Search Through Mayes County Grants for Nonprofits in Oklahoma

Vision

While talent may be spread evenly throughout humanity, opportunity is not. Comis Foundation envisions that every child has access to opportunities to not only succeed in life, but to thrive.

Mission

Comis Foundation invests in organizations that provide opportunity and access to equip children with skills to explore, learn, and thrive in their chosen communities.

Guiding Principles

Comis Foundation has 5 principles which guide our focus: We work to build relationships of mutual trust with our grantees; We value sustainable systems and solutions; We are not experts, we want to learn and enable learning; We are willing to accept risk when warranted to achieve greater impact; We value both new and established ways of serving communities.

Area of Interest

Comis Foundation supports programs and policy work that drive improvements in educational outcomes for children and youth. We are interested in programs that support the community as well as children and youth directly. We embrace the whole child concept of full community engagement to drive better outcomes for the child and our society at large.

Comis Foundation Grant

Pilot and Proof of Concept: $5,000 – $25,000

• New programs within existing organizations, standalone new organizations just getting off the ground, or testing new approaches within a current scope
• Smaller-scale research or data collecting project or other similar short-duration investigations
• Timeframe is single-year; multi-year research or evaluation projects will not be considered under this program

Capacity Building and Innovation: $25,000 up to $75,000 per year

• Capacity building for organizations, including but not limited to staff professional development, strategic planning, leadership development, and supplemental expertise (e.g., communications)
• General operating support for innovative organizations. We consider the concept of innovation broadly: organizations that create opportunity for children to explore, learn and thrive are by definition innovative until all children can engage with the world through the same set of opportunities.
• Multi-year research or evaluation projects will be considered under this program, particularly as a pre-cursor to scaling innovative programs
• Multi-year grants will be considered under this program at $25,000 – $75,000 per year

Critical Nonprofit Needs

While nonprofits provide services to those most in need within our community, many are often under-resourced and a single, unexpected event can dramatically impact their ability to provide crucial services. To address these unexpected needs, Community Foundation Tampa Bay has created the Critical Needs Form for nonprofits to share those urgent, unexpected needs with community philanthropists.

Critical Needs List

A critical need is defined as unbudgeted, unforeseen, and time-sensitive, and one that significantly interferes with a nonprofit’s ability to provide crucial services or presents an imminent threat to the organization’s continued operations.

It is an innovative way to share specific needs with us, our fundholders as well as other philanthropists in the Tampa Bay community. Examples of requests for need might include:

• Emergency repairs of building structure or mechanical systems (heating/cooling, water service, etc.) where a sudden and unexpected failure interferes with the provision of services.
• Replacement of essential equipment and technology where a sudden and unexpected failure interferes with the provision of services.
• Addressing circumstances external to the organization that interfere with the provision of mission-critical services. Examples may include:
  • The increase in gas costs for transportation-centric programming (i.e. – mobile services, client transportation, etc.)
  • Updated security measures for organizations, such as churches or synagogues, that are experiencing increased safety concerns due to current events
  • The local community is receiving an influx of refugees as a result of international conflict and your organization needs to purchase bedding to shelter families

Focus Areas

• Animal Welfare
• Arts and Culture
• Basic Needs
• Domestic Abuse and Human Trafficking 
• Education
• Health and Wellbeing
• Workforce Services and Career Development

Examples of requests for need might include:

• Emergency repairs of building structure or mechanical systems (heating/cooling, water service, etc.) where a sudden and unexpected failure interferes with the provision of services.
• Replacement of essential equipment and technology where a sudden and unexpected failure interferes with the provision of services.
• Addressing circumstances external to the organization that interfere with the provision of mission-critical services.
  • Examples may include:
    • The increase in gas costs for transportation-centric programming (i.e. – mobile services, client transportation, etc.)
    • Updated security measures for organizations, such as churches or synagogues, that are experiencing increased safety concerns due to current events
    • The local community is receiving an influx of refugees as a result of international conflict and your organization needs to purchase bedding to shelter families

New submissions are added to the list once the nonprofit has been verified, usually within 24 to 48 hours of submission.

Funding

After completing the simplified Critical Needs Request Form, your needs for up to $250,000 will be included within a database of other nonprofit requests from our community. If your nonprofit’s request is matched with a donation, we will notify you and transmit funds to address the request as quickly as possible.

Fundholder Match Program

The Community Foundation Tampa Bay has also created a Fundholder Match Program that provides a 1-to-3 match to grants made from a Community Foundation donor-advised fund or Family Foundation to directly address a need submitted on the Critical Needs List. The minimum match is $250 when $750 is granted to help meet a need on the list. The maximum match is $5,000 when $15,000 or more is granted to address a Critical Needs Request on the list.

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

Disaster Grants

Cash grants are available to help organizations address the needs of pets affected by major natural disasters. Grant funds may be used to offset costs for immediate needs, including shelter supplies, veterinary care for impacted pets, minor urgent facility or grounds repairs, as well as supplemental staff and volunteer expenses.

Grant funds can be used for:

• upplies and equipment purchased by the organization for sheltering and fostering animals (e.g., kennels, crates, carriers, food, waste management, bowls, leads/leashes)
• Supplies and equipment purchased by the organization for distribution in the community to owned pets (e.g., kennels, crates, carriers, food, waste management, bowls, leads/leashes)
• Veterinary care to treat disaster-related illnesses or injuries, plus necessary vaccinations and medications that protect the health of the broader pet population
• Urgent structural repairs that allow for the resumption or continuation of safe operations (e.g., temporary fence repairs, portable dog runs, and similar measures that address urgent structural needs)
• Supplemental staff and volunteer costs - includes overtime, lodging, meals, and transportation.

About Us

VCA Charities is supporting the joy of pet ownership by helping pets find and remain in loving homes. Through grants and partnerships with shelters and animal welfare organizations, we help remove barriers to pet ownership and help keep pets in loving homes by funding emergency and specialty veterinary care; supporting adoption readiness and surrender prevention programs; enabling the care and feeding of pets belonging to underserved families; and, responding to our local communities in crisis.

VCA Charities: Disaster Relief Grants

As VCA Animal Hospital’s charitable arm, VCA Charities serves to bring the joy of pet ownership to more people by helping pets find and remain in loving homes.

Through grants and partnerships with shelters and animal welfare organizations, we help remove barriers to pet ownership and help keep pets in loving homes by funding emergency and specialty veterinary care; supporting adoption readiness and surrender prevention programs; enabling the care and feeding of pets belonging to underserved families; and, responding to our local communities in crisis. 

Disaster Relief Grants provide financial support to nonprofit or government animal welfare organizations whose communities have suffered the impact of natural or other disasters. Grants may also support partnering organizations assisting in rescue, relief, and transport efforts. 

While we support and encourage disaster preparedness efforts, we prioritize funding for immediate disaster relief and assess our ability to help with preparedness requests at the end of the year.

American-Made Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize 

The American-Made Large Animal and Solar System Operations (LASSO) Prize from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is an $8 million prize that supports pilot and demonstration projects designed to gather and share data on costs, business models, and outcomes associated with cattle agrivoltaics, the co-location of photovoltaics (PV) and cattle grazing operations. Multi-stakeholder teams of solar and agricultural experts will work to develop impactful projects that deepen our understanding of cattle agrivoltaics and showcase successful business models that support U.S. decarbonization goals and sustainable land use.

Agrivoltaics, the co-location of solar energy and agriculture, is a growing industry with hundreds of active sites. With around one-third of U.S. land currently used for grazing cattle, cattle agrivoltaics has the potential to accelerate solar deployment while preserving agricultural operations, generating additional income for farmers, ranchers, and landowners, and providing economic benefits for rural communities. The LASSO Prize seeks to generate data and share insights that help validate and de-risk cattle agrivoltaics designs and operations to facilitate wider adoption.

How it Works

The LASSO Prize is open to U.S.-based for-profit and nonprofit private entities, academic institutions, and nonfederal government entities, such as states, counties, Tribes, and municipalities. National laboratories are not eligible to compete on teams but may support teams while complying with lab partnership requirements. All teams must include a U.S.-based solar developer and a U.S.-based rancher or farmer. Teams may also include other stakeholders, such as landowners, extension agents, research organizations, local utilities, product developers, and commodity organizations. Use these teaming resources to discover and connect with potential collaborators.

Tracks and Phases

• Standard Track: For cattle agrivoltaics projects that are not yet created or are in early development.
  • Phase 1: Up to 14 winners, $50,000 each. Competitors form teams, identify potential cattle agrivoltaics sites, and develop project plans.
  • Phase 2A: Up to seven winners, $225,000 each. Teams refine project plans, finalize system designs, and obtain necessary permits for construction.
  • Phase 2B: Up to seven winners, $225,000 each. Teams construct cattle agrivoltaics systems and demonstrate operational viability. 
  • Phase 3: Up to seven winners, with four sub-phase submissions, $100,000 for each winner at each sub-phase. Over the course of two years, with submission deadlines every six months, teams collect and report data on (at minimum) system performance, energy production and maintenance, cattle health, and agricultural outcomes. Teams will also host community events.

• Operating Track: For cattle agrivoltaics projects that are fully operational at the time of the submission deadline.
  • Phase 1: Up to three winners, $50,000 each. Teams submit comprehensive project documentation.
  • Phase 2: Up to three winners, with four sub-phase submissions, $100,000 for each winner at each sub-phase. Over the course of two years, with submission deadlines every six months, teams collect and report data on (at minimum) system performance, energy production and maintenance, cattle health, and agricultural outcomes. Teams will also host community events.

Two $100,000 bonus prizes are included in the more than $8 million cash awards: one for the largest PV system (only Standard Track teams are eligible) and one for the most valuable data set beyond the minimum requirements (teams from both tracks are eligible).

Grant Opportunities

Communities need nonprofits to thrive

We believe in transformational ideas that help individuals, families and communities flourish—and since 1975, the Murdock Trust has invested more than $1.4 billion into nonprofit organizations that share our commitment to thinking bigger, challenging problems and making a true difference.

Strategic Project Grants

Capacity-building awards for mission-focused projects and infrastructure investment

Equipment & Technology Grants

Best practices suggest that a healthy equipment and supporting technology infrastructure is essential. Please note that with these grants, recipient organizations are responsible for 50% or greater of the purchase cost.

Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation

IWPF was founded by Estelle and Irving Packer to foster innovative ideas and projects for children with challenges including special needs, acute illnesses or chronic disabilities. With our founder’s intent in mind, we continue to support nonprofit organizations in order to create a future where all children can thrive, regardless of their life circumstances. We are humbled by the impact that our nonprofit grantees have made with IWPF support.

The Foundation makes grants to organizations dedicated to serving developing innovative programs, disseminating ideas, or providing direct care or services for children with special needs, acute illnesses or chronic disabilities.

Spark Good: Strengthening Community 

Small actions can lead to big impact, and Spark Good is the force multiplier.

Walmart Spark Good brings together all of Walmart and Sam’s Club’s community giving programs under one brand and puts customers and associates in the driver’s seat, making it easier to give to the causes they care most about.

Spark Good includes programs like local grants, round up, registry, space tool and associate giving and volunteerism.

Local Grants

Walmart believes that strengthening local communities creates value for business as well as society. That’s why we empower each Walmart store, Sam’s Club and distribution center to strengthen and support local communities through local donations, fundraising outside of facilities and participation in corporate cause-marketing campaigns.

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award Spark Good Local Grants ranging from $250 to $5000. Spark Good local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services, and community clean-up projects. 

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.

Background

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative responds to the growing number of cities around the world embracing art as an effective and relatively low-cost strategy to activate their streets.

While cities incorporate art into public spaces in a variety of ways, the focus of this initiative is what we’re calling asphalt art: visual interventions on roadways (intersections and crosswalks), pedestrian spaces (plazas and sidewalks), and vertical infrastructure (utility boxes, traffic barriers, and underpasses).

Goals

The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities with the following primary goals:

• Improving street and pedestrian safety
• Revitalizing and activating underutilized public space
• Promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities

Eligible Projects

Reflecting the larger grant size in this latest round, proposed projects should be ambitious arts driven street designs with the goal of catalytic improvements to a key location in the city. Improving road safety, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, must be a component of all proposals. Applicants may demonstrate the intended impact through a variety of approaches:

• Critical Intersections:
  • Enhancing safety, mobility, and access in crossings with concentrated pedestrian, bicycle, and/or vehicular traffic
• Major Corridors:
  • Transforming one or more important streets to enhance the walking or cycling network, including significant reallocation of space for non-motorized transportation
• Signature Destinations:
  • Improving access to culturally, historically, or otherwise significant locations at the neighborhood or civic scale
• Large New Public Spaces:
  • Creating or activating plazas or other pedestrian space with amenities such as seating, greenery or space for cultural programming
• Catalysts for Future Projects:
  • Launching or expanding ongoing programs or policies (g., Vision Zero safety program, plaza program, etc.) in the city or the region

Selection Criteria

Competitive proposals must clearly demonstrate:

• Impact
  • The chosen site is significant to the city (e.g., central location, concentrated pedestrian and vehicular traffic, cultural or regional significant).
  • The proposed project addresses a relevant and meaningful challenge faced by the identified site, the surrounding neighborhood, or the city (e.g., traffic safety, underutilized or insufficient public space, etc.), with a particular emphasis on road safety for pedestrians and/or cyclists.
  • The proposed project clearly benefits the local community and engages residents stakeholders in its planning, development, execution, and post-installation activation.
  • The proposed intervention would produce sufficient, appropriate metrics to determine success.
• Viability
  • The characteristics of the proposed site (e.g. physical layout, traffic or pedestrian volume, neighborhood context) are such that the proposed intervention has a high likelihood of success.
  • The project team and partners have the necessary authority and expertise to oversee a project of this nature.
  • The project has demonstrated support from city and community stakeholders, through existing partnerships or a thoughtful outreach/engagement plan.
  • The proposed budget and timeline are realistic and demonstrate notable in-kind city support.
• Quality & Visual Interest
  • The process for artist selection and design development is well-defined and appropriate for the proposed project, and will be overseen by someone with appropriate expertise.
  • If the artist has already been selected, the chosen artist has demonstrated creative skill and the potential to develop a visually compelling design.
  • The surface being painted is in good repair or there is a reasonable plan to repave or otherwise treat it to be receptive to the chosen materials.
  • The proposed maintenance plan is realistic and lays out clear responsibilities for keeping the mural maintained for at least two years.

Funding

The program will award 10 cities grants of up to $100,000 each, as well as on-call technical assistance from the tactical urbanism firm Street Plans and impact evaluation support from Sam Schwartz Consulting.

National Council on Aging

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) delivers the resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy our nation needs to ensure that every person can age with health and economic well-being.

Vision

A just and caring society in which each of us, as we age, lives with dignity, purpose, and security

Mission

Improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling

Coordinating Efforts on Falls Prevention and the Aging Network

This funding opportunity is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). ACL’s mission is to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, people with disabilities across the lifespan, and their families and caregivers. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) received funding from ACL to disburse up to 12 subawards to state falls prevention coalitions or entities that are developing or have the intent to develop a coalition in a state that currently does not have an active coalition as referenced here: State Falls Prevention Coalitions. The grants aim to cultivate the development and enhancement of collaborative efforts of state falls prevention coalitions to reduce falls and/or the risk of falls among older adults and their families and caregivers.

State Falls Prevention Coalitions

Coalitions are a recognized mechanism for communities to maximize resources they already have and develop sustainable new approaches to societal problems while deterring duplication of effort. For this funding opportunity, a coalition is defined as a group comprised of multiple sectors that work together to solve community problems, in this case, the issue of falls among older adults. This funding opportunity also considers a coalition to include task forces and collaborative groups that address a broader topic (e.g., injury prevention, age-friendly, or healthy aging) and include a focus on falls prevention.

Because no single individual or entity is responsible for addressing all aspects of falls prevention, coalitions should involve all members of a community who can play a role in reducing falls and falls risks among older adults. This includes but is not limited to older adults themselves, their families, and caregivers; clinical and community-based service providers; health care, aging, and public health professionals; researchers; policy makers; community leaders; and advocates. The intent is a joint effort among multiple partners to implement an effective, coordinated approach to preventing older adults’ falls.

State falls prevention coalitions can use state and local data to identify their unique priority needs and design strategies to address them. Coalitions are well-positioned to solicit insight from older adults and caregivers on gaps in services and barriers they have encountered to accessing falls prevention programs. Coalitions can assess what programs and partnerships already exist, identify leaders to engage, and foster effective partnerships between health care providers, aging services network, and other organizations. State falls prevention coalitions also provide a framework, infrastructure, and guidance that can be shared with local coalitions and communities collaborating to implement falls prevention interventions.

As a coordinated organization, a coalition can assist in streamlining opportunities for older adults who have been assessed as a high falls risk. A state coalition can provide opportunities for individuals in areas where there may not be falls prevention interventions by connecting them to available resources. A coalition can also connect organizations that have not traditionally collaborated on falls prevention strategies and activities. For instance, participants in an evidence-based falls prevention exercise class may be connected to organizations offering home safety interventions.

Project Goal

The goal of this funding opportunity is to cultivate the development and enhancement of state falls prevention coalitions’ efforts to reduce falls and/or the risk of falls among older adults and their families and caregivers. It aims to support joint efforts among a range of stakeholders to implement effective, coordinated approaches to preventing older adults’ falls statewide and at the community level.

The funding opportunity will support up to 12 state falls prevention coalitions or organizations that aim to:

• Develop a coalition in a state that currently does not have an active coalition (for states with inactive or in development coalitions
• Enhance an existing state falls prevention coalition to significantly improve and/or expand falls prevention activity on a statewide and/or local level

Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative Grant

Across the country, descendant communities and families are engaged in exciting and groundbreaking efforts to reclaim, rescue, and share overlooked stories and places of resilience, achievement, and perseverance. The impact of these efforts deserves admiration, resources, and partnership. Grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund's Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative will empower and equip descendant-led and family-led organizations and projects to preserve, activate, and manage historic places. This initiative is a testament to our belief in the capacity of descendant communities and families to be full partners and leaders in the physical preservation, interpretative programming, management, and governance of historic places.

The Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative is not just another grant funding opportunity. It's a unique, multi-year partnership and investment opportunity with one grant funding category – Stewardship Project. Powered by the Mellon Foundation's Humanities in Place, the Action Fund will award five grants and invest $200,000 per grantee, providing specialized consultation and best practices support for a period of two years.

Descendant and Family Stewardship Grants support project management, capacity-building, grantmaking, and convenings for place-based organizations. In collaboration and consultation with the Action Fund, the selected grantees will engage in the following activities during the two-year grant period as we work together to preserve American history and model new approaches in historic preservation:

• Completing a Stewardship Project needs assessment to inform the scope of work, the use of the grant funds, and define project milestones and deliverables.
• Receiving $200,000 in grant funds to develop a Stewardship Plan and launch the implementation of its recommendations.
• Promoting the partnership, process, and lessons learned for other stewarding organizations to replicate.
• Participating in convenings with initiative stakeholders to share best practices, build community, and advance the field.

The Stewardship Project's scope of work, for example, can include architectural and design services, strategic and fundraising planning, interpretation and program development, community engagement and audience development, staff support, limited capital and restoration, and other priorities established through the assessment process.

The Action Fund provides consultation to meet our grantees’ organizational needs and priorities. Our role as the grantor is to work hand in hand with our grantee partners through a collaborative process focused on asset management of heritage resources and holistic stewardship visioning and planning. Project partners will work as a team to achieve the grantee's short-term and long-term stewardship goals.

Help Define Descendant in Historic Preservation

Today, the preservation field has varying views on defining "descendant," though it is often used in connection to heritage sites associated with slavery, such as a plantation, burial ground, or jail. The Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative is a collaborative effort that values the input of all stakeholders. Our work with grantees includes strategic collaboration across the historic preservation field to define “descendant” and establish more broadly-adopted language. For example, descendant communities can include a direct blood lineage or historical affiliation to a site of enslavement, like Virginia's Sharswood Plantation, or social movements in education and civil rights, such as Washington-Rosenwald Schools, Birmingham Foot Soldiers, and the Tulsa Race Massacre.

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is committed to understanding the different perspectives of descendant-led organizations and projects and seeks your help. Therefore, applicants for this grant can define “descendant” for themselves and make the case that their organization and project are descendant-led and family-led on the Letter of Intent (LOI) form. We deeply respect and value the unique perspectives and experiences that each organization brings to the table.

In addition to descendant-led, family-led describes organizations where family members with direct ties to a historic place help steward the site, such as a granddaughter advocating for Virginia's Anne Spencer House and Garden Museum, siblings volunteering at Philadelphia's John Coltrane Home, or a family saving a legacy farm. It may also include property owners of a historic residence or venue associated with Black history, actively supporting its preservation, public access, and interpretation.

Central Carolina Community Foundation

Central Carolina Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that links charitable people and businesses with areas of need in our community.

We were founded in September 1984 by business leaders who wanted to establish a permanent endowment that would enhance the lives of citizens in the Midlands.

Midlands Gives

Midlands Gives brings the brings the region together as one community, raising money and awareness for local nonprofits in 11 Midlands counties. In addition to being a year-round resource for donors across the Midlands, the initiative amplifies donations during an 18-hour online giving challenge the first Tuesday of May. Since its inception in 2014 the event has raised $9.3 million for local nonprofits.

Midlands Gives provides an ideal platform for participating nonprofit organizations to increase awareness, donors and dollars all within one campaign. Using the resources provided by Central Carolina Community Foundation, nonprofits can create an extensive, yet cost-effective outreach campaign.

Organizations who receive donations through the year-round platform will receive checks quarterly in January, April, July, and October. For donations made during giving day, on or before June 30, Central Carolina Community Foundation will provide your organization with payment via check in the amount of total donations received on behalf of your organization net of fees plus the organization's share of any regional bonus pools and any prize amounts (if applicable). Prior to receiving the check, you will receive an email statement informing you of your grant amount. You will have ten days to dispute this amount before the check will be sent to your organization. Please be patient as our finance department performs a financial reconciliation on all transactions. To ensure accuracy, this process takes some time.

Program overview

As a pillar of the Paralysis Resource Center, the Quality of Life Grants Program, pioneered by the late Dana Reeve, impacts and empowers people living with paralysis, their families and caregivers by providing grants to nonprofit organizations whose projects and initiatives foster inclusion, involvement and community engagement, while promoting health and wellness for those affected by paralysis in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

Grants have been awarded in all fifty states, a number of U.S. territories and though we no longer fund projects outside of the United States of America, grants have previously been awarded in 33 countries outside the U.S.

Quality of Life Grant Details

Grants are awarded to organizations that address the needs of people living with paralysis caused by spinal cord and other injuries, diseases or birth conditions, including (but not limited to) stroke, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Direct Effect (Tier 1)

Direct Effect (Tier 1) is open-focused and awards grants of up to $25,000 to support a wide range of projects and activities. Grants fund programs and projects that will clearly impact individuals living with paralysis and their families.

Direct Effect Quality of Life grants fund specific budget items up to a total of $25,000 to support the wide range of projects and activities that will clearly impact individuals living with paralysis and their families. Funded projects must be completed within 12 months after the award is received.

Examples of funded projects may include (but are not limited to):

• sports wheelchairs for a wheelchair basketball team;
• adapted glider in a community playground;
• kayak for a rowing program;
• accessible gym equipment;
• hydraulic lift at a pool;
• electronic door openers at a community center;
• workshop education series on sex and sexuality with a spinal cord injury;
• wheelchair accessible picnic table at a county fairground;
• program for preventing abuse in adaptive sports;
• camp programs;
• subsidized lessons for therapeutic riding;
• transportation costs for an inclusive afterschool program; and
• support groups.

See Types of Direct Effect (Tier 1) Projects Funded

Direct Effect grants will have short- to mid-range impact. Long-range impact and sustainability are not expected for projects at this level. Grantees will be required to submit a 6-month interim report and a final report and evaluation survey at the end of the project.

COCO (a Colorado-based nonprofit) started the Action, Implementation and Mitigation (AIM) Program to accelerate fire adaptation concepts and reduce the risk from wildfire across the U.S. by increasing capacity and on-the-ground work. Since its inception in 2018, we have supported over 90 organizations. COCO hopes to increase community resilience, restore fire-adapted ecosystems and create safer conditions for residents and firefighters. This funding opportunity is open to organizations working to advance wildfire risk reduction.

The AIM grant is available for a wide variety of capacity-building activities, including personnel, planning efforts, and wildfire risk reduction work on non-federal lands.

COCO funds organizations across the country with a focus on programs and projects that increase communities’ ability to overcome barriers to successful community wildfire mitigation, multiply the efforts, achieve quantifiable outcomes, support equitable and inclusive community wildfire mitigation programs across the fence, and support place-based solutions.

COCO will be looking to fund a variety of different types of projects across the country. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposal fits into the larger community wildfire strategy, including coordination with federal partners on nearby public lands. Applicants must contribute a 100% match (cash or in-kind match is eligible).  Award funding may range from $10,000 – $75,000. Grants are contracted for a period of one year.

About Elsa U. Pardee Foundation

Support for Innovative Cancer Research

Elsa U. Pardee Foundation grants are devoted to cancer research with about $110.5 million given to over 300 different institutions across the United States since 1944. Initially, ongoing research programs at well-known cancer institutes such as Memorial Sloan-Kettering took center stage. By the 1950s, however, the Foundation’s trustees recognized a critical oversight: new scientists with cutting-edge ideas were often denied private and government funding simply because they were unknown. The Elsa U. Pardee Foundation boldly broke tradition by considering their grant proposals and funding the most innovative approaches to conquering cancer – a practice which continues to set this Foundation apart. As the proposals grew more complex, the Foundation formed a Medical Committee of specialists to manage the process. Today, the Foundation evaluates more than 300 proposals annually.

Financial Support for Cancer Treatment

In 1951, Elsa Uhinck Pardee recognized another important need: many people suffering from cancer did not have the money to get adequate medical care without risking financial ruin. Research was important, she argued, but so was meeting the immediate financial needs of cancer patients. Today, about one-third of the Foundation’s grants are made to the Pardee Cancer Treatment Funds, which provide financial assistance to needy cancer patients in Midland and surrounding counties, and in other selected locations. Since 1951, about $36 million in grants has helped thousands of cancer patients seek treatment and support.

Elsa U. Pardee Foundation Research Grants

The Elsa U. Pardee Foundation funds research to investigators in United States non-profit institutions proposing research directed toward identifying new treatments or cures for cancer. The Foundation funds projects for a one year period which will allow establishment of capabilities of new cancer researchers, or new cancer approaches by established cancer researchers. It is anticipated that this early stage funding by the Foundation may lead to subsequent and expanded support using government agency funding. Project relevance to cancer detection, treatment, or cure should be clearly identified. By design, there are no limits set on the grant amount that can be requested. It must be reasonably and clearly supported by the scope of the project outlined in the application. A final report summarizing financial expenditure and research achievement is required.

Charitable Foundation

The Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation was created pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of Paul Lauzier. During his lifetime, Mr. Lauzier made numerous contributions to religious, educational, and community organizations. His legacy of charitable giving continues through annual grants awarded by the Paul Lauzier Charitable

Foundation in support of community development, youth programs, public health and safety, education, and agriculture.

There is no geographical limitation for funding requests. With that said, the Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation prefers to fund programs and projects geographically located in rural communities in central and eastern Washington, with an emphasis within Grant County.

The Foundation also provides support in the form of long-term grants disbursed over several years. The Foundation will consider funding requests for program support, equipment and capital projects. 

Guiding Premise

Harold Townsend Sumner demonstrated in words and actions his belief that good citizens working together through independent charitable organizations are critical to improving quality of life in Gaston County. He was a co-founder and constant leader of the Community Foundation’s efforts to effectively assemble and manage long-term charitable funds on behalf of local philanthropists and the operating charitable organizations. He also pictured the Foundation as a role model in encouraging philanthropy. The Foundation sees this plan as a permanent tribute to Mr. Sumner’s service that is consistent with his vision for the community and the Foundation’s own mission.

Harold T. Sumner Professional Education Grants

Harold T. Sumner Professional Education Grants are given to independent nonprofit organizations in Gaston County. The grants will be awarded to independent charitable, cultural, or educational organizations that seek financing for professional training/education for a key staff member with at least one year of service in the nominating organization. Preference is giving for training that is local / in-state.

Awards will be based on direct nomination by a tax-exempt community organization meeting normal Foundation standards for grants from its unrestricted Funds on behalf of one of its staff members. Organizations that receive the grant will not be eligible to apply for the grant cycle the following year.

The maximum amount awarded in this year will be $5,000. The Foundation may grant either one or more grants from that total amount. However, no grant will be made if, in the Foundation’s sole discretion, no deserving applications are received.

The Foundation will establish a committee to select recipients in a fair and competitive manner. Key criteria will include the non-profit staff member’s professional record and the potential for positive results to benefit the nominating organization.

Mission Statement

To enhance the quality of life in the Wichita Falls area through the promotion and support of charitable giving.

Royal B. Kinder Fund

Nonprofits located in Archer County are eligible to apply.

Levitt Music Series Grants - AMP

Levitt AMP is a multi-year matching grant opportunity bringing the joy of free, live music to small to mid-sized towns and cities.

Geared to towns and cities with populations under 250,000, Levitt AMP grantees reflect the three goals of the Levitt AMP program: Amplify community pride and a city’s unique character; enrich lives through the power of free, live Music; and illustrate the importance of inclusive and vibrant public Places. From rural Alaska to Appalachian Main Streets and Midwestern locales, the Levitt AMP Music Series is a catalytic opportunity engaging a wide range of towns and cities across America to realize a shared mission—building community through music to create a healthy and thriving future for all.

In addition to financial support, the Levitt Foundation provides grant recipients with valuable resources including best practices, program frameworks, toolkits, and trainings to deepen impact in their communities.

Launched in 2015, the Levitt Foundation has provided funding to more than 50 communities coast to coast through the Levitt AMP program, activating underused public spaces, ensuring access to the arts and strengthening the social fabric of communities through creative placemaking, bringing people together of all ages and backgrounds through free, outdoor concert series.

Special Music Series Grant - Tennessee-Based Nonprofits

The Levitt Foundation is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Tennessee Entertainment Commission to award up to six communities based in Tennessee with multi-year Levitt AMP matching grants, with support from the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. This project marks the Levitt Foundation’s first joint partnership with a specific state.

Through this partnership, the State and the Foundation together will be awarding matching grants of up to $40K per year to small to mid-sized cities throughout Tennessee in through the next 3 years. The funding will go toward presenting free outdoor concerts featuring high-caliber entertainment in a broad array of music genres, amplifying stages across the state with up to 180 free concerts for Tennesseans of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.

This partnership applies to the Levitt AMP grant opportunity only. There is no separate application process to be considered and interested Tennessee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits should proceed with completing their online application on the Levitt Foundation website. Levitt AMP grant applicants from Tennessee that advance to the public voting phase will be in the running with other Tennessee-based Levitt AMP grant applicants only. Nonprofits based in Tennessee that are interested in applying for the Levitt VIBE or Levitt BLOC grant opportunity may still submit an online application, though if advanced to the public voting phase will be in the running with applicants from across the country.

Funding

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible to receive a three-year matching grant of up to $40K/year (up to $120K total) to bring 7-10 free concerts to your community each year!

Levitt Music Series Grants - BLOC

Levitt BLOC is a multi-year matching grant opportunity that activates underused public spaces across multiple neighborhoods within a town or city through the joy of free, live music.

Geared to communities of any size, Levitt BLOC (Building Layers Of Community) activates different neighborhoods in a town or city by “layering” concerts across multiple public spaces, broadening the overall reach of the music series. Levitt BLOC fosters social cohesion and amplifies community pride by featuring a diverse lineup ranging from acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning artists on the local, regional, and national circuits, ensuring access to high-caliber performances throughout a community. Levitt BLOC launched as a two-year pilot program this past year with the Chattanooga-based nonprofit, RISE.

In addition to financial support, the Levitt Foundation provides grant recipients with valuable resources including best practices, program frameworks, toolkits, and trainings to deepen impact in their communities.

Funding

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible to receive a three-year matching grant of up to $40K/year (up to $120K total) to bring 7-10 free concerts to your community each year!

Levitt Music Series Grants - VIBE

Levitt VIBE is a multi-year matching grant opportunity that brings the joy of free, live music to public spaces in city neighborhoods where access to arts experiences may be limited.

Geared to large cities with a population over 250,000, Levitt VIBE (Vibrant Inclusive Beats for Everyone) brings the free outdoor concerts to neighborhoods where there is limited access to arts programming and live music. Each Levitt VIBE concert series features a diverse lineup of acclaimed, emerging talent to seasoned, award-winning artists on the local, regional, and national circuits, ensuring access to high-caliber performances for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Levitt VIBE Music Series create a community destination, connecting people to each other and inspiring neighborhood pride of place. Levitt VIBE was launched as a two-year pilot program this past year with three city neighborhoods: the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago; the Near Southside neighborhood of Indianapolis; and the East Oakland neighborhood of Oakland, California. 

In addition to financial support, the Levitt Foundation provides grant recipients with valuable resources including best practices, program frameworks, toolkits, and trainings to deepen impact in their communities.

Funding

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits are eligible to receive a three-year matching grant of up to $40K/year (up to $120K total) to bring 7-10 free concerts to your community each year!

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day Grant

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day honors the living legacy of civil rights activist Ruby Bridges. Every November 14th, we celebrate Ruby’s courageous and historic act by encouraging students to walk to school and engaging in a day of dialogue about activism, anti-racism, and anti-bullying. The goal is to inspire kids to make positive changes in their school and community.

In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges etched her name in history when she integrated all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Since then, Ruby has become a national icon for her courageous action and continues to inspire people to stand up to racism and bullying. Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day has introduced her story to a new generation of young people and sparked meaningful conversations about transportation equity.

You may request a grant in the amount of $500 or $1000. 

Funding

Awards will be distributed based on the number of students reached.

• $500 grants will be awarded for events reaching less than 400 students
• $1000 grants will be awarded for events reaching more than 400 students

About Us

Here at the Montana Community Foundation, we care about Montana. It's not just the place where we live and work, it's our home. Since 1988, the Montana Community Foundation has worked tirelessly to create permanent philanthropy and build stronger communities. MCF manages more than $188.5 million in assets and administers more than 1,470 philanthropic funds and planned gifts. Our work with donors, charitable organizations, cities and towns plays a critical role in both philanthropic and community development. Since our founding, MCF has reinvested more than $100 million in Montana through scholarships, grants, and programs.

MCF Community Heart & Soul Program

Montana Community Foundation and Montana State University Extension are piloting Community Heart & Soul to help rural communities across the state build community and take action on what matters most to them.

Community Heart & Soul is a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town to identify what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it. This program has been developed and implemented in over a hundred communities across the country.

Benefits of Community Heart & Soul:

• Pride and confidence grow in the community
• Volunteerism increases and new leaders emerge
• Residents feel more connected to one another
• Investment in economic and community development projects
• Local governments better understand what matters to residents
• Community endowment funds grow

How It Works

3-6 communities will be selected for "Getting Started," a series of exploratory conversations and activities to determine if Community Heart & Soul is the right approach and if your town is ready. After completing the "Getting Started" series, 1-3 communities will be selected for the entire Community Heart & Soul process which will occur over a two-year period. 

This will include:

• Community Support: Montana Community Heart & Soul Coaches will support communities throughout the entire process. Coaches will provide capacity-building training and facilitation for program coordinators and resident-led teams who steer the process.
• Community Grants: Communities will receive a $2,500 grant for a community-based exploratory coordinator to organize "Getting Started" activities and a $500 grant for Getting Started expenses. Then, selected communities will receive a $20,000 grant to implement the entire Community Heart & Soul process; funds will support a community-based project coordinator and activities during the two-year period.
• Community Match: Communities selected to participate in "Getting Started" will be required to provide a $500 match. Then, communities selected to launch the entire Community Heart & Soul process will be required to provide a $10,00 match over the two-year period.

Purpose Statement

The Fischer Family Foundation supports the mission of improving the lives of underprivileged and low-income populations primarily ages 8-25 in Southwest Florida through various resources that support enriching lives, improving mental health, and promoting overall well-being. These resources are focused on, but not limited to, education, summer camps, intensive overnight wellness and/or recovery retreats, wilderness programs, and substance abuse treatment facilities, programs and/or services.

Funding priority is given, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Substance Abuse
• Prevention and education programs targeting youth and at-risk populations
• Accessible treatment and recovery support services
• Harm-reduction initiatives, such as needle exchange programs
• Mental health
• Initiatives that improve access to mental health services in underserved areas
• Programs addressing the mental health needs such as summer camp, overnight retreats
• Camps serving underprivileged children including scholarships for low-income families
• Outdoor education programs that promote environmental stewardship and experiential learning

Priority will be given to requests to provide underprivileged youth access to opportunities for connection, skill building, conflict resolution, independence, and new experiences that can enrich their lives socially and emotionally.

Grant Types

• The Fischer Family Foundation offers project-specific grants, general operating support and capacity-building grants
• Multi-year grants may be considered for well-established organizations with a proven track record

Grant Size

• Grant sizes typically range from $5,000 to $15,000, yet larger grants may be awarded for exceptional projects

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Housing Assistance Council (HAC), with To Be Done Studio, are excited to announce the Request for Applications to the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD). Rural communities are invited to submit applications to receive design support and technical assistance to host a virtual and on-site local Design Workshop (if local public health guidelines allow) or participate in the Design Learning Cohort.

About CIRD

The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council. Focusing on communities with populations of 50,000 or less, CIRD’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planning, design, and creative placemaking.

CIRD is intended to empower local citizens to capitalize on unique local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. The CIRD program goals include:

• Building design capacity in rural communities to plan comprehensive revitalization strategies;
• Introducing creative placemaking, arts, culture, and design strategies as drivers of economic development in rural America;
• Facilitating a network of rural communities for design idea exchanges and peer learning; and
• Preparing communities to be ready and competitive for arts- and design-related state and federal funding opportunities.

Since 1991, the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has provided design assistance to more than 100 rural communities in all regions of the United States, empowering residents to leverage local and regional assets in order to guide the civic development and future design of their own communities. 

The CIRD program consists of two different opportunities via a single application:

Opportunity 1) Local Design Workshops

Up to four (4) communities will be selected to participate in an on-site rural Design Workshop. (Based on timing and in accordance with local health guidance, this workshop may be a hybrid virtual and in-person program.) With support from a wide range of design, planning, and creative placemaking professionals, the workshops bring together local residents and local leaders from non-profits, community organizations, and government to develop actionable solutions to a specific design challenge. Examples of potential design challenges include but are not limited to:

• Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of community buildings
• Designing quality affordable housing that supports livable and equitable communities; including housing and other amenities that support young people, families, and/or the elderly and aging in place
• Creating public or civic spaces that support and integrate cultural expression and local identity and/or play and active recreation
• Developing recreational trails for mobility, active transportation, and economic development
• Redesigning Main Street as a local street versus state highway/thruway
• Designing spaces and places that improve access to healthy food and local food systems
• Leveraging Main Street or local businesses for economic development, including branding, wayfinding, façade improvements, and streetscape design
• Integrating cultural identity into the built environment to drive heritage tourism.

Selected communities will receive additional support including customized follow-up support leading up to and after the workshop as well as access to and web-based resources, webinars, and peer learning through the Design Learning Cohort.

Opportunity 2) Design Learning Cohort

Up to fifteen (15) rural communities will be selected to participate in a Design Learning Cohort. Rural community leaders from government, non-profits, local business, and civic organizations are invited to:

• Participate in virtual trainings and sessions on design, planning, community engagement, facilitation and fundraising techniques;
• Connect and exchange design ideas with peers from other rural communities in the cohort
• Receive technical assistance and coaching from experienced design professionals tailored to their particular community design challenge; and
• Receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their community’s vision a reality;
• Applicant organizations can indicate on their application if they only want to participate in the Design Learning Cohort (and not be considered for the hybrid local Design Workshop opportunity).

Both opportunities within the CIRD program connect rural residents and community leaders with resources and ideas for developing locally driven solutions to community design challenges.

PARTICIPATION BENEFITS 

Local Design Workshop Communities

• Four(4) communities will be selected to do a deep dive into a pressing design challenge that is impacting their community. Each workshop includes:
  • $6,000 stipend to the host community for workshop staff time and related expenses
  • A tailored virtual design process working with a dedicated resource team, including goal setting, and online sessions with design experts to assist with project visioning and advancement toward implementation
  • Potential site visit from a local/regional designer, if local public health guidelines allow.
  • A Design Book and action plan following the workshop, with project-specific design and planning recommendations, created by the CIRD resource team
  • Ongoing technical assistance related to project 
  • Design Workshop communities will have access to all events and opportunities offered to the Design Learning Cohort.

Design Learning Cohort

Up to 15 communities from the applicant pool will be invited to participate in the Design Learning Cohort. The opportunity allows up to four (4) leaders from each selected community to participate in virtual training in design, planning, community engagement, and facilitation techniques; engage with peers from rural communities; and receive support in navigating funding opportunities to make their vision a reality. The Design Learning Cohort opportunity includes roughly a dozen engagements, specifically:

• A series of online learning sessions led by nationally recognized field experts, tailored to engage cohort members and activate peer learning
• A series of public webinars and private breakout sessions that connect cohort members to design experts
• Technical assistance through office hours, one-on-one coaching, optional in-person convenings, and online resources
• Additional opportunities to socialize and share best practices and experiences with rural peers from around the country.