Best Capacity Building Grants for Nonprofits in Minnesota

The Parker B. Francis Fellowship for Pulmonary Research offers three years of funding, totaling $225,000, for clinical and basic scientists transitioning to independent research careers in pulmonary and critical care medicine. Eligible candidates include those with relevant doctoral degrees, U.S. or Canadian citizenship, and a track record of research experience. The fellowship encourages diverse research topics, including bioethics in pulmonary medicine, while requiring mentorship and adherence to strict eligibility criteria.

The FY 2026 funding opportunity aims to support Indian Tribes and intertribal consortia in implementing approved Nonpoint Source management programs under the Clean Water Act Section 319. This initiative, funded by the EPA, focuses on addressing NPS pollution through best management practices as outlined in Tribal NPS Management Program Plans, ensuring the protection of water resources and promoting sustainability in Tribal lands.

The Solidarity Fund Grant, part of the Black Feminist Fund, aims to empower Black feminist movements by providing essential resources. Acknowledging the historical underfunding of these movements, the fund supports groups led by Black women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals. It focuses on solidarity efforts that foster collaboration and joint campaigns, enabling activists to drive social change. This initiative is crucial for advancing justice, self-determination, and equity within communities, ensuring that Black feminist visions are amplified and sustained.

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. 

Migraine & Women's Health

Migraine is a prevalent and debilitating neurological disease that disproportionately affects women, impacting quality of life, productivity, and overall health. Recognizing the need for innovative solutions and enhanced care, Pfizer and the American Headache Society (AHS) are collaborating to offer a new grant opportunity inviting proposals for collaborative quality improvement and research projects focused on migraine and women's health.

The Emily's Hope Scholarship, managed by the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, offers substantial financial aid to local students pursuing higher education in art. With over $500,000 awarded annually, this scholarship targets graduating high school seniors in South Dakota who plan to study visual art. Applicants need to submit an artwork sample and a reference from an art teacher. This scholarship is designed to complement other financial aid, covering tuition and course-related expenses.

The ASES Research Grant, provided by the ASES Foundation, offers up to $20,000 for innovative shoulder and elbow research projects. It invites applications from principal investigators who are orthopaedic surgeons working in North America. The funding supports projects lasting between 12 to 24 months and aims to foster advancements in patient care through research. Applications are limited to one per principal investigator per year, promoting focused and impactful research initiatives.

About the Bertin Family Foundation

Founders: Kim and Jennifer BertinAfter a successful career innovating orthopedic surgical techniques, devices, and implants, Kim and his wife Jennifer feel a deep sense of stewardship to dedicate their resources to helping others. They engage all three generations of the Bertin family in hands-on service and grantmaking decisions, fostering a shared commitment to giving back. Through the foundation’s work, the Bertin family seeks to strengthen communities, support meaningful causes, and inspire future generations to lead with compassion and purpose. 

NOW Grants

A limited number of grants are available for one time projects or programs that emerge outside of the standard review period. These grants are for $5000 or less.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will announce funding for patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies focusing on rare diseases. This initiative encourages collaboration and aims to fill critical research gaps affecting approximately 30 million Americans with rare diseases. Applications can request up to $12 million over five years, including coverage for patient care costs. This funding opportunity is set to open on August 12, 2025, with a focus on addressing pressing patient-centered CER questions.

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund's Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants aim to foster innovative collaborations among diverse fields to address climate change's effects on health. With $1M dedicated from Fall 2023 to Summer 2026, grants range from $2,500 to $50,000. This initiative encourages partnerships between biomedical scientists, public health experts, and community organizations, promoting sustainable health systems and effective climate communication. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis, emphasizing creative solutions to pressing health challenges.

The Marshall J. Schiff, MD, Memorial Fellow Research Award, established by the Rheumatology Research Foundation, aims to support exceptional scholarship in rheumatology. This award not only honors Dr. Schiff's legacy but also recognizes fellows presenting at ACR Convergence. Recipients receive a $1,500 award plus $1,000 for travel expenses, ensuring they can attend this crucial meeting, which showcases the latest advancements in rheumatic disease research and care.

HIE Help Center Scholarship for Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy Students

The HIE Help Center will award one annual scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to an undergraduate or graduate student who plans to pursue a career in physical, occupational, or speech therapy.

The scholarship will be awarded to a single applicant who meets the following criteria and has submitted all required application materials outlined below by the deadline.

Award

• $1,000

JFO Music & Cultural Arts Programs

This scholarship opportunity is available year-round.

The current program requirements include the following:

• Scholarships are awarded on a financial-need basis.
• Scholarships are available only to Jewish residents of the Omaha metropolitan area.

Whitley County Builders’ Association Scholarship

This scholarship is available to a graduating senior who attends Columbia City High School, Churubusco High School, or Whitko High School and is planning to pursue a technical, associate or baccalaureate degree in the building trades field (such as Construction Engineer, Architecture, Building trades, etc.)

The Community Practice Innovation Award by the Rheumatology Research Foundation aims to foster innovative ideas from the rheumatology community that enhance practice implementation and sustainability. Grants, up to $80,000 for one year, support projects in quality improvement, implementation, and pilot studies. Recipients are expected to share findings with the broader community through presentations and disseminate tools developed with the funding. This initiative emphasizes improving patient care through effective collaboration and innovative practices.

The NIDCD Early Career Research (ECR) Award (R21) provides support for emerging researchers focused on hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, or language. This award is designed to help scientists establish their independent research careers and is not intended for thesis or dissertation work. The funding can be utilized for various projects, including secondary data analysis and the development of new research methodologies, facilitating the transition to larger R01 applications.

The RRF Foundation for Aging offers research grants aimed at improving the well-being of older adults and their caregivers. Established in 1950, the foundation has awarded over $239 million to support innovative projects nationwide. Grants are targeted at nonprofit organizations proposing research with immediate implications for adults aged 60 and older, with a focus on practical knowledge and dissemination to impact policy and practice.

Spencer Educational Foundation Inc

The Spencer Educational Foundation was founded by the Rims Atlanta Chapter in 1979. To this day, Spencer remains the premier organization funding the education of tomorrow's risk management and insurance leaders.

The Spencer Educational Foundation: awards merit-based scholarships and grants to university students pursuing careers in risk management, insurance, and/or actuarial science; provides grants that create experiential learning opportunities both on and off campus; funds the development of risk management and insurance curricula in colleges and universities; supports Risk Managers by creating internship opportunities within the risk management function of their companies; and operates across the United States and Canada. 

Spencer Educational Foundation: General Grants

Spencer’s goal to help build a talent pipeline of Risk Management and Insurance professionals is achieved in part by our collaboration with Risk Management and Insurance educators across the United States and Canada. Since 2010, Spencer has awarded over $4.5 million in General Grants to support over 225 student-centered experiential learning initiatives at universities and RMI non-profit orgs.

Spencer's General Grants Program supports student-centered initiatives that (1) provide experiential learning opportunities for Risk Management & Insurance students and (2) attract new talent to risk and insurance careers. 

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

We the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians are the most diverse confederation of Tribes and Bands on a single reservation in the United States. Our ancestors spoke 10 completely different languages, each of which had multiple dialects. Our ancestors brought with them deep connections to more than 20 million acres of ancestral territory combined, including all of Western Oregon from the summit of the Cascade mountains to the Pacific and extending into what’s now SW Washington State and northern California. Our ancestors signed many treaties with the United States. We were promised the 1.1 million acres Siletz Reservation as our permanent home, but following massive reservation reductions Congress passed the Western Oregon Termination Act in 1954 (took effect in 1956), and our federally recognized status as a tribe was also taken. In 1977 our lobbying of Congress to repeal our Termination was successful, and we became the second formerly Terminated Tribe to regain federal recognition as a Tribe.

Education

The Confederated Tribes of Siletz seeks to provide opportunities for Tribal members to reach potential, establish independence and improve quality of life through lifelong learning and education.

NWIHA – Youth Scholarship Program

Scholarship applications will be reviewed to meet the following minimum eligibility before any further review of the application will be done.

• Applicant must either have an application pending or a letter of acceptance from a higher education institution such as a four (4) year college or a two (2) year community college prior to the funds being sent to the higher educational institution.
• Applicant must be less than twenty four (24) years old on the deadline submission date.
• Applicant must be an enrolled member from one of the NWIHA member Tribes.
• Payments are made directly to the school, organization, etc. and not to the Applicant or their families.
• All of these items must be postmarked on or before March 31st of each year, or the Application will be automatically rejected.
• Faxed applications will NOT be accepted.
• All Applications become the property of NWIHA. NWIHA reserves the right to publish essays.

The Anne Gilbert Visual Arts Scholarship, offered by the Muskingum County Community Foundation, aims to support undergraduate college sophomores pursuing studies in fine arts, graphic design, art and design, or fashion design. Applicants must be residents of Muskingum County, have completed their freshman year, and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher. This scholarship encourages artistic development and community engagement, allowing students to further their education and creative pursuits.

About Us

Overview

The Alaska Community Foundation connects people who care to the causes that make a difference and matter most to them. We encourage and nurture philanthropy through building and managing permanent endowments, convening stakeholders, working with partners to strengthen Alaskan communities, and providing donors with flexible giving options that are strategic to their philanthropic objectives.

Mission

Inspiring the spirit of giving and connecting people, organizations, and causes to strengthen Alaska’s communities now and forever.

Vision

ACF envisions an Alaska where communities come together and have resources to thrive.

Holly Dick Scholarship Fund for California Students

A scholarship fund in support of post-high school education including vocational training that will provide a future career. This scholarship fund was created by Holly Dick who learned from her own life experiences how education can change lives.

Holly WaiHung Dick left mainland China with her family in 1947 for a better life in Hong Kong. Her life experiences taught her that education changes lives. After completing school in China, Holly was hired by Japan Airlines, where she met her future husband, an American, Mike Dick. Holly and Mike lived in Anchorage, where they loved to fish and enjoy friends, family, and their Alaskan life. Holly loved to help others along their path in life. She volunteered as a translator for immigrants and helped children in daycare settings.

Mission & Vision

Rochester Area Community Foundation, in partnership with generous philanthropists and community partners, works to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the eight-county region through its leadership and strategic grantmaking.

Our Mission:

We are cultivating a thriving Greater Rochester region — powered by philanthropy, grounded in community, and sustained across generations.

Our Vision:

We envision a Greater Rochester region transformed by enduring philanthropy, where every person, neighborhood, and future generation can thrive.

Dr. Marlene Caroselli Excellence-in-Communication Scholarship

Purpose of Scholarship

To recognize those high school seniors who have consistently demonstrated excellence in both the spoken and written word and plan to pursue college and a career that requires excellence in communication.

Number and Size of Awards

Number of recipients and award amounts vary; award amount may be split between two or more recipients. Award paid in one lump sum in the Fall and divided equally between the Fall and Spring semesters. Average award $5,000; not to exceed the cost of tuition.

Donor Information

A former St. John Fisher College professor who understood and greatly admired the hard work and challenges of single-parent students created this scholarship to support their higher education endeavors and to improve their employability, their lives, and the lives of their children.

The Growing Convergence Research (GCR) initiative by the National Science Foundation (NSF) promotes innovative solutions to complex societal and scientific challenges through multidisciplinary collaboration. By integrating diverse expertise, GCR aims to address specific problems and foster new research paradigms. Proposals must outline a five-year plan, divided into two phases, with budgets not exceeding $1.2 million for Phase I and $2.4 million for Phase II. Successful projects are expected to lead to transformative advances in science and technology.

The Robert Graves Art Scholarship honors a dedicated educator and artist, Robert Graves, who passionately supported young artists. Open to students from Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties pursuing higher education in visual arts, this scholarship encourages creativity and artistic growth. Applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit original artwork. This initiative not only fosters individual talent but also contributes to the cultural enrichment of the community.

The Chronic Care Telehealth Centers of Excellence Program, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, aims to enhance chronic care management through innovative telehealth technologies. This initiative will support academic medical centers in integrating comprehensive telehealth services for chronic disease prevention, management, and acute episode treatment. The centers will also contribute to research publications, establishing national benchmarks for effective telehealth integration in chronic care.

The TTF Advertising for the Environment Grant, established by the Temper of The Times Foundation in 1997, aims to enhance awareness of wildland conservation through marketing initiatives. This grant is exclusively available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and funds various advertising campaigns to protect native ecosystems. Priority is given to projects that demonstrate measurable impacts on conservation, rather than those focused solely on education.

The Kidney Health Equity Community Engagement Award by the National Kidney Foundation aims to enhance health equity in kidney care. This award encourages innovative proposals that address disparities in access to kidney care, education, and treatment. With a funding of $75,000 for one year, it supports healthcare professionals and researchers in implementing community-based solutions to improve outcomes for individuals affected by kidney disease. The initiative seeks to dismantle barriers and foster equitable health practices.

The OJJDP FY 2026 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence program aims to implement effective violence reduction strategies targeting juvenile offenders. This initiative focuses on enhancing community capabilities to assist children affected by violence in various environments, including homes and schools. By strengthening local responses to child victimization, the program seeks to diminish the incidence of violence and alleviate the long-term adverse effects that such exposure can have on children's well-being.