Best Grants for Grassroots Organizations in New Jersey

The DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (CSGF) supports U.S. citizens and permanent residents pursuing Ph.D. degrees in computational sciences. Established in 1991, it provides a $45,000 annual stipend, full tuition, and a $1,000 professional development allowance over a maximum of four years. The program encourages interdisciplinary research, offering fellows practical experience in DOE laboratories, enhancing their careers in high-performance computing and scientific research across various fields.

The NIHCM Foundation Investigative and General Reporting Award honors outstanding reporting that enhances understanding of U.S. health care affordability and quality. A $20,000 prize is awarded to the winner, with entries evaluated for quality, originality, and impact. Eligible submissions include stories published in 2025 from national outlets, focusing on insightful reporting that informs health care policymakers and consumers about rising costs and access solutions.

Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards aim to fund innovative mental healthcare solutions for children in the U.S. This initiative invites U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charities with revenues under $5 million to submit projects. With up to $550,000 in grants, the program focuses on addressing critical mental health issues among youth, fostering equity in access to care, and supporting nonprofits led by young leaders. Awards include up to $100,000 for general and $50,000 for Next Gen projects.

The Gospel Fest Music Arts Scholarship, established by Vicki Hill of WTLZ-FM, aims to support Saginaw County students pursuing degrees in Musical Arts. This initiative is part of a larger effort by the Saginaw Community Foundation to enhance local education through scholarships and grants. The annual Gospel Fest, attracting up to 2,000 attendees, serves as a vibrant community event promoting peace and cultural unity through music, showcasing both local and national talent.

The PERF: Career Development Grants - CNS Shields Research Grant supports early-stage investigators in pediatric neurology research. Offered by the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation and the Child Neurology Society, this grant provides $150,000 over two years. Eligible applicants must be within 10 years of completing their terminal degree and have not received independent funding. The grant emphasizes clinical research, fostering advancements in the treatment of pediatric neurological conditions.

The Measurement and Evaluation Graduate Student Award, offered by SHAPE America, aims to support graduate students specializing in psychomotor measurement and evaluation. This scholarship assists with professional expenses, ensuring candidates can focus on their studies. Eligible applicants must be current SHAPE America members and pursuing relevant master's or doctoral degrees. The award prioritizes those who have completed their first year of study, promoting excellence in health and physical education across the U.S.

The PERF: Career Development Grants - CNS Elterman Research Grant, established by the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Foundation in partnership with the Child Neurology Society, supports early-stage investigators in pediatric neurology. Eligible candidates can receive $150,000 over two years to conduct clinical or basic science research. This initiative aims to foster the development of researchers focused on pediatric epilepsy and related conditions, enhancing the field through innovative studies and collaboration.

The Dr. Alice M. Hudder- Richard T. Molder Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund, established by Richard Molder, supports Erie County high school seniors pursuing post-secondary education. In 2023, the Erie Community Foundation awarded over $800,000 in scholarships to deserving students. Two awards will be granted: one for students focusing on science, math, or business, and another for those studying art or music, emphasizing financial need and a strong work ethic.

About Patient Advocate Foundation

Patient Advocate Foundation is the nation’s most comprehensive nonprofit dedicated to helping patients navigate, access, and afford the care they need—while improving the healthcare system for all.

Who we are and our impact

Patient Advocate Foundation provides financial assistance to help patients afford treatment and cost of living needs, personalized case management to navigate complex healthcare and social needs challenges, and a wide array of resources to empower people to take charge of their health. Since our founding in 1996—and joining forces with the PAN Foundation in 2026—we have helped 3.8 million patients navigate and access care, granted over $7 billion in financial assistance, served 350,000 people through personalized case management and elevated the patient’s voice to drive improvements in the healthcare system.

Eosinophilic esophagitis

Help with healthcare costs for eosinophilic esophagitis

This TotalAssist fund helps you pay for out-of-pocket healthcare costs, including medication copays, coinsurance, and deductibles, health insurance premiums, and other expenses.

About the disease

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) is a disorder of the esophagus and is increasingly recognized as a major cause of swallowing difficulties in children and adults. It is a chronic disease of the immune system and can be triggered by a food allergy, acid reflux, or an airborne allergy. An allergic trigger causes the immune system to overact which causes many white blood cells, or eosinophils, to collect in the esophagus. This causes the esophagus to become inflamed and not contract properly. The esophagus can also narrow and develop rings or abscesses. This condition can become worse over time.

The Building Hope: Future Forward Schools Prize & Fellowship Program aims to enhance career exploration for middle and high school students. This initiative, launched by Building Hope in partnership with American Student Assistance, recognizes schools that excel in career-connected learning. Awardees receive funding, mentorship, and resources to empower students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring they develop essential skills for future success. With $50,000 available for five schools, this program fosters innovation and prepares students for a changing economy.

The NRF Foundation Bright Futures Scholarship provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to attend the 2026 NRF Foundation Student Program in New York City at no cost. This need-based scholarship allows students to explore career paths in the retail industry, meet leading recruiters, and gain insights from industry executives. Eligible students can receive free travel and accommodation for this enriching experience, which takes place from January 8-11, 2026.

Building the Future Workforce Challenge

Awarding $5 million and the opportunity to test bold, tech‑forward solutions that strengthen the advanced manufacturing and industry technician workforce—today and for the future.

About the Challenge

Caterpillar knows preparing the workforce for the future is urgent. Communities, employers, and industry need new ways to close advancing skill gaps. The Building the Future Workforce Challenge invites fresh perspectives from all sectors to rethink training. Up to five teams will be awarded $1 million each for sustainable, tech‑forward solutions that strengthen today’s—and tomorrow’s—advanced manufacturing and industry technician talent pipelines.

What types of solutions are you looking for?

The Building the Future Workforce Challenge aims to identify, test, and scale innovative, sustainable solutions that will address today’s and tomorrow’s advanced manufacturing and industry technician skill gaps. A core requirement of any solution is that it remains relevant amid evolving technology—ensuring that breakthrough innovation and human potential rise together.

Strong proposals for Building the Future Workforce Challenge will meet four criteria outlined in the scoring rubric, and proposed solutions must focus on one or more of the following solution categories for Building the Future Workforce Challenge:

Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.

Inspire Awards

This year’s Inspire Awards seeks nonprofits supporting the career navigation and workforce development needs of workers across the United States. The challenge seeks applications that help individuals gain the skills, guidance, and support needed to access quality jobs, advance in their careers, and build long-term stability in an evolving world of work.

2026 Truist Foundation Inspire Awards Challenge Question

How are nonprofits providing innovative direct services, training programs, and career navigation supports for adult workers in the age of AI?

Challenge Dimensions

Nonprofit organizations have long been critical advocates and service providers for workers in the United States. Nonprofits provide workers necessary upskilling opportunities, AI literacy training, career navigation support, and wraparound services in conjunction with career pathways programming. All necessary for the modern workforce. Meeting the moment, Truist Foundation and MIT Solve want to hear the ways in which nonprofits headquartered in the Truist operating footprint are providing innovative career pathway programming in the age of AI. Although solutions don’t need to focus on generative AI specifically, teams should demonstrate how their career pathways programming align with the following dimensions:

• Training and Upskilling Programs – Providing holistic, accessible programming that equips workers with essential skills, industry-validated credentials, and technical literacy for the modern workplace.
• AI Readiness and Literacy – Offering high-quality training that helps workers understand generative AI and agentic technologies as augmented intelligence tools, helping to build practical skills like effective prompting, domain expertise application, and ethical use.
• Additional Wraparound Services and Basic Needs Support – Supporting unemployed and underemployed workers on their journey to economic mobility through comprehensive, integrated resources including childcare, transportation support, mentorship, mental health services, benefits navigation, and more.
• Career Navigation in the AI Economy – Enabling workers to navigate career choices with clarity and confidence by providing accessible information about how AI is reshaping job roles and industries, facilitating informed decisions about high-quality career trajectories that align with individual circumstances, and connecting workers to industry-validated credentials or trainings.

Here are the grants for this challenge

• First place: $250,000
• Second place: $150,000
• Runners-up: $25,000
• Audience favorite: $75,000

The Dr. Carol J. Chrisman Nursing Scholarship, offered by the Ashland County Community Foundation, supports registered nurses and nursing students from Ashland County pursuing advanced degrees at Ashland University. This scholarship honors Dr. Chrisman's legacy in nursing and community health, encouraging local nurses to further their education. Eligible applicants include full-time nursing students and those employed in public health within the area, with prior recipients allowed to reapply once.

The Imagine Learning Foundation's Signature Grant Program aims to enhance the well-being of learners by supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) initiatives. By bridging classroom and community efforts, it fosters healthier environments for youth, families, and educators. The program prioritizes funding for organizations addressing critical issues like chronic absenteeism and housing insecurity. In 2024, the foundation will allocate over $400,000 to impactful projects, furthering its mission to cultivate supportive learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.

The Furer-Barag-Wolf Post 126 Jewish War Veterans Scholarship Award supports children or grandchildren of JWV Post 126 members, providing merit-based assistance for college or vocational education. Eligible applicants must reside in specific counties in New Jersey or be related to a JWV member. The scholarship covers tuition, books, and living expenses and is open for reapplication annually. This initiative by the Jewish Community Foundation fosters educational opportunities for deserving students.

The NEA Federal Rescue Implementation Network Grant provides up to $100,000 per year for two years to state affiliates for hiring a coordinator to implement the American Rescue Plan in support of public education. This funding is specifically for backfilling a position that must remain filled for at least ninety days, ensuring effective oversight of federal recovery initiatives within the affiliate.

This grant opportunity aims to address health and healthcare disparities in non-communicable and chronic diseases in Latin America. It encourages innovative, collaborative research in clinical epidemiology and healthcare policy evaluation. With focused deadlines for standard, renewal, and AIDS-related applications, the program seeks multidisciplinary teams that include key partners from Latin American institutions to enhance health outcomes across the hemisphere.

About Us

advancing the science of water ®

Who We Are

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is the leading research organization advancing the science of all water to meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. WRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational organization that funds, manages, and publishes research on the technology, operation, and management of drinking water, wastewater, reuse, and stormwater systems—all in pursuit of ensuring water quality and improving water services to the public.

5429 - Bioavailability and Transformation of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen and Phosphorus Across WRRFs

Project Objectives

• Survey and characterize dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphorus (DON/DOP) concentrations and speciation across North American wastewater facilities, including but not limited to influent, secondary effluent, tertiary effluent, digester supernatant, thermal hydrolysis process (THP) centrate, autothermal thermophilic digestion (ATAD) sidestreams, and dewatering recycle streams.
• Understand the dynamics of DON/DOP in effluent, including quantifying the bioavailable fraction of DON/DOP in different relevant process streams, evaluating their transformation into nitrogenous disinfection by-product (N-DBP) precursors, determining bio-uptake rates representative of receiving water conditions, and measuring the timescale for biodegradation in receiving waters.

The Migrant Education Program - Continuation aims to provide educational support for eligible children of migratory farm workers and fishers in Essex County. This program ensures these children receive necessary services, such as identification, record transfers, and supplemental instruction. As a continuation grant, it serves Gloucester County Special Services and Essex County Educational Services Commission, with funding of $269,031 available for the period from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

The Migrant Education Program-Continuation supports eligible children of migratory farm workers and fishers in Gloucester County. This program aims to provide educational resources and services to reduce learning gaps caused by frequent relocations. Key services include student identification, record transfers, and supplemental instruction. The program is a continuation grant, with funding available for the second year of a three-year initiative, running from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, with a maximum funding amount of $960,825.

Pinky Swear Foundation

Our mission

Pinky Swear Foundation's mission is to help kids with cancer and their families with financial support. 

All-Star Fund

Housing, food, and transportation support

The All-Star Fund provides financial support for everyday expenses to families navigating the challenging journey of childhood cancer. This fund provides assistance for rent/mortgage, utility payments, groceries, gas, and car payments, ensuring that families can focus on what truly matters - their child.

The Lynne Goldsborough Yowell Scholarship, managed by the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, supports students from Madison and Culpeper County public high schools. It is awarded to high school graduates or current college students pursuing an Arts Major, defined as visual arts, music, theater, or culinary arts. Emphasizing academic merit and financial need, this scholarship honors the legacy of Lynne Goldsborough Yowell, a dedicated community advocate.

The CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control invites research proposals aimed at reducing suicide and interpersonal violence among youth aged 10 to 24. This funding opportunity encourages the evaluation of pre-existing primary prevention strategies that have not yet been rigorously assessed. Proposed approaches may include community programs and policies designed to enhance social connectedness, mitigate harmful online behaviors, and address technology-facilitated interpersonal violence.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, through the NIH, invites applications for the U01 grant aimed at advancing gene-based therapies for ultra-rare neurological and neuromuscular disorders. This initiative focuses on IND-enabling studies and supports the development of innovative therapeutics with proven biological rationale. Applications must include robust data and compelling justification for the proposed clinical candidates, targeting a specific patient population to facilitate IND filing and subsequent clinical trials.

New Jersey Department of Health

The scope of work for the public health system is ever-expanding, and the Department is on the frontlines in leading the response to public health challenges. The Department has three primary branches – Public Health Services, Health Systems, and Integrated Health. All work collaboratively toward improving health by strengthening New Jersey’s health system.

Our Mission: Protect the public’s health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey.

Rural Health Transformation Program: Improving Chronic Disease Outcomes in Rural New Jersey

The Division of Health Promotion, through its Community Health and Wellness Unit (CHWU), announces the availability of funding awarded to the State under the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Grant Program. This funding opportunity is designed to support innovative and sustainable strategies that improve chronic disease outcomes, increase access to quality healthcare services, address health disparities, and strengthen healthcare systems in rural communities.

The grant seeks to advance community-driven solutions that promote health equity, improve health outcomes, and enhance care coordination across rural health systems.

Purpose and Goals

The purpose of the Rural Health Transformation Grant is to support projects that transform rural healthcare delivery by addressing systemic challenges and community-identified needs. Grant goals include, but are not limited to:

• Improving access to healthcare services in rural and underserved areas
• Strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure and workforce capacity
• Enhancing care coordination and integration of services
• Addressing SDOH impacting rural populations
• Promoting preventive care, wellness, and chronic disease management

Proposed Grant Activities

• Activity 5.2a: NJ Rural Southern Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (NJ R-SPAN)
• Activity 5.2b: Umbrella Hub Organization
• Activity 5.3b: Enhancing Rural Cancer-Focused Healthcare (ERCH)
• Activity 5.3c: Rural Pharmacy Medication Management Therapy Program
• Activity 5.3d: Rural Health Screening and Education
• Activity 5.4b: Safe Communities: Youth Violence Prevention in Rural Communities

Activity 5.3d: Rural Health Screening and Education

The Rural Health Screening and Education program will increase access to chronic disease screening and education for rural residents and expand awareness of chronic disease risk factors and their health impacts. The Rural Health Screening and Education Program aims to improve chronic disease outcomes among rural residents by providing walk-in and scheduled screenings, transportation, insurance enrollment, SDOH referrals, follow-up care coordination, and enrollment in evidence-based education programs to manage chronic conditions.

Goal: Enhance and expand early detection, prevention, and management of chronic diseases through coordinated screening and education initiatives encouraging proactive engagement in preventive care, healthier behaviors, and improvement in long-term health outcomes among residents

CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the public health system save and improve lives by unleashing the power of partnerships to protect the health, safety and security of all communities, everywhere. The CDC Foundation is authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners, corporations, organizations and individuals to support the critical health protection mission of CDC and the public health system.

The CDC Foundation manages hundreds of programs each year aimed at protecting communities across the country from a variety of health threats—from chronic disease conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancer, to infectious diseases like malaria and HIV to emergency responses, such as Ebola and Zika.

Contractor for Implementation and Evaluation of Healthy Native Babies Project Materials

The CDC Foundation invites proposals from Tribes, Tribal Serving Organizations (TSOs), and Urban Indian Organizations (UIOs) [T/TSOs/UIOs] to implement and evaluate the implementation of the updated Healthy Native Babies Project (HNBP) materials within their service areas. This initiative aims to strengthen culturally relevant infant safe sleep education, increase community awareness and support Native families in reducing sleep related infant deaths. Selected T/TSOs/UIOs will adapt, disseminate and assess the use of HNBP materials in ways that reflect the cultural, linguistic and community-specific needs of the Native populations they serve.