Best Private Grants for Nonprofits

Performance Review and Assistance Program Grant

The Performance Review and Assistance Program (PRAP) provides grants to local governments who seek to improve efficiency and effectiveness in delivering and executing organizational goals and objectives. Local government units do not need to be the subject of a previous PRAP performance review to apply for these funds, but with limited funding, priority is given to recommended activities or strategies from previous reviews. 

The maximum amount is $10,000 for a single entity application and $20,000 for a project that involves multiple entities or partnerships. 

Typical PRAP assistance activities include professional services (facilitation, mediation, or consulting) related to organizational improvement strategies. Examples of past activities that have been funded are listed below.

• Reorganizations or mergers
• Strategic planning
• Organizational development
• Assessments for shared services
• Non-routine financial audits
• Staff and board capacity and workload assessments

The Juliette P. Doster Scholarship Fund honors the legacy of Mrs. Doster, who dedicated forty years to improving healthcare in Calhoun County. This renewable scholarship supports students pursuing associate's or bachelor's degrees, as well as approved workforce training programs. Awarded yearly for up to four years, recipients must maintain academic standards. Funding varies based on the Community Foundation's annual income, and the award covers tuition, housing, supplies, and other educational expenses.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Since 1987, we have strengthened communities through philanthropy and leadership. We channel generosity where it is needed, bringing together resources and passion to tackle our region’s most pressing issues and create lasting change.

The Region We Serve

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation serves Berkshire, Columbia, northeast Dutchess and northwest Litchfield counties. This unique area where New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts meet contains 2,200 square miles of natural beauty and small-town charm that is home to nearly 230,000 people.

Fund for the Northwest Corner

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation established the Fund for the Northwest Corner in 2000 to improve the quality of life for the residents of northwest Litchfield County, Connecticut: Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Kent, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, and Warren.

For more than two decades, the Fund has supported innovative community-based initiatives that strengthen our communities and create lasting impact.

In 2026, the Fund for the Northwest Corner is launching its first competitive grant cycle, reflecting its commitment to addressing emerging community needs. 

As reductions in state and federal funding intersect with rising demand for essential services, local organizations are adapting quickly. This grant cycle is designed to provide timely support while maintaining close dialogue with the nonprofits serving our towns, ensuring that charitable resources remain aligned with the region’s most pressing priorities.

By combining local insight with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s trusted stewardship and grantmaking infrastructure, Fund for the Northwest Corner deploys resources strategically across critical areas of need.

Together, we aim to strengthen the local safety net and support the well-being of our community members now and into the future.

Types of Support

Requests will be considered for new or existing projects and programs. 

Support may include program expenses, expanded service delivery, staffing, supplies, or other critical costs directly tied to maintaining or strengthening essential services.

Requests may support existing programs, expanded services, or essential operational costs necessary to stabilize and sustain services during this period of increased strain.

Grants are intended to meet the most urgent needs and to be deployed within nine months of the notification deadline. Applicants should demonstrate the capacity to expend funds within this timeframe.

The NIAMS Clinical Trial Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3) invites applications for interventional clinical trials, whether single or multi-site. This funding opportunity allows investigators to finalize trial preparations, including establishing IRB agreements and hiring staff. Transition to the UH3 phase hinges on meeting UG3 milestones. The initiative emphasizes hypothesis-driven trials with significant clinical impact aligned with NIAMS's research mission, ensuring a focus on innovations that improve health outcomes.

The ABPN Faculty Innovation in Education Award aims to support innovative educational projects that enhance residency training and lifelong learning for psychiatrists and neurologists. With a funding potential of $120,000 over two years, the award prioritizes projects focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, clinical skills evaluations, and professional competence. Applicants must hold a faculty position at an accredited U.S. medical school or submit a validated offer letter. Preference is given to first-time applicants and those at junior or mid-faculty levels.

The Metallinou Postdoctoral Travel Award, offered by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), supports postdoctoral researchers globally to present their work at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in July 2025. Awards, up to $1000, help facilitate crucial networking opportunities at a pivotal stage in their careers. Applicants must be employed as postdoctoral fellows and present their research at the conference.

The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) offers the Student Travel Award to support students attending the SSAR meeting. Ten awards of $500 each are available to eligible students who are SSAR members, first authors of presentations, and have not previously received the award. Applicants must submit a letter from their advisor and an abstract. Winners are randomly selected and must volunteer during the event.

The Carl Gans Travelling Fellowship, established by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), supports graduate students and postdoctoral researchers attending herpetological meetings. In 2026, this fellowship will cover travel expenses for selected fellows, prioritizing those in greatest need and from underrepresented groups. Awards will be available for up to 24 recipients, with funding varying based on geographic location, aiming to enhance global participation in herpetology research.

The Opioid Settlement Funds in Kanawha County aim to combat substance use disorders through evidence-based strategies. Allocated based on a Memorandum with the West Virginia First Foundation, local governments receive 24.5% of the total funds. The first allocation for Kanawha County was $2,915,232.54, which can be utilized for treatment expansion, prevention strategies, education, enforcement efforts, and support for recovery by qualified providers, with a maximum application amount of $250,000.

The Coach Kevin Ferguson Scholarship Endowment supports continuing education through scholarships, prioritizing students pursuing careers in Physical Education or those with a connection to the Prince George High School Baseball Team. Applicants must demonstrate academic achievement, community involvement, and financial need. The scholarship funds tuition, fees, and educational expenses, reinforcing Kevin Ferguson's legacy of fostering academic and athletic excellence among young athletes in the community. Applications are reviewed annually by the John Randolph Foundation.

MyCAP, Middle School Career Connected Learning, and High School Work-based Learning

The My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) Planning and Implementation, Middle School Career Connected Learning, and Work-based Learning Grants provide supplementary support to districts/schools who are working to improve the college, career, and civic readiness for all students.

Option 3: 0413 Work-based Learning

This competitive grant is available to schools focused on building systems and strategically aligning resources to expand work-based learning opportunities for their students. This grant is intended to support the implementation of Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) Pathway as the new statewide work-based learning database.

This group's work will lead the state in the development of:

models and resources for implementing MEFA Pathway as the statewide student portal for Work-based Learning Plans and statewide work-based learning data collection including for purposes of Perkins V, Connecting Activities, and Youthworks;

models and resources for Work-based learning plans as part of MyCAP implementation;

models and resources for strategic use of Connecting Activities, YouthWorks, and related resources to expand students access to work-based learning opportunities and bring work-based learning opportunities to all secondary students;

opportunities to integrate Youthworks and Connecting activities planning and reporting tools; and

Recommendations for alignment of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) career development model and YouthWorks employment engagement standards.

The Bobby Owen Memorial Scholarship Endowment supports students in Prince George County pursuing careers as firefighters, police officers, or emergency medical providers. Established in 2003 in memory of Bobby Owen, the scholarship aims to assist those who have volunteered in these roles or wish to pursue related training. Eligible applicants must demonstrate financial need and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. All documents must be submitted online by the deadline to be considered.

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, aims to strengthen local food systems by connecting farmers and food producers to improve access to locally sourced food. With funding of up to $1,000,000 available, eligible applicants include local producers, community organizations, and food banks. This initiative promotes food security by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food across the Commonwealth, thereby enhancing community resilience and sustainability.

Suicide Prevention

The Division of Care and Treatment Services is seeking applications for funding to support suicide prevention programming focused on improving the quality of clinical care in health and behavioral health care systems.

The intended geographic area to be covered is the entire state.

The population of focus is adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Adults with SMI are a priority population under the original funding source for this grant, the federal Community Mental Health Services Block Grant. Federal law defines adults with SMI as people age 18 and over, who currently or at any time during the past year have had a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and the diagnosable disorder has resulted in functional impairment which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.

Estimated award amount(s)

• $225,000 per awardee per year

Total funding available

• $1,125,000

Anticipated length of funding opportunity

• 5 years
• Renewal of the contract each year will be based upon the awardee’s satisfactory performance, satisfactory completion of annual deliverables and grant expectations, audit findings, and the availability of funds.

MASS Timber Assembly RFP

MASS Timber Assembly is a 12-month cohort program for Massachusetts building project teams pursuing mass timber construction. Up to eight teams will be selected to receive grant funding, hands-on technical assistance, facilitated peer-to-peer learning, and workshop sessions with industry experts; all committed to sharing their experience about how to best advance individual projects and mass timber adoption more broadly.

MASS Timber Assembly is designed to:

• Advance the design and construction of mass timber projects in Massachusetts
• Build the capacity of Massachusetts-based project teams to design and construct mass timber buildings
• Generate knowledge to expand the market for mass timber in Massachusetts

Participants will receive:

• $40,000 in grant funding per project team
• A structured technical analysis of the project’s cost, construction schedule, and carbon impacts, developed collaboratively with the project team
• Dedicated 1:1 technical assistance from mass timber and embodied carbon experts
• Access to key decision makers in the mass timber supply ecosystem, including hands-on workshops and industry roundtables
• Peer-to-peer learning with seven other project teams navigating similar challenges
• In-person program sessions, including: a kickoff event, technical training from WoodWorks, a dedicated construction-management session, a mid-program industry roundtable, and a final showcase
• Shared team workspace and cohort communications tools
• A published case study in the MASS Timber Assembly project collection

The Jane Bruckel Early Career Investigator Award in Axial Spondyloarthritis, offered by the Spondylitis Association of America, aims to support MDs and PhDs at the Instructor or Assistant Professor level in the US and Canada. This annual $30,000 research grant promotes innovative research in ankylosing spondylitis and enhances patient care by encouraging emerging researchers to contribute to this important field.

About WSDA

WSDA has been serving agriculture and the public for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we support keeping agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. The nature of our work falls into three primary roles: Service; Regulation; and Advocacy.

Resiliency Grants

To help address critical needs of hunger relief organizations across Washington, WSDA Food Assistance (FA) Resiliency Grants Program applications are open to eligible hunger relief organizations, including those not currently participating in FA core programs.

The Resiliency Grants Program is funded by the General Fund-State operating budget. This grant is a reimbursement grant.

This program contributes to WSDA’s ongoing Focus on Food Initiative, which aims to ensure access to a safe and nutritious supply of food to support a healthy and thriving Washington population. 

WSDA Priorities

This program will prioritize:

• Providing access to flexible funding to hunger relief organizations, including tribes and tribal organizations, to support current and vital organizational needs.
• Supporting hunger relief organizations in ways that they determine are best for their community.
• Supporting access to nutritious food.
• Ensuring funding is distributed across the entire state.

Grant Objectives

Through this program, WSDA will fund projects that bring immediate benefit to the community and target the following objectives:

• Collaboration amongst organizations to make significant improvements to the hunger relief network in their area.
• Increase client access to food and reduce client barriers.
• Respond to organization and community need.

Statewide Funding and Allocations

• To ensure funding is distributed across Washington State, WSDA FA has allocated a percentage of the total grant amount to each region (9 regions) in the state (see region map). The amount allocated is determined by poverty data from each county within the designated region and is dependent on receiving sufficient grant requests from each region.
• Each region is scored separately. The top scored application(s) within each region will be awarded. For example, an application from an organization in King County will not be in direct competition with an application from Pend Oreille County.

Allowable and Disallowed Costs

• For a comprehensive list, see our Allowable and Disallowed Costs publication.
• These funds are not intended for projects better served by Capital Budget requests (see definitions): This document (“WA State Capital Budget 101”) provided by our partners at Feeding Washington explains the Capital Budget process.

The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation offers the Start-Up Grant to support early-career researchers in California focused on diabetes and age-related brain and vision disorders. Grants of up to $120,000 per year for three years are available for projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to medical research. The foundation prioritizes funding for those affiliated with California institutions and encourages applications from those who have not held faculty positions for over a year.

The 79 Fund Grant, offered by the Emporia Community Foundation, focuses on addressing the charitable needs of the Emporia Community. With a particular emphasis on enhancing the quality of life for children, this grant aims to support long-term improvements in the community. Organizations seeking funding should align their projects with these goals to be considered for assistance.

The Biophysical Society offers Travel Awards to support members at all career stages to attend its Annual Meeting, fostering excellence in biophysics and global collaboration. Eligible candidates must submit an abstract and demonstrate scientific merit. Awards can reach up to $750 based on travel distance. The program also includes Bridging Funds for members facing funding lapses, enhancing accessibility for underrepresented communities in science. This initiative promotes diversity and inclusion within the biophysics field.

The Helen M. Heitmann Young Scholar Award, presented by SHAPE America, honors young professionals who have made significant contributions to research in curriculum and instruction within health and physical education. Eligible candidates must be current SHAPE America members and have 3 to 6 years of experience post-doctorate. This award emphasizes active involvement and scholarship in the field, encouraging innovative research that enhances educational practices for preK-12 students.

The Lead Service Line Replacement Fund, supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocates $15 billion to assist communities in replacing lead service lines. It offers principal forgiveness loans to disadvantaged areas and low-interest loans for others. Eligible applicants include local governments and non-profit water companies. Funds can cover various activities such as the removal of lead lines, restoration of sites, and updating inventories. Applications are accepted year-round, with awards made quarterly.

Troutville Volunteer Fire Department Scholarship Fund

Fund provides higher educational scholarship assistance to deserving students.

Amount

• $1,000+
• non-renewable

The Curriculum and Instruction Honor Award, presented by SHAPE America, recognizes outstanding contributions to health and physical education curriculum research. This prestigious award highlights the importance of effective instructional practices that prepare students for active and healthy lives. Award recipients are selected based on their scholarship in health education and physical education, demonstrating commitment to excellence since the organization's founding in 1885. SHAPE America advocates for quality education and promotes the well-being of preK-12 students across the United States.

Community Foundation of East Mississippi

With over 40 years of dedicated service, the Community Foundation of East Mississippi (CFEM) is committed to fostering charitable giving that connects generous individuals, families, and businesses to meaningful causes.

Mission: A catalyst for charitable giving where civic-minded individuals, families, and businesses achieve philanthropic goals. We bridge resources and needs to enhance the dynamic communities we serve.

Grant Opportunities

Community Foundation of East Mississippi awards grants through several competitive application processes each year.

Our service area includes the following 5 counties in East Mississippi: Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba and Newton. 

To receive a grant from the Community Foundation of East Mississippi, all organizations must have the following information readily available. The Foundation may request these documents at any time during the application process and/or after receiving funds.

• Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter OR fiscal sponsorship agreement
• Charitable registration letter from the Mississippi’s Secretary of State’s Public Charities Section, or a current letter stating that your organization is exempt from registration
• Vision, Values, and Mission Statement
• Audited Financial Statements (Form 990)
• Staff Listing
• Board of Directors Roster

Lean on Me Suicide Awareness and Support Grant

The 2025 Lean on Me Jubilee event team are proud of the success of the Second Annual Lean on Me Jubilee, held September 27th, 2025. The event was a great time to connect with the community and each other to move the mission of Suicide Awareness, Prevention, and Support forward.

We are pleased to announce that the funds raised at the event will be returned to community partners through mini grants to support other non-profit organizations whose mission aligns with the mission of the Lean on Me Jubilee event team. All community non-profit organizations with programs for Suicide Awareness, Suicide Prevention, or Support for families affected by suicide are welcome to apply, but preference will be given to those who participated in making the Lean on Me Jubilee event a success.

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation offers the Special Interest Grants: Developmental Disabilities through two funds—the Jennifer Lynn Gray Fund and the Laura Turner Fund. These grants support organizations that enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities. The Gray Fund provides $5,000 to $10,000 for training programs for those with intellectual disabilities, while the Turner Fund offers $1,000 to $2,000 specifically for services to adults with cerebral palsy, promoting better living conditions in southeastern Virginia.

The Vermont Children's Trust Foundation offers program grants aimed at preventing juvenile delinquency, truancy, and substance abuse among children aged 0-18. These grants support community-based initiatives that promote positive family functioning, enhance societal support, and address protective factors for at-risk youth. Organizations can apply for one-year grants up to $12,000 or three-year grants up to $15,000 annually, fostering sustainable programming to benefit Vermont's families and children.