Best Grants for Grassroots Organizations in Maryland

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) provides annual grants to qualified non-profit organizations that provide enriching, educational programs to Maryland students. Eligible programs provide learning experiences that align with the State’s curricular and educational priorities and cannot be replicated in the classroom. These educational opportunities emphasize experiential learning and one-on-one support services. This includes, but is not limited to, free or reduced admission, full-day and residential field trips with hands on activities, mentoring, and tutoring. 

The Secular Distribution Grant supports charitable activities aimed at enhancing community well-being, particularly within 100 miles of Coatesville, PA. Focused on health and human services, the grant encourages projects that address community needs, foster self-reliance, and promote civic engagement. With a commitment to philanthropic impact, funding is reserved for organizations demonstrating 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and a proven need, while maintaining strict eligibility criteria to ensure effective resource allocation.

The Maryland Robotics Grant FY 2026, administered by the Maryland State Department of Education, aims to enhance robotics education in K-12 schools by funding Local Education Agencies and nonprofit organizations. This initiative promotes student engagement in STEM activities, fostering critical skills like problem-solving and collaboration. By ensuring alignment with Maryland's educational standards, the program supports both new and existing robotics initiatives, thereby preparing students for future careers in technology and engineering.

About

Who We Are

The Charles County Charitable Trust manages the grant application and award process for nonprofits located in Charles County, Maryland. Funding for grants is provided to the Trust by the Charles County Board of Commissioners. The Trust monitors the grants awarded, performing site visits to grantees, and tracking the impact of grant dollars on the community. The organization provides opportunities for representatives of nonprofit organizations to participate in comprehensive learning experiences, including fundraising plans, nonprofit networking and collaboration, and marketing and communications to increase overall support and assure sustainability.

ARPA Community Impact Grant

Grant Information

The Charles County Charitable Trust is pleased to offer the ARPA Community Impact Grant to eligible nonprofit organizations serving Charles County residents.

This grant opportunity is supported through funding made available under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and is intended to support eligible projects that address qualifying public health and/or negative economic impacts associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency while strengthening the capacity of local nonprofit organizations to serve Charles County residents.

Local nonprofits have played an essential role in helping Charles County residents navigate the challenges created or intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, many organizations continue to experience increased demand for services, workforce challenges, increased operating costs, technology needs, facility needs, and other impacts.

The ARPA Community Impact Grant provides an opportunity to make a strategic investment in the organizations serving our community.

Grant funding will prioritize projects that strengthen nonprofit organizations, expand services, improve organizational capacity, and address the continuing needs of Charles County residents.

The Alvah H. and Wyline P. Chapman Foundation offers grants to support charitable, educational, and community-focused initiatives, primarily in Florida and Georgia. Eligible applicants must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organizations. The foundation prioritizes projects that address children's welfare, education, multicultural understanding, substance abuse prevention, and homelessness. Grants typically do not exceed $15,000, and proposals must be endorsed by a Foundation Director. Interested parties should submit a Letter of Inquiry for consideration.

The MSAC Creativity Grants for General Operating Support are available on a rolling basis from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. These grants aim to enhance the sustainability of artists and organizations in Maryland, supporting their operational needs and arts programming for an entire fiscal year. This initiative promotes equitable access to artistic resources and fosters community engagement while transitioning to a new General Operating Support option starting FY 2027.

About the IAC

The IAC Mission

The mission of the Interagency Commission on School Construction is to achieve a safe, healthy, and educationally sufficient learning environment for every child attending a public school in Maryland. Our vision is a fiscally sustainable statewide portfolio of Pre-K-12 school facilities that will remain educationally sufficient for current and future generations of students and teachers.

Capital Improvement Program

The CIP is the State’s largest school construction program, averaging at least $280 million per year in recent years. CIP funding can be used for major new, renewal, or replacement projects as well as for addition projects or capital maintenance projects (systemic renovations). 

The CIP includes supplemental funding from the Significant Enrollment Growth and Relocatable Classroom (EGRC) Capital Grant Program.

The program is governed by Title 5, Subtitle 3 of the Education Article, Annotated Code of Maryland and regulations promulgated by the IAC in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).

The Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment Grant, offered by the Center for Cultural Innovation, provides funding between $1,000 and $5,000 for individual craft artists in the U.S. to purchase essential tools and equipment. This program aims to enhance the creative support system, enabling artists to produce object-based work and meet safety standards. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a commitment to their craft and have presented public artistic work within the last three years.

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. offers the WPS Community Support Grants & Sponsorships, emphasizing a culture of giving and community involvement. The program supports 501(c)3 organizations that address healthcare challenges and focus on children, disabled individuals, and STEM education. Through financial support and volunteerism, West aims to foster healthier communities where its employees live and work, reinforcing its commitment to philanthropy and social responsibility.

Project Lead The Way is offering a rolling grant opportunity for schools to implement the PLTW Engineering program for the 2025-2026 academic year and beyond. Eligible institutions include public, private, and charter schools located in the US. Grant recipients will receive funding to cover participation fees and training costs. Total funding amounts to $16,000, distributed over three years. Schools are encouraged to create pathways for students in engineering through this initiative.

The ACFM General Support Program provides funding ranging from $2,000 to $20,000 for organizations committed to contemporary American concert music and jazz. It supports performing ensembles, presenters, and music service organizations that enhance public appreciation of these genres. Eligible applicants must have a minimum of two years of programming history and a professional operational level. Activities must occur within the specified support year of September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027.

Each year, Innovia awards over $500,000 in scholarships to deserving students like you who are college-bound or pursuing vocational or technical training. Single scholarship awards range between $500 and $10,000.

Harold Balazs Creating Wonder Scholarship

The Creating Wonder Scholarship is for graduating high school seniors in Spokane County who are planning to attend a post-high school program at full-time status. Applicants must pursue one of the following fields: Art, Art Education, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Advertising, Marketing, Photography, Cinematography, Publishing or Graphic Arts. Samples of artwork are required for the scholarship program.

This is not intended for performing art students. Talent, discipline, commitment, passion, experience and ability to express through art are primary factors for consideration. Financial need and academic achievement are also considered. Previous recipients of this award are eligible to reapply.

The Public Health Laboratory Fellowship Program, supported by the Association of Public Health Laboratories, develops future public health scientists through experiential learning in laboratory science. Participants receive training aligned with core competencies and work on impactful projects in various focus areas such as bioinformatics, food safety, and infectious disease. With flexible terms and potential for extension, this fellowship ensures a robust foundation for a career in public health laboratory science.

The Career Development Bridge Funding Award: K Supplement, offered by the Rheumatology Research Foundation, supports junior investigators transitioning to independent research. Awarded up to $50,000 annually for a maximum of two years, it supplements NIH K series or VA CDA awards. Eligible applicants must hold a doctoral degree and be in the second, third, or fourth year of their existing award. This funding is crucial for developing new projects that contribute to the field of rheumatology.

Housing Opportunities for People Living with HIV/AIDS

Funding Opportunity Description:

This funding opportunity is to support rental assistance and housing-related supportive services for eligible District and Maryland residents living with HIV through the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program.

Overview

The mission of DC Health is to promote and protect the health, safety, and quality of life of residents, visitors, and those doing business in the District of Columbia. The agency is responsible for identifying health risks; educating the public; preventing and controlling diseases, injuries, and exposure to environmental hazards; promoting effective community collaborations; and optimizing equitable access to community resources.

The mission of HAHSTA is to protect and improve the health of District residents by preventing, diagnosing, treating, and reducing the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis, while ensuring access to high-quality, coordinated, and culturally responsive care and support services for individuals and communities most impacted by these conditions.

The mission of the Capacity Building, Housing and Community Partnership Division (CBHCP) is to strengthen the HIV service delivery system by expanding access to stable housing, enhancing organizational and workforce capacity, and fostering strategic community partnerships that improve health outcomes, promote service coordination, and address structural barriers impacting people living with HIV in the District of Columbia.

The mission of the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program is to provide stable, affordable housing and housing-related supportive services for low-income individuals living with HIV and their households, recognizing housing stability as essential to improved health outcomes, sustained engagement in care, and overall well-being.

Purpose

The purpose of this funding is to support the delivery of HOPWA-funded housing assistance and housing-related supportive services for eligible District and Maryland residents living with HIV and their households. Funding is intended to prevent homelessness, reduce housing instability, and promote long-term housing stability through time-limited and facility-based housing interventions, coordinated supportive services, and intensive case management.

Funds awarded under this opportunity will be used to implement HOPWA-allowable activities that support housing stability, improve continuity of care, and advance health outcomes, in alignment with federal HOPWA requirements and DC Health program priorities.

The Voelcker Fund Grant supports 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations conducting medical research, focusing on diseases like cancer and heart disease. It provides restricted grants, emphasizing research that seeks cures in the Greater Bexar County area, particularly for conditions affecting the retina. The fund prioritizes organizations in San Antonio and offers various funding structures, including seed and matching grants, while ensuring compliance with non-discrimination policies.

The Bernie Bahr Forestry and Natural Resources Scholarship, managed by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, awards a $1,000 grant to undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry or related fields. Eligible applicants must have completed at least two years of college and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5. Preference is given to graduates from specific high schools in Missouri. This scholarship aims to support students dedicated to environmental and natural resource management.

What is Emergency Assistance Fund

Emergency Financial Assistance is available to eligible performing arts and entertainment professionals:

• In times of unexpected critical need.
• To assist towards basic living expenses, such as health care, housing and utilities to prevent eviction or shut-offs.

Hunter Brown Emergency Assistance Fund

The Hunter Brown Emergency Assistance Fund offers emergency financial assistance to current or former employees of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation supports non-profit organizations with resources rather than individual sponsorships. They require requests to be submitted on the letterhead of a qualified 501(c)(3) organization. This ensures that assistance reaches those in need through established channels. Interested parties should provide specific details regarding their requests to facilitate the application process. With a commitment to fairness, Bob's Cares aims to effectively support community initiatives across the country.

The Healthcare Initiative Foundation Grant aims to support organizations that enhance healthcare accessibility for underinsured and low-income residents in Montgomery County, Maryland. The foundation prioritizes innovative programs that improve health service delivery, capacity building, and collaboration with historically under-invested communities. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits with a focus on community health initiatives. The foundation explicitly excludes funding for endowments, lobbying, and direct grants to individuals, ensuring resources are directed towards impactful community health solutions.

Prince George’s Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program

The Prince George’s County Government and the Chesapeake Bay Trust announce the ninth year of partnership for the Prince George’s County Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program. This grant program encourages on-the-ground restoration activities that improve communities, improve water quality, support the County’s Climate Action Plan, and engage Prince George’s County residents in the restoration and protection of the local rivers and streams of Prince George’s County.

Program Goals

This program seeks projects that improve aesthetics of communities and treat the stormwater runoff that comes from various types of properties, thus reducing the negative impact of this runoff on the County’s local streams, rivers, and other natural resources in areas where community residents live and recreate. Projects must accomplish on-the ground restoration to result in improvements in water quality and watershed health (e.g., reducing pollutants carried by stormwater, reducing carbon emissions, increasing tree canopy, greening areas for beautification and increased community use/enjoyment, and better habitat for wildlife).

As part of an effort to more fully engage underrepresented groups in its grant-making, the Trust strongly encourages projects that increase awareness and participation of multicultural communities to improve watershed health and local ecological ownership. The strongest proposals will show committed collaborators that provide funding, technicalassistance, and/or other in-kind services to support the successful implementation of the project. 

Applicants can request funds from the following project tracks.

• Track 1: Water Quality Implementation: ($50,000 to $200,000)
• Track 2: Tree Canopy: Outreach, Education, Maintenance, and Preservation ($50,000 to
• $300,000)
• Track 3: Community Awareness and Engagement ($10,000 to $60,000)
• Track 4: Litter Reduction and Beautification ($10,000 to $50,000)
• Track 5: Additional Project Support Fund ($500 to $5,000)

About the ASHFoundation

ASHFoundation supports innovators and sparks innovation in communication sciences. We give early support to promising students, researchers, and clinicians exploring bold ideas to transform the field and improve people's lives.

Artificial Intelligence in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research Grant

About

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) invites investigators to submit proposals for up to four research grants ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. The Artificial Intelligence in Communication Sciences and Disorders Research Grant (AI in CSD Research Grant) supports interdisciplinary studies that advance the ethical, clinically and scientifically grounded application and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into communication sciences and disorders (CSD) practice and service delivery. Funding may be applied to one- or two-year studies.

Specific Objectives of the Funding Opportunity

As part of this initiative, the ASHFoundation invites proposals that implement AI technologies to transform clinical practice, education, and research in CSD. Proposals that are submitted under this funding opportunity must meet the following:

• Include interdisciplinary research teams that integrate clinicians and AI researchers,
• Address clinically relevant questions or have a clear translational potential, and
• Cover one or more of the following priority areas: AI-driven assessment and diagnosis; personalized and adaptive interventions; equitable access to care; data infrastructure for predictive analytics; technology innovation; prevention for public health; and ethical standards for AI integration.

The Stenzel Scholarship, established in 2023, awards $2,500 annually to individuals with cystic fibrosis enrolled in higher education programs in health or environmental sciences. This scholarship honors Isa and Ana Stenzel, who dedicated their lives to supporting others with CF. Applicants must provide proof of enrollment and can receive funding based on their enrollment status. This initiative aims to empower those affected by cystic fibrosis to pursue meaningful educational opportunities.

The Youth Initiative Grant, provided by the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation, aims to support innovative programs that enhance resilience and psycho-social health for youth aged 14-21 affected by trauma from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Grants are available for new programs or therapeutic components within their first year. The foundation prioritizes organizations that actively engage with beneficiaries and implement holistic approaches to service delivery, ensuring long-term sustainability and effective evaluation of program impacts.

The Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention program aims to reduce suicide rates among American Indian and Alaska Native populations. By enhancing care coordination and culturally relevant behavioral health services, it targets at-risk youth with early intervention strategies. This initiative emphasizes community engagement and collaboration among families, youth, and partners, fostering a comprehensive approach to prevention and support for those affected by suicide.

The John A. Hartford Foundation offers scholarships for the Age-Friendly Health Systems Cohort as part of the AHA Next Generation Leaders Fellowship. This initiative targets healthcare leaders aiming to implement the 4Ms Framework, enhancing care for older adults. Selected fellows will receive a program fee scholarship of $13,995, enabling them to focus on transformation efforts in health systems. This fellowship seeks diverse leaders to address critical healthcare challenges and improve quality, safety, and affordability.

Community Action Fund

A grant for Indigenous frontline organizations, groups, and individuals for direct action initiatives.

The Community Action Fund (CAF) grants support non-violent direct actions and organizing efforts that are often urgent and time sensitive. CAF prioritizes frontline, grassroots and community-based efforts that defend Indigenous peoples rights, communities and Nations.

Community Action Fund Intent

This grant supports Indigenous frontline, grassroots, community-based groups and organizations, Tribes, communities and villages, and individuals leading non-violent direct action or movement-building work in their effort to DEFEND Indigenous People’s rights, and protect their land, air, water, and natural resources.