Search Through Kentucky Grants for Nonprofits in the U.S.

We care about the communities in which we live and work. Amcor Cares (formerly the Bemis Company Foundation) was founded as our principal tool in the United States to serve our Amcor Flexibles communities. From volunteer work to monetary donations and community support, Amcor Cares donates several million per year to charitable organizations.

Community Support Grants

Encourage

• Fighting Hunger & Homelessness
• Supporting Disaster Relief

Empower

• Expanding STEM Education
• Building Life Skills
• Improving Health & Wellness

Elevate

• Promoting Arts & Culture
• Funding Amcor Scholarships

Types of support:

• Non-profit Organization Programs
• Non-profit Organization Operating Support
• Capital Campaigns
• STEM Programs

American Electric Power Foundation

The AEP Foundation focuses on improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and by providing support to help meet basic needs such as emergency shelter, affordable housing and eliminating hunger.

The Foundation also supports organizations whose mission and/or programming is committed to positive social justice outcomes. Other Foundation support may be offered to protect the environment, promote healthcare and safety, and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.

Focus Areas

The following focus areas will be eligible for consideration by the Foundation:

• Improving lives through education from early childhood through higher education, with an emphasis in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
• Providing basic human services in the areas of hunger and housing to assure that people have the necessities to build successful lives.
• Embracing change and equity through sustainable programs that move social justice forward.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a unique federal-state partnership providing social and economic support for a 13-state region stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi, including western North Carolina.

Established by the United States Congress in 1965, when Appalachia was considered "a region apart" from the rest of the nation, ARC has worked to bring Appalachia's 26 million people into America's economic mainstream.

Area Development Program

ARC’s Area Development program relies on a flexible “bottom up” approach to economic development, empowering Appalachian communities to work with their state governments to design impactful investment opportunities supporting our mission and investment priorities.

Within the scope of our Strategic Plan, ARC’s Area Development program makes investments in two general areas: critical infrastructure and business and workforce development. Critical infrastructure investments mainly include water and wastewater systems, transportation networks, broadband, and other projects anchoring regional economic development. Business and workforce investments primarily focus on entrepreneurship, worker training and education, food systems, leadership, and other human capital development.

ARC Strategic Plan

A comprehensive strategic planning process involving federal, state, and local officials and citizens resulted in, Appalachia Envisioned: A New Era of Opportunity – ARC Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which focuses investments under these five general goals:

• Building Appalachian Businesses:
  • Strengthen and diversify the region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development
• Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem
  • Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
• Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure
  • Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and energy efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the region.
• Building Regional Culture and Tourism:
  • Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the region’s local, cultural heritage, and natural assets.
• Building Community Leaders and Capacity:
  • Invest in the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges by providing technical assistance and support to access resources, engage partners, identify strategies and tactics, and conduct effective planning and project execution.

The C.E. and S. Foundation’s grantmaking is largely focused on Louisville, Kentucky – and a few other communities with connection to the Foundation – to support individuals to become resilient and prepared for opportunities to engage and thrive. We invest in:

Caregiver Engagement

•  to improve the quality and accessibility of early childhood (birth to age 5) learning development opportunities in the home and in professionally managed settings by supporting families and caregivers with practices that increase their effectiveness.

Social Emotional Support (Birth through Grade 12)

• to increase the quality and accessibility of social-emotional support for children (birth through 12th grade) by developing that capacity within providers and programming. 

Academic Support (Kindergarten through Grade 12)

• to increase the quality and accessibility of academic support for children (kindergarten through 12th grade) by developing that capacity within providers and programming.

Family and Household Stability

• to increase the stability of families and households with children in Louisville to provide a solid foundation for social-emotional wellbeing and academic achievement through supportive multi-faceted strategies that reflect the complexity of poverty.

Postsecondary Education Success

• to remove financial barriers to postsecondary attainment for graduates of Jefferson County Public Schools, primarily through the Evolve502 Scholarship Fund, and to provide academic and social-emotional support to those students to increase postsecondary graduation/certification rates.

Within each of our focus areas, the C.E. and S. Foundation looks to invest in leaders, strategies, and programs to have the greatest impact in support of our grantmaking strategy. We are especially interested in projects that emphasize the following dimensions:

Impact: Changes in the quality, capacity, accessibility, or collaboration of programs.

Influence: Changes in policies, regulations, systems, practice, or public opinion.

Leverage: Changes in investments by other public and/or private funders.

Learning: Practices that encourage or advance the field of work and knowledge acquisition to powerfully advance desired outcomes, inform the specifics of a particular impact initiative, or cross-fertilize different initiatives.

Charitable Investments

CSX is proud to support people and organizations that in turn honor those who serve our communities. We offer monetary and in-kind resources to nonprofit organizations advocating for the betterment of our nation’s military members or community first responders, and have additional resources available to support other community efforts.

In Kind Donations

Intermodal Transportation Services

Intermodal transportation services provide applicable organizations with intermodal equipment and rail service throughout the CSX rail network, and afford these organizations an opportunity to reduce or eliminate their transportation spending.

Ideally, intermodal moves work best when freight is moving 500 miles or more. However, the in-kind moves program requires only that freight have an origin and destination within a combined 250 miles’ distance to a CSX intermodal facility.

CSX’s door-to-door product is an ideal solution for the in-kind moves program, as our trained team will pick up your freight at its origin and transport it to a terminal to be placed on an intermodal train. Then, we will pick up your freight at the destination terminal and deliver it directly to its endpoint. The door-to-door network provides service across the Eastern United States with its large nationwide network and trucking capability.

CSX will also work with you to determine the type of equipment that is an ideal fit to transport your freight. CSX has a large fleet of rail-owned containers, as well as an expansive network of channel partners that can provide equipment to fit your needs.

Railroad Equipment and Materials

CSX occasionally donates materials, supplies and used railroad equipment based on availability. The online in-kind application can be used to request the donation of railroad-related items, including retired rail cars when available. Please note that rail, rail ties and spikes are not available for donation or purchase. Applicants will be contacted if the requested item becomes available within 90 days of their online submittal. At that time, arrangements will be made to transfer possession of the requested item. All applicants will be asked to re-submit their application at a later date if the requested item does not become available within the 90-day period.

About Amgen

Amgen is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. Amgen is a values-based company, deeply rooted in science and innovation to transform new ideas and discoveries into medicines for patients with serious illnesses.

Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Our belief—and the core of our strategy—is that innovative, highly differentiated medicines that provide large clinical benefits in addressing serious diseases are medicines that will not only help patients, but also will help reduce the social and economic burden of disease in society today.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology innovator since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

Non-Healthcare Donations and Sponsorships

Amgen Charitable Donations and Sponsorships are focused on humanitarian, social, education and community programs.

About Us

Saving pets. Together.

The Petfinder Foundation has been helping animal shelters and rescue groups since 2003. We are the ONLY national organization that does nothing but give cash and product grants to adoption groups.=

How We Work

Our programs are designed to keep homeless pets physically and mentally healthy so they can find loving forever homes.

Our grants put food in bowls, provide medical care, and help rescue animals from disasters. When pets are in need, we’re there to help.

P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds 

Applications are reviewed and awarded 10 Chill Pads on a monthly basis to specific geographical regions. 

The Petfinder Foundation has partnered with P.L.A.Y. Pet Lifestyle and You through the Warm Bellies Initiative to give luxury beds to shelter pets. P.L.A.Y. joins us in the belief that every pet deserves a warm and cozy place to sleep

Applications are reviewed and awarded 10 Chill Pads on a monthly basis to specific geographical regions. You may apply for this grant program once. Grant applications from this program are reviewed based on the location of your organization and the monthly state awarding schedule below:

• January: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts
• February: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York
• March - Pennsylvania, New Jersey
• April: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
• May: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida
• June: Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin
• July: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky
• August: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi
• September: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming
• October: Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas
• November: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada
• December: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

In Our Community

Republic Bank recognizes the importance of making a lasting IMPACT, and that starts by strengthening the communities in which we live and work. We believe Republic Bank not only serves the community but is also a part of the community.

Together, we can make an impact that goes beyond banking. Bank with us, and let’s strengthen our community – together.

Generally, organizations and activities meeting the established criteria will fall into one of the following categories:

• Education and Youth Programs
• Family and Community Welfare
• Civic Projects
• Healthcare and Human Services
• Performing Arts and Cultural Activities
• Recreation and Preservation Programs

In-Kind Donations

Republic Bank occasionally donates used computer equipment, office equipment, and furniture to community organizations. 

Perdue Farms is the family-owned parent company of Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness. Perdue Farms are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for everyone we touch through innovative food and agricultural products.

Through Perdue Farms Perdue, Harvestland and Coleman Natural food brands; through Perdue Farms agricultural products and services; and through Perdue Farms stewardship and corporate responsibility programs, Perdue Farms are committed to making Perdue the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. At Perdue, Perdue Farms believe in responsible food and agriculture.What We Support

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities
• We may give additional preference to organizations in which our associates have direct involvement, but the overarching consideration is the betterment of the community

Perdue Farms is a fourth-generation, family owned U.S. food and agricultural company. We were founded on trust—a value that carries through everything we do. Through our two operating divisions, Perdue Foods and Perdue AgriBusiness, we’re making steps every day toward our goal of becoming the most trusted name in food and agricultural products. Our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger.

We're Committed to Being Careful Stewards. Stewardship is one of our company's core values. Our stewardship platform, "We believe in responsible food and agriculture®," challenges us to continually improve. Learn more about the progress we've made in the areas of food, environment, animal care, people, community and our partners.

What we support

We believe in putting our resources where there is a direct benefit to a broad-based spectrum of the community.

• We strive to strengthen our communities by focusing our efforts on agriculture and the environment, education, fighting hunger and poverty, health and social services, and public safety
• We also support organizations that celebrate the heritages and cultures of our communities

Our Responsibility

• Food Producing: Quality Food
• Environment: Protecting the Environment
• Animal Care: Providing for the Welfare of Animals
• People: Caring About Others

Community Involvement

We believe in giving back, doing good and making a positive impact in our communities.

Generations of Donaldson employees and their families give their time, energy and aid to various philanthropic efforts, addressing the needs of our local communities and helping transform lives. Organizations are supported in partnership with the Donaldson Foundation and through numerous employee-led volunteer events.

Foundation

Founded in 1966, the Donaldson Foundation is our main vehicle for charitable giving. Led by a volunteer employee board, the Foundation supports organizations and programs that further educational initiatives in our communities.

Led by a Board comprised of employee volunteers, the mission of the Donaldson Foundation is to positively impact our communities by supporting education.

The Donaldson Foundation grants $1.2 million every year to non-profit organizations within our communities where our employees live and work. Our philanthropy focuses on:

• Supporting educational opportunities for those who otherwise would not have them
• Matching grants to educational institutions
• Providing scholarships for post-secondary institutions
• Partnering with our plant communities to address local education needs

Grant Criteria

• Educational focus
• Degree of need for those benefited
• Impact
• Sustainability
• Connection to our communities

• Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Program - Improving Health & Wellbeing
• Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Program - Expanding Access to Food & Shelter
• Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Program - Caring for the Environment & Animals

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award up to $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Empowering through Education & Training

Examples:

• Community-wide CPR certification program
• Library for afterschool literacy program
• Equipment and curriculum for job skill training for adults with disabilities

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

The Thomas J. Emery Memorial

Prominent philanthropists of Cincinnati, Thomas J. Emery and Mary M. Emery generously supported local cultural and educational institutions. Mary M. Emery founded The Emery Memorial as a not-for-profit corporation on April 20, 1925.

Thomas was an industrialist and real estate developer who made significant contributions both literally and figuratively to the development of Cincinnati. Mary Emery, whose generosity earned her the title “Cincinnati’s Lady Bountiful,” provided the inspiration and capital to build the model Village of Mariemont.

The Last Will and Testament of Mrs. Emery states that “[T]he general purpose of this Memorial shall be to secure a citizenry which shall be more sane, sound and effective because of more satisfactory initial conditions of environment and education.” The Memorial will be used for the “physical, social, civic and educational betterment” of individuals.

Policies & Restrictions

The Memorial makes grants which enhance the lives of Greater Cincinnati citizens by improving their social, cultural, educational, civic and physical conditions.

Old National Bank Foundation

The Old National Bank Foundation makes contributions to nonprofit organizations to fund widespread community impact programs and/or projects. The Foundation is part of Old National's overall charitable giving initiative, which enables us to support programs that improve quality of life in areas of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. We believe in supporting where our clients, team members and shareholders live and work.

Funding Priorities

Our funding targets innovative programs that enhance the quality of life within our communities in support of the following four strategic initiatives: Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Financial Empowerment. We prioritize programs that serve underrepresented communities and low- to moderate-income people. 

Examples of funding priorities with measurable outcome focus areas include:

Affordable Housing

• Increase Homeownership Opportunities: We seek initiatives that enable individuals and families to purchase homes through accessible financing, down payment assistance, and homeowner education.
• Support Critical Home Repairs and Revitalization: We fund programs that ensure safe, habitable housing by assisting with essential repairs for homes
• Promote Multi-Family Housing Developments: We prioritize programs that develop or sustain affordable rental units

Economic Development

• Small Business Development and Growth: We aim to support programs that help small businesses scale, access resources, and build sustainable growth plans.
• Capacity Building for Technical Support: We encourage projects that enhance the capability of organizations offering technical support to small businesses and nonprofits.
• Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching: We support programs that offer entrepreneurship education, business coaching, and professional development for new or aspiring business owners.

Financial Education

• Old National Bank’s Real-Life Finance e-learning curriculum provides robust financial education training for community partners

Workforce Development

• Access to Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning: We support workforce readiness through initiatives offering hands-on training, particularly in trades and high-demand fields.
• Job Creation, Employment Entry, and Retention: We support projects that connect individuals to stable employment and increasing levels of income. This can include higher education with dual credentialing, leadership and professional development

Financial Empowerment

• Financial Wellness: We fund long-term initiatives that reduce barriers to banking and credit access, especially for underbanked groups. This can include culturally relevant and multilingual outreach, foreclosure prevention, and credit counseling with the goal of financial independence
• Community Lending Access: We support organizations that provide access to affordable microloans, emergency loans, and community cooperative lending as safe and sustainable alternatives to predatory loans

Signature Employment Grants

Transforming Employment Outcomes with Novel Solutions

Innovation lies at the core of all the Foundation’s Signature Employment Grants. It involves developing or adapting ideas, processes, or services to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. Innovation requires assessing needs, applying knowledge, creativity, and initiative to develop new solutions or repurpose existing ones in a novel way. To qualify, proposed interventions must demonstrate broader impact beyond your organization and be innovative at the state, national, or industry level.

2025 Grants Target States with Low Employment

For our 2025 Signature Grants, the Foundation invites proposals for groundbreaking employment projects from tax-exempt organizations operating in states with some of the lowest employment participation rates for people with disabilities. These states – Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia – represent areas where targeted interventions can have a transformative impact.

Connected Healthy Lives

Every day, people face a multitude of choices that may affect their health and quality of life. In many communities, these choices are limited by factors beyond a person’s control. That is why we are expanding healthy choices for communities and creating more equitable health outcomes by working to eliminate the social and structural barriers to health.

Our goals

• We create healthy emotional connections as a vital part of our holistic approach to care.
• We shape a healthier approach to nutrition that supports lifelong health and wellbeing.
• We deploy our knowledge and resources as stewards of good health in communities across the country.

Our approach

The Humana Foundation partners with local communities and trusted community organizations in Louisville, KY, Texas, Florida and Louisiana to create a network of support for people confronting life’s challenges, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, or gender identity.

We connect people to various programs and services committed to suicide prevention, substance abuse treatment, foster grandparent programs, and more.

We collaborate with community ecosystems to advance nutritional literacy and food security so people can have consistent and reliable access to healthy food. From awareness initiatives for seniors to community food systems and food mapping pilot programs, we empower people on their health journey.

We ground our work in the needs and desires of those we serve, performing data analytics to advance collective learning and creating real, measurable impact that improves lives.

Disaster Philanthropy

The Humana Foundation allocates funding each year to provide emergency relief to communities in crisis with the goal of supporting equitable, long-term health and recovery.

Our goals

We partner with Humana Inc. to provide relief to Humana associates, facilities and Humana plan members affected by disasters. We respond to calls from national, regional or local leaders for emergency assistance. We support preparedness efforts that ensure a more equitable response to disasters.

Our approach

Disaster funds provided by the Humana Foundation, along with matching donations made by Humana Inc. associates, are primarily directed to immediate relief and long-term community health and recovery.

Additional funding may also be made available for disaster preparedness in communities that are planning and training for a more equitable response to disasters, which accounts for unique needs across age, race, ethnicity and gender identity.

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award a total of $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Caring for the Environment, Animals

Examples:

• Permanent wildlife conservation exhibit
• New vehicle for mobile vet clinic
• Park improvements

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

About School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN).

Utilizing a unique framework of funding systems offered by the Department of Health and Human Services, managed care organizations, health insurers, and private donors, SBHSN promotes a system of care model (Coaching Model℠) offering a mix of evidenced-based intervention, prevention, and care coordination services to children in grades K-12. The Coaching Model aims to expand quality mental healthcare access on public school campuses and improve children's social, emotional, behavioral, family, and wellness outcomes.

School-Based Mental Health Implementation Grant

In response to the growing number of students who need mental health counseling, the School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN) is accepting applications from Local Education Agencies (LEA), Public and Private Universities, State and local Colleges, Charter School Management Companies, Public Schools, Charter Schools, and Non-Profit Organizations (501c3) to implement and expand mental health program services on local school campuses. Grantees will receive direct funding and reimbursement to support the following activities: 

• Expanding access to School-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).
• Coordinating mental healthcare services with school administration and staff. 
• Delivering mental healthcare services and coordinating academic-support activities to students with a history of attendance, behavior, and poor academic performance.

FUNDING

5-Years, renewable based on meeting performance goals 5-year award ceiling is $5,500,000.

In 2001, Food Lion created a 501(c)(3) foundation operated by a volunteer board of directors in order to streamline requests for financial donations to eliminate hunger.

The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation supports a variety of hunger-related initiatives, including "Feeding the Hungry" grants each year. The foundation has given away more than $17.5 million across Food Lion’s operating area since its inception. Specifically, grants support children at risk of hunger and support feeding agencies by helping to increase their "fresh" capacity so families can put nutritious meals on their tables. The foundation also helps provide nutrition education to eliminate the health risks of the hungry.

Founded in 1999, the Sundt Foundation was created to give Sundt employee-owners a way to give back to the communities where they live and work. Today, the Sundt Foundation remains true to its original mission, fostering a sense of connection and belonging in our local communities. The Sundt Foundation provides volunteer and grant opportunities to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in its regional areas.

Giving Guidelines

Employee-owner committees are responsible for Foundation grantmaking designated in the areas of youth development, hunger & nutrition, basic needs & social services, and military & veterans.

Fostering a lasting impact.

For over 20 years, the Peoples Bank Foundation has been dedicated to making a positive difference in the communities we serve, granting millions to nonprofit organizations in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Since its inception in 2003, the Foundation has awarded over $7.5 million in grants and scholarships.Let us help you.

Foundation contributions are distributed across all segments of our communities to foster a lasting impact, and we continue to increase our support of local programs that help low to moderate-income individuals and families. We focus on five areas of giving and want to hear about your work and how the Foundation can aid your mission.

Kentucky Fried Wishes

Non-profit organizations can apply for a $10,000 grant to fund an actionable project on their wish list.

The KFC Foundation will award a total of $1 million to 100 non-profit organizations to make their Kentucky Fried Wishes come true.

Twenty-five grants will be awarded per quarterly cycle.

Improving Health & Wellbeing

Examples:

• Mobile health clinic creation
• Playground improvements
• Domestic violence shelter upgrades
• Accommodations for individuals with disabilities

Final determinations made within 60 days of submission deadline.

Background

Every community faces unique barriers that require collaborative solutions to thrive. The Dow Promise Program supports educational and economic challenges Black youth and adults face in the United States by addressing community-identified needs and advancing equitable opportunities. Through grants of up to $10,000 towards social, economic or environmental initiatives, Dow Promise not only fosters a thriving community, but a shared future.

Since 2000, this annual competitive program has committed to uplifting communities in which Dow operates by supporting their needs and investing in positive social change for long-term success.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year. 

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.

The Region’s 26.4 million residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia.

The Region also comprises three federally recognized and five state recognized Native American Tribal Communities, with Tribal entities in Appalachian Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, and North Carolina.

Purpose of ARISE

Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) is ARC’s multi-state initiative that aims to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through collaborative projects across Appalachia. With the additional funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL), ARC launched ARISE to strengthen Appalachian business and industry, and to grow and support the development of new opportunities across multiple states.

ARISE encourages initiatives that go beyond borders and help the 13 Appalachian states advance ARC’s strategic investment priorities as one, united Appalachia.

Grant Types

Planning Grants

Funding Availability for Planning Grants: $10,000,000 in FY23

Maximum Planning Grant Award Size: $500,000

Implementation Grants

Funding Availability for Implementation Grants: Up to $63,500,000 in FY23

Implementation Grant Award Size: $10 million maximum (ARC reserves the right to award grants in larger amounts on a case-by-case basis when substantially compelling circumstance are present and funds are available)

Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank

The Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank is committed to creating a greater impact on programs and initiatives that create strong, vibrant communities and provide pathways to opportunity.  Grants for programming in education, the arts, community development, and health and human services in the Greater Cincinnati area are considered, in addition to the specific funding interests originally identified by each of the individual benefactors. 

Cincinnati, OH - (Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky) Foundations 

• Charles Moerlein Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes.
• Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports initiatives that empower and assist women and girls in achieving self–sufficiency
• Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports charitable and educational purposes for the City of Cincinnati, with a focus on the arts.
• H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports mainly environmental and historical preservation, and educational and arts organizations in the greater Cincinnati area, as well as named preferred organizations named in the trust document.
• Helen G., Henry F., & Louise Tuechter Dornette Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports nature and the conservation of nature’s beauty, as well as organizations that are beneficial to children, with a preference to organizations that Miss Dornette identified during her lifetime
• Louis & Melba Schott Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports assistance to youth, with emphasis on youth of primary school through junior high school age, who are disadvantaged because of medical conditions, economic status, family background or for other similar reasons. 
• Patricia Kisker Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports organizations that benefit or serve children and educational, musical or arts organizations, as well as organizations which Patricia Kisker supported during her lifetime.
• Jacob G. Schmidlapp Fund, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports charitable or educational purposes; for relief in sickness, suffering and distress; for the care of young children, the aged or the helpless or afflicted; for the promotion of education and to improve living conditions.
• Stillson Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Helps children and provides assistance to those charities the Stillsons supported during their lifetime.
• Ohio Valley Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Agent: Funds small equipment, technology and capital improvement projects in the Ohio Valley.
• Frank J. Kloenne & Jacqueline Dawson Kloenne Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Promote, encourage or aid religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities.
• Mary Martha McGee Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: To support community outreach activities of non–profit, religious organizations and churches that serve the low–income population in Greater Cincinnati
• Harold Schilling Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: To support organizations, preferably located in Hamilton County, that aid persons who are hearing or visually impaired or who are developmentally disabled. 
• Lawrence J. Mayer Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee: Supports Catholic or religious order of men or women, which serves or caters to the poor in Greater Cincinnati.

Mission

The mission of Southern Partners Fund (SPF) is to serve rural Southeastern communities and organizations seeking social, economic and environmental justice by providing them with financial resources, technical assistance, training and access to systems of information and power. There are two central ideas embraced in the democratic philanthropy of Southern Partners Fund: compassion and community. Compassion implies an understanding or concern for community members lacking local political power to impact the decisions that affect their lives. Community relates to the things that bring us and hold us together.

Purpose

The Purpose of SPF Grantmaking is to:

• Develop and nurture grassroots community-based leaders and organizers.
• Build the capacity of rural, grassroots community organizing groups and leaders.
• Strengthen rural communities and people.
• Develop equitable peer relationships, which support real transformation toward a just society.

Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grants Cycle

Hubert Ellis Sapp, a transformative visionary and grassroots organizer, was instrumental in turning the concept of Southern Partners Fund, a democratically led foundation directed by grassroots leaders, into a reality. To honor his legacy in the wake of his passing in February of 2021, we are honored to add his name to our Regular Grant Cycle, which from here on, will be referred to as the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant Cycle. 

• Applicants may request general support or project support.
• Applicants must have operating budgets of $350,000 or less to receive general support.
• Organizations with operating budgets over $350,000 can apply for project support only.

Members of SPF’s grants committee will contact organizations being considered to schedule a site visit, required for new applicants, or phone interview. SPF’s grants committee, made up of SPF members, makes grants decisions during a September grants panel meeting, which are then ratified by the Board. Groups will be notified of grants decisions after October 1st, 2024.

If an organization has received five consecutive years of regular grant cycle funding, it must take a year off before making a new RGC grant request.