Search Through Marketing Grants for Nonprofits in North Carolina in the U.S.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Mission

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

History

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

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

Where We Work

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

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

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

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

Youth Sports Grant

Youth Sports Grants are our newest grant offering providing funding for nonprofessional youth sports teams and events.

Host Funding

Up to $25,000 to attract State, regional, area, and national sporting events, tournaments, and programs for nonprofessional sporting participants in programs administered by city, county, and local school administrative units, or appropriate 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organizations. Host funding requests may include bid/event rights fees and costs for sports equipment, venues, administration, structures (permanent and temporary), marketing, etc.

The county cap does not apply to host funding requests.

Youth Sports Grant

Youth Sports Grants are our newest grant offering providing funding for nonprofessional youth sports teams and events.

Travel Funding

Up to $5,000 in travel funding for nonprofessional teams to compete in North Carolina or out-of-state sporting events. Travel funding may include gas, charter bus costs, hotel accommodation, etc.

Per statute GA 105-113.128(4)a. this option is limited to $5,000 per county (or sporting team/group), per year. A Youth Sports Grant cannot be awarded to a county that has received $5,000 until the following year. 

Overview

The Open Grants Program allows applicants to apply for Golden LEAF funding throughout the year. Eligible applicants are governmental entities and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Awards in the Open Grants Program are $500,000 or less.

The Golden LEAF Foundation is committed to using the funds entrusted to it for projects that show the most potential for strengthening North Carolina’s economy, especially in tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and/or rural communities.

Priority Funding Areas

This program is for economic development projects aligned with the Golden LEAF priority areas. 

Job Creation & Economic Investment

Projects in this priority area gather data to support outcomes including: 

• Investment in publicly owned infrastructure
• Investment in privately owned property, plant, and equipment
• New full-time jobs created
• Average annual wage of new full-time jobs
• Business start-ups
• New housing units

Agriculture

Projects awarded in this priority area will gather data to support outcomes including:

• Number of participants at agricultural trainings
• New publications directed towards farmers
• Monthly use of agricultural facilities that benefit farmers
• As well as narrative outcomes including: jobs, revenue growth, new agricultural business formations, economic output, changes in agricultural practices; acres in production; new crops/products grown or produced; and other measures of agriculture projects.

Workforce Preparedness

Projects awarded in this priority area will gather data to support outcomes including:

• Increase in students earning at least one academic credential (curriculum diploma, certificate, or associate degree/con ed certificate) in the area funded.
• Increase in students earning at least one industry/third party certification, license, or other credential (nonacademic) in the area funded.
• Increase in high school students completing CTE pathways in the area funded.
• Increase in secondary or post-secondary students participating in work-based learning.
• Increase in secondary students receiving meaningful exposure and opportunities to explore local career opportunities.

Community Competitiveness and Capacity

At Golden LEAF, our grantmaking responds to the challenges and opportunities that are presented day-to-day and year-to-year. That is why we’re always looking for new ways to leverage our funding, to accomplish more and to build new relationships. Since inception, the initiatives that we have launched are a testament to what can be achieved when many players from every sector come together to form partnerships for change.

Competitive applications for projects include requests for funds to:

• Develop and implement a new workforce training program to meet demand from local employers
• Implement a career pathway at a high school for a high demand field
• Extend water, sewer, or road infrastructure to a site to enable industrial development that will create full-time jobs
• Support the development of new crops, expand markets for agriculture products, or provide training for farmers.
• Construction of infrastructure for public use needed for development of workforce housing (developer must be a 501(c)(3) or local government entity)

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Foundation Mission & Philosophy

“Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual,” said the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope.

John William Pope inherently understood those values. He entered the family business running his father’s five discount-variety stores after World War II. With ‘American dream’ ambition, he built those holdings into Variety Wholesalers Inc. — the parent company of Roses and Maxway stores (among others), serving hundreds of communities and providing employment for thousands. The success of Variety Wholesalers enabled the Pope family to create the Pope Foundation in 1986.

With the goal to improve the well being of North Carolinians, the John William Pope Foundation makes grants to support public policy groups, educational institutions, humanitarian efforts, and the arts. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure future generations have the same opportunities as John William Pope: the freedom to live, work, pursue individual interests, sustain family, and prosper.

From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina. John William Pope’s son, Art, shares his father’s passion for our free-market system. Art (www.artpope.com) is the current Chairman of the Foundation.

Education

Too many students graduate — whether from high schools, colleges, or universities — without the job skills needed to compete in our knowledge-based economy. Worse, many students lack basic information on the foundations of our free and civil society, the very concepts that allow our republican form of government to function and our nation to flourish.

The John William Pope Foundation believes that Americans have a duty to teach the next generation about the West’s rich tradition of liberty. We support Carolinas-focused educational institutions, academic centers, student groups, and national organizations that achieve those ends including programs at private schools and independent nonprofits.

But ensuring that future generations are taught about the blessings of freedom isn’t enough. The Pope Foundation also believes in impacting education for the current generation — creating educational excellence for today. That’s why we support student societies and policy groups that research education issues.

A key way that the Foundation meets its goal of impacting current students, and future generations of learners, is through academic centers at UNC-Chapel Hill; N.C. State University; Duke University; Clemson University, College of Charleston, and Wake Forest University.

These centers provide a needed freedom-centric perspective that is often overlooked in the classrooms of higher learning.

Principles

• The primary goal of educational institutions is to encourage critical thinking, scholarly inquiry, and responsible teaching, not to indoctrinate students in a particular worldview.
• Schools, colleges, and universities should be strongholds of intellectual diversity, including the philosophies of economic freedom and prosperity.
• Educational institutions have a duty to provide value to their customers, the students.
• Philanthropists and alumni ought to be keenly interested in supporting our nation’s academic institutions.

Annual Grants

The John William Pope Foundation’s philanthropic vision is rooted in improving the well-being of North Carolinians through the advancement of individual freedom and personal responsibility. To achieve this the Foundation’s giving is directed to four grant priorities:

• Public policy – The foundation prioritizes organizations that advance free-market principles and organizations that are based in North Carolina and/or doing work that directly impacts North Carolina public policy.
• Education – The foundation prioritizes institutions that encourage intellectual diversity and critical thinking and are based in North Carolina and/or doing work that directly impacts North Carolina higher education and K-12 education.
• Human Services – The foundation prioritizes organizations that encourage opportunity and personal responsibility and are based in Wake and Vance Counties and/or doing work that benefits residents of Wake and Vance Counties.
• The Arts – The foundation prioritizes organizations that create and promote the arts through performance and education and are based in Wake and Vance Counties and/or doing work that benefits residents of Wake and Vance Counties.

The Foundation accepts requests for general operating and project-specific grants in all of the four priority areas on a rolling basis. However grants are issued only twice a year — in the spring (public policy and higher education) and the fall (K-12 education, human services, and the arts). Urgent needs and projects that fall between meeting times may be considered at the discretion of the board.

Typical Request Amount

There is no magic number or ideal request. If you have a question regarding the suitability of your application, we highly encourage you to review our past year’s grantees. This will give you an idea of the types of organizations we typically fund.

Grants Overview

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation supports the vision and legacy of Mr. Van Every by making meaningful gifts to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations in North and South Carolina which strengthen our communities, demonstrate fiscal responsibility, exhibit strength in leadership and have a proven track record of success.

Human and Community Service, Education, Healthcare and Rehabilitation and Arts, Culture and History are the Foundation’s primary areas of focus. A very limited portion of our funding supports organizations that fall outside these perimeters.

Areas of Focus

Education

As Americans, we find ourselves living in an increasingly competitive global economy. Students are entering a highly competitive job market. The unemployed and underemployed are seeking new career opportunities that require enhanced skills.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is addressing these issues by supporting colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations that provide quality affordable education and job re-training programs for individuals seeking degrees or certificates. We believe that education is critical to the future success of our children, families, communities, state, and nation.

Healthcare/Rehabilitation

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving the health and quality of life for individuals residing in North and South Carolina.

We respond to our commitment by investing in programs and services that focus on medical innovation, research, education, rehabilitative care, prevention, wellness and substance abuse.

Human & Community Service

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation is committed to improving lives and strengthening communities in North and South Carolina.

We support organizations that address the underlying causes of a myriad of social issues, meet the critical needs of people in their service area and focus on creating financially stable and healthy families.

Arts, Culture, History

Arts, culture and history promote creativity, innovation, exploration and diversity while improving the quality of life for residents of our communities. Dynamic performances and museums as well as other cultural and historic venues engage and inspire audiences, building bridges throughout our region. Arts education plays a pivotal role in enriching the lives of children and provides them with a well-rounded education and the creativity they will need to lead in a global economy.

The Philip L. Van Every Foundation recognizes the important role that arts, cultural and historic organizations play in our communities and supports select organizations that provide quality experiences for residents of North and South Carolina.

About Us

For nearly 70 years, we have remained committed to a tradition of carrying out Mary Duke Biddle’s goal of sharing resources in a way that improves people’s lives and responds to evolving community needs.

The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts nonprofits and PreK-12 education organizations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Additionally, we support Duke University and other institutions of great importance to Mary Duke Biddle's family.

PreK-12 Education

We provide resources that empower nonprofit organizations to build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Through our PreK-12 grantmaking, we seek to address and challenge inequities that limit student success, learning, and access to arts experiences. In particular, we are focused on supporting organizations that:

• Work to close the academic opportunity gap, prepare students for careers and college, and/or foster social and emotional learning for students’ growth and success.
• Provide opportunities for students to engage directly in high-quality arts instruction, particularly in which students actively participate in making art.

We only make grants to organizations located in and serving students in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Wake Counties in North Carolina.

Our Grantmaking Goals

• Support PreK-12 organizations that work to close the academic opportunity gap, prepare students for careers and college, and/or foster social and emotional learning for students’ growth and success.
• Support arts education organizations that provide opportunities for under-resourced students to engage directly in high-quality arts instruction, particularly in which students actively participate in making art.

Across both PreK-12 education interest areas, MDBF seeks to address and challenge inequities that limit student success, learning, and arts experiences.

Multi-year Grants

Each year, we will award 5-7 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $15,000-$50,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Multi-year grants are only available to organizations that MDBF has funded in the previous five years (2019-2023). All organizations must have a primary focus on the arts or PreK-12 education and main programming must take place in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and/or Wake Counties, NC.

We focus our multi-year grants on two types of organizations:

Developing organizations

These organizations have identified a clear need or opportunity, have strategic goals, and have already begun offering programming. Our goal in supporting developing organizations is to help them solidify their programs and operations as they build a strong and sustainable foundation for long-term success.

Organizations at this stage may have limited or no board of directors with staff who are primarily volunteers. Or, their boards may have expanded beyond “friends and family” to focus more on governance and less on day-to-day operations, with staffing in place beyond an Executive Director and volunteers.

Funding sources are likely not diversified at this stage of development, but the organization may be starting to formalize financial management, volunteer management, program evaluation, fundraising, board development, marketing, and strategic planning as they grow.

Established organizations experiencing pivotal moments

These organizations have more maturity and stability; programs/services are solid and well-recognized with strong and effective leadership. Paid program and administrative staff are in place and the board’s focus is primarily policy and oversight. These organizations may have a well-demonstrated model and data that shows outcomes or is currently executing a plan for evaluation, continuous learning, and improvement.

Through the years, MDBF’s experience has illuminated the importance of strategic alignment. We have learned that certain types of organizations tend to thrive more within our grant support framework. The reality of our resource constraints necessitates a thoughtful and selective approach. Thus, we concentrate our efforts on established organizations that are experiencing inflection points in their lifecycle, when leaders face big decisions about how to ensure progress towards the organization’s vision.

These organizations are in moments of transition, challenge, and opportunity and are seeking additional help, resources, and expertise to ensure they’re positioned for success and heading in the right direction to achieve their goals and mission. This could include organizations that have an opportunity to expand programming, capacity, and/or locations.

One-Year Grants

One-year grants are available to organizations that have not received an MDBF grant in the past five years (2019-2023) or have never received a grant from us. Both emerging nonprofits and more established organizations are eligible for these grants.

By providing operating support grants, we show our commitment to providing resources that empower nonprofit organizations to proactively build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Each year, we will typically award 5 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$10,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

About Us

For nearly 70 years, we have remained committed to a tradition of carrying out Mary Duke Biddle’s goal of sharing resources in a way that improves people’s lives and responds to evolving community needs.

The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation supports arts nonprofits and PreK-12 education organizations in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Additionally, we support Duke University and other institutions of great importance to Mary Duke Biddle's family.

The Arts

The arts are essential to strong, vibrant communities. A dynamic cultural sector is a catalyst for growth, attracting and retaining businesses and visitors. They strengthen neighborhoods and communities by preserving the culture and memories of specific places and have a positive impact on health and well-being. The arts provide spaces to allow people from different backgrounds to engage with one another and opportunities to build community. Perhaps most importantly, they offer personal enjoyment to individuals, groups, and families, and give voice to the human condition.

We provide grants to:

• Support and strengthen cultural organizations that demonstrate artistic excellence and elevate the profile of the Triangle’s art scenes, both locally and nationally.
• Support new, emerging, or grassroots cultural organizations.
• Support arts-focused organizations that work directly with artists to deepen and expand talent, develop professional and business skills, and/or create new works.

Multi-year Grants

Each year, we will award 5-7 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $15,000-$50,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Multi-year grants are only available to organizations that MDBF has funded in the previous five years (2019-2023). All organizations must have a primary focus on the arts or PreK-12 education and main programming must take place in Chatham, Durham, Orange, and/or Wake Counties, NC.

We focus our multi-year grants on two types of organizations:

Developing organizations

These organizations have identified a clear need or opportunity, have strategic goals, and have already begun offering programming. Our goal in supporting developing organizations is to help them solidify their programs and operations as they build a strong and sustainable foundation for long-term success.

Organizations at this stage may have limited or no board of directors with staff who are primarily volunteers. Or, their boards may have expanded beyond “friends and family” to focus more on governance and less on day-to-day operations, with staffing in place beyond an Executive Director and volunteers.

Funding sources are likely not diversified at this stage of development, but the organization may be starting to formalize financial management, volunteer management, program evaluation, fundraising, board development, marketing, and strategic planning as they grow.

Established organizations experiencing pivotal moments

These organizations have more maturity and stability; programs/services are solid and well-recognized with strong and effective leadership. Paid program and administrative staff are in place and the board’s focus is primarily policy and oversight. These organizations may have a well-demonstrated model and data that shows outcomes or is currently executing a plan for evaluation, continuous learning, and improvement.

Through the years, MDBF’s experience has illuminated the importance of strategic alignment. We have learned that certain types of organizations tend to thrive more within our grant support framework. The reality of our resource constraints necessitates a thoughtful and selective approach. Thus, we concentrate our efforts on established organizations that are experiencing inflection points in their lifecycle, when leaders face big decisions about how to ensure progress towards the organization’s vision.

These organizations are in moments of transition, challenge, and opportunity and are seeking additional help, resources, and expertise to ensure they’re positioned for success and heading in the right direction to achieve their goals and mission. This could include organizations that have an opportunity to expand programming, capacity, and/or locations.

One-Year Grants

One-year grants are available to organizations that have not received an MDBF grant in the past five years (2019-2023) or have never received a grant from us. Both emerging nonprofits and more established organizations are eligible for these grants.

By providing operating support grants, we show our commitment to providing resources that empower nonprofit organizations to proactively build momentum, stay curious and creative, and shape Triangle communities into being the best places to live, work, learn, and play.

Each year, we will typically award 5 general operating support grants to nonprofit organizations that further our grantmaking goals. Grant amounts range from $5,000-$10,000 a year for each organization. MDBF has a finite budget and may not be able to fund the full amount requested. If your application moves forward, MDBF staff will work with your organization to determine the actual requested amount. Please know that there is no penalty for requesting the maximum amount at the LOI stage.

Presentation Grants Program

Presentation Grants are an opportunity for organizations in South Arts' nine-state region to receive fee support to present Southern guest film directors, visual and performing artists, or writers from outside of the presenter's state. Artist fee support is awarded for:

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance),
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry),
• traditional arts, and
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media).

Projects must include both a public presentation (film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement component. These grants are limited and very competitive. Based on the artist fee, the maximum request is $9,500 for modern dance and contemporary ballet or $7,500 for other artistic disciplines. 

South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations representing persons with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.

Project Support Grant

Project Support is a new grant category that replaces Spark the Arts Grants. This category is designed to help organizations that are producing and/or presenting specific arts programs that engage audiences and participants. Organizations may apply for support for exemplary programs in any artistic discipline.

Here are some examples of such programs: 

• A single exhibition, performance, or two to three related events, such as a reading series
• An annually or regularly recurring event, such as a festival
• An artist residency or commission
• A literary publication 

Funding

From $5,000 to $15,000

Organizations with prior-year expenses between $20,000 and $50,000 are eligible to apply for $5,000, the minimum grant award.

Applicants from Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties may apply for up to two-thirds of the overall project expenses and must provide a cash match for the remaining third. For applicants from economically distressed Tier 1 counties, we will waive the matching requirement.

Arts in Education Artist Residency Grants

This category is designed to give schools and school districts funding to bring artists into the classroom, either virtually or in person, for a residency during the fall semester of 2023 or spring semester of 2024. Grant funding supports standards-based, long-term (5 days and longer) artist residencies that provide students with the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and skills in the arts. Educators and artists collaborate to design an artist residency that meets the specific needs of the school and engages students in hands-on, participatory arts learning. At a minimum, artists work with the same group of students for 5 days during the residency. Residency days and weeks do not have to be consecutive.

Military and Veterans Healing Arts Grant

These grants are designed to support arts projects focused on serving North Carolina’s military service men and women, veterans, and their families.

North Carolina has the fourth largest military population in the U.S. with over 100,000 active duty service men and women stationed at five military bases, a military ocean terminal, and a coast guard base. North Carolina also hosts over 43,000 National Guard and reserve members. North Carolina’s veteran population resides in every county in the state and numbers over 620,000, ranking fifth highest in the nation. In addition, there are over 39,000 active-duty spouses and 69,000 active-duty children living in North Carolina. Four federal VA medical centers and 14 state veteran service centers are the foundation of support for veterans in the state, but other resources are available through universities and community colleges, and nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the intrinsic value that the arts possess to enhance the quality of life for all citizens, they provide important support for the unique needs of service men and women, veterans and their families.

For these military audiences engaging in arts activities:

• Enhances healing and provides important health benefits in every stage from recovery to wellness
• Strengthens a sense of self, and creates opportunities to tell one’s story in different ways, including nonverbal means of expression
• Builds a connection with the community and diminishes feelings of isolation, both by making art in a group setting and also by instigating a public discussion about topics relevant to servicemen and veterans

An array of arts projects with an emphasis on serving military and veterans audiences are eligible for support.

Examples include:

• A single exhibition, performance, or two to three related events, such as a reading series
• A series of workshops
• An artist residency
• A literary publication or documentary film

All projects must include appropriate outreach activities. Additionally, projects that contribute to the development of this field of work through technical assistance are eligible for support. 

Funding

From $5,000 to $15,000

Organizations with prior-year expenses between $20,000 and $50,000 are eligible to apply for $5,000, the minimum grant award.

Applicants from Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties may apply for up to two-thirds of the overall project expenses and must provide a cash match for the remaining third. Applicants from economically distressed Tier 1 counties are eligible to waive the matching requirement.  

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent self-funding 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting activities that help meet the educational and health needs of today's society and future generations. For decades, the Foundation has been a proud supporter of programs in our state that help advance science, health and education.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors that includes community leaders and GSK corporate executives. The day to day operations are overseen by the staff.

The Foundation was the vision of Glaxo chairman and chief executive, the late Joseph J. Ruvane, Jr. Mr. Ruvane brought the company from Florida to the Research Triangle Park and with it his passion for community. His vision was to establish an annually budgeted corporate giving program and a stable, long-term source of support for our state. In 1996, the company ceased funding the foundation. The foundation's growth is based solely on investment and market growth derived from its own independent endowment.

Since our establishment in 1986, we have awarded $90.1 million in grants over 37 years! We pay approximately $3 million in grants each year to North Carolina nonprofit organizations.

Traditional Grants

The Foundation provides grants of $25,000 and above to organizations working to help meet the educational and health needs of today’s society and future generations.

The Foundation’s primary focus is to provide seed funds for new and worthwhile educational programs. This policy does not preclude the consideration and possible funding of ongoing projects. This policy does not preclude the consideration and possible funding of ongoing projects. Proposals may be submitted for one year of funding or multi-year funding with a maximum duration of five years.

Ordinarily, the board does not provide funds to programs that benefit a limited geographical region. The board may make an exception to this policy when a program has the potential to transcend its community’s geographic boundaries or is established as a pilot program to be replicated on a larger scale.

About the Foundation

Parks C. Underdown, Sr. founded Hickory Springs Manufacturing in 1944 to produce seating and coil springs for the furniture and bedding industry. Now HSM, the company has evolved into a global manufacturer of components for diversified markets including transportation, packaging, healthcare, and government. 

In 1993, Parks C. Underdown, Jr. began the Underdown Family Foundation, which strives to support religious or faith-based work, educational organizations, and health and human services. Today the 2nd and 3rd generations of the Underdown family continue the Foundation’s work to fund these charitable causes, primarily for the benefit of the Hickory, North Carolina community.

Mission

The Underdown Family Foundation is a private, family foundation that was established in 1993 by Joanne and Parks C. Underdown, Jr. The Foundation exists to provide funds to nonprofit organizations that enrich and support the greater community of Hickory, NC. 

The Underdown Family Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations to help address community needs. In general, the Foundation prefers to focus its giving on education, health and human services and faith based organizations. The Foundation looks for organizations to maximize the Hickory, NC community and the individuals they serve. On a regional or national level, the Foundation also seeks to support research for important diseases and causes (see grant page). 

Program areas

• Education
• Health
• Human services
• Religion
• Public/society benefit

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

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

 AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation Grant

Mission and Focus Areas

The AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation is dedicated to preventing and mitigating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which will help drive positive outcomes for children's health and help set a stronger foundation for a lifetime of wellness. In addition to preventing and mitigating ACEs, it promotes protective and compensatory childhood experiences (sometimes referred to as “PACEs”), which can counteract the effects of ACEs.

Grants are made based on three pillars:

• Empowered families - Work to ensure that families have the resources they need to thrive through:
  • Skills development
  • Safe communities
  • Stable housing
  • Connection to vital resources
• Healing behaviors - Work to ensure that families can meet challenges and improve well-being by addressing:
  • Mental health
  • Substance use
  • Physical abuse and violence
  • Emotional abuse
• Access to health care - Work to ensure that families receive equitable, high-quality services, including:
  • Better access to care
  • Culturally-appropriate services
  • Maternal health

Learn more about these pillars and the Foundation's commitment to addressing aces.

To promote these pillars, the Foundation prioritizes nonprofit organizations that work to end ACEs by supporting families and children and equipping them for an emotionally healthy future.

Get more information about the types of projects the foundation funds.

Funding

The Foundation expects to make one-year project-specific grants totaling up to $1.945 million, with awards ranging from $100,000 to $250,000.

Background

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is committed to embracing the entire state through our various grant programs. We seek the creative spark that makes a true difference in people's lives by supporting innovative programs promoting the sciences, health and education. 

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation is an independent self-funding 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting activities that help meet the educational and health needs of today's society and future generations. For decades, the Foundation has been a proud supporter of programs in our state that help advance science, health and education.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors that includes community leaders and GSK corporate executives. The day to day operations are overseen by the staff.

The Foundation was the vision of Glaxo chairman and chief executive, the late Joseph J. Ruvane, Jr. Mr. Ruvane brought the company from Florida to the Research Triangle Park and with it his passion for community. His vision was to establish an annually budgeted corporate giving program and a stable, long-term source of support for our state. In 1996, the company ceased funding the foundation. The foundation's growth is based solely on investment and market growth derived from its own independent endowment.

Since our establishment in 1986, we have awarded $68.9 million in grants over 30 years! We pay approximately $3 million in grants each year to North Carolina nonprofit organizations.

Ribbon of Hope Grants

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation invites nonprofit organizations to apply for one-time grants of $25,000 for projects furthering science, health and education in their local communities. These grants are intended to offer organizations a one-time opportunity to develop a new initiative or to grow and expand and/or enhance an existing program. The Foundation does not fund core mission support, general operating, indirect or overhead costs, construction or renovation projects, medical assistance or services, or equipment.

Many nonprofits are providing outstanding services, but are struggling with limited resources to meet the needs of their local communities as their own budgets are squeezed. These grants are intended to offer organizations a one-time opportunity to expand and/or enhance an existing program or provide seed funds for a new initiative. In addition to the financial assistance, recipients benefit from customized consulting services and technical assistance provided by the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

Ribbon of Hope proposals will be considered that relate to the establishment and implementation of new projects or expansion of an existing program which:

• address critical community needs that have been identified through comprehensive needs assessment activities
• tightly align with goals and objectives of local community agencies
• demonstrate their sustainability after grant funds are expended.

Foundation Mission & Philosophy

“Self-reliance, self-confidence, and integrity are the keys to success. Endurance is also critical, and the responsibility for success lies on the shoulders of the individual,” said the late entrepreneur and philanthropist John William Pope.

John William Pope inherently understood those values. He entered the family business running his father’s five discount-variety stores after World War II. With ‘American dream’ ambition, he built those holdings into Variety Wholesalers Inc. — the parent company of Roses and Maxway stores (among others), serving hundreds of communities and providing employment for thousands. The success of Variety Wholesalers enabled the Pope family to create the Pope Foundation in 1986.

With the goal to improve the well being of North Carolinians, the John William Pope Foundation makes grants to support public policy groups, educational institutions, humanitarian efforts, and the arts. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure future generations have the same opportunities as John William Pope: the freedom to live, work, pursue individual interests, sustain family, and prosper.

From its first grant in 1986 to the present, the Foundation’s giving has totaled over $100 million, primarily to charities and organizations in North Carolina. John William Pope’s son, Art, shares his father’s passion for our free-market system. Art (www.artpope.com) is the current Chairman of the Foundation.

The Arts

Creative expression is the hallmark of a free and civil society. A free and prosperous nation can support the arts and ultimately preserve our national heritage and legacy for future generations.

Historically, North Carolina has many unique art traditions that date back centuries. But the scope of arts in our state isn’t limited to traditional arts or distinct geographic regions. As North Carolina has continued to grow and evolve, so have the state’s art traditions. Today, North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo celebrate, host, and create a broad spectrum of the arts in small and large venues. These arts have intrinsic value and help unify communities.

Foundation namesake John William Pope and his wife Joyce W. Pope firmly believed in supporting the arts and creative expression in the Tar Heel state. In keeping with its support of free-market causes, the Foundation believes that private resources, not government entities, should be the primary conduit for funding creativity. The Foundation prioritizes organizations that create and promote the arts through performance and education. The geographic focus is Wake and Vance Counties (or organizations who do work to benefit residents of Wake and Vance Counties).

Human Services

Families, churches, civic and community organizations, and vibrant neighborhoods are the pillars of our democracy. A strong work ethic, sense of personal responsibility, and emphasis on virtue are vital underpinnings of our nation.

To contribute to an environment of opportunity, the Pope Foundation makes grants to nonprofits addressing a full spectrum of needs, including hunger, health, housing, job training, and more. The Pope Foundation believes that independent initiatives, not government interventions, are critical to addressing the root causes of social challenges like generational poverty, underemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse. Ultimately, nonprofits that restore individuals and families in crisis are ensuring that communities flourish.

The Foundation prioritizes organizations that encourage opportunity and personal responsibility. The geographic focus is Wake and Vance Counties (or organizations who do work to benefit residents of Wake and Vance Counties).

Bring independent documentary filmmakers to your community for screenings and conversations around powerful stories and the art of filmmaking. Screening Partners are partner organizations that present Southern Circuit screenings, Q&As, and other filmmaker engagements with the community. Screening Partners develop screening audiences through strategic marketing and partnerships. As a group, they participate in the film selection process and discuss programming/marketing strategies for each film. Screening Partners act as hosts to touring filmmakers, providing recommendations for travel, lodging, and dining.

South Arts coordinates filmmaker tours and provides marketing materials for each film. South Arts recognizes the value of filmmaker participation by providing an honorarium for each filmmaker’s tour, with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Screening Partners must be nonprofit, educational, or governmental organizations residing in the South Arts region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Southern Circuit Screening Partners have included schools, churches, arts centers, municipalities, and other organizations, serving audiences of all ages.

Southern Circuit is invested in partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the South Arts region.

What films are presented?

Southern Circuit prioritizes featuring Southern filmmakers and stories. We are committed to presenting films by filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and filmmakers with disabilities. Selected filmmakers should have an ethical relationship with the topics and individuals/communities represented in their work. We are invested in including emerging and first-time filmmakers.

Screening Partners are provided a Southern Circuit Film Guide with potential selections for the season. Screening Partners work together to select six films that will tour to all Screening Partners. The Southern Circuit Film Selection Meeting will be held in June. At least one representative from your organization will be required to participate.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation

Established in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation sets aside resources to improve life in the communities where we operate. We’ve worked with thousands of outstanding community-based programs, service projects and disaster relief efforts, focusing our investment in four areas we believe make the most impact:

• education
• entrepreneurship
• enrichment of community
• environment

Investment Priorities

• Aligns with GP’s mission and values
• Aligns with GP’s Four Focus Areas of giving: Education, Environment, Enrichment of Community and Entrepreneurship
• Serves communities where GP has manufacturing facilities
• Creates value by contributing to and positively impacting long term well-being and sustainability of GP communities