Best Perry County Grants for Nonprofits in Tennessee

Driving University Impact: Expanding the Public Exchange Network Grant

How the Public Exchange Network Works

No single university – even a large R1 – has enough faculty expertise available to meet the needs of every partner. The Public Exchange Network was designed to help universities work together seamlessly to build robust partnerships and generate more collective impact. Universities joining the network are independent but affiliated members, with full control over their own program and project portfolios. As a national network with local, on-the-ground capacity, Public Exchange Network members can also share approaches that work, scale solutions to common problems, and build cross-regional partnerships together. 

As an institutional partner in the Public Exchange Network, universities will build capacity to develop, test and implement solutions to the most urgent problems in their regions and beyond. Universities joining the Public Exchange Network get:

• The tools, templates and training they need to start right away;
• A shared brand they can plug into on day one;
• A network of faculty, past and potential partners and philanthropic relationships, benefitting everyone in the network. 

Public Exchange Network Expansion grants will cover 75-80% of the minimum estimated annual costs for two years to launch a new Public Exchange. To launch a Public Exchange, universities must have the following in place: (1) a staff executive director with experience launching and leading social impact partnerships, (2) a project seed fund, and (3) a modest operations budget. We also recommend some in-kind project management support from an existing university staff member. The grant includes a two-year Public Exchange Executive Director (ED) compensation subsidy of $300,000 to launch the Public Exchange on campus, and a 2-year license to use the Public Exchange brand. New Public Exchange Network members will also receive ongoing support and guidance from current Public Exchange leadership and staff at USC and WashU, including recruitment support and intensive training for hiring and onboarding an executive director, a sub-site on the Public Exchange website, incubation and project management support from current Public Exchange staff, and a suite of tools for developing and implementing Public Exchange projects.

Agricultural Enterprise Fund

The Agricultural Enterprise Fund (AEF) is an incentive program that supports Governor Lee’s priority of job creation and economic development by facilitating agricultural development in Tennessee. It is administered by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The AEF awards grants to starting or expanding agricultural, food, and forestry businesses; nonprofits, local governments, and other entities in Tennessee, or those whose project will be located in Tennessee. The program focuses on value-added and processing projects that benefit other producers or forest landowners.

Successful grant recipients must demonstrate a strong potential for impact on local farm income, access to markets, increased capacity or agricultural innovation.

Project Categories

Projects funded by the Agricultural Enterprise Fund must match the description of at least one of the following four categories. Many projects will potentially match the description of more than one category and applicants should indicate so on their application.

Mission

The mission of the Tennessee State Museum is to procure, preserve, exhibit, and interpret objects which relate to the social, political, economic, and cultural history of Tennessee and Tennesseans, and to provide access to educational and cultural programs and exhibitions for the people of the state.

Capital Maintenance and Improvements Grants

For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, the Tennessee General Assembly included a direct appropriation in the amount of $5 million to the Tennessee State Museum “for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements” (Section 61, Item 21 of the 2026-2027 Appropriations Act). This grant will be facilitated by the State Museum and is open to museums located in Tennessee.

This appropriation is separate from any other funding provided by the State of Tennessee to a museum and must be used for the capital maintenance and improvements as described in the grant application.

The FY26 Neurofibromatosis Research Program's Synergistic Idea Award supports innovative research on neurofibromatosis (NF) through collaborative efforts of two or three Principal Investigators (PIs). By leveraging their unique perspectives, these PIs will tackle significant questions in NF research. Applicants must provide relevant preliminary or published data to support their proposals, ensuring a strong foundation for impactful research outcomes.

Crown Castle Scholarship

Benefiting Crown Castle interns OR dependents of Crown Castle employees.

Award Amount

• Three (3) scholarships awarded annually
• $10,000 divided evenly between the fall and spring semesters
• Recipients may reapply for up to 3 consecutive years.

What can this scholarship be used for?

• The scholarship will be mailed directly to the student's college to be used towards tuition, required academic fees, and/or book expenses.
• Scholarship funding cannot be distributed directly to the student. Funding cannot be used for room and board, rent, meal plans, parking passes, or other similar living expenses.

Camillo Family Scholarship 

Benefiting dependents of Camillo Properties, Camcorp Entities, or LCI Services employees.

The Camillo Family Scholarship was created to provide dependents of employees of Camillo Companies (Camillo Holdings, LCI Services, Legend Homes, Millmark Capital, and SimplyHome) with scholarships to further their education.

This is a renewable scholarship, meaning recipients can renew the award and claim up to 4 years of funding if they meet the GPA and enrollment requirements and complete the renewal application for each academic year they plan to be enrolled.

Multiple scholarships awarded for the 2026-27 academic year. Award amount varies by college/degree type:

• 4-Year College/University - The scholarship is comprised of up to four annual awards of $5,000, for a total award of up to $20,000. The four annual awards may be received over a period of up to five years.
• 2-Year College/Trade School - The scholarship award is comprised of up to two annual awards of $2,500, for a total award of up to $5,000. The two annual awards may be received over a period of up to three years.

What can the scholarship be used for?

The scholarship will be mailed directly to the student's college to be used towards tuition, required academic fees, and/or book expenses. 

Scholarship funding cannot be distributed directly to the student. 

About Us

Bay Area Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by and for the people of the Bay Area. We offer a range of flexible giving tools to help our donors make a positive impact on the community and causes that align with their interests and passions. In addition to first-rate donor service, we manage our community’s permanent endowment and award grants to address the community’s most pressing needs and promising opportunities.

Since 1982, our community has used our resources to make charitable gifts more effective. We provide maximum flexibility in establishing, managing, and distributing your gifts. Through our donors’ generosity, we can help support arts and culture, community initiatives, education and youth, environment, health and wellness, human services, and recreation in our area.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Scholarship

Inspired by the belief that love and peaceful protest can eliminate social, political, and economic injustice, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., became this nation’s most heralded civil right leader. He aroused blacks and whites alike to protest racial discrimination, war, and poverty. A champion of nonviolent resistance to oppression, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Dr. King’s life ended at the age of 39 on April 4, 1968, when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. However short his life was, he greatly advanced the cause of civil rights in this nation. His life serves as an encouragement to each of us to do all that we can to end injustice.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Scholarships are awarded each year to Bay County high school seniors (regardless of ethnicity) who actively embrace Dr. King’s dream of improving racial harmony and social justice. The scholarship award(s) will be at least $1,000 and are non-renewable. The scholarship award(s) will be presented at the annual Great Lakes Bay Regional Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration program held each January.

This scholarship is also available to Midland and Saginaw County students through their respective community foundations.

Transportation Assistance Grant

The Transportation Assistance Grant program was established to help members of the MS community remain as independent as possible, and ensure all people with MS have the transportation necessary to get the best medical care.

The program provides funding for reasonable paratransit fees. In partnership with Lyft and Uber, the program can also provide funding for transportation to and from appointments for MS care, limited to neurologist visits and infusion centers, at no cost to the person with MS.

Homecare Assistance Grant

MS Focus understands the daily needs and challenges that must be met by both those with MS and their caregivers. In order to meet these needs in the most timely and efficient way possible, our Homecare Assistance Grant connects you to the best available local services. Should resources within your community not be available, direct support may be provided on a temporary basis.

Available Services include:

• Home Care - Personal hygiene services, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and transportation to and from appointments are all services that can be provided for a limited time.
• Therapy Visits - Based upon individual need, an appointment with an occupational, physical, or speech therapist can be arranged. Through education and training, these therapists can help to foster independence, self-esteem, and better quality of life for the person living with MS.
• Respite Care - Respite allows primary caregivers the opportunity to tend to themselves, or other family business, with the assurance that their loved one is being cared for by a properly trained individual. This service is provided on a short-term basis for a scheduled period of time. 
• Coming Home - Returning home from a stay at the hospital can be a difficult time of transition. We offer a four-hour visit from an aide who will meet the patient at the hospital, provide transportation home, and then get the patient settled comfortably at home.

Healthcare Assistance Grant

The MS Focus Healthcare Assistance Grant assists uninsured individuals with the cost of visiting their MS specialist as well as dental assistance. The grant, which can pay for one visit and one follow-up, is designed to assist those already diagnosed with MS who may need a visit to their treating physician to renew a prescription or handle other important needs. 

Applicants give MS Focus staff authorization to negotiate costs directly with the provider, and the fee is paid directly to the doctor. 

The Scripps Howard Fund, a public charity established by The E.W. Scripps Company is dedicated to creating informed and engaged communities through journalism education, childhood literacy and local causes. At the crossroads of the classroom and the newsroom, the Fund is a leader in supporting journalism through scholarships, internships, minority recruitment and development and First Amendment causes. The Scripps Howard Awards stand as one of the industry’s top honors for outstanding journalism.

Students with internship experiences are more likely to find employment upon graduation than those without, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. During the past decade, more than 500 students have honed their skills in newsrooms across the country, thanks to Scripps Howard internships. The Scripps Howard Fund created the internship program in 2023, in partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), aimed at giving students an equal opportunity for high-quality, hands-on experience. INN leads a network of more than 500 independent newsrooms across North America. 

Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Autoimmune Neurology

This award recognizes the vital importance of rigorous clinical and translational research and aims to inspire and support early-career investigators pursuing clinical studies in autoimmune neurology — specifically immune-mediated diseases of the nervous system other than multiple sclerosis.

The scope of this award encompasses research on autoimmune neurologic disorders, including neural antibody-associated diseases of the nervous system, autoimmune encephalitis, immune-mediated epilepsy, autoimmune movement disorders, inflammatory myelopathies, NMOSD, MOGAD, paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, neurological complications of cancer immunotherapies, and inborn errors of immunity/autoinflammatory syndromes affecting the nervous system.

This award will consist of a commitment of $65,000 per year for two years, plus a $10,000 per year stipend to support education and research-related costs for a total of $150,000. Supplementation of the award with other grants is permissible, but to be eligible to apply for this award, the other grant source(s) cannot exceed $75,000 annually.

David M. Cordani Courage in Service Grant Program

The Cigna Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), today announced the launch of the David M. Cordani Courage in Service Grant, a new $1.5 million, 10-year commitment to support the health and well-being of military and veteran communities by prioritizing social connection.

Each year, $150,000 will be awarded to one nonprofit serving military and veteran communities to support programs that strengthen connections, improve well-being, and increase stability for individuals and families navigating key life transitions.

How the Grant Supports Military Communities

The Courage in Service Grant will support nonprofit organizations that deliver:

• Programs that reduce isolation and strengthen resilience among military families through peer support
• Community-centered health and wellness hubs offering physical activity, wellness programming, and mental health support
• Transition-focused services that help individuals and families navigate key military life moments such as deployment, relocation, recovery, and reintegration

About MNA

The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) stands strong for nurses, patients, and quality healthcare everywhere.

We are 22,000 dedicated RNs and other healthcare professionals in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa, who promote the professional, economic, and personal well-being of nurses through collective action. Our members care for patients in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings.

Since 1905, MNA members have effectively influenced healthcare policy and practice; advocating for social justice and public health, as well as nursing practice and policies that enable nurses to provide the quality care patients deserve.

MNA empowers members to use their collective strength, knowledge, and experience to advance and enhance safe and professional nursing practice, nursing leadership, and community health and well-being, including access to quality healthcare for all.

MNA Foundation Scholarships & Grants

The Minnesota Nurses Association Foundation (MNAF), a non-profit corporation affiliated with the Minnesota Nurses Association, awards scholarships and grants each year to advance the nursing profession and create more opportunities for students to achieve their goals. 

MNA members, members’ dependents and grandchildren, nursing students, and veterans are eligible to apply for MNA Foundation Scholarships.  

40 & 8 Veterans Scholarships

The MNAF Linda Knauff Clinical Practice Project Grant supports Minnesota Nurses Association members in conducting research that aligns with MNA's organizational goals. It promotes best practices through literature reviews, workgroup convening, policy development, and quality improvement initiatives. Applicants must be MNA members engaged in direct patient care, complete their projects within two years, and submit periodic reports. Preference is given to first-time applicants whose projects meet quality standards.

The MNA Associate Member Scholarships provide financial assistance to MNA associate members who are typically undergraduate nursing students. Offered by the Minnesota Nurses Association Foundation, these scholarships aim to support the professional development and educational goals of nursing students, contributing to the advancement of the nursing profession and ensuring access to quality healthcare for all. Eligible candidates include MNA members, their dependents, and veterans, fostering a commitment to nursing excellence.

The Mary Eliza Mahoney Scholarships, offered by the Minnesota Nurses Association Foundation (MNAF), provide financial support to nursing students, members of healthcare unions, their dependents, and veterans. Each scholarship awards $2,500 per semester for a maximum of four semesters, totaling up to $10,000. This initiative aims to enhance nursing education and promote the professional growth of future nurses, ensuring access to quality healthcare for all.

Who We Are

Community foundations began nationally in 1914 and are publicly-supported, 501(c)(3) philanthropic organizations that hold, administer, invest and make grants from both endowed and non-endowed funds established by individuals, families and others. They were designed to be simple, flexible, convenient, tax-wise, cost-effective and perpetual charitable vehicles.  

Our Community Foundation was established in Roanoke in 1988. With our growth, we expanded into the Martinsville/Henry County area in 2005. Today, we administer many hundreds of named endowment funds ranging in size from a minimum of $10,000 to millions of dollars. To date, donors have also committed very significant resources to the Foundation through future estate gifts.

Information for Scholarship Seekers

Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, the region’s community foundation, administers a variety of scholarships to reward and assist capable and deserving students based on the criteria established by the fund donors.

Specifics of the Foundation’s scholarship program may be subject to change from time to time. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Foundation at (276) 656-6223.

Ashby C. and John T. Pinkard Scholarship Fund

 Fund provides higher education scholarships to deserving young men and women.

The Benny Summerlin Scholarship Fund, managed by the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, offers financial assistance to deserving students from Franklin County High School pursuing undergraduate degrees. Established to support capable individuals, this scholarship emphasizes academic potential and financial need. The foundation, active since 1988, administers various scholarships to uplift the educational aspirations of local youth. For more information on eligibility and application processes, interested students should contact the foundation directly.

The Kelsey Nicole Cooper Scholarship Fund, administered by the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, offers scholarships to deserving students from the Martinsville Henry County community, emphasizing volunteerism. Eligible applicants must be graduating seniors or graduates from local high schools, enrolled or planning to enroll in accredited colleges, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5. Preference is given to those attending Virginia Tech or involved in the CHILL youth task force. For more information, contact the Foundation.

The John W. Wilks, M.D. Excellence in Science Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, provides financial assistance to deserving students pursuing careers in the medical field. Eligible applicants include graduating seniors from Roanoke Valley area high schools or individuals continuing medical studies at the graduate level, demonstrating financial need and academic merit. This scholarship aims to support educational pursuits and foster excellence in healthcare.

The Jean L. Price Scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, supports underprivileged students from the Roanoke Valley. Eligible applicants include graduating seniors and full-time college students who demonstrate financial need. This scholarship aims to alleviate the financial burdens facing these deserving students, ensuring they have access to educational opportunities. As a vital resource, the scholarship reflects the Foundation's commitment to fostering academic success and community development.

Hemophilia Fellowship

This competitive grant program seeks to support an institution-based fellowship that emphasizes shared decision making (SDM), patient education, and multidisciplinary team-based care. The intent is to strengthen the hemophilia care through equitable education, and patient-centered shared decision making in a rapidly evolving treatment landscape.

Geographic Scope

• United States 

Funding Range and Project Length

• Grant funding is available to support a one year fellowship up to $100.000 USD. 

Accelerating the Development of Combined CGM–Pump Devices

A combined continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump device represents an innovative approach to simplifying diabetes management by integrating two essential technologies into a single device. This approach has the potential to improve quality of life for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) by reducing the burden associated with wearing and managing multiple devices.

Despite this promise, the development of combined CGM–pump devices presents technical and commercialization challenges. These include the need for further advances in device compatibility and lifespan, system reliability, and scalable manufacturing, while maintaining affordability and broadaccessibility. In addition, a potential insulin dilution effect may require adjustment of the CGM algorithm.

Breakthrough T1D invites applications for research and development projects that address key technical, clinical, and translational challenges related to combined CGM–pump devices, with the goal of accelerating their development and improving outcomes for people living with T1D.

In response to this announcement, applications may request up to a total of $900,000 USD for up to three years. 

OREF/Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation Research Grant

Solicits investigator-initiated proposals focusing on research in the science of biologic – reconstruction, bone regeneration, transplantation - allografts, and including stem cells for graft transplantation.

The NEA Arts and Artifacts International Indemnity Program, administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, provides financial protection for museums exhibiting significant art and artifacts. Launched in 1975, it minimizes insurance costs for international exhibitions. The program allows U.S. entities to receive indemnity for works of art while on display in the U.S. Applications are assessed by expert panels, ensuring a thorough review process before approvals or conditional notices are issued.

The FY25-FY26 Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) grant program aims to enhance transportation through the deployment of innovative technologies. It focuses on improving safety, mobility, and efficiency while fostering economic competitiveness. Projects funded will prioritize core infrastructure improvements and address roadway congestion, aligning with the Trump Administration's goals. The program emphasizes economic opportunities and community benefits, ensuring that selected projects contribute positively to families and communities, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.