Best Large Grants for Nonprofit Organizations

The Miller Foundation offers Arts Grants to support small organizations in Oregon, providing vital funding for artistic programming and operations. These grants enhance community engagement through visual and performing arts, ensuring that arts education is accessible to all children. With a focus on operating support, the foundation aims to strengthen local arts organizations, enriching Oregon's cultural landscape. Eligible entities include 501(c)(3) organizations and public entities dedicated to arts and education, fostering creative growth statewide.

The Chapman Collection Study Grants, administered by the American Museum of Natural History, provide financial support for predoctoral and recent postdoctoral researchers to conduct specimen-based ornithological research. Grants prioritize graduate students lacking other funding and cover travel and subsistence costs, encouraging projects longer than four days. Each grant is capped at $2,000 and aims to enhance research opportunities within the Museum's extensive collections, ensuring vital studies in avian systematics are conducted.

About Us

For more than 100 years, Duquesne Light Company has provided safe and reliable electric service to communities in southwestern Pennsylvania. Today, our core values of safety, integrity, dependability, equity and community enable us to serve more than 600,000 customers in two counties, including the city of Pittsburgh. We are committed to safely powering our customers’ lives while playing a leading role in our region’s clean energy transition. Our vision is to create a larger-than-light, clean energy future for all by delivering exceptional results today and boldly harnessing opportunities for tomorrow. In doing so, we can ensure a cleaner, healthier and more equitable community for generations to come.

Charitable Giving at Duquesne Light

Our Charitable Giving Grants Program is designed to help communities most affected by the rising cost of living—especially those burdened by high energy expenses. By prioritizing funding for nonprofit organizations helping individuals and families meet their basic needs and access high quality workforce development opportunities, we aim to reduce financial strain and promote long-term economic stability for residents across our service area.

Funding Priorities

By funding Basic Needs, we support access to essentials like food, housing, childcare, and transportation, along with wraparound services and crisis interventions—helping families achieve stability and reduce financial strain.

Through Workforce Development, we invest in training and career pathways that lead to family-sustaining wages and long-term job security, empowering individuals to overcome economic challenges and build a more resilient future.

Grantmaking

Traditional Grants

Duquesne Light’s Traditional Grants program provides funding to nonprofit organizations with annual operating budgets over $500,000 that are working to improve the quality of life for residents within our service territory. Grants support programs aligned with one of two focus areas: Basic Needs and Workforce Development.

The Workforce for Georgia Grant Program, initiated by the Georgia Foundation for Public Education and Georgia Power Foundation, offers up to $50,000 to enhance Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) in Georgia schools. This initiative aims to improve educational pathways aligned with local workforce needs. Eligible applicants include district-level staff and school administrators from high schools with CTAE programs. The funding supports program development, teacher training, and necessary resources to ensure students are job-ready upon graduation.

The Margaret Middleton Fund supports annual grants of up to $20,000 for high-quality ecological research on endangered Australian native vertebrate animals. Open to PhD students and early-career researchers, this fund aims to enhance conservation efforts and enable impactful findings for management. Applicants must address ecological issues within Australian ecosystems, with a focus on empirical field-based research. The fund is managed by the Australian Academy of Science, ensuring accessibility for all eligible researchers.

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Grants focus on addressing the opioid epidemic's impact on communities through prevention and recovery efforts. Established by the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, these grants prioritize funding for evidence-based programs that serve individuals with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and related challenges. With an award ceiling of $1 million, the initiative seeks to enhance treatment accessibility and promote family togetherness, supportive housing, and employment support, ultimately aiming for sustainable solutions in Kentucky.

Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant

The Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG) is for new outdoor recreation infrastructure projects and helps communities build recreation amenities that support local economic development, tourism, and quality of life improvements for Utah’s residents.

Introduction

The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation (DOR) is committed to ensuring every Utahn can live a healthy and active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and access to natural space. The DOR focuses on four key areas: expanding recreational access, promoting safety and education, ensuring responsible stewardship and sustainable visitation, and driving economic growth through outdoor recreation.

With our grant programs, we support local communities in achieving these goals and are thrilled to offer five grants under the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG) Program in 2026.

Community Parks & Recreation (CPR) Grant

More traditional community park infrastructure with regional significance

 To support community parks serving regional needs.

This grant aims to enhance national immunization programs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region by focusing on capacity building, disease control, and outbreak response. It seeks to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases, reduce morbidity and mortality, and improve access for under-immunized populations. The initiative will promote sustainability through evidence-based decision-making and program evaluation, aligning with CDC goals to address public health threats and improve overall immunization impact in the region.

The Alan H. Kamb Grant for Research on Kansas Snakes offers $300 annually to KHS members for research on native Kansas snake species. Proposals must include a detailed plan and be submitted by September 25. The winner is announced at the KHS annual meeting in November. If no qualified proposals are received, the grant will not be awarded that year. This grant supports vital research efforts to enhance knowledge of Kansas' diverse snake populations.

The AGA-Bern Schwartz Family Fund Research Scholar Award in Pancreatic Cancer provides $100,000 annually for three years to early-career faculty focused on independent research in pancreatic cancer. This award aims to protect at least 50% of the recipient's time for research activities. Eligible applicants must hold an MD or PhD and be classified as early-career. The award encourages physician-scientists and underrepresented groups in biomedical research to apply, supporting innovative research that can lead to significant advancements in understanding pancreatic cancer.

About WSDA

WSDA has been serving agriculture and the public for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we support keeping agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. The nature of our work falls into three primary roles: Service; Regulation; and Advocacy.

Resiliency Grants

To help address critical needs of hunger relief organizations across Washington, WSDA Food Assistance (FA) Resiliency Grants Program applications are open to eligible hunger relief organizations, including those not currently participating in FA core programs.

The Resiliency Grants Program is funded by the General Fund-State operating budget. This grant is a reimbursement grant.

This program contributes to WSDA’s ongoing Focus on Food Initiative, which aims to ensure access to a safe and nutritious supply of food to support a healthy and thriving Washington population. 

WSDA Priorities

This program will prioritize:

• Providing access to flexible funding to hunger relief organizations, including tribes and tribal organizations, to support current and vital organizational needs.
• Supporting hunger relief organizations in ways that they determine are best for their community.
• Supporting access to nutritious food.
• Ensuring funding is distributed across the entire state.

Grant Objectives

Through this program, WSDA will fund projects that bring immediate benefit to the community and target the following objectives:

• Collaboration amongst organizations to make significant improvements to the hunger relief network in their area.
• Increase client access to food and reduce client barriers.
• Respond to organization and community need.

Statewide Funding and Allocations

• To ensure funding is distributed across Washington State, WSDA FA has allocated a percentage of the total grant amount to each region (9 regions) in the state (see region map). The amount allocated is determined by poverty data from each county within the designated region and is dependent on receiving sufficient grant requests from each region.
• Each region is scored separately. The top scored application(s) within each region will be awarded. For example, an application from an organization in King County will not be in direct competition with an application from Pend Oreille County.

Allowable and Disallowed Costs

• For a comprehensive list, see our Allowable and Disallowed Costs publication.
• These funds are not intended for projects better served by Capital Budget requests (see definitions): This document (“WA State Capital Budget 101”) provided by our partners at Feeding Washington explains the Capital Budget process.

The SNAP Employment and Training (NE) program, by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, aims to support low-income adults, including SNAP recipients, in gaining employment through various training services. These services include supervised job searches, job search training, job retention assistance, basic education, career or technical training, and on-the-job training. The initiative seeks to empower participants with the skills and resources necessary to succeed in the workforce.

The Virginia Land Conservation Foundation (VLCF) has been funding land conservation projects since 1999, utilizing a special fund to support state agencies, nonprofits, and Virginia Indian Tribes. Grants cover up to 50% of project costs, with full funding available for certain entities. VLCF focuses on protecting farmland, forests, historic areas, natural spaces, and parks, aiming for a balanced distribution of protected land across the Commonwealth while ensuring public access to these vital resources.

Raptor Research Foundation

RRF Mission Statement: The Raptor Research Foundation advances the science, conservation, and understanding of birds of prey.

The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is the world’s largest professional society for raptor researchers and conservationists. Founded in 1966 as a non-profit organization, our primary goal is the accumulation and dissemination of scientific information about raptors. The Foundation organizes annual scientific conferences and provides competitive grants and awards for researchers and conservationists. The Foundation also provides support and networking opportunities for students and early career raptor researchers.

William Andersen Student Presentation Awards

The Awards: The William C. Andersen Memorial Awards are given to both the best student oral and poster presentation at the annual RRF meeting. This award can only be given to a student once per degree (bachelor, master, or doctorate). To be eligible, a student must be senior author and presenter of the paper or poster.

Students wishing to apply for this award should indicate their interest by checking the box on the abstract submission form. 

Amount

The poster award recipient receives $325, 1-year free membership to RRF, and waived page charges to publish their research in the Journal of Raptor Research. The recipient must be the primary author and the paper must reflect what the award was for.

The paper award recipient receives $525, 1-year free membership to RRF, and waived page charges to publish their research in the Journal of Raptor Research. The recipient must be the primary author and the paper must reflect what the award was for.

About William Andersen

The William C. Andersen Award was established in 1982 in memory of Bill Andersen, who drowned in 1980 while canoeing the Churchill River in Manitoba during a Peregrine Falcon survey. Dr. Andersen was a chemistry professor, but his first love was raptors. He established the Ornithology Research Center at Otero Jr. College in La Junta Colorado, as a medium for raising funds for the field research he conducted with his students. His interest in raptors of southeastern Colorado grasslands naturally evolved into developing a solution to the universal problem of raptor persecution. He established a rehabilitation facility and tirelessly lectured to service clubs and school groups about the benefits of raptors. He was a strong supporter of the RRF and a number of students accompanied him to each of the annual meetings. His enthusiasm, sincerity, and humor sparked an interest in raptors among many of his students and associates. While participating in the 1980 North American Peregrine Falcon Survey, Bill and a partner were canoeing on the Churchill River in northern Manitoba. They unexpectedly encountered extremely turbulent water and capsized. Bill disappeared and presumably drowned. In that instant, raptors and those inspired by them lost one of their strongest allies.

Raptor Research Foundation

RRF Mission Statement: The Raptor Research Foundation advances the science, conservation, and understanding of birds of prey.

The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is the world’s largest professional society for raptor researchers and conservationists. Founded in 1966 as a non-profit organization, our primary goal is the accumulation and dissemination of scientific information about raptors. The Foundation organizes annual scientific conferences and provides competitive grants and awards for researchers and conservationists. The Foundation also provides support and networking opportunities for students and early career raptor researchers.

Partners for Raptors Lifetime Achievement Award

The Partners for Raptors Lifetime Achievement Award honors outstanding individuals who have dedicated their lives to raptor research and conservation. These notable awardees are recognized for their significant contributions to the study and conservation of birds of prey, as well as their outstanding achievements gained through innovative field work, impactful collaborative partnerships, and a lifetime of inclusive interactions with their peers and the public focused on raptors. This is a joint award originally given by the Raptor Research Foundation in partnership with The Peregrine Fund. Going forward, we welcome partnerships with other raptor-oriented organizations, depending on the nominee’s involvement with both the proposing organization and RRF. The award is intended to complement RRF’s Hamerstrom (primarily academic focused) and Cade (primarily conservation focused) awards. 

This is a non-monetary award, designated with a plaque and a RRF resolution honoring the awardee.

The nomination committee consists of representatives of both RRF and the partner organization. Once a nominee is identified, the boards of both the RRF and the partner organization will ratify the nomination.

Raptor Research Foundation

RRF Mission Statement: The Raptor Research Foundation advances the science, conservation, and understanding of birds of prey.

The Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) is the world’s largest professional society for raptor researchers and conservationists. Founded in 1966 as a non-profit organization, our primary goal is the accumulation and dissemination of scientific information about raptors. The Foundation organizes annual scientific conferences and provides competitive grants and awards for researchers and conservationists. The Foundation also provides support and networking opportunities for students and early career raptor researchers.

Fran and Frederick Hamerstrom Achievement Award

The Fran and Frederick Hamerstrom Award is a non-monetary award that recognizes an individual who has contributed significantly to the understanding of raptor ecology and natural history. The award has no restrictions, but membership in the RRF is encouraged. Nomination packets can be submitted in the spring. Recipients will be announced at the annual meeting. Recipients are invited to give a plenary lecture at the subsequent RRF annual meeting. 

About The Hamerstroms: The award was established in 1990 to recognize and honor the Hamerstrom’s contributions to our understanding of raptor natural history and ecology through their long-term ecological studies. Between them, during their lifetime of research they authored and co-authored over 240 scientific papers, books, and reviews. Fran and Hammie moved from Boston to the midwest, where Fran was Aldo Leopold’s only female graduate student. They settled down in Plainfield Wisconsin where a small army of young researchers got their start in the field helping out on studies of harriers and prairie chickens. 

About the Commission

The Legislature created the Industrial Commission of North Dakota (“Industrial Commission” “Commission”) in 1919 to conduct and manage, on behalf of the State, certain utilities, industries, enterprises and business projects established by state law. Through the years the Industrial Commission has been given and had removed various responsibilities.

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Grant Program

The Oil and Gas Research Program is accepting applications for the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) grant program of the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC). The deadline for submitting applications for consideration in the upcoming grant round is Aug. 15, 2025. Applications may be submitted via email at ndicgrants@nd.gov.

The 69th Legislative Assembly appropriated $25 million in Senate Bill 2014 for the new grant program. Additional funding for projects that enhance oil recovery may be available under regular Oil and Gas Research Program funding.

Planned grant round deadlines for the 2025-2027 biennium include:

• Grant Round 1 deadline: Aug. 15, 2025
• Grant Round 2 deadline: Jan. 15, 2026
• Grant Round 3 deadline: June 15, 2026.

Qualifying projects must be completed by June 30, 2027. Funds must be matched by private dollars.

The next meeting of the Oil and Gas Research Council, which assists the NDIC in administering the program, will be held at a date and location to be determined.

The Red Ants Pants Foundation Community Grant Program supports projects that enrich rural communities in Montana. Grants are awarded to organizations and individuals aligned with the Foundation's mission, focusing on leadership for women, preservation of family farms, and community development. Eligible applicants must demonstrate community support and the potential for significant local impact. With over $190,000 granted in the past cycles, this initiative fosters collaboration and growth in small towns, ensuring that rural voices are heard and valued.

The W. B. & Ellen Gordon Stuart Trust provides grants for the study and treatment of cancer, heart disease, and infantile paralysis, specifically within Texas. This private foundation only funds charitable nonprofit organizations recognized under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS tax code. Grant applications cannot be submitted by individuals. For more information on the application process and eligibility, interested parties should refer to the foundation finder.

Oklahoma Department of Commerce

Our job is to bring jobs, investment, and economic prosperity to the state of Oklahoma. Through dynamic partnerships and innovative collaborations with companies, universities, not-for-profit organizations, and government leaders, we are building a business environment that supports business growth and shared community prosperity.

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)

The Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program is a component of the State’s Continuum of Care system designed to alleviate homelessness in Oklahoma. ESG programs enable homeless individuals and families to move toward independent living by providing emergency housing, supportive services, eviction prevention and housing assistance. ESG funds are provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on an annual basis and administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce provides ESG grants to nonprofits that provide direct services in their communities in rural Oklahoma and does not provide direct homeless services from our office.

The general goals of this funding are consistent with those established by HUD and are intended to benefit people with low to moderate income:

• Provide decent housing
• Provide a suitable living environment
• Expand economic opportunities

Sponsored: Private nonprofits seeking ESG funds for the first time, that do not have a yearly independent audit, and/or that have not received Oklahoma Department of Commerce ESG funds within two (2) grant cycles, must apply with a sponsor.

Sponsorships may be obtained from a unit of general local government, a Community Action Agency operating in that jurisdiction or a private nonprofit with prior experience complying with federal requirements and serving as an umbrella organization.

Unsponsored: Private nonprofits that have a yearly independent audit and have received ESG funds within two (2) grant cycles may apply directly for an ESG grant without sponsorship.

The Colon Cancer Coalition offers the Get Your Rear in Gear Grants to support local programs aimed at improving colon cancer screening and awareness. Open year-round, applications are reviewed biannually in February and August. Grants fund initiatives that educate the public about colon cancer and alleviate the financial burden on patients. By applying, organizations commit to promoting local events that raise funds for these important community programs.

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) serves as the chief steward of the state’s natural resources – from beautiful Narragansett Bay to our local waters and green spaces to the air we breathe. Our mission put simply is to protect, restore, and promote our environment to ensure Rhode Island remains a wonderful place to live, visit, and raise a family. 

Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI)

The purpose of the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI) is to develop and administer state-coordinated initiatives to build resilience across the middle of the State’s food supply chain for food crops. Funds will support expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally and regionally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry. DEM will work in partnership with USDA to make competitive sub-award investments in middle of the supply chain infrastructure (Infrastructure Grants) to domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities.

Cost Share or Match Required

Infrastructure Grant Recipients are required to contribute 50% of the total proposed project cost as a match to federal funding. This applies to all applicants except those who qualify for the reduced match described below.  

For historically under-served farmers and ranchers, or for other businesses that qualify under SBA categories of Small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, or veteran-owned small business, the required match funding Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant (RFSI) contribution or cost share is reduced to 25% of the project cost. 

What Can I Use the Funding for?

RFSI will focus on funding Infrastructure Grant activities in each State that:

• Expand capacity for processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products to create more and better markets for producers;
• Modernize manufacturing, tracking, storage, and information technology systems;
• Enhance worker safety through adoption of new technologies or investment in equipment or facility improvements;
• Improve the capacity of entities to comply with federal, state, and local food safety requirements;
• Improve operations through training opportunities;
• Support construction of a new facility;
• Modernize or expand an existing facility (including expansion and modifications to existing buildings and/ or construction of new buildings at existing facilities);
• Construction of wastewater management structures, etc.;
• Modernize processing and manufacturing equipment; and
• Develop, customize, or install equipment that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, increases efficiency in water use, improves air and/or water quality, and/or meets one or more of USDA’s climate action goals.

The GCI Suicide Prevention Grant, offered by The Alaska Community Foundation in partnership with GCI, aims to reduce suicide rates in Alaska by supporting projects that promote mental wellness and community connections. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, tribal entities, and schools. The grant prioritizes initiatives that address generational trauma, veteran connectedness, and youth engagement, particularly in rural areas. Funding will enhance community support systems and encourage sustainable programs.

The Autism Basic Research Pilot Project RFA (NJ) aims to support innovative research into the mechanisms underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through two funding opportunities: Clinical Research Pilot Projects (3 years) and Basic Science Research Pilot Projects (2 years). This initiative encourages both established and new researchers to explore diverse approaches, including genetic and environmental factors, to improve understanding and treatment of ASD in New Jersey.

The CARES Foundation Grant supports nonprofit organizations in California's Sacramento region that address the needs of individuals living with HIV. The foundation prioritizes HIV prevention, treatment, and support services, while also funding innovative projects that reduce stigma and discrimination against those affected by HIV. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits or government agencies primarily serving the local area, ensuring inclusivity and non-discrimination in their operations.

The Harry F. Dise Grant, managed by the Harry F. Dise Charitable Foundation, supports charitable organizations in Prescott, Arizona, focusing on the preservation of historical landmarks and objects. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The foundation prioritizes areas such as animal welfare, arts and culture, civic activities, community development, education, environment, health research, social services, and religious activities. Note that individual applications are not accepted.

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program, offered by The Nature Conservancy, provides up to $100,000 for projects that acquire land and easements throughout the Appalachian region. This program emphasizes equitable conservation, aiming to support historically marginalized communities and enhance access to nature while addressing climate change impacts. Projects must demonstrate community engagement and align with the program's goals to protect vital habitats and foster resilience in the face of environmental challenges.