Best Grants for Immigration Nonprofits in Louisiana

Rural grassroots community groups in Louisiana working on social, economic, environmental, or immigrant justice can receive support for organizing, capacity building, and voter engagement. Southern Partners Fund’s Discretionary Fund offers up to US $3,500 per year for community organizing projects, technical assistance, and travel related to civic and community engagement across its 12-state Southern region.

Rural, community-based 501(c)(3) organizations using grassroots organizing strategies in Louisiana and other Southeastern states can seek general or project support through the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant Cycle. Focused on social, economic, and environmental justice, Southern Partners Fund particularly welcomes groups working with immigrant communities and related rights issues in rural areas.

The Robinson Foundation Grant, established in 2016, aims to alleviate hardships faced by individuals and communities, demonstrating God's love through charitable contributions. As a family-operated foundation, it focuses on creating meaningful, long-term impacts in various areas including animal welfare, education, and disaster relief. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) public charities. The foundation prioritizes fiscally responsible projects with the potential for tangible results, while not supporting capital projects.

Researchers with doctorates studying immigration, immigrant integration, or related immigrant services can seek up to US $200,000 for social science research, including work relevant to Louisiana. Grants from Russell Sage Foundation help immigration-focused academics examine race, legal status, policy, and outcomes that may inform and strengthen immigration and refugee nonprofits’ programs.

Researchers studying community-led development and immigrant or refugee issues in Latin America, the Caribbean, or the U.S., including those connected to Louisiana-focused organizations, can receive US $20,000 fellowships to conduct rigorous field-based research. The Social Science Research Council and Inter-American Foundation support projects on migration drivers, integration, social inclusion, violence, and related community development challenges.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations supporting immigration and refugee rights in Louisiana can access funding through the B.W. Bastian Foundation, with typical awards ranging from US $100 - US $15,000. Grants may support general operations, specific projects, advocacy, programs, or capacity building for groups that explicitly affirm equality, including for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Early-career social science faculty researching U.S. economic mobility, inequality, or related social conditions can receive US $35,000 - US $50,000 in one-year project support from the Russell Sage Foundation. Scholars whose work examines immigration, immigrant integration, or immigrant communities in Louisiana or elsewhere may be especially relevant for immigration-focused nonprofits and partners.

Doctoral students at U.S. institutions researching U.S.-focused social science topics can receive up to US $15,000 for dissertation data collection, analysis, and writing, including projects on immigration and immigrant integration. Louisiana immigration-focused scholars can access funding through Russell Sage Foundation for work on inequality, race and ethnicity, the future of work, and related issues.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations supporting immigrant contributions in the arts, sciences, culture, and society in Louisiana can apply for Vilcek Foundation grants of US $5,000 - US $20,000. With a mission to recognize immigrant contributions, Vilcek Foundation provides U.S.-based nonprofits with support for creative, innovative programs and projects, including immigrant services and cultural institutions.

Social science researchers with doctorates studying race, ethnicity, and immigration in the U.S. can apply for Russell Sage Foundation’s core research grants, with awards up to US $200,000. Louisiana immigration-focused scholars and partners may benefit if their work examines how race, ethnicity, nativity, or legal status shape social, economic, or political outcomes.

Doctoral-level social science researchers studying behavioral science and decision making can apply for Russell Sage Foundation core research grants of up to US $200,000, including work based in Louisiana. With a mission to advance rigorous social science, the foundation supports projects on immigration, immigrant integration, criminal justice, employment, housing, and related institutional contexts in the U.S.

North Korean-born students and immediate family members pursuing accredited college or university programs in the U.S., including Louisiana, can receive up to US $10,000 for tuition and related educational costs. With a mission to support immigrant and refugee communities, Communities Foundation of Texas offers the Lindsay Lloyd North Korea Freedom Scholarship, which may be renewed annually through reapplication.

Louisiana 501(c)(3) nonprofits, religious organizations, and public schools providing food distribution or related support services can receive ongoing donations of unsold Panera baked goods for people in need. Panera Bread Foundation’s Day-End Dough-Nation program may benefit immigrant and refugee service organizations offering meals, shelters, outreach, or other community programs across the U.S.

New immigrants studying at Berkshire Community College and needing tuition support can receive scholarships for higher education and college preparation. With a mission to strengthen communities, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation provides U.S. immigrant students with funding that recognizes academic success, leadership potential, and concern for the needs and rights of others, which may benefit those served by Louisiana immigration nonprofits.

Current or former clients of US Committee on Refugees and Immigrants Albany pursuing higher education or trade certificates may be eligible for this scholarship, though it is limited to residents of the Greater Capital Region. With a mission to empower generous people, Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region offers this support for immigrant and refugee students’ postsecondary goals.

Louisiana immigrant services and education nonprofits can access funding through the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region’s William and Susanna Botts Scholarship for Immigrants, which awards US $1,000 scholarships. Foreign-born graduating seniors with financial need are eligible, and scholarships may be renewed annually with reapplication.

First-generation immigrant students and children of first-generation immigrants from Torrington pursuing accredited college or university studies can receive $750 through the Patrick Dillon Scholarship. Focused on higher education, Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation supports immigrant communities; Louisiana immigrant-serving nonprofits may share this opportunity with eligible students who have relocated from their area.

Immigration and refugee-serving nonprofits in Louisiana can access funding to provide home studies and post-release support for unaccompanied children through the US Dept. of Health & Human Services. Grants from HHS help organizations ensure safe sponsor placements, deliver ongoing case management, and connect children with community, legal, and health resources, with awards from US $1,000,000 - US $50,000,000.

Proteus Fund

Proteus Fund partners with foundations, individual donors, activists, and other allies to work strategically towards racial, gender, queer, and disability justice and an inclusive, fully-representative democracy. We curate an ecosystem of mutually reinforcing, aligned donor collaboratives and fiscally sponsored projects that deploy a creative array of strategies and tactics to further this vision.

RISE Together Fund: Small Grants

Call For Application

RISE Together Fund (RTF), an initiative of Proteus Fund, is announcing an open call for inquiries for our 2026 Small Grants Fund for U.S. public charity organizations or fiscally sponsored projects of such organizations, that support Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities.

As part of RTF’s commitment to prioritizing the needs and sustainability of the fields we collectively support, RTF will provide organizations with general operating grants to allow for organizational flexibility when possible. 

About RTF's Small Grants Fund

BAMEMSA movements have a strong history of organizing and collaboration, and are well poised with the knowledge, learning and experience to build an inclusive, multiracial democratic future and respond to the current unconstitutional threats facing the country. Through this fund, RTF aims to resource community power building organizations that use a multiplicity of approaches to create change rooted in the strength and leadership of BAMEMSA movements.

RTF supports groups that build community power, strengthen movement bases, defend civil and human rights including freedom of protest, speech, religion, and association, end the criminalization and surveillance of our communities, and respond to the rise in xenophobia, Islamophobia, and hate. RTF values groups that are intersectional in their approach and have or are developing sustainable long-term strategies to support BAMEMSA communities and movements.

Priority Issue Areas

• Protecting and advancing the rights of immigrant and refugee BAMEMSA communities by responding to harmful policies and practices, and strengthening community-led advocacy at the local, state, or federal level.

• Mobilizing BAMEMSA communities for nonpartisan civic engagement and election protection by increasing nonpartisan voter participation, combating voter suppression, and building sustained civic infrastructure ahead of, during, and between elections.

• Advocating for U.S. policy changes that end violence in Gaza and the West Bank by elevating Palestinian voices, influencing public discourse, and engaging in advocacy that shifts U.S. political, diplomatic, or funding decisions.

• Challenging harmful national security frameworks and their impacts on BAMEMSA communities by documenting, exposing, and organizing against surveillance, Islamophobia, and policies rooted in the War on Terror, particularly in the context of 9/11’s 25-year legacy.

• Responding to emerging opportunities and threats affecting BAMESMA communities such as influencing policy developments, addressing civic issues in the U.S., or developing narratives to change public discourse. This includes work addressing weaponizing issues around bodily autonomy and LGBTQ+ identity to fracture movements and communities.

Priority Strategies

RTF values organizations that take an intersectional approach and are intentionally building long-term community power. We prioritize support for groups that strengthen movement ecosystems, deepen their base, and defend the rights of BAMEMSA communities through the following strategies:

• Convening, Collaboration, and Movement Coordination: Bringing together organizations, leaders, and coalitions to align shared goals, coordinate strategies to advance shared visions, and reduce fragmentation across the field. This includes facilitating strategic convenings, developing platforms for collaboration, building cross-issue or cross-regional partnerships, developing shared agendas or issue campaigns, and strengthening trust and alignment among movement actors.
• Community Power-Building, Base Building, Civic Engagement, and Organizing: Expanding and activating a grassroots base within BAMEMSA communities to drive collective action and policy change. This includes community leadership development, public education campaigns, community organizing, nonpartisan voter engagement and election protection, and ongoing nonpartisan civic participation efforts that build sustained community power.
• Legal and Policy Advocacy Infrastructure: Advancing legal strategies and policy advocacy that expand and protect the rights of BAMEMSA communities. This includes impact litigation, legal advocacy, know-your-rights efforts, policy development, and advocacy at a local, state, or federal level.
• Communications and Narrative Strategy: Shaping public discourse and advancing narratives that reflect the experiences, dignity, and demands of BAMEMSA communities. This includes developing messaging strategies, producing and amplifying media, countering harmful or divisive narratives (including those targeting immigrants, religious minorities, LGBTQ+ communities, and reproductive rights), and increasing the voice share of BAMEMSA community members.
• Bolstering Movement Infrastructure: Strengthening the internal capacity and long-term sustainability of organizations and the broader movement ecosystem. This includes organizations supporting leadership development and pipelines, data and technology infrastructure, security and safety, and other core functions that enable groups to operate effectively and respond to evolving challenges.

Limited funding may be available for requests above $25,000.

Mission & Vision

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grantmaking.

Our Mission:

We are cultivating a thriving Greater Rochester region — powered by philanthropy, grounded in community, and sustained across generations.

Our Vision:

We envision a Greater Rochester region transformed by enduring philanthropy, where every person, neighborhood, and future generation can thrive.

Sidney and Carol Aroesty Family Scholarship

Purpose of Scholarship

To provide financial assistance to East High School graduating seniors planning to pursue a degree in any science discipline at a two- or four-year college, university, or technical school.

Number and Size of Awards

One award of $12,000; divided into equal annual installments paid over four consecutive years of undergraduate study. Award is paid in the Fall and divided equally between the Fall and Spring semesters.

Patrick Caroselli Scholarship

To provide financial assistance for college to high school seniors in Monroe County whose parents immigrated to the United States and attained citizenship.

Number and Size of Awards

Number of recipients and award amounts vary; award amount may be split between two or more recipients. Award paid in one lump sum in the Fall and divided equally between the Fall and Spring semesters. Average award $5,000; not to exceed the cost of tuition.

Allowed Use of Award

Awards must be used for costs related to enrollment in a higher education program, prioritizing tuition fees.

Bold Foundation

Our Mission: Fighting Student Debt

The average student today will graduate more than $30,000 in debt and is far less likely to start small businesses, seek the highest impact careers, buy homes, or start families. At Bold.org®, we believe that’s a problem worth solving.

New Beginnings Immigrant Scholarship

Immigrating to a new home takes resilience, determination, and a strong commitment to achieving one’s aspirations.

Many immigrants have overcome extraordinary challenges and obstacles to continue their academic journeys and pursue their dreams. As a result of these hurdles, many students from immigrant backgrounds have limited financial resources which can make higher education inaccessible.

This scholarship seeks to support immigrant students so they can continue working toward their educational goals.

To apply, tell us about your experience as an immigrant and your career aspirations.

The Residential Services for Unaccompanied Alien Children program, funded by the US Department of Health & Human Services, aims to provide safe and child-centered care for unaccompanied minors. This initiative supports organizations that can offer 24/7 services and are licensed to provide necessary care, including group homes and transitional foster care, particularly in areas near the U.S. southern border, ensuring the well-being of vulnerable children.

The William T. Grant Scholars Program provides crucial support for early-career researchers aiming to expand their expertise through innovative research and mentoring. This five-year program focuses on reducing inequality and improving the use of research evidence to benefit young people in the U.S. By emphasizing the development of new disciplines and methods, the program encourages applicants to take bold risks in their research trajectories, ultimately fostering a supportive academic community.

The Caesars Foundation supports community-focused organizations through monetary and in-kind donations, prioritizing strategic areas like social equity, climate action, and mental health. Eligible applicants include IRS-recognized nonprofits and educational institutions operating within the U.S. Requests must align with these focus areas to enhance community impact. Organizations that discriminate or operate outside the U.S. are ineligible. By fostering collaboration, the foundation aims to uplift vulnerable populations and promote sustainable practices.