Search Through History Grants in the U.S.

Through our Arts and Culture program, Mellon celebrates the power of the arts to challenge, activate, and nourish the human spirit. We support exceptional creative practice, scholarship, and conservation practices while nurturing a representative and robust arts and culture ecosystem. We work with artists, curators, conservators, scholars, and organizations to ensure equitable access to excellent arts and cultural experiences and support approaches that place the arts and artists at the center of thriving, healthy communities.

Guiding strategies

Three interconnected strategies guide Mellon’s Arts and Culture grantmaking.  

Supporting visionary artists and practitioners and the participatory roles they play across institutions and communities 

Artists reveal our shared humanity and connect us all. We invest in visionary artists and arts leaders whose practices extend beyond their studios or workspaces to catalyze change in our world. We celebrate artist-driven, cross-sector collaborations and acknowledge the dimensional nature of an artist’s work and place in society. 

Supporting exceptional organizations and artists that have been historically under-resourced, including the creation, conservation, and preservation of their artwork, histories, collections, and traditions 

Mellon seeks to engender an understanding of broader histories, narratives, and aesthetic traditions through multi-year support of artists and communities historically subject to disinvestment. Grants seek to ensure the legacies of many instead of few.

Creating scaffolding for experiments with new economic paradigms and institutional models that center equity and justice and creative problem-solving in arts and culture  

Mellon seeds experiments that center and embolden artists to imagine new structures and organizational models that reflect their holistic approach to social change. Mellon provides support for projects that pilot new operating and funding models for individual artists and organizations that foster a more inclusive, nimble, and cooperative sector.

Our Mission

Blue Meridian’s dedicated staff is driven by a deep, relentless commitment to our mission.

Blue Meridian Partners seeks to transform the life trajectories of young people and families in poverty by investing in strategies that advance economic and social mobility and equitable opportunity.

We do this in two ways:

• First, we identify successful strategies for addressing social problems confronting young people and families in poverty and help scale them.
• Second, we unlock significant capital by providing philanthropists a way to pool resources to support scaling – often investing $100 million or more in each strategy. Our Partners work collaboratively – sharing the costs, risks and rewards of our efforts.

We believe our performance-based investing approach – combined with our model of capital aggregation – has the potential to change the funding paradigm for solving problems in the social sector.

Our Grantmaking

At Blue Meridian Partners, we make significant, performance-based investments in scaling up strategies poised to have a national impact on the lives young people and families in poverty.

About the Foundation

At the CDV5 Foundation, our mission is to help others reach their full potential and sustain long-term health and vitality. We strive to support children, families and communities in greater Grand Rapids and select communities around the world in their quest to attain the resources needed to discover and achieve their purpose in life. We believe that when each individual is given the opportunity to use his or her own unique talents and abilities to thrive, individual lives and communities are capable of positive growth.

CDV5 Foundation Grant

We partner with select causes and organizations that are closely aligned with our passions in the following areas:

• Nuturing Successful Children:
  • Children are more likely to be successful when their minds, bodies and souls are well nourished and their environments are safe. We aim to equip children with the necessary skills and abilities to flourish. Our foundation supports select causes and organizations committed to the spiritual, educational and personal development of our urban youth.
• Fostering Stronger Families:
• A stable family provides a solid foundation from which each individual member can gain the confidence and support to pursue his or her own potential. Through select partners, our foundation strives to help families, especially those at greater risk of failure due to their socio-economic situation, to improve their circumstances and meet their full potential.
• Cultivating Healthier Communities:
  • Healthy people and neighborhoods create a healthy community. From connecting individuals to personal wellness programs to supporting neighborhood improvement projects, the foundation works with select organizations to improve individual and community health.

Funding

Foundation staff strongly encourage nonprofits to consider their organizational budget and/or project budget, support from other donors, relationship with Foundation and Trustees, and grant history when determining a request amount.

About The Chatlos Foundation

The Chatlos Foundation proclaims the Glory of God by funding nonprofit organizations doing work in the United States and around the globe. Support is provided to organizations currently exempt by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States.

Philosophy of Giving

Placement of an organization within our categories is determined by the organization’s overall mission rather than the project under consideration.

The Foundation’s areas of interest are:

Bible Colleges/Seminaries

Grants to Bible colleges and seminaries total 33% of Foundation distribution. History has shown grants in this category range in size from $5,000 to $20,000. To assure the Foundation that the philosophy of the institution is consistent with that of the Foundation, potential recipients are asked to sign our Statement of Faith.

Religious Causes

Grants to religious organizations total 30% of Foundation distribution. History has shown that grants in this category range in size from $5,000 to $15,000.

Liberal Arts Colleges

Grants to liberal arts colleges total 7% of Foundation distribution. History has shown that grants in this category range in size from $2,500 to $7,500. Priority consideration is given to private colleges.

Medical Concerns

Grants to medical organizations total 26% of Foundation distribution. History has shown that grants in this category range in size from $5,000 to $15,000.

Social Concerns

Grants to organizations involved in social concerns total 4% of distribution. History has shown that grants in this category range in size from $2,000 to $5,000. This category encompasses secular community programs which provide direct services such as child welfare, vocational training, prison alternatives, concerns for the aged and disabled, and men, women and families in crisis.

Giving Information

Program support remains a current priority for the Foundation.

On an initial basis, the Foundation tends to fund requests for amounts less than $10,000. 

It is important to note that it is not our intention to become a part of an annual budget. We expect the projects we fund to become independent of The Chatlos Foundation. 

Many organizations are worthy of funding, however, our funding is limited. Applicants should understand that rejection of the proposal in no way signals rejection of the proposer. 

The large number of requests we receive causes us to decline many proposals which are worthy of attention and funding. 

The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation promotes the advancement and perpetuation of humanistic inquiry and artistic creativity by encouraging excellence in scholarship and in the performing arts, and by supporting research libraries and other institutions which transmit our cultural heritage.

The programs of the Foundation reflect the interests and patronage of its founders, Gladys Krieble Delmas and Jean Paul Delmas.

Humanities Program

The Foundation intends to further the humanities along a broad front, supporting projects which address the concerns of the historical studia humanitatis: a humanistic education rooted in the great traditions of the past; the formation of human beings according to cultural, moral, and aesthetic ideals derived from that past; and the ongoing debate over how these ideals may best be conceived and realized.

Programs in the following areas are eligible: history; archaeology; literature; languages, both classical and modern; philosophy; ethics; comparative religion; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; and those aspects of the social sciences which share the content and methods of humanistic disciplines. The Foundation welcomes projects that cross the boundaries between humanistic disciplines and explore the connection between the humanities and other areas of scholarship. Programs of institutions in Venice relating to the humanities are eligible in this category. The geographical concentration is primarily but not exclusively directed toward European and American history and letters, broadly defined.

The Humanities Program is primarily directed to institutions of higher education and humanistic enterprises such as learned societies, museums, and major editorial projects. The program may also consider, on a selective basis, projects that increase the exposure of those outside these institutions to the humanistic experience or that strengthen preparation for the humanistic disciplines. The prime criterion remains that of Gladys and Jean Delmas: a commitment to excellence, whether proven or promised.

Performing Arts Program

Each year, the Foundation supports a limited number of not-for-profit performing arts institutions based in New York City that provide performances in music, dance and theatre. Only established performing or producing entities with a history of appearing at preeminent venues and such venues themselves are eligible. Applicants must be publicly supported organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; the Foundation does not make grants to fiscal agents. Special initiatives of other institutions, start-up projects, emerging organizations, development campaigns, and building projects are ineligible. Proposals for pre-professional programs and opera are only accepted from past grantees. The Foundation receives many more requests for support than it could ever fund, and for that reason most first-time grant applications are not successful.

Subject to the above requirements, the program supports:

• Dance presenters who make ballet and modern dance available to the public and otherwise provide support to the dance field, as well as a limited number of ballet and modern dance companies.
• Theatre companies and presenters that have demonstrated a commitment to include the classics in their regular offerings.
• Music groups and concert presenters committed to making early music or contemporary repertory available to New York City audiences.

Research Libraries Program

The Research Libraries Program concentrates primarily in those areas of its founders’ interests and aims to be fully complementary to the Foundation’s other program areas (i.e., humanities scholarship, performing arts, and Venetian history and culture).

The overall objective of the Research Libraries Program is to improve the ability of research libraries to serve the needs of scholarship in the humanities and the performing arts, and to help make their resources more widely accessible to scholars and the general public. Wherever possible, grants to libraries seek to promote cooperative cataloging projects, with an emphasis on access to archival, manuscript, and other unique sources; some elements of interpretation and exhibition; scholarly library publications; bibliographical and publishing projects of interest to research libraries; and collection-level preservation/conservation work and research.

Small-scale digitizing is eligible for support when the process is part of a clearly defined and timely scholarly project that incorporates recognized standards for metadata production, for preservation, and for distribution. The Foundation does not support massive digitizing projects of a general nature.

Glaser Progress Foundation 

The advent of the 21st Century creates a unique opportunity to rethink what Progress means and how it should be measured. When future generations look back on us, what gauges will they use to decide whether we made genuine Progress?

Based on the interests of its founder and managing board, the Foundation has chosen to create strategic initiatives in four program areas: how we measure progress; how we address the global HIV/AIDS pandemic; how we ensure diversity of voices in our media; and how we treat animals.

The Foundation was created, endowed and is led by Rob Glaser, Founder and Chairman of the Board of RealNetworks. Since its creation in 1993, the Glaser Progress Foundation has distributed over 34 million dollars for philanthropic purposes. The Foundation is located in Seattle. Our Executive Director is Martin Collier and Operations Manager is Melessa Rogers.

Program Area: Measuring Progress

Mission

Build a better future by improving our understanding and measurement of human progress.

Description

How we measure progress reveals our values and shapes our future. So what does America's portrait of progress tell us about our collective values and goals? The traditional portrait presented by most of our media and political leaders includes the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and stock market. But do such measures really reflect our most cherished values and aspirations? In his first major campaign speech on March 18, 1968, Robert Kennedy warned against measuring ourselves by wealth alone:

"Too much and for too long, we seem to have surrendered personal excellence and community value in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product, now, is over eight hundred billion dollars a year, but that GNP — if we judge the United States of America by that — that GNP counts air pollution and cigarette advertising and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and it counts nuclear warheads, and armored cars for the police to fight riots in our cities. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.

Yet the Gross National Product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans."

As we enter the 21st century, it is time to begin measuring what we value rather than valuing what we measure.

Program Area: Independent Media 

Mission

Strengthen democracy by making independent voices heard.

Description

In his book The Media Monopoly Ben Bagdikian writes, "The object of reform is not to silence voices but to multiply them, not to foreclose ideas but to awaken them." Without a strong and diverse community of independent voices, we cannot build a global democracy much less protect our own. The goal of independent media is not to comfort or sell but to inspire and mobilize. It currently serves what Howard Zinn calls the "unreported resistance," the "permanent adversarial culture" - but its real ambition is to give voice to the world's silent majority.

 InterLinc Family Foundation

The InterLinc Family Foundation believes in strengthening and helping to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work by investing time, talent and treasure.

The InterLinc Family Foundation is committed to creating change in the communities in which we live and work. Through the generous gifts we have received from our employee donors, we have been able to make lasting impact with numerous organizations located all across the United States.

The Foundation looks for the following in making grants to organizations:

• With a history of achievement, effectiveness, and good management demonstrating a sound financial condition (supported by current and complete, certified audited financial statements).
• Which make a distinctive contribution to the community without unnecessarily duplicating other services or programs already in place.

The Foundation looks for the following in making grants to projects and programs:

• Which are consistent with the Foundation's identified areas of interest
• Which have significant potential to make a measurable impact in an area of need
• Which the applicant organization considers of highest priority in carrying out its primary objectives in the community
• Which show broad-based financial support from a variety of funding sources

Our History

Created by Marilyn Lichtman, her legacy is now maintained by the Board of Directors of The Marilyn Lichtman Foundation, who continue her spirit of philanthropy.

Our Mission

Our mission is to contribute funds to our community; to both those in need and those rendering aid and services. We hope to assist in preserving wildlife and our planet for future generations to enjoy. We happily support American armed forces, veterans and their families. We support training and maintaining service animals for those in need.

Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation provides philanthropic support to inspiring nonprofit organizations. We believe that shedding light on areas that are often overlooked is crucial to bringing all of us as a society forward.

Areas of Focus

Intellectual Freedom/Civil Discourse

Having lived under a totalitarian regime in the Soviet Union, Mike and Sofia Segal understand that intellectual freedom/civil discourse are essential for creating a dynamic and open society.

The principles of intellectual freedom and civil discourse safeguard individual rights, foster cultural and scientific progress, and promote the principles of democracy and human dignity. The Foundation is committed to funding opportunities that will ensure these principles are never taken for granted in America.

Medical Research

Addressing both the social and medical aspects of rare disease is generally overlooked by philanthropy.

Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation aims to shine a light on the limited treatment options, diagnostic challenges, and the social impact of rare diseases. The foundation places emphasis on underfunded rare diseases, and supports research, drug development, and cutting edge science that can lead to new treatment options. The National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates that 25-30 million Americans suffer from rare diseases. Given the limitations in getting funding for research, it is difficult to develop new treatments in this area of medicine.

Jewish Heritage

The history and culture of the Jewish People are significant factors in the development of Western civilization and its values and principles that have become universal. Learning about Jewish Heritage promotes mutual understanding.

Preserving Jewish heritage and strengthening identity and Peoplehood in Israel, and in the United States is an important area for the Foundation. The legacy of Jewish history, values and culture is a treasure for humanity. The Foundation supports museums, cultural programs and educational efforts in this arena.

Elder Care

Seniors must be cared for and supported as they age.

Caring for our elderly recognizes the contributions older adults have made throughout their lives and acknowledges their ongoing value to society. Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation supports organizations that care for our older population so they may age with grace and receive the necessary support to maintain independence for as long as possible. Every individual regardless of age has value.

Climate Change

Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation helps address the urgent and multifaceted challenges of the global effects of climate change through innovative research, ideas and technology that contribute to understanding and developing strategies for mitigation and adaptation in this complex landscape. Climate change requires long-term solutions and multi-year funding for the continuity of effective programs, and the Foundation supports organizations that create partnerships, develop ideas and build communities that can have a strong impact for future generations.

Mission Statement

The Pop Culture Collaborative is a philanthropic resource and funder learning community working to transform the narrative landscape in America around people of color, immigrants, refugees, Muslims, and Indigenous peoples, especially those who are women, queer, transgender and/or disabled. The Collaborative achieves this through partnerships between the social justice sector and the entertainment, advertising, and media industries that help mass audiences understand the past, make sense of the present, and imagine the future of American society.

Since its public launch in Summer 2017, the Collaborative has worked with field and philanthropic partners to articulate a shared goal: to unleash the superpowers of pop culture to build widespread public yearning for a pluralist culture—that is, a nation in which most people are actively engaged in the hard and delicate work of belonging together in a just society.

With this in mind, the Collaborative seeks to accelerate the pop culture for social change field’s ability to design and implement sophisticated, long-term culture change strategies at the pop culture level and to be a catalyst for the activation of transformative narrative systems—​coordinated systems of mental models, narrative archetypes, and immersive story experiences—​designed to normalize pluralist behaviors and values in America. 

In the long term, the Collaborative is working to support the growth of a pop culture for social change field capable of building the yearning in most Americans (more than 150 million people) to actively co-create a just and pluralist society in which everyone is perceived to belong—inherently—and treated as such. 

Grantmaking

Pop Culture Collaborative grants are awarded to United States–based nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, and individuals (with fiscal sponsorship) working to drive transformative experiences for mass audiences (i.e., more than 1 million people) through pop culture stories, media, and social networks. These include initiatives focused on the development and distribution of content, design of audience engagement strategies, and the creation of immersive narrative environments through cultural, narrative, and behavioral change approaches.

As described in our vision statement, the Collaborative is working over the long-term to support the growth of a pop culture for social change field capable of building the yearning in most Americans (more than 150 million people) to actively co-create a just and pluralist culture in which everyone is perceived to belong, inherently, and is treated as such.

The Collaborative defines “pluralist culture” as a culture in which the majority of people in a community or nation are actively engaged in the hard and delicate work of belonging together in a just society. Our grantmaking approach reflects our belief that pop culture stories and experiences have a critical role to play in helping people discover, experiment with, and embody pluralist behaviors and norms.

The Pop Culture Collaborative Vision and Purpose

Throughout America’s history, the most transformative cultural shifts—from slavery abolition to Reconstruction, “I Have A Dream” to “Yes We Can,” #BlackLivesMatter, the DREAM-ers, and Love Is Love—have been achieved by movements and leaders who have awakened people’s deep yearning to belong in a pluralist America. In each case, the tug-of-war between belonging and exclusion sparked a portal moment—a cracking open of the public imagination about what this nation is capable of becoming.

We believe our nation is on the precipice of another historic breakthrough: a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the American people to decisively choose to move in the direction of pluralism and justice. How will we respond to this call for transformation? Will we submit to authoritarian narratives that entice us to retreat back into the systems of exclusion and violence that stain our past, or will we step boldly through the portal and onto the path towards our pluralist future?

Americans have the opportunity to ask: What society do we yearn to create and who can we empower to lead the way? If, as civil rights scholar Vincent Harding once said, America is “a country that has yet to be born,” the pop culture for social change field can help prepare and guide millions of people through this process of becoming something new by clearing away the detritus of our nation’s past, replacing fetid, crumbling ideas and norms with ones rooted in justice, care, and connection.

Together, artists, organizers, strategists, and researchers can create the stories that help the American public understand and interpret the choices we face through the lens of our shared commitment to becoming a pluralist nation.

Over the long-term, the Collaborative is working to support the growth of a pop culture for social change field capable of building the yearning in most Americans (more than 150 million people) to actively co-create a just and pluralist society in which everyone is perceived to belong, inherently, and is treated as such. The Pop Culture Collaborative defines a pluralist society as a culture in which the majority of people in a community and nation are engaged in the hard and delicate work of belonging together in a just and equitable society.

Major Grants

Major Grants can support new and/or established initiatives, organizations, or companies that are working to advance long-term narrative change goals and/or to build the pop culture for social change field.  Major Grants are approved twice a year, in the late Spring/Early Summer and in the late Fall.

The Pop Culture Collaborative funds in five priority grantmaking areas. All approved grants will fit into at least one of the five priority areas, but often fit across multiple areas.

Program Area 1: Artists Advancing Culture Change -

The Pop Culture Collaborative provides grants to artists and organizations or companies that support artist cohorts, from various disciplines, locations, and industries to bring their artistic vision to mass audiences, while also contributing to field-wide efforts to build public yearning for a pluralist America.

We seek to create a large, networked community of artists who believe that their creative work and leadership have the power to inspire millions of Americans to actively co-create a pluralist society.

Areas of interest include:

• Supporting artists and cultural organizations to conceptualize, develop, and produce creative works that can help build public yearning for pluralist culture in America.
• Supporting artists to gather for shared learning, networking, community-knitting, and power-building, especially spaces that bring artists into direct and meaningful connection with frontline activists and culture change strategists.
• Helping artists and organizations develop the methodology, networks, infrastructure, pipelines, and leadership skills needed to redistribute access and power in their respective industries to historically excluded communities. 

Program Area 2: Building the Pop Culture for Social Change Field -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports artists, activists, strategists, researchers, and other practitioners in the entertainment, social justice, and philanthropic fields to build a robust pop culture change field capable of achieving widespread narrative and cultural change at scale. Together, they can form narrative networks that have the knowledge, connections, skills, and infrastructure that can align and create transformative narrative environments in our society.

Areas of interest include: 

• Creating resources and/or infrastructure that support the design, testing, and/or activation of long-term pop culture strategies.
• Developing, testing, and strengthening partnerships among artists, the entertainment industry, and social justice movements via convenings, cohorts, campaigns, and/or programs.
• Designing, testing, and/or advancing narrative infrastructure (convenings, emergent technologies, community knitting spaces, and programs) that create access and long-term career sustainability for the next generation of pop culture–focused strategists, campaigners, and artists.

Program Area 3: Culture Change Research -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports grantees to unearth new data, develop analysis, and share insights with and among entertainment, social justice, and philanthropic sectors in order to inform content development, advance cultural strategies, and activate collaborations in the pop culture for social change field.

Areas of interest include:

• Audience Research. Research that helps the field understand who the people in key audiences are, what motivates their beliefs, (e.g., media, culture, family, economics), and how their beliefs compel and shape their behaviors.
• Industry Research. Research that delves into the ecosystem of a specific field of cultural production (e.g., television industry, music industry, or sports broadcasting industry) to inform and/or activate short- and long-term culture change strategies.
• Impact and Evaluation Research. Research that examines and analyzes past and current pop culture change experiments, campaigns, and/or partnerships; utilizes formal evaluation and longitudinal impact methodologies to understand impact; and/or leverages trend tracking and analysis to make sense of current narrative environments and cultural norms, or anticipate future patterns in pop culture content creation, consumption, and engagement.

Program Area 4: Movement-Led Pop Culture Narrative Strategies -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports social justice organizations and initiatives to design, coordinate, and activate long-term narrative change strategies at the pop culture (mass audience) level.

Areas of interest include:

• Design and implementation of multilayered culture change strategies, including content/story strategy design and audience experience design.
• Reimagining and testing new roles and relationships between the social justice and entertainment fields to advance the development of narratives, story creation, and audience activation opportunities.

Program Area 5: Innovations in Mass Audience Activation -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports initiatives, bold experiments, and exploration of emerging activation models to ensure that just, authentic narratives about historically marginalized communities are deeply integrated into our nation’s narrative landscape and strategically leveraged to build widespread public yearning for a just and pluralist America.

Areas of interest include:

• Design and implementation of audience activation campaigns (with intended audiences of at least 1 million people) focused on pop culture content.
• Experimentation with mass audience engagement strategies.
• Organizing and/or partnerships with pop culture fandoms.

Criteria

The Collaborative seeks grantee partners working at the intersection of pop culture and social change who:

• Are artists, activists, organizations, strategists, researchers, and/or others who identify culture change as a clear outcome of their work and pop culture strategies as a critical aspect of their culture change efforts.
• Demonstrate emerging or pathbreaking leadership around long-term narrative and culture change strategies in the arts, entertainment, digital, mass media, and/or social justice sectors.
• Prioritize authentic and equitable leadership and/or partnership from the communities most directly affected by the work.
• Have the ability to clearly define how their work fits into a long-term narrative change strategy and theory of culture change.

Funding

Grants allocations are informed by the request of the potential grantees, but made with the final recommendations of Collaborative staff, ranging from: 

• $20,000 to $100,000 for one year
• $100,000 to $200,000 over two years 

Mission Statement

The Pop Culture Collaborative is a philanthropic resource and funder learning community working to transform the narrative landscape in America around people of color, immigrants, refugees, Muslims, and Indigenous peoples, especially those who are women, queer, transgender and/or disabled. The Collaborative achieves this through partnerships between the social justice sector and the entertainment, advertising, and media industries that help mass audiences understand the past, make sense of the present, and imagine the future of American society.

Since its public launch in Summer 2017, the Collaborative has worked with field and philanthropic partners to articulate a shared goal: to unleash the superpowers of pop culture to build widespread public yearning for a pluralist culture—that is, a nation in which most people are actively engaged in the hard and delicate work of belonging together in a just society.

With this in mind, the Collaborative seeks to accelerate the pop culture for social change field’s ability to design and implement sophisticated, long-term culture change strategies at the pop culture level and to be a catalyst for the activation of transformative narrative systems—​coordinated systems of mental models, narrative archetypes, and immersive story experiences—​designed to normalize pluralist behaviors and values in America. 

In the long term, the Collaborative is working to support the growth of a pop culture for social change field capable of building the yearning in most Americans (more than 150 million people) to actively co-create a just and pluralist society in which everyone is perceived to belong—inherently—and treated as such. 

Grantmaking

Pop Culture Collaborative grants are awarded to United States–based nonprofit organizations, for-profit companies, and individuals (with fiscal sponsorship) working to drive transformative experiences for mass audiences (i.e., more than 1 million people) through pop culture stories, media, and social networks. These include initiatives focused on the development and distribution of content, design of audience engagement strategies, and the creation of immersive narrative environments through cultural, narrative, and behavioral change approaches.

As described in our vision statement, the Collaborative is working over the long-term to support the growth of a pop culture for social change field capable of building the yearning in most Americans (more than 150 million people) to actively co-create a just and pluralist culture in which everyone is perceived to belong, inherently, and is treated as such.

The Collaborative defines “pluralist culture” as a culture in which the majority of people in a community or nation are actively engaged in the hard and delicate work of belonging together in a just society. Our grantmaking approach reflects our belief that pop culture stories and experiences have a critical role to play in helping people discover, experiment with, and embody pluralist behaviors and norms.

The Pop Culture Collaborative Vision and Purpose

Throughout America’s history, the most transformative cultural shifts—from slavery abolition to Reconstruction, “I Have A Dream” to “Yes We Can,” #BlackLivesMatter, the DREAM-ers, and Love Is Love—have been achieved by movements and leaders who have awakened people’s deep yearning to belong in a pluralist America. In each case, the tug-of-war between belonging and exclusion sparked a portal moment—a cracking open of the public imagination about what this nation is capable of becoming.

We believe our nation is on the precipice of another historic breakthrough: a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the American people to decisively choose to move in the direction of pluralism and justice. How will we respond to this call for transformation? Will we submit to authoritarian narratives that entice us to retreat back into the systems of exclusion and violence that stain our past, or will we step boldly through the portal and onto the path towards our pluralist future?

Americans have the opportunity to ask: What society do we yearn to create and who can we empower to lead the way? If, as civil rights scholar Vincent Harding once said, America is “a country that has yet to be born,” the pop culture for social change field can help prepare and guide millions of people through this process of becoming something new by clearing away the detritus of our nation’s past, replacing fetid, crumbling ideas and norms with ones rooted in justice, care, and connection.

Together, artists, organizers, strategists, and researchers can create the stories that help the American public understand and interpret the choices we face through the lens of our shared commitment to becoming a pluralist nation.

Over the long-term, the Collaborative is working to support the growth of a pop culture for social change field capable of building the yearning in most Americans (more than 150 million people) to actively co-create a just and pluralist society in which everyone is perceived to belong, inherently, and is treated as such. The Pop Culture Collaborative defines a pluralist society as a culture in which the majority of people in a community and nation are engaged in the hard and delicate work of belonging together in a just and equitable society.

Opportunity Grants

Opportunity Grants are for emergent initiatives, projects, and research; time-sensitive gatherings, retreats, or convenings; and/or critical experiments at the intersection of pop culture and social justice. Opportunity grants are not necessarily hooked to external timing, but based on the timing and needs of the artists, initiative, and/or organization.

Opportunity grants tend to be focused on project that are:

• New and/or in early stages of development.
  • Seed funding for early-stage projects include conducting research; implementing an experimental cultural strategy; developing field or narrative infrastructure or networks; and/or designing or testing a mass audience activation campaign. (For example, much of our artist-led pipeline projects such as new writers rooms models were seeded with Opportunity grants.)
• Convenings and gatherings.
  • One-time or a series of small group gatherings (in-person or virtual) that foster connections or strengthen relationships among stakeholders in specific sectors of the pop culture for social change field (e.g., cultural strategists, entertainment artists, social justice organizations, culture change researchers); or cross-sector convenings that bring stakeholders across sectors together to learn, forge bonds, and/or develop strategy.
  • Genius banks: in-person gatherings of experts in issues, sectors, communities, and/or genres that can help advance a big narrative idea, develop a specific cultural campaign, etc. For example, pop culture audience engagement campaigns often use genius banks for early partner gathering and brainstorming.

All approved Opportunity proposals will fall under at least one (and sometimes more) of the Pop Culture Collaborative five priority grantmaking program areas, including:

Program Area 1: Artists Advancing Culture Change -

The Pop Culture Collaborative provides grants to artists and organizations or companies that support artist cohorts, from various disciplines, locations, and industries to bring their artistic vision to mass audiences, while also contributing to field-wide efforts to build public yearning for a pluralist America.

We seek to create a large, networked community of artists who believe that their creative work and leadership have the power to inspire millions of Americans to actively co-create a pluralist society.

Areas of interest include:

• • Supporting artists and cultural organizations to conceptualize, develop, and produce creative works that can help build public yearning for pluralist culture in America.
  • Supporting artists to gather for shared learning, networking, community-knitting, and power-building, especially spaces that bring artists into direct and meaningful connection with frontline activists and culture change strategists.
  • Helping artists and organizations develop the methodology, networks, infrastructure, pipelines, and leadership skills needed to redistribute access and power in their respective industries to historically excluded communities.

Program Area 2: Building the Pop Culture for Social Change Field -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports artists, activists, strategists, researchers, and other practitioners in the entertainment, social justice, and philanthropic fields to build a robust pop culture change field capable of achieving widespread narrative and cultural change at scale. Together, they can form narrative networks that have the knowledge, connections, skills, and infrastructure that can align and create transformative narrative environments in our society.

Areas of interest include:

• • Creating resources and/or infrastructure that support the design, testing, and/or activation of long-term pop culture strategies.
  • Developing, testing, and strengthening partnerships among artists, the entertainment industry, and social justice movements via convenings, cohorts, campaigns, and/or programs.
  • Designing, testing, and/or advancing narrative infrastructure (convenings, emergent technologies, community knitting spaces, and programs) that create access and long-term career sustainability for the next generation of pop culture–focused strategists, campaigners, and artists.

Program Area 3: Culture Change Research -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports grantees to unearth new data, develop analysis, and share insights with and among entertainment, social justice, and philanthropic sectors in order to inform content development, advance cultural strategies, and activate collaborations in the pop culture for social change field.

Areas of interest include:

• Audience Research. Research that helps the field understand who the people in key audiences are, what motivates their beliefs, (e.g., media, culture, family, economics), and how their beliefs compel and shape their behaviors.
• Industry Research. Research that delves into the ecosystem of a specific field of cultural production (e.g., television industry, music industry, or sports broadcasting industry) to inform and/or activate short- and long-term culture change strategies.
• Impact and Evaluation Research. Research that examines and analyzes past and current pop culture change experiments, campaigns, and/or partnerships; utilizes formal evaluation and longitudinal impact methodologies to understand impact; and/or leverages trend tracking and analysis to make sense of current narrative environments and cultural norms, or anticipate future patterns in pop culture content creation, consumption, and engagement.

Program Area 4: Movement-Led Pop Culture Narrative Strategies -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports social justice organizations and initiatives to design, coordinate, and activate long-term narrative change strategies at the pop culture (mass audience) level.

Areas of interest include:

• Design and implementation of multilayered culture change strategies, including content/story strategy design and audience experience design.
• Reimagining and testing new roles and relationships between the social justice and entertainment fields to advance the development of narratives, story creation, and audience activation opportunities.

Program Area 5: Innovations in Mass Audience Activation -

The Pop Culture Collaborative supports initiatives, bold experiments, and exploration of emerging activation models to ensure that just, authentic narratives about historically marginalized communities are deeply integrated into our nation’s narrative landscape and strategically leveraged to build widespread public yearning for a just and pluralist America.

Areas of interest include:

• Design and implementation of audience activation campaigns (with intended audiences of at least 1 million people) focused on pop culture content.
• Experimentation with mass audience audience engagement strategies.
• Organizing and/or partnerships with pop culture fandoms.

Criteria

The Collaborative seeks grantee partners working at the intersection of pop culture and social change who:

• Are artists, activists, organizations, strategists, researchers, and/or others who identify culture change as a clear outcome of their work and pop culture strategies as a critical aspect of their culture change efforts.
• Demonstrate emerging or pathbreaking leadership around long-term narrative and culture change strategies in the arts, entertainment, digital, mass media, and/or social justice sectors.
• Prioritize authentic and equitable leadership and/or partnership from the communities most directly affected by the work.
• Have the ability to clearly define how their work fits into a long-term narrative change strategy and theory of culture change.

Funding

Opportunity grants can be awarded for up to $50,000. Proposals (considered only upon request) are approved year-round on a rolling basis and should be completed within four to 12 months. Opportunity grants can cover the total cost of a gathering or be applied to the budget of gatherings that cost more than $50,000.

History

Established and endowed by William and Jeanne Pratt in 1999, the PFF's work reflects the interests and principals of the Pratt family. In addition to community efforts, the PFF gives special consideration to promoting excellence in schools as well as advancements in healthcare and medical technology.

The PFF actively engages and supports a number of cornerstone organizations though a rigorous assessment-based initiative that provides core program grants. The PFF strives to support a variety of organizations that bring innovation to the stewardship of these causes.

Activities Supported Include the Following

• Housing Assistance
• Support and Assistance for Abused and Battered Women and Their Dependants
• Educational Assistance
• General Education Institutional Assistance (Public and Private schools and Universities)
• Disaster Relief
• Aid for Women in Crisis Pregnancies
• Disadvantaged Youth Programs
• Healthcare for Children

What We Support

The Rauch Foundation takes an entrepreneurial approach to promoting change by investing in areas where we can have a fundamental impact.

Our mission has two main priorities:

• To promote a healthy planet through research into global food systems.
• To promote the financial preparedness of rising generations of students by supporting schools in the delivery of financial literacy programs

Building on the Rauch Foundation’s long history of providing evidence-based research and data to inform policy, our work in food systems is centered on exploring the nexus between the food we consume and the systems involved in its financing, sourcing, production and delivery. Using the island of Poros, Greece and its efforts to stop the expansion of open net pen industrial fish farming as a case study, we have been laying out a case for how global, national, and regional actions can impact the health of a community, its economy, and the local environment.

Our school-based work in financial literacy acknowledges growing national support for a curriculum that helps young people develop the skills to navigate a successful future for themselves and their families.

Working for systemic change.

The Rauch Foundation invests in ideas and organizations that spark positive systemic change.

We are not afraid of controversial ideas, original approaches, or new ways to tackle old problems. However, we do look for sound data, leadership, other grant partners, strong management skills, and a focus on evidence-based outcomes. Once we invest in the work of an organization, our involvement may include a long-term partnership or assistance with capacity building and leadership.

We are committed to partnering with nonprofits and NGOs, the private sector, labor, research institutions, universities, the media, and other funders to help achieve shared goals and work through common issues.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

About Takeda

Takeda is a patient-focused, values-based, R&D-driven global biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to people worldwide. Our passion and pursuit of potentially life-changing treatments for patients are deeply rooted in over 230 years of distinguished history in Japan.

Commitment to Community

Takeda has a long history of supporting nonprofit organizations through corporate giving, employee volunteerism and employee giving. Our Growing Communities program enables us to engage our employees and make meaningful contributions to support the communities where we live and work in the U.S., aiming to build deep, impactful relationships with our community partners.

Philanthropic Giving

Takeda’s purpose of “better health for people, brighter future for the world” serves as the inspiration for our corporate giving efforts. We seek to reduce the social disparities affecting communities in need by supporting meaningful programs in two focus areas: Food is Health and Building STEM Foundations.

Food is Health

• Access to nutritional food
• Medically tailored meals
• Elimination of swamps and deserts
• Urban farming

Eating a healthy diet is essential for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases. By providing access to healthy food and promoting education and awareness around healthy eating habits, we can help support communities in need and take an active role in improving healthcare and overall well-being. This is why we support programs that focus on the role of food in improving health.

The lack of good, healthy food burdens the U.S. health care system with an estimated $53 billion in avoidable expenses each year, says Feeding America. The pandemic further increased the demand for nutritious food and inflation put affordable healthy food out of reach for many working families. Yet good nutrition is essential for people to stay healthy.

We work with partners to provide the right nutrition to those who need it the most. Incorporating healthy foods into diets can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancer. In addition, a healthy diet can improve mental health, boost energy levels and promote healthy aging.

Building STEM Foundations

• K-8 math
• High school STEM enrichment
• College success

To solve many of the most pressing challenges facing the world, like climate change and population health, we need diverse perspectives in science and technology. By investing in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, we can prepare the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers to drive progress and shape the future. We support programs in the areas of K-8 math, high school STEM enrichment and college success.

Building a strong foundation in STEM subjects is critical for students who aspire to pursue careers in science. STEM education provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to solve complex problems, think critically, and innovate. By developing a strong understanding of STEM fundamentals, students can pursue careers of tremendous impact.

STEM education can also help students develop important life skills such as teamwork, communication, and adaptability, which are essential for success in any career. By investing in STEM education, we can prepare the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers who will drive progress and shape the future. We focus on supporting programs in the areas of K-8 math, high school STEM enrichment and college success.

Grant Philosophy

Since its inception in 2002, The TK Foundation has awarded over $150 million in grants to non-profit organizations and projects to improve the maritime realm and the lives of disadvantaged youth.

Youth Development Grant

The TK Foundation enables disadvantaged youth to maximize their capabilities through pathways such as education, training and life skills with a view to becoming self-sufficient. We do this by supporting programs that:

• Improve educational achievement of disadvantaged youth
• Prepare disadvantaged youth for succeeding in the workforce

The TK Foundation envisions a world where all youth have access to opportunities that lead to employment that allows them freedom, equity, security and human dignity. The TK Foundation’s Youth Development Grant Programs run in three-year cycles in South Africa, The Bahamas, Canada and The United States. 

Priority Sevices

Winning programs will effectively address youth’s current context, identify their needs and barriers to success and will produce effective and innovative solutions, as appropriate, in the service areas listed below: 

• Improve youths’ educational achievement: Programmatic elements can include: Mentoring, tutoring, educational field trips. Increase in GPA, attendance, and/or changes in behavior should be documented and measurable
• Prepare youth for workforce success: Programmatic elements can include: Opportunities to receive job skill training, attend vocational courses, obtain internships, or other types of work-related, hands-on experience
• Provide support services to youth: Programmatic elements can include: Case-management, counseling, financial literacy and/or other life skills courses
• Promote youth leadership skills: Programmatic elements can include: Volunteer opportunities, peer (or adult) mentorships, or advocacy

Client Targeting

We are focused on providing services to youth as described below:

• Disadvantaged- The TK Foundation wishes to target youth that 1) do not have equal opportunities because of circumstances that makes achievement unusually difficult and/or 2) are at risk of social exclusion in accessing school and/or employment.
• Motivated- The TK Foundation wants to support organizations working with motivated youth who attribute their educational results and other accomplishments to internal factors that they can control (e.g. the amount of effort they put in), believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals (i.e. the results are not determined by luck), and are interested in being self-sufficient.
• Age- Between the ages of 15 to 24. Applicants are requested to differentiate between “Teen” (15-18) and “Young Adult” (19-24).

Our Culture of Giving

Nurturing a culture of philanthropy and community involvement is one of the defining characteristics of our company.

By the very nature of its focus – addressing current and future healthcare challenges through innovative containment and delivery of needed medications – West is a company committed to making a difference in the global community. Throughout the company's history, West leadership has fostered a culture of giving. West and its employees around the world take their responsibility to give back very seriously, and as a result, donate considerable time and resources to help create a healthier world.

Community Support

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. and its employees endeavor to build upon our culture of giving back by demonstrating a commitment to the communities in which we live and work through financial support and volunteerism. West supports charities focused on children, disabled, hospital/healthcare and STEM education.

Purpose Statement

Knowing that we have been abundantly blessed by God's Grace, the Greehey family is honored to share our blessings and help do His work in the San Antonio community through the The Greehey Family Foundation. In doing so, we will provide funding to improve health and human welfare conditions, to brighten the lives of sick and disadvantaged children, to educate, and to help transform the lives of the homeless.

Funding Overview

The Greehey Family Foundation's emphasis is on supporting health and human welfare issues, children's causes, education, and the homeless. And because the needs of the community are wide, the Foundation is set up and positioned to meet an almost unlimited range of needs within these areas. In its brief history, the Foundation has already granted nearly one billion dollars to hundreds of causes, ranging from a new stove so that a struggling grandmother raising her 10 grandchildren could provide warm meals for them, to a $25 million grant to the University of Texas Health Science Center to fund children's cancer research and treatment.

Funding is provided to non-profit organizations throughout San Antonio and Bexar County at the discretion of the Foundation's Board of Directors, which is composed of Bill Greehey and family members. The Board meets biannually to review grant requests, but funds can be granted any time during the year as special needs arise.

The Foundation will operate in perpetuity and will continue to be funded by the Greehey family to improve the lives of individuals and families for generations to come.

Our History

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was founded in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Firehouse Subs co-founders, Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, traveled to Mississippi where they fed first responders as well as survivors. As they traveled back to Florida exhausted and exhilarated, they knew we could do more and the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation was born.

Our Mission

To impact the life‐saving capabilities, and the lives, of local heroes and their communities.

Funding Areas

Life-Saving Equipment

Provide first responders with live-saving equipment.

Prevention Education

Provide prevention education tools to the public about the importance of public safety in order to prevent disasters in the home and community.

Scholarships and Continued Education

Provide financial resources or continued education to individuals pursuing a career in public safety.

Disaster Relief

Provide assistance and resources during and after natural and man‐made disasters such as fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.

Support for Members of the Military

Benefit men and women of the military who have served their country in any of the branches of the United States Uniformed Services.

Find a list of commonly requested equipment here. 

The Richard S. Reynolds Foundation was established in Richmond, Virginia, in 1955. The foundation provides assistance locally and beyond to community causes such as science, education, healthcare, the environment and the arts.

Mission Statement

The Richard S. Reynolds Foundation is dedicated to strengthening communities and supporting future generations.

Since its inception in 1955, the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation has provided over $71 million in grants to community and worldwide organizations, supporting a broad range of causes such as education, the arts, health, science, history, the environment and those in need. From scientific research to educational initiatives, the Foundation is devoted to building strong communities and creating a positive and enduring impact on the world around us.

Investing in Our Communities

At OneCause, our Why is to build better tomorrows for nonprofits like yours, your supporters, and the impact you create together! To live our Why, we go beyond industry-leading software, services, and support by offering innovative programs to move your mission forward.

Our Corporate Grants Program helps nonprofits leverage technology to raise more life-changing funds and reach more donors. We offer two technology-based grants annually to registered 501c3 organizations, up to $10,000 each, used to underwrite OneCause fundraising software. Because an investment in nonprofits is an investment in our communities.

Grant Focus Areas

Mental Health & Wellness:

Everyone has a right to a safe and healthy environment. We’re looking for organizations that promote self-care and wellness to help triumph a meaningful life, free from mental illness, hunger, poverty, and social injustices or inequities. Tell us how you help members of your community reach their highest potential – mind, body, and soul.

Community:

Does your organization empower populations to thrive and grow in safe environments? Share how you contribute to community strength and pride in culture by embracing and expanding diversity, encouraging mutual support, and preserving important community history.

Sustainability:

The planet we call home needs protection now, more than ever, so that its ecosystems and biodiversity can be preserved for future generations. How does your organization help guard the planet and conserve our natural resources that are essential to our global community?

What does OneCause look for in a potential grantee?

OneCause looks at the following factors when awarding grants:

• Alignment with cause focus areas
• Needs based
• Software use case for fundraising or awareness building
• Clear focus on how the software will further the mission
• Adhering to deadline and application completeness
• Organization’s commitment to fulfilling grantee responsibilities

What is a technology-based grant?

The OneCause Corporate Grants Program provides nonprofit organizations access to OneCause software products and services to help expand their collective impact. The program includes two (2) donated subscriptions per organization (two full years, worth up to $10,000), service, support, and consulting plus discounts on additional subscriptions, products, and/or services from OneCause.

Does OneCause provide monetary award in lieu of technology-based grant?

Currently, the OneCause Corporate Grants Program is a technology-based grant offering.

The technology-based grant may be applied toward the following:

• Fundraising Platform
• Text2Give
• Online Giving
• Ambassador Fundraising
• Peer-to-Peer Solutions
• Professional Services
• Add-On Consulting Services
• Add-On Virtual Services

Grant also includes:

• Grant Liaison Representative
• Customer Success Manager
• Phone, Chat & Email Support
• Consulting
• OneCause University Fundraising Courses
• Access to OneCause Webinars and Fundraising Resources

Mission Statement

The CPPS Heritage Mission Fund, imbued with the gospel message and the mission and charism of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, responds to requests for financial support for programs and projects that promote the values of Precious Blood Spirituality, dignity of all life, healing and reconciliation, solidarity with the poor, the common good and meeting the unmet needs of the time.

Grantmaking

The values foundational to the CPPS Heritage Mission Fund flow from the Spirituality of the Precious Blood, that is, the redeeming love of Jesus. The values listed here have been essential to the lives and ministries of the Sisters of the Precious Blood throughout their history. No matter what ministries the Sisters were involved in, these values gave life and spirit to their service. These values are truly the heritage and legacy of the Sisters of the Precious Blood.

As grants are received and reviewed by the Distribution Committee of the Board, they will be evaluated in light of these values. Each grant, in some way, should be able to exhibit how one or more of these values are essential to the services offered in the project or program for which funds are being requested.

Values/ Priorities

Precious Blood Spirituality: This foundational value expresses the redeeming love of Jesus which holds each person as precious in God’s sight. No one is beyond the love of God and each person bears the responsibility to care for the other. All other values flow from this.

Promotion of the dignity of and respect for all life: This value recognizes the interconnectedness of all living beings from the earth itself to human beings created in the image and likeness of God. All are stewards of this creation and of all life that God has entrusted to our care.

Healing and reconciliation: This value acknowledges that the world and the people in it are wounded and in need. The fruit of healing and reconciliation — flowing from Precious Blood Spirituality — is the restoration of wholeness in people’s lives and in the world.

Solidarity with the poor: The Gospel values of compassion and mercy make it necessary that we minister to those who are suffering from oppression, poverty and/or exclusion. These needs can be of a material, spiritual, psychological or social nature.

Emphasis on the common good: This value seeks to shift the focus from an emphasis on individual rights to one which would benefit the common good. This value places the good of the whole in right relation to that of the individual.

Responding to unmet needs of the time: The CHM Fund seeks to support those projects that address needs not being met by government, local or other organizations, non-profit or otherwise.

Types of Grants

The Letter of Inquiry must be submitted and accepted by the Executive Secretary before the application forms below are available. A link to a grant application will be sent to you by the Executive Secretary once the Letter of Inquiry is approved.

Types of Applications: The five types listed below identify the programs/projects that would be acceptable. Ordinarily grant amounts range from $5,000.00 to $100,000.00. Read each description carefully and decide which type best suits your need.

In the rare instance that you feel your request does not fit any of the above categories, e-mail the Executive Secretary at execsec [at] cppsheritagemissionfund.org for further assistance.

Our History

Andy has spent a lifetime developing and building sustainable communities. He has expertise in regulatory guidelines, leveraging money, and visionary leadership. His integrity and work ethic have produced communities that continue to thrive on their own beyond his personal or business involvement, both economically and aesthetically. His patience and appreciation for nature come from years of working with recreational athletic teams and hunting in remote areas.

Jan has spent a lifetime in community service with a focus on responsible, fiducially sound leadership practices. Her consensus-building leadership style has developed through involvement in educational cultural arts initiatives, public park and environmental endeavors, and church leadership. Her creative vision coupled with her ability to appreciate and empower volunteers has helped reshape the groups and organizations she has been a part of.

Together, Andy and Jan have raised three children in the Wake County Public School System, always conscious of building community through consistent involvement in Parent-Teacher Associations, church, youth sports leagues, the local business community, and civic organizations. They are North Carolina natives with a global perspective drawn from extensive travel, both nationally and internationally.

Jandy is based on the biblical foundation where two come together to make one. The name is a visual representation of how they have partnered their life for their children and how they would like to partner with groups in the future. They believe in hard work, personal responsibility, integrity to the project and process, avoiding missed opportunities, and doing their absolute best with the resources they’ve been given.

They’ve now created a family Foundation, blending their talents together, to build a Foundation that inspires emulation based on the best of Jandy – Andy’s vision to leave lasting community assets and Jan’s creativity in bringing volunteers together. They intend to provide resources for like-minded Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) public charities that will share in their mission and help further creative visionary volunteer groups with their capital projects.

Mission and Focus

Jan and Andy Ammons established The Jandy Ammons Foundation in November 2012. The foundation’s mission is to improve local communities through innovative, project-driven endeavors that will enhance wildlife habitats, park settings, educational surroundings, artistic installations, or Christian church mission projects.

Grant Focus

The foundation focuses on specific “shovel ready” standalone projects, including the following:

• Wildlife/conservation/hunting projects
• Educational projects
• Artistic installations
• Christian church mission endeavors
• Park settings/community areas
• Other organizations and projects uniquely within the scope of the Foundation’s mission

Background

Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand are announcing over $8 million in grants to 37 organizations through their Black Community Commitment (BCC). Created in 2020, the Jordan Black Community Commitment — a joint and equal 10-year, $100 million initiative of Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand — is focused on leading sustainable change to impact the fight against systemic racism and create more equitable futures for Black Americans.

Focus Areas

• Economic Justice:
  • Expand pathways to generational wealth to Black people through access to financial literacy and career development coaching.
• Education:
  • Support Black students by increasing the amount of Black educators, supporting educators in underserved neighborhoods, and providing access to higher education opportunities.
• Narrative Change:
  • Increase awareness of the role race plays in our history to drive a deeper understanding of the consequences of racism in our everyday lives.
• Social Justice:
  • Grow the Black Community’s social and political capital by investing in and advocating for policy reform to increase voter registration and turnout.

What We Support

The Robert Lehman Foundation operates exclusively in the field of the visual arts. Grants are made to leaders in the field of the visual arts as well as innovative newcomers – museums, arts organizations, educational institutions and other cultural organizations – with the goal of enhancing the role of the visual arts within American and world culture. The Foundation supports museum exhibitions, art education programs, scholarly publications and art history lectureships that complement the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and advance the goal of identifying the Foundation with serious scholarly and creative endeavors. The art education programs we support share the goal of providing art education to underserved communities that have insufficient access to any type of arts learning. The Foundation believes that access to the arts improves the lives of individuals and communities.

Exhibitions

In the past, the Foundation primarily supported visual arts exhibitions that in some way complemented the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection in Early Renaissance through Impressionist Art. In recent years, the scope of support for exhibitions has been expanded to include projects whose intellectual content and scholarly contributions advance both classical and contemporary art.

Art Education

We support programs that share the goal of providing art education to underserved communities, especially those having insufficient access to arts learning. Support for these endeavors stems from the Foundation’s strong belief that access to the arts creates opportunities that improve the lives of underserved people and communities.

Art Lectureships

The Edwin L. Weisl, Jr. Lectureships in Art History, provides Colleges with the opportunity to enrich their art history curricula by inviting noted art historians and/or artists to lecture on a topic related to at least one course offered in that particular semester. The Program’s ultimate goal is to extend the exposure of students, faculty and the surrounding community to the ideas of noted professionals in the field of the visual arts to whom they would otherwise not be afforded access.

Capital Projects

On occasion the Foundation provides funding for capital projects to museums and other cultural organizations. The Foundation supports impactful capital programs that meaningfully further the mission of an organization, expand cultural programming and increase access to new and diverse audiences.

About the CMQ Foundation

For more than 20 years, through grants ranging from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, the Cyrus M. Quigley Foundation has had the privilege of learning about and contributing to the work of organizations making a difference in young people’s lives. The Foundation has included three generations of Quigley relatives, the youngest knowing Cyrus primarily through photographs and stories, but also through this legacy of helping to provide opportunities to others. We look forward to seeing this positive legacy grow in the years ahead.

Cyrus M. Quigley Foundation Grant

Our Mission

Cyrus M. Quigley demonstrated a commitment to live a courageous life and to help others in that pursuit. Mr. Quigley believed that a courageous life includes the attributes of initiative, self-reliance, self-respect, a sense of humor, and a dedication to effecting positive change in the lives of others.

Mr. Quigley also believed that these attributes are best developed by testing one’s limits and questioning assumptions about oneself and the larger world.

The Cyrus M. Quigley Foundation seeks to create opportunities for individuals to develop these qualities or foster them in others. The Foundation focuses on experiences that emphasize physical challenge and service to others.

Grant History

The Cyrus M. Quigley Foundation has made grants every year since 1993, with total giving of more than $300,000. The Foundation usually makes grants to several organizations, some that have received grants for many years, some for the first time. The grants have been typically in the range of $1000 to $7500.

Who We Are

Mona Foundation is a non-profit organization that partners with grassroots initiatives around the world to educate children, empower women and girls, and enable them to transform their own communities.

Our goal is to alleviate global poverty and contribute to creating a just and prosperous world so that no child ever goes to bed hungry, is lost to preventable diseases, or is deprived of education for lack of resources. We believe that universal education, gender equality, and community building are the keys to achieving this goal.

Our Focus

All Mona Foundation activities focus on universal education, gender equality, and community transformation.

Universal Education

Learning is intrinsic to human reality and everyone deserves the opportunity to receive a quality education. Educated communities are healthier, more sustainable, and less vulnerable to economic volatility.

Gender Equality and Women and Girls’ Empowerment

Providing equal educational opportunities to girls and women yield a higher rate of return than any other investment that can be made in our communities. Equality not only guarantees basic rights, it is also vital to promoting the robust, shared growth needed to end extreme poverty. World Bank data demonstrates that gender equality and economic development are inextricably linked and increasing education specifically for girls and women has a direct effect on a nation’s economic development.v

There is also a multiplier effect to educating girls and women. More educated women tend to be healthier, participate more in the formal labor market, earn more income, have fewer children, and provide better health care and education to their children, all of which eventually improve the well- being of all individuals and lift households out of poverty. These benefits also transmit across generations, as well as to communities at large.

Community Building

All people have the right and the responsibility to lead their own lives and to contribute to the betterment of their own communities. The individuals most affected are the ones most ready to affect change.

Supporting communities in their own self-advocacy promotes empowerment, rather than dependency. Many students we support work with their communities to establish literacy programs, women health centers, parental trainings, cleanliness drives, tree plantations, and many other programs that stimulate harmony and community building in their communities.

Project Selection Criteria

The underlying basis for all the activities of the Mona Foundation is the belief that the key to poverty reduction and the development of human resources lies in universal education and gender equality.

We support grassroots initiatives around the world that educate all children, empower women and girls, train boys in lessons of equality, and emphasize service to the community. These educational programs address a significant deficit within a community (materially, or morally/spiritually) and focus on quality of teaching and learning, fine arts and character development to train capable, ethical, and altruistic leaders who contribute to the betterment of their families, communities, and ultimately their nation.

The role of Mona Foundation is to find and support educational programs that meet the following criteria:

• The program is founded and operated by residents.
• The program addresses a vital and significant deficit in the basic needs of children which prevent the full development of their capabilities as productive members of the society.
  • These needs must include education but may also include housing, food, and a nurturing environment in support of education.
• The program serves students of all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, and economic status.
• The program has a focus on education of girls and women and teaches all students the lessons of equality, oneness and service.
• The program seeks to develop human resources for the community, and trains capable, ethical, and altruistic students who contribute to the betterment of their families, communities, and ultimately their nation.
• The program has a history of success, having been established and functioning at least for three years.
• The program enjoys the support of the local community
• The program administrators have shown a long-term commitment to the development of the program, including not only ongoing maintenance but also capital development and expansion.
• The program administrators have the capacity to effectively manage funds received from external agencies.
• The program administrators are active participants in developing and implementing plans, and require and enjoy the participation of the community members in the long-term self sustainability of their program.
• In cases where the program delivers needed services to the marginalized segment of the population where financial sustainability is not feasible, community members participate and support the program in variety of other ways as their capacity may allow.

To foster collaborative relationships with our partner organizations, we carry out site visits prior to adopting new programs either by members of our Board, or designated representatives of the Board.