Best Operating Grants for Nonprofits in New York

The Sun Grant Program, supported by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, aims to enhance national energy security and promote economic growth in rural areas through biobased energy technologies. It focuses on developing diverse agricultural systems and improving coordination in bioenergy research. This initiative is designed to foster innovation and sustainability in the agricultural sector while addressing energy needs, making significant contributions to rural development and energy efficiency.

The Just Tech Fellowship, supported by the Social Science Research Council, aims to empower diverse researchers and practitioners to address injustices arising from new technologies. With a two-year award of $100,000 annually, this fellowship fosters collaboration and community engagement, promoting equitable tech futures. It focuses on the intersection of technology and social justice, encouraging insights from historically marginalized groups to inform structural change and create a more just society.

The Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet) aims to establish a Data Coordination and Integration Center (DCIC) to enhance data management and accessibility within the NIH Common Fund. This initiative focuses on the submission, harmonization, and dissemination of SenNet-generated data, ensuring high-quality integration and usability. The DCIC will support both Stage 1 and Stage 2 outputs, fostering organizational outreach activities and promoting cross-study comparability through robust data infrastructure and tools.

Unlikely Collaborators Inc

We exist to help people RESOLVE CONFLICT. What kind of conflict are we talking about? The inside kind.

It's our perspective that most of the EXTERNAL conflict in the world is the result of unconscious, unresolved INTERNAL conflict in each and every one of us.

Unlikely Collaborators is an organization that exists to help people resolve conflict by making them aware of and helping them work with their Perception Box.

RFP To Fund Transformative Projects Rooted in the Perception Box™ Framework

This RFP is designed for organizations creating meaningful shifts in how people interpret their experiences, beliefs, and perspectives.

All requests must be project-specific and aligned with the Perception Box framework.

At Unlikely Collaborators, we support people and organizations who are helping others see something about themselves they couldn’t see before. Our work is grounded in the Perception Box, a framework developed by our founder, Elizabeth R. Koch.

The Perception Box is the internal lens through which each of us experiences the world. It is shaped by our beliefs, our past experiences, our identity, and the stories we carry, often without realizing it.

Most of the time, we don’t see this lens. We experience our perspective as reality. But when people begin to notice it, something shifts. There is often more curiosity, less certainty, and more openness to others and new possibilities.

We are not a fit for projects focused primarily on advocacy, external blame, or telling people what to think. We support work that helps people examine how they think.

What this looks like in practice

We are most interested in projects where participants are actively engaged in noticing and questioning their own assumptions. This might include:

• Structured experiences where people reflect on their beliefs and how those beliefs were formed
• Encounters with perspectives that challenge their existing worldview
• Moments of realization where someone recognizes their interpretation may not be the only one
• Practices that build curiosity, self-awareness, and the ability to stay open in the face of difference

Before you get started on your RFP grant application, here’s what to expect:

• At Unlikely Collaborators, we support people and organizations that create meaningful shifts in how individuals see themselves.
• We are not looking for surface-level awareness. We are looking for work that leads to a real moment of recognition, when someone begins to question their own assumptions, reconsider their perspective, or see others differently.
• We prioritize leaders working from lived experience, not distance—people who understand the challenge from the inside and are translating that insight into something others can directly experience.
• The strongest projects are designed to create these moments of reflection in a tangible way. They bring people together in environments that are thoughtful, human, and often unexpected, where insight is felt, not just discussed.

The New Lebanon Arts and Humanities Fund, managed by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, aims to enrich the arts and humanities experiences for students and teachers in the New Lebanon School District. Grants ranging from $100 to $4,000 support diverse projects like extracurricular activities, visiting speakers, and professional development. The fund encourages community involvement while maintaining a strict non-discrimination policy. Applications are welcomed from all community members, fostering creativity and excellence in education.

The Next Generation of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program Trial Innovation Network aims to tackle significant challenges in multi-center clinical trials. By enhancing trial efficiency and safety through innovative solutions, the initiative seeks to improve the design and execution of these studies. Key areas of focus include safety monitoring tools, trial leader mentorship, and advancements in digital health technologies. This program invites eligible organizations to apply for funding to promote groundbreaking clinical research.

The Basil L. King Scholarship Foundation offers two-year scholarships to St. Lucie County residents pursuing careers in health sciences. Established in 1978, the Foundation supports students with financial needs and encourages local talent to return to the Treasure Coast after graduation. To qualify, applicants must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be accepted into a Health Science program. Awards are determined annually, ensuring support for future healthcare professionals.

Purpose

The Bullis Fund was created from the estate of Jeanette ‘Nettie’ Bullis, an astute businesswoman whose family settled in Macedon in the late 1830s. Grants from income generated by the endowment fund are recommended by a committee of Wayne County representatives to reflect Miss Bullis’ interest in improving the quality of life of residents of Wayne County, especially in the Town of Macedon or within the area served by the Palmyra-Macedon Central School District. Miss Bullis believed strongly in providing a “hand up” not a “hand out.” Therefore, most grants require a matching component.

Funding Criteria

All criteria must be met for a request to be considered. Applications must:

• Show how the project/program provides direct or indirect benefit to residents of southwest Wayne County;
• Indicate how the project/program makes southwest Wayne County significantly better and/or how it has significant community-wide impact;
• Indicate matching or leveraged support from other constituencies.
• Provide evidence of ongoing stability and financial sustainability for the funded projects. How projects will be funded in the future is a key consideration.

Organizations are urged to participate in one of a variety of programs through Causewave Community Partners. These programs are designed to help nonprofit organizations grow their impact and could include: communications, strategic planning, board development, and fundraising support.

The FY26 Community Policing Development (CPD) Accreditation Program aims to enhance law enforcement accreditation by supporting state, local, territorial, and Tribal agencies. Managed by the COPS Office, this initiative provides funding for technical assistance, accreditation cost support, and development of user-friendly policy templates. Applications must be submitted via JustGrants by September 3, 2026. This funding opportunity promotes community policing as a vital strategy for public safety.

The DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (CSGF) supports U.S. citizens and permanent residents pursuing Ph.D. degrees in high-performance computing fields. Established in 1991, this fellowship offers financial aid, professional development, and practical research experiences. It aims to cultivate a diverse community of scientists who contribute to national workforce needs and encourages students to engage in impactful research at DOE laboratories and institutions. Eligible candidates can focus on computational sciences, applied mathematics, and related disciplines.

The Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund is a pioneering initiative empowering youth and intergenerational organizations to shape the responsible technology movement. With $1.5 million in funding, it offers grants between $25,000 and $200,000 to U.S.-based 501(c)(3) public charities. The fund focuses on enhancing human rights, addressing social issues through tech, and ensuring equitable access, while encouraging innovative and equitable solutions from youth-led initiatives.

This Request for Information (RFI) seeks input on the urgent need for gigawatt-scale electricity generation and transmission due to rapid demand growth from data centers and advanced manufacturing. The U.S. electric grid faces significant challenges, including limited capacity and aging infrastructure, which could hinder timely interconnection of new energy sources. Stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on overcoming regulatory and operational barriers to meet this escalating demand.

The Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Grant supports U.S. public charities dedicated to advancing aviation science and technology through research and development of improved aircraft. Established in 1984 by Emil Buehler, a visionary in aeronautical science, the trust perpetuates his passion for flight. Proposals should align with the foundation's mission to enhance the aviation field. Deadlines for submissions are June 1 for September meetings and December 1 for April meetings.

Digital Promise

Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner. Working with a wide range of partners and practitioners in the U.S. and around the world, our initiatives have impacted over 4.4 million students and 180,000 teachers across 173 districts and in 27 countries to date.

Digital Promise was authorized by Congress in 2008, signed into law by President George W. Bush, and formally launched by President Barack Obama in September 2011. Startup support came from the U.S. Department of Education, Carnegie Corporation of New York, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since then, Digital Promise has grown rapidly with support from both original and new funders.

AIMS EduData Initiative

The Advancing Innovative Math Solutions (AIMS) EduData Initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation, seeks to build sustainable and scalable research infrastructure to advance math learning. AIMS EduData especially encourages applications from graduate students and early career professionals, educators with research roles, such as those working in district research offices, and researchers located at minority serving institutions or Title I school districts. Successful applicants will conduct original research using datasets provided by leading digital learning platforms (DLPs) and participate in a growing community.

RightOn Education and Teachley Math RFP

For education researchers and practitioners

Benefits for successful applicants:

• Opportunity to investigate associations between features of a Digital Learning Platform and mechanisms supporting student learning, engagement, motivation, and instructional practice.
• Opportunity to contribute to the education R&D movement by expanding its capacity and skills, providing feedback to DLPs about the utility of their datasets and insights about their features, and demonstrating the affordances and value of conducting research through DLPs.
• Involvement in a dynamic, supportive community of digital learning providers and researchers
• Two proposals will be funded

This solicitation offers opportunities to run experiments in two DLPs. One enables research with Teachley Math, an intervention that includes interactive digital games and problem-solving modeling tools, lessons and formative assessment data for students in grades K-5. The second enables research with RightOn Education, an online digital learning platform for grades 7-10 that allows teachers to create or select math games, engage students in feedback and reflection on their thinking, and access real-time information about student misconceptions. 

RightOn Education

RightOn Education is particularly interested in research investigating questions related to the following areas (illustrative research questions are provided below):

• Student confidence and math self-efficacy: How do patterns of student confidence differ across correct and incorrect responses, and how do they vary by question or Common Core standard?
• Productive struggle, metacognition, and learning from misconceptions: How do different types of reflection prompts (e.g., self-directed vs. peer-directed explanations) affect the likelihood of optional hint submission and the length of student-generated hints?
• Student motivation and engagement: How do different incentive conditions influence student participation in optional activities, and how are they associated with student correctness and confidence?

Digital Promise

Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner. Working with a wide range of partners and practitioners in the U.S. and around the world, our initiatives have impacted over 4.4 million students and 180,000 teachers across 173 districts and in 27 countries to date.

Digital Promise was authorized by Congress in 2008, signed into law by President George W. Bush, and formally launched by President Barack Obama in September 2011. Startup support came from the U.S. Department of Education, Carnegie Corporation of New York, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since then, Digital Promise has grown rapidly with support from both original and new funders.

AIMS EduData Initiative

The Advancing Innovative Math Solutions (AIMS) EduData Initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation, seeks to build sustainable and scalable research infrastructure to advance math learning. AIMS EduData especially encourages applications from graduate students and early career professionals, educators with research roles, such as those working in district research offices, and researchers located at minority serving institutions or Title I school districts. Successful applicants will conduct original research using datasets provided by leading digital learning platforms (DLPs) and participate in a growing community.

RightOn Education and Teachley Math RFP

For education researchers and practitioners

Benefits for successful applicants:

• Opportunity to investigate associations between features of a Digital Learning Platform and mechanisms supporting student learning, engagement, motivation, and instructional practice.
• Opportunity to contribute to the education R&D movement by expanding its capacity and skills, providing feedback to DLPs about the utility of their datasets and insights about their features, and demonstrating the affordances and value of conducting research through DLPs.
• Involvement in a dynamic, supportive community of digital learning providers and researchers
• Two proposals will be funded

This solicitation offers opportunities to run experiments in two DLPs. One enables research with Teachley Math, an intervention that includes interactive digital games and problem-solving modeling tools, lessons and formative assessment data for students in grades K-5. The second enables research with RightOn Education, an online digital learning platform for grades 7-10 that allows teachers to create or select math games, engage students in feedback and reflection on their thinking, and access real-time information about student misconceptions. 

Teachley Math

Teachley Math is particularly interested in research investigating:

• Through what mechanisms does feedback shape outcomes?
• What sequences of tool actions best predict eventual correctness?
• What are common error patterns and do they vary by grade level?
• Do process measures add predictive validity beyond final-answer accuracy?

The Willson Center Research Seminar Program at the University of Georgia provides $2,000 for faculty-led interdisciplinary discussion groups on specific research topics. This grant is aimed at tenured or tenure-track faculty and is intended to facilitate the visit of external scholars to the campus. Applications are open for the upcoming academic year, focusing on fostering collaborative research initiatives among faculty.

The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award supports individual scientists or groups of scientists proposing bold, groundbreaking, exceptionally innovative, original, and/or unconventional research with the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved clinical approaches, or develop transformative technologies. Applications in any area within the biomedical sciences are welcome. No preliminary data are required. Projects must clearly demonstrate, based on the strength of the logic, a compelling potential to produce a major impact in a broad area of relevance to the NIH. The NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award is a component of the High-Risk, High-Reward Research (HRHR) Program of the NIH Common Fund.

The ACLS Leading Edge Fellowships provide recent humanities PhDs with the opportunity to work with nonprofit organizations focused on social justice. Over 24 months, fellows receive a stipend of $70,000 in the first year and $72,000 in the second, along with relocation funds and health insurance. The program emphasizes diversity and inclusion, encouraging applications from all eligible scholars to enhance their professional skills in meaningful roles.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to issue a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) titled "Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT)." This initiative aims to support financial assistance applications from entities focusing on innovative chemical technologies that enhance supply chain resiliency and reduce costs. The program seeks to advance the production of chemicals from alternative and waste feedstocks, fostering domestic manufacturing and improving environmental safety.

The Mellon Graduate Fellowships at Cornell University, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, offer residential fellowships for graduate students in humanities. This program focuses on the 2026-27 theme of Survival, providing a stipend of $35,661, tuition waivers, and health insurance. Fellows engage in collaborative research, participate in seminars, and foster a supportive intellectual community in Ithaca, NY, while sharing experiences at Society for the Humanities events.

The Met's Interdisciplinary Fellowship promotes innovative research across various disciplines, inviting scholars from diverse backgrounds to engage with the Museum's extensive collections. This one-year program supports independent projects that transcend traditional boundaries, fostering collaboration among departments. Applicants must hold or pursue advanced degrees in arts, humanities, or social sciences, demonstrating excellence and project feasibility. With stipends of up to $57,000, the fellowship aims to enrich the scholarly community and explore connections between visual arts and other fields.

The ASNT Foundation offers the Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship, a $3,000 cash award aimed at encouraging undergraduate students in U.S. universities to specialize in nondestructive testing (NDT/NDE). This initiative supports students committed to advancing their education in engineering programs and demonstrates a strong interest in the NDT field. The foundation aims to enhance workforce development through scholarships and educational grants, thereby fostering a skilled workforce in nondestructive testing.

The BJA FY 2025/2026 Project Safe Neighborhoods Formula Grant Program aims to enhance community safety by funding comprehensive violent crime reduction strategies across the U.S. This initiative, coordinated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices, unites law enforcement, prosecutors, and community partners to tackle issues like drug trafficking and human trafficking. Applications are due by August 27, 2026, emphasizing the DOJ's commitment to empowering communities against ongoing threats and fulfilling its core policy goals.

Mary's Pence Grants provide essential funding and support for women's social justice organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Established over 30 years ago, the program is dedicated to empowering women on the margins by funding grassroots initiatives that focus on community-centered, sustainable change. Organizations with budgets under $200,000 are eligible to apply for grants up to $5,000, fostering relationships and collaborative efforts to address systemic issues and promote social justice.

American Physical Society

The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.

APS Honors recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of the global physics community. Guided by our core values, APS Honors encourages nominations that reflect the full range of talent, distinction, and experience in our field, and supports broad canvassing for professional achievement across diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise.

James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics

Recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of plasma physics.

The prize consists of $10,000, a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient, and a travel reimbursement of up to $2,000 to attend the APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) meeting. Information on allowable travel expenses appears here.

The recipient will be asked to deliver an invited talk at the DPP meeting and will receive a meeting registration waiver.

The prize will be presented annually.

Nominations will be considered for three review cycles provided the nominator re-certifies the nomination before the next deadline.

The Engagement Award: Capacity Building aims to enhance the skills of patients and stakeholders in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and comparative effectiveness research (CER). With funding of up to $300,000 for projects lasting up to two years, this initiative seeks to foster meaningful participation from patients, families, and caregivers. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) anticipates distributing up to $25 million for these efforts in fiscal year 2026, emphasizing community engagement in research.

American Physical Society

The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.

APS Honors recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of the global physics community. Guided by our core values, APS Honors encourages nominations that reflect the full range of talent, distinction, and experience in our field, and supports broad canvassing for professional achievement across diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise.

John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research

Recognizes a particular recent outstanding achievement in plasma physics research.

The award consists of $5,000, a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient, and a travel reimbursement of up to $2,000 to attend the APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) meeting. Information on allowable travel expenses appears here.

In the case of multiple recipients, the stipend and travel reimbursement will be divided equally.

The recipient will receive a DPP meeting registration waiver. In the event of a team larger than five (5), DPP may cap the number of registration waivers.

It will be awarded annually.

Nominations will be considered for three review cycles provided the nominator re-certifies the nomination before the next deadline.

Prior to 2007, this award was originally named the Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics.