Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – 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.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

NOTE: Applicants requesting $20,000 or more must contact the Grants Director by February 1 for the spring grant season or August 1 for the fall grant season. Applications of $20,000 or more that have not been vetted with the Community Foundation by February 1 or August 1 will not be accepted (letter of inquiry deadline above).

Community Needs Grants

Through the Community Needs Grants program, the DeKalb County Community Foundation supports the charitable needs and efforts of nonprofit and public sector organizations throughout DeKalb County, Illinois.

Grantmaking Priorities

The Community Foundation believes in supporting projects that will have a significant impact within the community. The Board has broadly defined these priorities for the Community Needs Grant program:

• Support organizations with projects that enhance the quality of life in DeKalb County.
• Assist existing agencies to better respond to clearly defined unmet needs within the community.
• Encourage programs and projects that enhance cooperation and collaboration among organizations within DeKalb County.
• Examples of collaboration include partnerships, demonstrating community leadership, and being a contributing member of the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership (DCNP).
• Leverage funds and in-kind support, such as using "seed" money, "match" and "challenge" grants and funds from multiple sources.

Funding Areas

The Community Foundation provides Community Needs Grants in the following areas:

Arts and Culture – supports organizations that provide opportunities for access, participation, education, awareness, and appreciation for a variety of arts and cultural experiences.

Community Development – supports organizations that focus broadly on strengthening, unifying and building the economic, cultural, and social services of a community.

Education - Supports organizations that provide educational opportunities from birth to adulthood.

Environment and Animal Welfare – supports organizations whose primary purpose is to preserve, protect, conserve and improve the environment. Animal Welfare supports organizations that promote the well-being of animals.

Health and Human Services – supports organizations that provide essential programs and services addressing basic human needs to children, youth, adults, and senior citizens, and/or promoting physical and mental health.

McGraw Foundation, headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, makes annual grants to not-for-profit organizations.  The Foundation’s areas of interest involve the fields of conservation, educational programs at all levels, and human services. Occasionally, grants are made in other areas such as health, medical research and cultural.

Grant requests are suggested to be within a range of $2,000 to $10,000. Grant recipients and amounts will be determined by several criteria. Naturally, availability of funds is a key factor.

The Foundation will occasionally make large grants ($25,000 or more) to support unusually promising efforts in any of its areas of interest. Innovative research, special education, and/or other activities will be considered if the Foundation’s support would assist an effort or a project in making a significant impact.

Areas of Focus

Education: Higher

The Foundation has been a pioneer in support of environmental education at the highest level by establishing three chaired professorships. 

Education: Elementary & Special

McGraw Foundation supports a wide array of organizations that focus on assisting the education and advancement of children as well as adults. McGraw Foundation also makes grants to elementary schools and organizations involved in all areas of special needs education. Funding in this arena has encompassed many organizations that provide services such as after-school tutoring, special education, and adult literacy.

Human Services

Since 1949, McGraw Foundation has been concerned with helping people in need. While the emphasis is on organizations serving children, funding also extends to people of all ages.

Children's issues such as these have been supported throughout the years:

• child welfare
• foster care and adoption
• family counseling
• enriching summer camps
• crisis intervention

Funding for quality-of-life issues for people of all ages has included:

• developmental disabilities
• health clinics
• domestic violence
• housing and homelessness
• job training and continued support
• seniors needs

Health & Medical 

Since its inception, McGraw Foundation has made grants in the health and medical fields.  Health and medical funding has included:

• specific medical research
• rehabilitation
• support programs for patients and their families
• medical attention for people without health insurance
• palliative care and hospice organizations

Civic & Cultural

Complimenting it's main focus on education and the environment, McGraw Foundation has supported some of Chicago's distinctive cultural and arts organizations.

Areas of interest include zoological societies' animal conservation, public communication, musical organizations, and civic organizations' promotion of science and the general welfare of society.

Grantmaking

The great majority of grants are given to organizations located in, and for projects to be conducted within, the state of Iowa and portions of Illinois, as well as to other organizations in which Mr. Carver had an interest during his lifetime. Generally speaking, the Carver Trust supports biomedical and scientific research, scholarships, and programs addressing the educational and recreational needs of youth. 

Program Areas

Elementary and Secondary Education

Supporting educational opportunities for youth, beginning with kindergarten and continuing through high school graduation, is a cornerstone of Carver Trust giving. Grant-making activities in this area may be divided into three, broad categories, each with the goal of enhancing access to resources and the application of innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Read more about this program area.

Higher Education

The Trust’s interests in the area of higher education extend to those projects that strengthen institutions and offer innovative learning opportunities to students enrolled in baccalaureate and graduate programs throughout the grant-making region of Iowa and parts of Illinois. Typically, funding is awarded to capital or programmatic initiatives that seek to substantively improve instruction or increase access to educational resources, with the goal of better preparing students for future academic and professional challenges. Projects incorporating interdisciplinary approaches and demonstrating the potential for lasting impact among a diverse range of students are especially encouraged. Read more about this program area.

Medical and Scientific Research

The goal of the Trust’s program in medical and scientific research is to provide support for innovative investigation that may hold great promise for advancing scientific knowledge and, in many cases, improving human health. To this end, the Trust has supported a variety of university-based scientific endeavors, most notably in the basic medical sciences, the chemical and biological sciences, and engineering. Although a majority of funding is awarded for the purpose of addressing institutional capital needs, a parallel focus of this program area is the research efforts of particular laboratories, often emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches and encouraging the development of untried, and inherently risky, specific aims. Read more about this program area.

Youth Services and Recreation

Projects receiving Trust funding under the youth program designation are typically designed to complement curriculum-based education and encourage individual development and physical well-being. Of the grants awarded within this category, a significant portion has been directed toward the efforts of organizations advocating for disadvantaged and disabled youth and their families. As an example, improving the conditions at adolescent residential facilities in Iowa, including those that offer opportunities for special-needs populations, has represented an important area of Trust charitable giving around the state.

In addition, grants to help communities establish safe and affordable recreation opportunities are also part of the youth-directed programming. The Trust offers strategic funding for the development of public recreation facilities and related activities for children, with priority given to projects in the Iowa counties of Muscatine, Cedar, Louisa and Scott, as well as Rock Island and Mercer Counties in Illinois. More information on the youth recreation program area may be found under Trust Initiated Programming & Guidelines.

Miscellaneous

Grants listed under this designation are those that, for various reasons, do not fall within the Trust’s primary program classifications. Many grants classified as miscellaneous are for projects receiving special consideration for their direct impact on the local Muscatine region.

Awards in this category of Trust giving may, for example, provide support to organizations mobilizing to help area residents following a natural disaster or emergency, such as flooding or storm damage. Other assistance of this type has been directed to local first-responder and law enforcement agencies, which have received occasional support for specialized medical, firefighting and policing equipment, as well as situations whereby certain area nonprofits are seeking one-time support for urgent capital or programming needs.

Still other miscellaneous grants celebrate special events and aspects of Muscatine and its history, as well as organizations and projects that share a unique connection to the life and interests of Roy Carver. Additionally, occasional grants in this program area may serve to emphasize important natural resources throughout the local area and the upper Mississippi River region, with a focus on projects that help to guide children and youth toward a deeper understanding of, and respect for, the ecosystem and surrounding environment.

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

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

Grant Amount and Types

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

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

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: This is an open deadline program. Applications must be received no less than eight weeks before the project start date as identified in the application. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received and will be accepted until the funds are fully committed or by May 15, 2024.

Artstour & Live Music Program Description

Artstour & Live Music provides support to eligible Illinois not-for-profit organizations seeking to present Illinois performing artists, companies, or groups for performances, collaborations, or short residencies held in conjunction with performances.

Examples of programs:

• A library engages a storyteller to present stories during a children’s story festival.
• A school district brings in a theatre company to perform at the local high school. In addition, the company visits the elementary school to work with 3rd and 4th graders involved in the school’s upcoming theatre production.
• A theatre company collaborates with a folk musician in the creation and presentation of a new play.
• The local college brings a jazz orchestra to town to perform. The musicians also give a mini-performance at the local senior center.
• A dance company engages a classical music ensemble to provide live music for a performance.

NOTE: This is an open deadline program. Applications must be received no less than eight weeks before the project start date as identified in the application. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received and will be accepted until the funds are fully committed or by the deadline above. 

StARTS Program - Short-term Artists Residencies

The StARTS Program provides support of up to $4,500 to eligible Illinois not-for-profit organizations, schools, and school districts for short term residencies focused on hands-on learning experiences conducted by Illinois artists, companies, or ensembles.

Examples of programs:

• An elementary school engages a dance artist for four weeks to conduct 45 minute weekly sessions with each third grade classroom to integrate movement with their study of migration.
• A theater artist works after school for two hours twice a week over five weeks with a language arts teacher to rehearse and direct a community performance of a one-act play written by students.
• A public librarian engages a poet for six weeks to conduct a weekly writing workshop for senior adults which culminates in a public reading of their work.
• A visual artist is brought in by a community center to work with a group of local teenagers for a total of 30 hours over a five-week period to research and design a mural to celebrate the town’s history.

Request Amount

Request amounts are calculated based on the information entered in the Budget form of the application. Minimum request amount is $250 for any type of residency. Maximum total request amount is $4,500 for any type of residency.

All applicants are eligible to request 75% of the residency costs and may increase that percentage when the following conditions are met:

• Add 5% if it is the first time the applicant has worked with the artist, company, or group.
• Add 5% if the artist will provide a professional development or teacher training session for residency staff and/or community members. This item must be listed as part of the artist contract.
• Add 5% if the artist’s home-base is at least 100 miles from the residency site.

Additional percentages can be added up to, but not exceed, the $4,500 request limit.

Cash Match Requirements

The applicant must provide a cash match to cover the remaining portion of the residency costs from sources other than the state of Illinois, including the Illinois Arts Council Agency.