Best Grants for Community Centers in Florida

The Book Festival Grants, offered by Florida Humanities, support public humanities programs at various book festivals across Florida. Since 2022, these grants have facilitated literary events that promote reading and engage communities through author talks, workshops, and family activities. Eligible Florida-based nonprofits and governments can apply for funding up to $10,000 to enhance audience reach and accessibility via diverse programming. This initiative celebrates Florida's literary heritage while fostering connections between authors and readers.

Nursing homes, advocacy groups, and related organizations in Florida can seek funding to improve quality of care and quality of life for nursing home residents through the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program. Focused on resident protection, consumer engagement, facility improvement, mental and behavioral health, and workforce enhancement, the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration administers these CMP funds.

State colleges and state technical centers in Florida can apply for Florida Commerce’s Job Growth Grant Fund to support public workforce training programs and related equipment. Programs must be open to the public, provide transferable, sustainable job skills, and may benefit community centers partnering with these institutions on workforce preparation initiatives.

Florida community centers, 501(c)(3)/(4)/(6) nonprofits, and schools can access funding for cultural and community events through American Honda Motor. Grants up to US $25,000 support parades, festivals, galas, runs, and walks that celebrate local culture and heritage, primarily benefiting communities where Honda associates live and work.

Florida 501(c)(3) organizations that integrate visual or performing arts into education can seek up to US $25,000 to enhance curricula, motivate students, and support educators. Cornelia T Bailey Charitable Trust’s P/Arts Program backs arts-based, evidence-driven learning initiatives with strong local partnerships and program space, which may include community center-based programming.

Florida arts-focused community centers and other nonprofit arts organizations with budgets under $500,000 can access funding for staff and board professional development through South Arts. These grants, up to US $1,000, support conferences, workshops, trainings, and related travel or consultant costs for organizations in South Arts’ nine-state Southern region, including Florida.

Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofits, public agencies, tribal entities, and public schools providing community development programs can seek charitable sponsorship from Santander Bank Foundation. Focus areas include affordable housing, small business development, financial education, workforce and youth development, neighborhood revitalization, disaster relief, and broader educational, physical, and economic mobility efforts that may benefit community centers in eligible Florida counties.

Florida public bodies, community-based nonprofits, and Federally Recognized Tribes in rural areas can use this program to build, purchase, or improve essential community facilities and equipment. Florida community centers and similar facilities can access funding through USDA Rural Development, with grant support scaled to community size and median household income.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations serving low- to moderate-income communities with food insecurity, workforce development, youth programs, or AmeriCorps-supported initiatives in Florida and other Hancock Whitney service areas can seek capacity-building and sustainability support. Focused on strengthening community-based nonprofits, the Greater New Orleans Foundation and Hancock Whitney offer competitive grants up to US $25,000.

Local governments, public colleges, universities, regional planning councils, national estuary programs, and nonprofits partnering with an eligible local government can seek US $10,000 - US $30,000 for coastal resilience, stewardship, access, and working waterfront projects in Florida. Grants from Florida Department of Environmental Protection help Florida community-focused organizations enhance and protect coastal resources, including projects that benefit community centers in coastal areas.

501(c)(3) arts and cultural nonprofits in Orange County, Florida can apply for United Arts of Central Florida’s venue subsidy grants, with awards up to US $60,000 for short-term rental and related venue costs. Community centers and similar public venues hosting exhibitions, performances, or seasons of cultural programming may benefit, especially in underserved or diverse communities.

Nonprofit organizations and schools running community services programs in Florida can seek programmatic support that aligns with Honda’s Pillar Awards. American Honda Foundation and Honda corporate fund high-impact initiatives in states where they operate, including Florida, through an annual fall application cycle with decisions announced in the spring.

Community centers, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and schools in Florida and other eligible states can seek funding to run hands-on manufacturing workforce education programs. Focused on manufacturing engineering, data analytics, and AI/automation skills, American Honda Motor invites programs that build a future-ready workforce; awards range from US $25,000 - US $100,000.

The Environment Pillar Award by Honda supports nonprofit organizations and schools in the U.S. focused on sustainability. Grants aim to reduce environmental impact through programs in decarbonization, clean energy, and efficient resource use. Eligible projects must align with Honda's mission and primarily benefit communities where Honda associates live and work. Organizations can apply for up to two grants, provided they meet specific eligibility criteria, including tax-exempt status under the IRS.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and schools supporting disability care and mobility services in Florida and other eligible states can apply for Honda USA Foundation’s Mobility Pillar Award, with grants from US $25,000 - US $100,000. Focused on expanding accessible mobility, it supports therapeutic or adaptive programs, comprehensive care, and mobility modifications or assistive technology.

Florida 501(c)(3) nonprofits improving community services, healthcare, education, or arts and cultural events can apply for Stellar Foundation’s quarterly grants to support defined projects or programs. Organizations with the staff and resources to fully develop and complete their proposed initiatives may be especially competitive for this employee-driven corporate philanthropy funding.

Universities and research institutes in Florida conducting Alzheimer’s disease research can seek consortium funding to support collaborative clinical, basic, or translational studies. Florida Department of Health’s Ed and Ethel Moore Program backs multi-institution consortia advancing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure, with awards up to US $750,000 for rigorous, statewide research partnerships.

With a mission to protect and improve health, Florida Department of Health provides Florida research institutions with pilot funding for exploratory Alzheimer’s disease studies. Universities and research institutes can propose novel projects on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure, including therapeutic strategies, biomarkers, epidemiology, or fellowship training, with awards up to US $100,000.

With a mission to protect and improve health, Florida Department of Health provides Florida research institutions with postdoctoral fellowship funding for Alzheimer’s disease research. Universities and research institutes can support postdoctoral career development in areas like neurosciences, neurotherapeutics, and neuropathology, which may benefit community-centered programs serving people with dementia and their caregivers. Awards up to US $100,000.

Researchers at Florida universities and research institutes can seek funding for Alzheimer’s disease research projects, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure studies. Grants from Florida Department of Health help Florida health and research teams pursue fully developed, scientifically rigorous Standard Grant projects that address priority areas such as therapeutic strategies, biomarkers, epidemiology, and fellowship training, with awards up to US $350,000.

Florida Department of Health

Led by the State Surgeon General, the mission of the Florida Department of Health is to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

The Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative

The Florida Department of Health’s Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative supports the pursuit of identifying cures for pediatric cancer.

The Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative is established in section 381.922, Florida Statutes, works to advance progress toward curing pediatric cancer through grants awarded through a peer-reviewed, competitive process, to:

• Significantly expand pediatric cancer research capacity in Florida
• Improve both research and treatment through greater pediatric enrollment in clinical trials networks
• Reduce the impact of pediatric cancer on disproportionately impacted individuals

Research Focus

Applications submitted in response to this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) must be responsive to one of the following areas of focus. 

• Prevention and Treatment
• Screening
• Obesity
• Treatment-Related Morbidities
• Technology Transfer Feasibility (TTF)
• Investigational New Drug or Investigational Device Exemption

Efforts to foster collaborations among institutions, researchers, and community practitioners should be included, when possible. Preference will be given to applications that address at least one of the cancers listed in the Research Priorities section of this FOA.

Funding Information

Applicants must request funding in the preceding grant categories to pursue research in the areas of focus outlined in the Research Focus section of this FOA. Preference will be given to applications that address the priorities listed in the Research Priorities section of this FOA. Specific grant funding amounts are available for each grant category.

Grant Categories

Applications in response to this FOA must align to a grant category (depending on the grant program) to pursue an area of focus from the Research Focus section of this FOA. Applications for research infrastructure grants that are reviewed and assigned exceptional scientific merit will be considered for preferential funding. 

The grant categories are: 1) Bridge; 2) Discovery Science; 3) Emerging Therapeutics and Technologies; 4) Equipment; 5) Multicenter Clinical Trials; 6) New Investigator Research (NIR); 7) High-Risk, High-Reward Clinical Research; 8) High-Risk, High-Reward Discovery Science; 9) Non-Typical Clinical Trials/Socio-Behavioral Research; 10) Research Infrastructure

Bella Initiative Grant Categories: Bridge

The intent of this grant mechanism is to provide interim support for promising investigator-initiated research projects that have been highly rated by national panels of peer reviewers in recent federal competitions but were not funded due to budgetary constraints. In the case of this competition, no more than 18 months may pass between having received a funding decision by a federal agency and submission of an application to the program. Allowable federal competitions include but are not limited to those conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, the National Science Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States Food and Drug Administration. To be eligible, applicants must have submitted a multi-year, investigator-initiated research application to a federal agency (such as an NIH R type). The applicant must have received a peer-review summary statement indicating high scientific merit. For purposes of this competition, “high scientific merit” is a percentile ranking within five percentile points of the respective federal funding stream’s pay line or a score of two or better for federal funding streams that do not provide a percentile rank with peer-review results.

Maximum Duration: 6 months

Florida Kiwanis clubs and divisions in Florida can receive up to US $8,500 to run projects that support the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development of children ages 0–5. Funding from Florida Kiwanis Foundation may benefit community centers offering early learning, literacy, family support, health, or playground programs for young children.

Community-based volunteer literacy programs, local educational agencies, and institutional literacy programs in Florida can receive funding for adult basic, literacy, and family literacy education. With a mission to strengthen adult and family literacy, Florida Literacy Coalition provides a US $1,000 Excellence in Education Award that community centers offering literacy services may be eligible to receive.

Florida community centers, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, health facilities, and public agencies improving food security can receive US $90,000 - US $100,000 to expand access to affordable, healthy foods for vulnerable residents. Florida Blue Foundation supports community-based nutrition and food access programs, covering staff, program materials, technology, training, meetings, and limited indirect costs.

High schools, career centers, charter technical colleges, Florida College System institutions, and other registered apprenticeship sponsors in Florida can apply for the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant to start or expand apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs. Community centers that are authorized sponsors or partner with these institutions may be eligible to support local workforce pathways.

Nonprofit organizations and public entities serving Brevard County can seek $1,000 - $10,000 for community programs in Florida through the Community Foundation for Brevard. Focused on broad needs including community centers, these competitive grants support areas such as basic human needs, education, health and wellness, arts and culture, environment, and community development.

Nonprofit organizations operating community programs in Florida counties within All In Credit Union’s service area can apply for its All In Credit Union Grant to enhance projects that expand services for local residents. Grants provide funds and naming-rights recognition to support community development and nonprofit growth in eligible Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi communities.