Foundation for religious, educational and charitable purposes. Ms. Skelton died on March 31, 1986.

Myra Fox Skelton Foundation Grant

The Myra Fox Skelton Foundation was established to support worthy charitable organizations operating in Wyoming, particularly those rendering services to and benefiting youth, health, education and religion.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Health
• Human services
• Public/society benefit
• Religion

Average giving

• Average number of grants per year: 10
• Average total giving per year: $125,000

The primary objective of the Tucker Foundation is to provide financial support to non-profit organizations to produce in young people the character and skills required to live a productive and happy life, along with organizations that conserve essential elements of our natural environment forever.

Geographic Concentration

• Chattanooga/Hamilton County MSA, Tennessee
• Cleveland/Bradley County MSA, Tennessee
• Sheridan County and Johnson County, Wyoming

Focus Areas

Education

• Principally Scholarships
• Capital Projects of Special Interest
• General Support of Schools and Colleges

Environmental Conservation

• Principally for acquisition of land or strict conservation easements committed to perpetual preservation.
• General Support /Operating Activities
• Other Land Conservation Methods

Arts and Cultural Organizations and Activities

• Educational Programs

Human and Social Improvement Activities

• Only Community-wide Activities

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

Pacific Power Foundation

The Pacific Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Pacific Power. Its mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of local communities.

Together with our foundation and employees, we've given $13 million to local communities since 2019 to lend a helping hand and spur economic development.

Grant Focus

The foundation manages its grants in four cycles. This helps the foundation carefully review similar requests to ensure maximum benefit.

Community Enhancement

Affordable housing, community resilience, community and recreation centers, economic development, libraries, monuments, memorials and science centers.

Environmental Respect

Animal and wildlife biodiversity; carbon and methane emissions; conservation of natural resources; environmental management systems; parks, trails and gardens; resource stewardship; waste management reduction, and water usage management.

Pacific Power Foundation

The Pacific Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Pacific Power. Our mission, through our charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of our communities. In 2021, the Pacific Power Foundation awarded more than $1 million to local nonprofit organizations.

Apply for a Grant

Arts/Culture

Arts festivals, cultural heritage, museums, music, theater/drama and visual arts.

Rocky Mountain Power Foundation

The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Rocky Mountain Power. Our mission, through our charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of our communities.

Apply for a Grant

The foundation manages its grants in four cycles. This helps the foundation carefully review similar requests to ensure maximum benefit.

• Educational and research organizations both public and private, from early childhood through university level (proposals due March 15)
• Environment, civic and community enhancement and other organizations not covered in other categories (due June 15)
• Arts and culture organizations dedicated to performing arts, visual arts, historic preservation, cross-cultural education and related (due September 15)
• Health, safety and wellness organizations including youth organizations, senior citizen centers, dependency and prevention programs and related (due December 15)

The foundation allocates grants that best serve community interests. Grants generally are less than $10,000 with most between $2,000 and $5,000.

WESTAF’s TourWest Grant provides flexible funding for presenters/presenting organizations within the WESTAF region to support their regional touring program. WESTAF also encourages the inclusion of community/educational outreach as part of an organization’s presentation of touring artists. 

TourWest is a competitive grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to provide subsidies to arts and community organizations in the 13-state WESTAF region and jurisdictions, including Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa for the presentation of touring performers and literary artists. 

Through TourWest, WESTAF and the National Endowment for the Arts aim to encourage the presentation of performing arts programming to culturally diverse audiences and those that do not typically enjoy ready access to the performing arts. In order to understand local needs and interests, WESTAF advocates working directly with individuals and groups from the communities that your organization seeks to serve. Community engagement and participation are key components of a successful TourWest grant application. 

WESTAF defines regional touring as programming that presents out-of-state touring artists and/or in-state touring artists traveling at least 50 miles to your venue. Presenters/presenting organizations are defined as organizations that present or host guest artists for engagements in their communities. Presenters can include but are not limited to community cultural organizations, community centers, churches, schools/colleges/universities, libraries, museums, film festivals/series, and performing arts centers. Typically, producing organizations or performing arts groups are not considered presenters, and are encouraged to contact WESTAF to discuss eligibility.

TourWest seeks to support the engagement of new audiences as well as collaboration between the presenters, artists, agents, and communities. In addition to working collaboratively with the artist(s) and/or community partners in planning the project, WESTAF encourages presenters to take advantage of opportunities such as block booking, presenter networks, and booking conferences to reduce costs and make artistic opportunities available to a broader audience. Partnerships and collaborative efforts between presenters are considered in the panel’s evaluation of an application and project.

Program Overview

Creative West’s TourWest grant program, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, provides funding to presenters and presenting organizations to bring touring performers and literary artists to communities throughout the Western region.

Regional touring is defined as:

Programming that brings out-of-state touring artists to your venue, or In-state artists traveling at least 50 miles from their home base TourWest focuses on expanding access to the performing arts, especially in underserved communities.

To support this goal:

• Creative West encourages working closely with local individuals and groups to understand and meet community needs.
• Applicants are urged to include community engagement or educational outreach activities in their projects.
• Collaboration with artists, agents, and community partners is highly encouraged, along with strategies like block booking and using presenter networks to reduce costs and maximize impact.

Our Mission

The Hansen Family Foundation provides opportunities to domestic, international, secular, and non-secular organizations that support the American way of life, which is defined by the principles of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Causes

Children

The Hansen Family Foundation supports causes dedicated to helping children both home as well as abroad. Learn More

Education

The Hansen Family Foundation believes that a decent education should be made available to everyone, young or old, the world over. Learn More

Animals

The Hansen Family Foundation believes in helping those who cannot speak on their own behalf. Learn More

Environmental

The Hansen Family Foundation is dedicated to preserving the world we all share. Learn More

Humanitarian

The Hansen Family Foundation views the plight of our fellow man as an opportunity to actively engage and effect change. Learn More

Arts & Culture

The Hansen Family Foundation supports all forms of artistic and cultural endeavors. Learn More

The Laura Jane Musser Fund wants to encourage collaborative and participatory efforts among citizens in rural communities that will help to strengthen their towns and regions in a number of civic areas including, but not limited to, economic development, business preservation, arts and humanities, public space improvements, and education.

Priority is placed on projects that: 

• Bring together a broad range of community members and institutions
• Provide the opportunity for diverse community members to work together
• Contain measurable short term outcomes within the first 12 to 18 months
• Include community members actively in all phases of the process 
• Work toward an outcome of positive change within their community

Projects must demonstrate:

• Support from a diverse cross-section of community members and institutions
• Matching financial and/or in-kind support from the local community
• Significant volunteer participation
• Reasonable plans to complete the project within 18 months or less

Funds will be available for: 

• Planning (up to $5,000) - These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.
• Note - this stage is optional and not a required phase prior to applying for or receiving an implementation grant. If an organization receives a planning grant from the Musser Fund, this in no way implies a commitment on the part of the Musser Fund to provide the organization with any subsequent implementation grant.
• But organizations that receive a planning grant may apply for subsequent implementation support after their planning activities are completed.      
• Implementation (Up to $25,000) - These funds are available to implement community based rural projects that originate in, have been planned by, and involve diverse people from the local community.
• Capital campaigns will not be supported.
• The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months.
• Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period.

What the Program will Cover:

• New programs or projects within their first three years
• A planning, and/or implementation phase