Search Through Private Grants for Nonprofits in Indiana in the U.S.

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of The Auto Club Group Foundation is to work on behalf of our members and the communities we serve to create lasting solutions, inspire learning and provide funding in the areas of traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy.

Our History

In 1902, nine motor clubs across the country joined together to form the American Automobile Association (AAA) to protect the rights and interests of automobile users and promote better highway and traffic safety. Today, The Auto Club Group Foundation continues to support those interests by investing in traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy initiatives. The Auto Club Group Foundation which is a private Foundation, represents 14 states and 2 U.S territories, and is an integral part of AAA's evolution and success.

How We Work

Our approach to grant funding comes from a very basic principle which is to have an understanding of the goals and objectives of local communities. Our relationships, which have developed from years of community service, allow us to offer support in a more impactful and meaningful way.

The Auto Club Group Foundation, which is a private foundation, is funded by our sponsoring organization, AAA – The Auto Club Group. We award grants to organizations and initiatives that enhance our mission in the areas of Traffic Safety, Driver Education and Financial Literacy throughout our 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories.

Priority Areas

Traffic Safety

The Auto Club Group Foundation is dedicated to supporting traffic safety programs and initiatives that make our roadways safer for all users. The ACG Foundation strives to be responsive to emerging traffic safety issues by considering grant applications that are forward thinking and address new technology.

Financial Literacy

The Auto Club Group Foundation supports financial literacy programming in grades K – 12, empowering students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions.

Driver Education 

The Auto Club Group Foundation wants to ensure everyone has access to quality driver education by supporting scholarships and programming needs in underserved communities.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

What does this program do?

This program helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.

What kind of event can qualify as an emergency?

• Drought or flood
• Earthquake
• Tornado or hurricane
• Disease outbreak
• Chemical spill, leak or seepage
• Other disasters

How may the funds be used?

• Water transmission line grants up to $150,000 to construct waterline extensions, repair breaks or leaks in existing water distribution lines, and address related maintenance necessary to replenish the water supply
• Water source grants up to $1,000,000 are to construct a water source, intake or treatment facility

Why does USDA Rural Development do this?

This program helps prevent damage or restore households and business' access to clean, reliable drinking water in eligible rural areas and towns following natural disasters. Funding can improve the natural environment and encourage manufacturers and other businesses to locate or expand operations.

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute $40 million to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement

Tier 1 awards are one-year grants of up to $150,000 for assessment and engagement efforts that increase understanding of the breadth, depth, or impact of local environmental or public health issues. These grants are limited to capacity-constrained and entry-level applicants, as determined by the information you submit in the intake form. These grants will be paid on a milestone basis: 50% up front and 50% at the midway point, upon completion of agreed-upon milestones.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• GIS mapping
• Air quality sensor purchasing and siting
• Air, water, or soil sampling, testing, and monitoring
• Research, surveys, and studies
• Power mapping, public engagement, and public education to improve collective understanding of community challenges, needs, and opportunities.

Through a noncompetitive process, we will also award grants of up to $75,000 to capacity constrained communities and community-based organizations under Tier One.

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 2: Community Education and Planning

Tier 2 awards are one- to two-year grants of up to $250,000 for community-focused efforts that design, inform, and highlight solutions to local environmental or public health priorities. Up to 50% of the grant can be used for relevant property acquisition. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing project plans
• Developing communications and outreach plans
• Conducting workshops and trainings
• Developing curricula, toolkits, or guidelines; developing social media content
• Producing videos or printed materials
• Hosting events and gatherings
• Building or strengthening partnerships and collaboration
• Creating local advisory committees
• Engaging in public review or comment periods
• Developing or updating disaster resilience plans, emergency preparedness plans, or other community planning and visioning efforts

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation drives collective action to realize strong, vibrant communities. We cultivate generosity by taking action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs—partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors seeking to make a difference in their communities.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program

In partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, NDN Collective, and RE-AMP Network, the Minneapolis Foundation will award environmental justice grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region.

Grants will be awarded to community-based nonprofits and other eligible organizations in the following three tiers:

• Tier 1: Assessment and Engagement
• Tier 2: Community Education and Planning
• Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

We aim to distribute 30% of grant funding to federally recognized tribes and Native American organizations, 25% to rural communities, and 45% to urban communities. The partnership anticipates making 206 grants: 83 in Year 1, 85 in Year 2, and 38 in Year 3.

You may submit an application for multiple tiers at the same time, in any order.

Program Goal

The Great Lakes TCGM Partnership will distribute grants to organizations working in and for underserved communities throughout the Great Lakes region. The partnership was selected by the EPA as one of 11 grantmakers around the nation in its new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program.

The program’s goal is to lift up community-led innovation and strengthen community-based groups by breaking down barriers to federal funding. All grants will be given to environmental and public health efforts in underserved communities as defined by the EPA.

Issue Areas

Grants will support projects that focus on issues including, but not limited to:

• Environmental health
• Air, soil, and water quality
• Healthy homes
• Access to healthy food
• Stormwater and green infrastructure
• Emergency preparedness
• Disaster resilience
• Environmental job training

Tier 3: Project Development and Implementation

Tier 3 awards are one- to two-year grants of up to $350,000 to pilot or implement project plans. Projects may have educational and outreach components, but must focus on developing tangible community assets or providing environmental or public health benefits to one or more disadvantaged communities. Up to 50% of the grant can be used for relevant property acquisition or purchase. Grants will be paid on a reimbursement basis, with a small number of grantees eligible for one advance payment of up to 10% of the total grant.

Eligible activities include, but are not limited to:

• Strengthening cumulative impact, public health, or environmental protections
• Increasing access to healthy food
• Reducing the use of pesticides or toxic substances
• Cleaning up contaminated sites
• Conducting healthy home assessments
• Increasing energy or water efficiency in homes or buildings
• Launching community energy or water efficiency programs
• Installing water filters; developing community gardens
• Creating community resilience hubs
• Installing green infrastructure projects
• Creating internships or implementing workforce development programs

You need not develop a new project to receive a grant. These one-time grants are well suited to support existing work that is currently not funded by another source or to complement other projects for which you already have funding. We also welcome proposals for high-priority new projects. 

Our community commitment

From our corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, we’ve grown into a national provider of insurance and financial services with offices in California, Maine and beyond. We’re committed to making a difference in people’s lives and the communities we serve.

Helping others is at our core. Making commitments that matter. Our vision to improve the quality of life in our communities, which are stronger because of our support and volunteer efforts. Here are some of the ways we are making an impact:

• Education & workforce development
  • Being there for our community means leading education efforts and workforce development for future success. OneAmerica Financial invests in both education and workforce development because we understand how critical it is to have both.
• Safety, wellness & success
  • Being there for you means working to keep our communities healthy and safe. We support our neighbors and those in need through disaster relief, feeding the hungry, the homeless and by providing essential needs and services through United Way agencies.
• Community vibrancy & civic causes
  • Being there for our vibrant communities can be seen through our efforts to support arts & culture, such as our long-standing involvement with the Broadripple Art Fair, 500 Festival Mini Marathon and the Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT).

Community grants

The OneAmerica Financial Foundation is a nonprofit, private foundation dedicated to investing in the well-being of communities through strategic philanthropy. Rooted in a long-standing tradition of service, the Foundation’s charitable reach begins in the heart of Indianapolis and extends to communities across the country.

By investing in meaningful change, the Foundation aims to transform lives and create shared success—supporting those who build stronger, more resilient communities for generations to come.

• Education (primarily K-12, early childhood and at-risk populations)
• Workforce development efforts to increase employment and develop talent locally
• Community safety, wellness and success that provide support for basic community needs
• Arts and cultural experiences that add to the vibrancy of the community
• Civic initiatives that strengthen our communities

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

What does this program do?

This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of:

• Drinking water sourcing, treatment, storage and distribution
• Sewer collection, transmission, treatment and disposal
• Solid waste collection, disposal and closure
• Storm water collection, transmission and disposal

In some cases, funding may also be available for related activities such as:

• Legal and engineering fees
• Land acquisition, water and land rights, permits and equipment
• Start-up operations and maintenance
• Interest incurred during construction
• Purchase of facilities to improve service or prevent loss of service
• Other costs determined to be necessary for completion of the project
• See 7 CFR Part 1780.7 and 1780.9 for a complete list

Grants

The gifts of many generous people allow the Community Foundation to award grants to nonprofit organizations for charitable projects and programs that address today’s needs and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.

These grants are focused on meeting the needs of the people in DeKalb County, Indiana. Grants are awarded based on the charitable objectives of the donors who established the funds.

Grantmaking Areas of Interest

• Arts & Culture
• Community Development
• Education
• Environment
• Health
• Human Services
• Literacy
• Youth & Youth Development

Grants are also available for general operating expenses or capacity building of organizations that address local charitable needs.

An Operational Support Grant from the Community Foundation intends to fund an organization's general operation expenses and overhead costs. 

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310)

Improving mobility for seniors and individuals with disabilities by removing barriers to transportation services and expanding transportation options. These funds increase mobility to and from:

• Employment
• Grocery shopping
• Medical appointments
• Educational opportunities

Under the Section 5310 program, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides federal funds for activities including the purchase of Paratransit vehicles and equipment to support transportation services for the elderly and people with disabilities where existing transportation is unavailable, inappropriate or insufficient. The FTA provides 80 percent of the cost of capital items; the remaining 20 percent must be provided by local funding, which may include funding from other federal programs other than U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) programs or from DOT’s Federal Office of Lands Highway program.

OKI, as the designated recipient of the Section 5310 federal funds in the Cincinnati urbanized area, is responsible for managing the program for agencies located in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties in Southwest Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Northern Kentucky and Dearborn County in Southeast Indiana.

Private nonprofit (501(c) (3)) corporations, public bodies identified by their state as lead agencies in a coordination project, or public bodies which certify that no private nonprofit corporations exist within their jurisdiction for the provision of elderly and disabled transportation are eligible to apply for Section 5310 federal funds.

The Parrot Charitable Foundation, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a private foundation that provides grants, primarily to organizations in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, It is administered by PNC Bank as trustee and awards grants specifically to organizations that provide for the physical and emotional well-being of children. In 2024, it awards nonprofit organizations approximately $37,500 in grants with a median grant size of $5,000.

Our Mission

To fulfill the wishes of Paul Ogle to give back to the community by strategically funding nonprofit organizations, activities and projects that directly improve the lives of the citizens in Southern Indiana.

Our Vision

There are four key areas of interest in grant funding that must be addressed in order to successfully accomplish the Mission:

• Economic: Promote the overall economic prosperity of Southern Indiana by investing in key infrastructural components like commerce, public works, and education along with other special projects that encourage community growth and can be sustained;
• Human Needs: Strengthen the physical and mental well-being of the citizens while assisting those in the greatest of need;
• Regionalism: Foster regional awareness and promote activities that accentuate cross-regional cooperation between the people, organizations and nonprofit entities;
• Preservation: Stress the importance of preserving the artistic, historical and cultural heritage of our community for future generations as long as such projects are manageable and financially sustainable.

Paul Ogle Foundation Grant

Four Common Decision Criteria for Successful Grant Requests

Over the years, we have observed some common decision criteria within many of the grants made by the Ogle Foundation. The following items are probably Ogle’s top characteristics that we have found in a successful grant request and of the organizations that apply for them:

• Fit & Focus – The very first thing that the Ogle Foundation looks at is the type of an organization applying, the purpose of the grant request and how its mission fits within our own mission, vision and core strategic values as set by our donor. Organizations must fit within Ogle’s Grantmaking Guidelines as an organization foremost as well as show how our funds are to be specifically used if given a grant. It must have a focus or impact upon Southern Indiana in some way or at least upon a minimum percentage of its overall clients from there. The Foundation’s Board does alter its priorities and direction from time to time as needs in the community change or if an opportunity to promote a specific issue takes precedent over others in their opinion. That’s why we always require an organization to call or email us first before going through a lot of effort in putting a proposal together, particularly if they are having a hard time decerning this crucial criteria and where you fit within it.
• Sound Financials – Organizations that clearly demonstrate they are good stewards of the funds they raise and spend are always the next key decision factor to the Foundation. We expect that a nonprofit’s request are not creating undue burdens or putting them at risk financially overall, to the point that a grant is the difference between keeping the doors open or not. The Ogle Foundation utilizes Guidestar.com to review an organization’s annual IRS 990 tax filings for overall health as well as request budgets and/or expense-revenue breakdowns for the specific programs or projects that are seeking grants. If your organization is currently in a state of severe financial distress, it is probably best to not apply for a grant as this is a key indicator to us on your ability to successfully implement your grant’s vision and still keep the lights on for years to come, serving your clients and end-users.
• Executive Leadership – We view an organization’s top personnel as very important to the success of its mission and their ability to do what they say they are doing. Executive Directors, Presidents or CEO’s along with their leadership teams should be professional in their works, show expertise in the areas in which their nonprofit operates and a clear vision on how to improve themselves and the community they serve. While longevity in a position(s) is not always indicative of success, it is always good to see a track record from these individuals or their teams, as this gives us a level of confidence in their ability to execute the plans for which they seek our funds.
• Board Oversight – Lastly, Ogle’s Board takes a close look at an organization’s board of directors because we believe that nonprofits need to must have the proper organizational structure and oversight in which survive long-term. A board needs to have the right mix of people with key professional backgrounds and/or expertise in which to help guide the strategic direction of the nonprofit. Professional backgrounds can consist of expertise in professional fields like legal, health, accounting or marketing to name a few along with possessing a strong common interest in the areas in which the nonprofit operates. Also, if you are a Kentucky 501c3, how many of your board reside in Southern Indiana, an area that makes up at least 20% of the Louisville MSA? Ogle believes that the best nonprofits are those that reflect the community in which is serves, with active and engaged boards, ones that have a strong working relationship in its supervisory role with the organizational leadership versus none whatsoever.

While we are sure your organization or cause is worthy of funding, the question for you is “How does it compare in light of what you’ve just read above?”   

Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation Grant

General Information

The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation is an independent private Foundation philanthropic organization originally established in 2004 by Elsa M. Heisel Sule, a native of Northern Kentucky and businesswoman in the television industry.

The Foundation’s governing body meets three times during the year to review applications for grants during April, July and October. The Foundation staff maintains offices in Greater Cincinnati, a central point in the tri-state area it serves, of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. 

Operations and Purpose

Grant Applications must be filed for each calendar year in which an organization desires a Grant of funds. Grants are usually awarded for one year unless specifically noted in writing as a multiyear grant or renewable. 

Program Priorities and Objective

The Trustee of the Foundation was originally instructed by Elsa Sule to make grants in the Greater Cincinnati and tri-state area with a focus on Education, Community, and the Arts with the following areas of interests:

• Education Success and Scholarships
• Health, Wellness and Scientific Research
• Children’s Welfare and Competitive Sports
• Fine and Performing Arts and Cultural Vibrancy
• Civic Public Affairs
• Animal Welfare and Preservation
• Environmental and Community Stewardship

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What is an eligible area?

Rural Business Development Grant money must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Check eligible areas.

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include: 

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Awareness. Education. Prevention.  These are three key tenets of Bayer Fund’s investments in health and wellness.  With a focus on cancer and cardiovascular disease, we provide resources to organizations dedicated to educating and/or providing services to patients, caregivers and at-risk populations.

Health & Wellness Grants

Programs that Bayer Fund will support include those that focus on patients and their families needing assistance with issues to managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This includes education, disease awareness, and supportive services for these diseases. In areas related to cardiovascular disease, priority (though not exclusivity) will be given to charitable organizations that focus on programs and support for the African American community due to the high incidence rate of disease in this population.

Giving in this category will focus on support services such as education, disease awareness, and general access to care (e.g., housing for families traveling for cancer or heart care).

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach of the organization.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Overview

The Community Foundation Alliance (Alliance) was incorporated in March 1991 after Lilly Endowment announced its Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) Initiative in the summer of 1990. From the beginning, the Alliance was designed to be a regional structure serving counties throughout southwestern Indiana.

Alliance organizers believed that the regional structure would allow centralized, cost-effective administration and governance of the organization. Alliance leadership also believed that the best organization would serve willing partners. Rather than creating a separate charitable non-profit corporation, a county could choose to join the Alliance by becoming an affiliate, through the creation of a named Foundation fund to serve its community.

Under the Alliance by-laws, each county affiliate is, therefore, a “county services committee,” but is known locally as the “[Name of County] Community Foundation.”

The Alliance Board of Directors is the legal entity responsible for all aspects of Alliance oversight and operation: governance, policymaking, legal requirements, financial stewardship, and strategic plans for the Alliance as a whole.

Each affiliate has a volunteer County Advisory Board whose role and efforts are focused on asset development, learning about the community’s charitable needs and nonprofits working to meet them, and awarding grants and scholarships. The first 2 counties to organize their own County Advisory Boards were Posey and Vanderburgh, both of which held their first meetings in June 1992. In the next year, the Daviess, Perry, and Gibson County Community Foundations were formed. Spencer and Knox counties formed Foundations in 1996, followed by Warrick and Pike in 1998.

All recommendations made by the County Advisory Boards must be presented to the Alliance Board for final approval. At least one County Advisory Board member from each affiliate serves as a county representative on the Alliance Board of Directors.

Today, the Community Foundation Alliance holds more than 1,200 named funds established by individuals, families, businesses, civic groups, and agencies to improve the quality of life in their local communities, with charitable assets over $100 million. During fiscal year 2019, grants and scholarships awarded from all Alliance funds to benefit the programs, projects, and people in the nine affiliate counties totaled $3,323,968.

Betty Ann McCullough Education Seminar and Convocation Grants Program

The Betty Ann McCullough Education Seminar and Convocation Grant, supported by a fund in the Gibson County Community Foundation, serves to provide funds to public and private schools in Gibson County for the purpose of hosting educational seminars and convocations to enhance the knowledge and skills of Gibson County educators (teachers, teacher’s aids and assistants) in science, mathematics, and language arts.

The McCullough Education Committee will review applications and make its recommendations on funding to the Community Foundation Alliance Board of Directors.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Event Artist

The application’s goal is to create a living roster of artists and organizations interested in being part of community events where they will represent themselves and the Fund for the Arts.

Events may vary. Some will be large, free community events like the St. James Court Art Show in Old Louisville, while others will be private performances and activations done as part of Fund for the Arts workplace campaign presentations throughout the year.

Funding

All artists and organizations contracted to participate in an event will be compensated. In the past, compensation has ranged between $100 – $500. Length of engagement has ranged from 10 minutes to an hour. Compensation will be based on the type and length of the event in which they are participating. Compensation is designated to the primary applicant only, and each offering can include only one primary applicant. If compensation is to be shared between multiple artists or organizations, that designation will fall to the artists/organizations themselves.   

Mary J. Proctor Trust

Grants support charitable organizations impacting children and youth in the greater Indianapolis, Indiana area.

Program Areas

• Arts and Culture
• Community Development,
• Education,
• Human and Social Services,
• Religious

Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank

The Foundation Office at Fifth Third Bank is committed to creating a meaningful impact on programs and initiatives that create strong, vibrant communities and provide pathways to opportunity. We aim to strategically align resources entrusted to us by connecting the needs of the community to private foundations. Grants for programming in education, the arts, community development, and health and human services are considered. 

Evansville, IN Foundations

• James R. and Adelaide H. Duncan Foundation: For organizations or institutions that specialize in caring for, maintaining, and educating indigent, sick or disabled children or young persons
• Henry Koch Charitable Foundation: Supports religious, charitable, scientific, literacy and educational purposes, and the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
• The Bower–Surheinrich Foundation: Supports charitable, religious, scientific, literary or educational purposes.
• George L. Mesker Music Trust: To provide music in public facilities in the City of Evansville, Indiana, including parks, concert halls, auditoriums and other public facilities in the public domain, which would be appropriate for the use for musical concerts, regardless of any admission charge.

The Ruth Danley and William Enoch Moore Charitable Fund is a private grantmaking foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1992. It focuses primarily on philanthropy and voluntarism, with an emphasis on charitable and educational purposes.

The fund specifically supports K-12 education for Native American children living on reservations, aiming to improve educational opportunities in these communities.

The foundation administers grants primarily to select regions based on donor preferences, including Pittsburgh and various counties in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Washington DC, and West Virginia.

 Illinois Arts Council 

The Illinois Arts Council serves the people of Illinois through a variety of grants and services, primarily geared to: 

Support Illinois' Arts Sector: Operating and technical support provided to organizations and programs statewide helps keep Illinois’ arts sector vital, vibrant, and accessible to all.

Advance Arts Education: The arts can be a part of the education of every single child in this state through the programs, services, partnerships, and collaborations of the Illinois Arts Council. 

Foster Creativity and Working Artists: Resources, opportunities, and direct support for the work of individual artists -- the foundation of Illinois' creative environment.

Illinois State funding for the arts includes programs offered by Arts Midwest.

About Arts Midwest

Arts Midwest advances creativity across our region, building unprecedented opportunity for everyone who calls this place home. We support, inform, and celebrate arts organizations and creative communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond. As one of six nonprofit United States Regional Arts Organizations, we work to strengthen local arts and culture efforts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, state agencies, private funders, and many others. Together, we nourish the creative roots of the Midwest—and share our region’s transformative ideas with the world.

This year, we’re pleased to offer two tracks of funding: GIG Fund and GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness.

GIG Fund

The GIG Fund is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 for nonprofit organizations to offer public-facing arts projects and activities in Midwestern communities.

The goal of the GIG Fund is to make arts opportunities more accessible to underserved audiences across the region. Funds may be used for performances; exhibits; arts festivals; public art, or other activities that provide Midwesterners the opportunity to experience art and creativity. This round of GIG Fund grants is for supporting activities taking place between December 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. There are three requirements:

1) Engage a Professional Artist or Ensemble 2) Offer at Least Two Activities Featuring the Artist(s) and 3) Reach an Underserved Audience: At least one activity must engage an underserved audience—groups with limited access to the arts due to geography (such as rural audiences), economics (such as lower income audiences), disability, or lack of relevant content (such as families or school communities without ready access to children’s or all-ages programming).

These grants are federal funds that derive from the National Endowment for the Arts. A 1:1 match is required.

About Arts Midwest

We amplify Midwestern creativity, building community and opportunity across our region and beyond.

Arts Midwest advances creativity across our region, building unprecedented opportunity for everyone who calls this place home. We support, inform, and celebrate arts organizations and creative communities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, the Native Nations that share this geography, and beyond. As one of six nonprofit United States Regional Arts Organizations, we work to strengthen local arts and culture efforts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, state agencies, private funders, and many others. Together, we nourish the creative roots of the Midwest—and share our region’s transformative ideas with the world.

This year, we’re pleased to offer two tracks of funding: GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness, and GIG Fund.

GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness

The GIG Fund: Arts and Wellness is a grant of $2,000 – $15,000 for organizations of any budget size whose projects have an arts and wellness focus.  Funds may be used for performances, workshops, programs in clinical settings, creative aging programs, efforts that engage veterans in the arts, etc.  Applicants may only apply for one GIG Fund grant per year.

Arts Midwest recognizes the field of arts and wellness to be far-reaching and applicants should identify how their arts project addresses some element of health and wellness.

This round of GIG Fund grants is for supporting activities taking place between December 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. There are three requirements.

1) Engage a Professional Artist or Ensemble 2) Offer at Least Two Activities Featuring the Artist(s) and 3) Professional Development: With support from The Hearst Foundations, Arts Midwest will offer professional development opportunities to grantees to strengthen arts and wellness initiatives across the Midwest.

Foundations of East Chicago

Our Mission is to support local schools, churches, municipal agencies and nonprofit organizations that work to improve the quality of life in East Chicago.

To advance this mission, the Foundations of East Chicago will provide financial support through educational assistance in the form of scholarships; the awarding of grants that are strategic to achieve our objectives and by our service and leadership within the community.

Program Grants

Program grants are annual grants that are directed to support specific programs that meet FEC priorities. Programs must have a definitive plan with measurable outcomes and must have an operational plan that demonstrates potential for success.

FEC Priorities

Education/Job Training

• Educational advancement and life skills
• New or expanded vocational programs provided by public or private community institutions
• ESL programing
• Adult education and HSE
• Immigration and naturalization programing
• College preparation programs
• PSAT, ACT and SAT or similar preparation programs
• Early childhood education (Pre-K)
• Extended Summer programs
• Mentoring and tutoring programs
• Special needs program support
• Non-school time programs (before/after hour school youth programing)

Health

• Awareness and prevention screening programs
• Nutrition and fitness programs
• Teen pregnancy
• Life subsistence
• Food Pantry
• Heating assistance
• Parenting
• Senior Care and Day Care
• Drug prevention and recovery programs
• Suicide prevention
• Mental Health

Safety

• Violence prevention and support programs
• Gang, domestic, child abuse and bullying
• Homelessness
• Police and community relationships

Community Enrichment

• Fine Arts and enrichment programs
• Community & cultural events
• Recreational adult and youth sports programs