Best Grants for Grassroots Organizations in Maryland

Idaho Community Foundation

The Idaho Community Foundation distributes millions annually in grants and scholarships across the state. These awards are made possible by individuals, families, businesses, affiliates, giving circles, and everyday Idahoans who care for their community.Robert C. Weaver Memorial Scholarship FundEstablished by Neola Weaver in memory of her late husband, residents or former residents of Buhl are eligible for scholarship support as either traditional or nontraditional students. For part-time or full-time traditional or nontraditional students pursuing post high school vocational or academic training. 

Joseph G Markoly Foundation Inc

When Joseph Markoly originally established the foundation more than thirty years ago, its focus was on Alzheimer’s and heart disease support, funded through a number of the larger national disease-related organizations. Over time the focus has shifted to helping small to mid-size organizations in our local communities which support children and seniors in a variety of effective ways. 

Markoly Foundation was established in honor of Joseph G. Markoly, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who wanted to make a positive impact in people’s lives. Joseph’s family was affected directly by both Alzheimer’s and heart disease having lost a family member to each condition. For that reason, the foundation dedicates a majority of their resources to providing grants to organizations that focus on the treatment of each of these diseases. In addition, Markoly Foundation supports a variety of programs dedicated to helping children and seniors by providing services, supplies, programs and research in areas impacting these demographics.

Joseph G. Markoly Foundation Grant Support for Children’s Organizations

Children are the future of this world and the Markoly Foundation is proud to fund local programs dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families. From providing vision services for school kids to classes on parenting, we are proud to do our part to help fund critical community programs for families.

We are dedicated to providing funding for local nonprofit programs that improve the quality of life for all, but particularly for the children and elders in our community.

The Domestic Violence Prevention grant aims to enhance access to forensic healthcare services for American Indian and Alaska Native victims of domestic violence and related issues. By fostering multidisciplinary partnerships, this initiative promotes trauma-informed care and improves victim support across IHS Areas. The focus is on developing comprehensive, culturally sensitive services that ensure timely interventions and coordinated responses to vulnerable populations, thereby enhancing overall victim well-being and safety.

Council of Independent Colleges (CIC)Founded in 1956, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils, and higher education affiliates that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society.

CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities and state-based councils. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.NetVUE Grants for Fostering Leadership for Communities of FaithThis grant program provides funding for institutions that are working to augment their support for students who are considering possible callings to leadership roles in communities of faith.

Grant funds should be used to develop or extend programming for students, and/or professional development for faculty members and staff, with the goal of connecting students to local faith communities and supporting them as they explore and discern their callings. Initiatives may be developed within or across a variety of academic departments and campus offices, and should involve leaders of one or more faith communities near campus. NetVUE Grants for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith may be requested in amounts ranging up to $60,000 for use over two years to develop new programs, or to strengthen existing programs, that support students as they consider vocations of leadership for communities of faith.

About

Chicken & Egg Films shapes a more equitable and just world with the catalytic power of documentary films by providing funding, mentorship and industry access to a global community of women and gender-expansive filmmakers. Founded in 2005 by Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and Judith Helfand, and helmed today by CEO Jenni Wolfson, our goal is to disrupt and dismantle barriers to filmmaking caused by gender bias.

Research & Development Grant

Now in its fourth year, the Research & Development Grant supports filmmakers from around the world who have directed at least one feature-length documentary and are in the research & development stage of their next feature-length film.

With continued grant-making support by Netflix, the Research & Development Grant supports directors to ideate and plan for their next feature-length film. Many filmmakers invest their personal resources into their films and face funding challenges when entering into the research & development stages of new projects. It is hard to secure funding for a new project without significant sample material, yet producing material without external funding can be almost impossible. To address this challenge, the Research & Development Grant provides financial support to directors during a filmmaking stage that is too often unpaid and unsupported. 

A total of $450,000 USD will be awarded in the following grant amounts:

• $10,000 USD grants for Research
• $20,000 USD grants for Development

The final number of Research Grants vs. Development Grants disbursed will be determined during the selection process, based on the characteristics and strength of the applicant pool for each category.

The purpose of the Research & Development Grant is to support projects at the early stages of their lifecycle. If you have already raised a significant amount of capital (over 35% of your film’s total budget) and have shot and/or edited a substantial amount of footage, you may not be competitive for this grant, unless you can demonstrate very specific needs for the project (such as previously overlooked research activity). 

We have separated the Research Grant from the Development Grant to allow early-stage projects to receive support without the need to submit all the deliverables required for projects in the development phase. 

We recognize that each documentary is unique and that processes for research and development, fundraising, and production can vary widely. The information provided here is not intended as strict eligibility criteria, but rather as general guidelines to help applicants understand the stage at which we aim to provide support for projects. 

The 2026 Chicken & Egg Films Research & Development Grant is generously supported by Netflix.

The Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) program aims to enhance maternal health outcomes by providing technical assistance across all U.S. states and territories. This initiative focuses on implementing best practices to improve safety during childbirth, ultimately saving lives. By supporting jurisdictions and birthing facilities involved in AIM, the program seeks to promote quality improvements in maternal health care, ensuring safer births and better health for mothers and infants.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is inviting applications for the Alzheimer's Drug-Development Program (U01 Clinical Trial Optional). This initiative seeks to support pre-clinical and early-stage clinical development of innovative drug candidates aimed at preventing Alzheimer's disease or treating its symptoms. The program encourages collaboration among researchers and aims to enhance the therapeutic pipeline for AD through targeted approaches. This notice allows potential applicants time to prepare robust projects.

The Capacity Building for Global, Regional, and National Immunization Programs aims to enhance immunization efforts in key countries, focusing on the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases like polio and measles. By strengthening immunization services and surveillance systems, the program will better address emerging health threats and reach under-immunized populations. Additionally, it will support sustainable practices through National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups and manage the National Stop Transmission of Polio program in Pakistan.

The CDC has announced funding for FY 2027 to enhance state capacity in alcohol epidemiology and prevent excessive alcohol use through the NOFO CDC-RFA-DP-27-0072. This initiative aims to equip states with essential tools and knowledge for effective public health measures against excessive alcohol use, a major preventable cause of death in the U.S. The program will also provide expert technical assistance and training on effective prevention strategies over a 5-year performance period.

Vanguard Resident FellowshipThe American Psychiatric Association has participated in the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) since 1973. The program goals are to advance the quality of mental and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services and improve mental health care outcomes for all. The program seeks to increase the number and quality of psychiatrists who teach, administer services, conduct research, and provide direct mental and/or substance use disorder services to our Nation’s communities, and to treat and serve populations with higher prevalence of behavioral health challenges and conditions more effectively.Program Benefits: 

• Funding to support your own innovative and creative Capstone Project
• Monthly virtual professional development sessions
• Gain access to employment opportunities through a virtual job fair
• Gain an understanding of gaps in mental health care through the LEAD Institute curriculum
• Receive mentorship from leaders in psychiatry through the Advocate & Protégé Program
• Attend the Learning Lab, Fall Mental Health Summit, and Spring Leadership Summit, with the goal of enhancing your leadership skills in psychiatry by advancing your understanding of mental health inequities
• Attend the APA Annual Meeting with the opportunity to present a poster or oral presentation of your Capstone Project
• Gain understanding of APA Governance through service on an APA Council, committee or work group
• Receive access to a lifetime network of psychiatrists
• Establish long term relationships with resident fellows with similar career interests and goals

Community Diversity FellowshipThe Community Diversity Fellowship is a unique opportunity for psychiatry residents from diverse backgrounds and residents who are committed to serving minority and vulnerable populations. The fellowship provides professional development, training, mentorship, and a field placement component (up to 15 hours per month) designed to add exponential impact in the delivery of culturally competent psychiatric care across hard to reach and traditionally underrepresented communities. These populations include—but are not limited to—American Indians/Native Alaskans, Asian Americans/Native Hawaiians/Native Pacific Islanders, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, LGBTQ, and religious minorities.Program Benefits:

• Attend one APA Annual Meeting
• Attend one Fellowship Forum
• Develop leadership skills in the field of psychiatry and advance understanding of the life experiences of racial ethnic minority communities
• Gain hands on experience through field placement in a traditional underrepresented community mental health setting (up to 15 hours per month)
• Gain an understanding of APA/APAF Governance through service on an APA Council, Committee, or APAF initiative 
• Cultivate a professional network with psychiatrists interested in minority mental health and services through exclusive events through engagements with APA leaders.
  • Establish relationships and peer-mentorship with a diverse group of resident fellows with similar career interests and goals

The Liz Myers Scholarship, offered by the Ashland County Community Foundation, aims to support graduating seniors from Ashland County High Schools pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine or a related field. Applicants must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be accepted into an accredited college or university. This scholarship honors Liz Myers' dedication to animal health and welfare, reflecting her belief in the profound bond between humans and animals.

American Headache Society

The American Headache Society (AHS) is a professional society of healthcare providers dedicated to the study and treatment of headache and face pain. The Mission of the AHS is to improve the lives of people impacted by migraine and other headache disorders. AHS advocates for those impacted by headache and the headache field, to meet our core objectives. AHS provides educational courses, scientific meetings, a journal, research support, career development opportunities, Special Interest Groups, advocacy training, and a professional community. The AHS strives to meet its objectives while fostering an inclusive sense of belonging and community.

Headache & Migraine Competitive Grant Program

The Headache & Migraine Competitive Grant Program stands at the forefront of advancing headache medicine by funding groundbreaking quality improvement initiatives. This highly competitive grant program, offered through the collaboration between the American Headache Society and Pfizer, supports projects that have the potential to reshape the field by creating widely applicable tools and driving measurable improvements in patient care. 

Adult Population  RFP (Quality Improvement Solutions for the Diagnosis and Management of Migraine and Headache Disorder)

Seeking projects that drive meaningful impact in headache care through advancements in safety, clinical effectiveness, timely diagnosis, and equitable, patient-centered treatment. Submissions should feature bold, practical solutions in primary care and non-headache specialty settings, supporting adult populations with scalable, real-world innovations. 

The Petrone Scholarship, offered by the Ashland County Community Foundation, supports non-traditional students pursuing nursing degrees. It aims to assist those advancing from a Nurse's Aide to an LPN or RN, or from LPN to RN, especially those with experience in Hospice Care. This scholarship provides essential financial aid to help eligible students achieve their educational goals in the nursing field, fostering a commitment to quality patient care.

American Headache Society

The American Headache Society (AHS) is a professional society of healthcare providers dedicated to the study and treatment of headache and face pain. The Mission of the AHS is to improve the lives of people impacted by migraine and other headache disorders. AHS advocates for those impacted by headache and the headache field, to meet our core objectives. AHS provides educational courses, scientific meetings, a journal, research support, career development opportunities, Special Interest Groups, advocacy training, and a professional community. The AHS strives to meet its objectives while fostering an inclusive sense of belonging and community.

AHS Investigator-Initiated Research Awards

Empowering Innovation in Headache Research

The American Headache Society (AHS) Investigator-Initiated Research Awards support AHS members conducting pre-clinical and clinical research in headache and migraine. With a focus on early-career investigators, the program funds investigator-driven projects that advance scientific understanding and improve patient care.

Projects should contribute to the core goal of the AHS – improving the lives of people impacted by migraine and other headache disorders. 

Funding may be used for:

• Investigator effort (limited to 25% of the budget for PI salary support).
• Experimental costs, data collection, supplies, and statistical analysis.
• Other research-related expenses as appropriately justifie

Friends of NRA

Friends of NRA is the National Rifle Association’s premier fundraising program, supporting the future of shooting sports. Since day one, Friends of NRA has been a 100% grassroots effort fueled by a united front to secure the Second Amendment and raise money for the shooting sports.

Committee volunteers are appointed to State Fund Committees to make recommendations for local grant funding in areas such as youth education, women-focused clinics, law enforcement training, hunter safety, range improvement, firearms and marksmanship training and safety. Recognizing the impact American youth has on the future of the shooting sports, State Fund Committees frequently recommend grants for youth programs, allocating the most significant portion of monies to this vital area.

Grant awards fund activities and support programs in the United States to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those in the shooting sports, and to educate the public about firearms in their historic, technological and artistic context.

Friends of NRA: Capital Improvement Grants

Any request to support a project that seeks to improve a facility is considered a capital improvement. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Range improvements
• Berm improvements
• Clubhouse/Classroom facility improvements
• Shelter structures/covered firing lines/pavilions
• Road improvements
• Commercial-grade trap machines (see section regarding trap machines, below)
• Any other permanent improvement to an organization’s property or facility

The Grant Program considers requests for certain trap machines to be a capital improvement to the facility. Specifically, requests for commercial grade trap machines that have a capacity of 300 clays and up.

American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation

The AAFP Foundation focuses on improving health for everyone, and your support makes an immediate impact on the good work we do—from leadership development and education scholarships to funding social and health care services.

The AAFP Foundation strives to create a sense of belonging through an inclusive environment that embraces the family medicine community by recognizing individual uniqueness and contributions to family medicine.

Richard D. Feldman, M.D. Student and Resident Essay Contest

Each year, the Center for the History of Family Medicine (CHFM) sponsors a contest to encourage medical students and family medicine residents to write scholarly essays relevant to the history of family medicine in the United States. The first-place winner will receive $2,000 and the second-place winner will receive a $1,000 award.

We encourage all to apply and are committed to developing scholarly essays relevant to the history of Family Medicine in the United States by medical students and residents who reflect the rich diversity of the specialty and the patients served.

The FY26 Breast Cancer Research Program's Clinical Research Extension Award aims to enhance breast cancer clinical studies by extending data collection and follow-up. This funding mechanism emphasizes the importance of patient participation and addresses challenges from early trial terminations. Notably, applications must include two breast cancer consumer advocates and can feature either a single Principal Investigator or a duo. This initiative seeks to improve outcomes through comprehensive data analysis and patient engagement.

The FY26 Breast Cancer Research Program's Breakthrough Award supports transformative research aimed at significant advancements in breast cancer treatment. This award offers various funding levels, including Population Science Studies, allowing for innovative approaches that can lead to clinical applications. Each application must align with overarching BCRP challenges, ensuring a focus on impactful research. The program acknowledges both individual and collaborative Principal Investigators, emphasizing the importance of timely submissions to avoid administrative issues.

The Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Centers (MDSRC) program is designed to enhance research on muscular dystrophy through a collaborative, center-based approach. By fostering interdisciplinary projects and providing essential training for emerging scientists, the MDSRCs aim to drive innovation in both basic and clinical research. Engaging patient and advocacy communities is a key component, ensuring research is patient-centered and informed by real-world needs. This initiative is supported by various legislative authorities.

The SPARK Research Match Expansion initiative by the Simons Foundation aims to enhance autism research participation among undersampled groups. By providing incentives for participants in online surveys and other research methods, this program seeks to address the demographic disparities in clinical research. This funding opportunity encourages innovative studies that prioritize inclusivity, ensuring that the research reflects the diverse population of the United States, thereby advancing scientific discovery in autism and related fields.

The Creative Native Call for Art invites Indigenous artists aged 5 to 24 to showcase their talents through diverse artistic expressions. Participants can submit works inspired by the theme of what is sacred to them and their community, with opportunities for national recognition and awards, including a grand prize of $1,000. This initiative aims to celebrate and support young artists in their creative journeys while honoring cultural significance and community values.

The Abrazo/Mitchard Birthmother Scholarship Fund, managed by the San Antonio Area Foundation, supports birthmothers who have placed their children for adoption through Abrazo Adoption Associates. This fund offers financial assistance for tuition and educational expenses for full-time students pursuing various degrees. Eligible applicants include adult learners and current college students. Although the scholarship is not renewable, recipients can apply for an additional year of funding, making education accessible to those in need.

The Ajay Castro Scholarship Fund, managed by the San Antonio Area Foundation, supports female undergraduate students pursuing a degree in communications. This scholarship is aimed at adult learners or current college students who have graduated high school or earned a GED. Although it is not renewable, recipients can reapply annually. Preference is given to those returning to college after a break, ensuring that the fund continues to empower women in education.

The ISF Media Scholarship Program, established by the Islamic Scholarship Fund, supports American Muslim students pursuing degrees in media-related fields. With scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000, the program aims to enhance Muslim representation in media and policy, counter negative portrayals, and foster positive narratives. Eligible applicants must be full-time students or working professionals in supported majors like media studies and journalism, maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The Collaborative Centers in Children’s Environmental Health Research and Translation program aims to establish a national network of research centers focused on improving children's health through innovative research and public health strategies. By fostering collaboration within the children’s environmental health community, these centers will lead the way in translating scientific findings into actionable practices, ensuring a healthier future for children while addressing emerging environmental threats.