Search Through Professional Development Grants for Nonprofits in Michigan in the U.S.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation

The Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation continues the legacy of two lifelong Southeast Michigan residents who were deeply committed to their community. Since 2008, the Foundation has awarded over $180 million to initiatives Fred and Barbara cared about most—supporting the environment, arts and culture, jazz education, sustainable business, and Alzheimer’s research.

In 2022, the Foundation made the strategic decision to spend down all assets by 2034, enabling bold investments in projects that address pressing needs and drive lasting change. It remains dedicated to working closely with its partners, fostering collaboration and continuing its commitment to meaningful progress.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

The Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation envisions a flourishing, healthy, and resilient Great Lakes ecosystem and a culturally vibrant, sustainable Southeast Michigan. Toward this end, we strengthen the cultural and environmental organizations that share our vision to make this a reality for generations to come.

Grant Program Area: Arts and Culture

Strengthen Detroit's jazz culture and mentorship traditions by:

• Investing in professional development and opportunities for artists, teachers, teaching artists, and nonprofit staff.
• Providing young musicians pursuing jazz with program participation, lessons, and additional supports.
• Developing future audiences through music instruction and activities that promote an appreciation for jazz.

Strengthen the resiliency and development of arts and culture organizations, leaders, and the sector in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties by:

• Supporting financial stability through earned income generation, reserve development, and best practices for financial management.
• Improving operations through workforce retention, leadership and staff development, system improvements, capacity building, and operationalizing equity.
• Promoting artistic and operational innovation and collaboration, advocacy, audience development, and equitable practices.

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Philanthropy is our commitment to communities in which we operate and broader society. We focus our resources on a limited number of key projects that can deliver valuable benefits from our contributions and those of our partners. We give priority to innovative, high-quality projects that meet the following criteria:

• promote sustainable development
• offer an opportunity for Roche to use its expertise and logistics capabilities
• involve Roche actively at an early stage with local authorities and established partners
• engage Roche employees in cultural (focus on contemporary arts), educational and social activities
• managed by an accredited charity

Our four focus areas

Humanitarian and Social

We direct the majority of our philanthropic donations to humanitarian and social development projects.

Science and education

We are dedicated to programmes that promote scientific interest and provide educational opportunities for young people around the world.

Community and Environment

We are committed to building stronger communities and responding to natural disasters sustainably.

Arts and Culture

We support groundbreaking contemporary art, cultural projects and activities that explore the parallels between innovation in art and in science. 

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

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.

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Corporate Contributions

Community involvement and corporate citizenship are an example of Insperity’s mission in action. We are committed to helping the communities where we live and work because together, we know we can make great things happen.

Grants

Philanthropic grants are a strong part of our community outreach and aid institutions needing financial support to meet important service goals.

Event Sponsorship

Fundraising events are an important part of nonprofit support. Insperity provides event sponsorships to approved charities to assist them in meeting their financial and community goals.

Through this program, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation partners with health professionals and community leaders at nonprofit organizations. We want to develop population-led, community-inspired programs or implement evidence-based programs to address community-identified needs, and evaluate measurable programmatic and health outcomes.

Experience Support Grant Program

The Experience Support grant program provides arts and culture-related project funding to Michigan organizations for which arts and culture is not the primary focus of the organization’s mission. Eligible applicants include municipalities, tribal entities, PreK-12 schools, colleges/universities, and non-arts/culture 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Applicants can submit one grant application to request funding in any/all of these categories: Project Support, Facility Enhancement & Equipment Purchase, Professional/Organizational Development and Transportation.

Professional & Organizational Development

Professional/Organizational Development funding is designed to assist an organization in providing arts and culture-related educational opportunities that increase the knowledge and skills of the organization’s personnel. Only staff members, contracted employees, board members, and/or volunteers may be selected to participate in the organization’s Professional/Organizational Development request.

• Allowable Expenses:
  • Registration fees directly related to an in-person or virtual professional development opportunity including conferences, training, or certification
  • Consultant fees directly related to organizational development opportunities including strategic planning, coalition building, fundraising planning, needs assessment, grant writing, and board governance
  • Travel (in OR out-of-state) including meals and lodging
  • Materials directly related to the professional development opportunity

Funding

Maximum Request Amount: up to $1,500

Mission Support Grant Program

The Mission Support grant program provides funding to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and culture organizations throughout the state of Michigan that have a primary charitable purpose related to arts and culture as defined by the organization’s NTEE code assigned by the IRS. Applicants can submit one grant application to request funding in any/all of these categories: Operational Support, Facility Enhancement & Equipment Purchase, Professional/Organizational Development, Transportation and Arts Education programming. 

Professional & Organizational Development

Professional/Organizational Development funding is designed to assist an organization in providing arts and culture-related educational opportunities that increase the knowledge and skills of the organization’s personnel. Only staff members, contracted employees, board members, and/or volunteers may be selected to participate in the organization’s Professional/Organizational Development request. 

• Allowable Expenses:
  • Registration fees directly related to an in-person or virtual professional development opportunity including conferences, training, or certification
  • Consultant fees directly related to organizational development opportunities including strategic planning, coalition building, fundraising planning, needs assessment, grant writing, and board governance
  • Travel (in OR out-of-state) including meals and lodging
  • Materials directly related to the professional development opportunity

Funding

Maximum Request Amount: up to $1,500

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Greater Toledo Community Foundation is a public charitable organization created by citizens of our community to enrich the quality of life for individuals and families in our service area. The Foundation serves northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan with a particular emphasis on the greater Toledo area. Grants from the Community Impact grant program support a variety of services in the fields of education, social services, physical and mental health, neighborhood and urban affairs, natural resources, and the arts.

The Community Impact grant program provides seed money for new, innovative programming that addresses unmet community needs or expands successful programming to reach unique audiences.

Emphasis is placed on programs that will: Create safe, positive living environments; Enable families to develop the skills/resources needed to support and nurture each member; and Foster the development of responsible young people who are capable of achieving their fullest potential. 

Old National Bank Foundation

The Old National Bank Foundation makes contributions to nonprofit organizations to fund widespread community impact programs and/or projects. The Foundation is part of Old National's overall charitable giving initiative, which enables us to support programs that improve quality of life in areas of Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. We believe in supporting where our clients, team members and shareholders live and work.

Funding Priorities

Our funding targets innovative programs that enhance the quality of life within our communities in support of the following four strategic initiatives: Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, Economic Development, and Financial Empowerment. We prioritize programs that serve underrepresented communities and low- to moderate-income people. 

Examples of funding priorities with measurable outcome focus areas include:

Affordable Housing

• Increase Homeownership Opportunities: We seek initiatives that enable individuals and families to purchase homes through accessible financing, down payment assistance, and homeowner education.
• Support Critical Home Repairs and Revitalization: We fund programs that ensure safe, habitable housing by assisting with essential repairs for homes
• Promote Multi-Family Housing Developments: We prioritize programs that develop or sustain affordable rental units

Economic Development

• Small Business Development and Growth: We aim to support programs that help small businesses scale, access resources, and build sustainable growth plans.
• Capacity Building for Technical Support: We encourage projects that enhance the capability of organizations offering technical support to small businesses and nonprofits.
• Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching: We support programs that offer entrepreneurship education, business coaching, and professional development for new or aspiring business owners.

Financial Education

• Old National Bank’s Real-Life Finance e-learning curriculum provides robust financial education training for community partners

Workforce Development

• Access to Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning: We support workforce readiness through initiatives offering hands-on training, particularly in trades and high-demand fields.
• Job Creation, Employment Entry, and Retention: We support projects that connect individuals to stable employment and increasing levels of income. This can include higher education with dual credentialing, leadership and professional development

Financial Empowerment

• Financial Wellness: We fund long-term initiatives that reduce barriers to banking and credit access, especially for underbanked groups. This can include culturally relevant and multilingual outreach, foreclosure prevention, and credit counseling with the goal of financial independence
• Community Lending Access: We support organizations that provide access to affordable microloans, emergency loans, and community cooperative lending as safe and sustainable alternatives to predatory loans

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.

Alger Regional Community Foundation Grant

Foundation Mission

The Alger Regional Community Foundation (ARCF) provides support to Alger County nonprofit organizations for quality of life enhancement programs through the building and growth of permanent endowment funds from a wide range of donors. We focus our granting on community needs - enhancing opportunities in the areas of charity, education, health, culture, environment, recreation, youth and social welfare. We provide for the future of ARCF by passing our knowledge and skills to the next generation through our Youth Advisory Committee. All grant proposals in the context of this commitment will be considered.

Youth

• Rotary Youth: Established through a gift from the Munising Rotary Club to support youth activities in Alger County.
• Youth Memorial Endowment: Established to support youth of Alger County who may not otherwise be able to participate in activities or projects because of financial need. The annual ARCF Youth Memorial Golf Tournament supports this fund.
• Marianne Evans Memorial: Grants from this fund help defer the costs for students of Munising Public Schools in grades 5-8 to become involved in non-sports related cultural and educational activities.
• Excellence in Education Endowment: Established by an endowment from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to sustain the Excellence in Education Week activities. Earnings on this designated fund are pooled with the Marquette Community Foundation earnings to provide funding for student scholarships, professional development awards, and the award activities of EEW.
• Grow & Lead: Community and Youth Development: This agency endowment was created by GLCYD for the purpose of providing support to that organization.
• MCFYP (Michigan Community Foundation Youth Program) Fund: Established to support youth activities in Alger County. This endowed fund was created from the successful completion of the Youth Challenge Grants received from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, as well as gifts from other donors.
• Corey Oas Fund: Activities supported by this fund are advised by the Oas Family and support youth activities in Alger County.
• Larissa Vartti Memorial: Grants support activities and projects for running sports (such as cross country, and girls’ and boys’ track) in the Munising School system.
• Billy Burke Youth Memorial Fishing Award: Established to support and recognize youth who participate in the annual fishing tournament sponsored by the Alger Fish and Game Alliance. Grants are used to purchase trophies and provide prizes

Environmental Awareness

• ACE (Alger County Environmental) Fund: Grants from this fund are for projects that will encourage balance between residential, commercial and recreational activities while sustaining a clean, safe, healthy, and productive environment.

Health & Human Services

• Alger PHLAG / Healthy Youth & Seniors: Originally designated for use in tobacco cessation programs, since 2008 community foundations are able to use this endowment for projects to encourage healthy youth and seniors.
• Alger Christian Care: Established through a gift from an anonymous donor as a way of extending assistance to Alger County residents experiencing temporary situational difficulties.
• Charles H. Stark Law Enforcement & Public Safety: Established by family and friends in memory of Judge Charles Stark. Grants from this fund help provide Alger County and the City of Munising law enforcement agencies with the tools, equipment, training, and other resources to support and improve public safety, especially water safety.

Community Development

• Richard William Nebel Endowment Fund: Family and friends of Richard created this fund in honor of his 70th birthday. The fund was established to provide support for projects that improve the aesthetic appearance of the community in order to spur economic development.
• Fuzzy Boyak Memorial: Fuzzy loved and supported many efforts in our community and his family wishes to continue those efforts.

Cultural Arts

• Munising Senior Center Cultural Grant Fund: Established by former Munising Senior Center members, this grant helps bring cultural activities and events to the Munising area.
• J.E.A.N. (Bringing Joy, Enrichment, and the Arts to the North) Fund: Established in memory of Jean L. Mehlenbacher to support cultural events and to bring guest performances to Grand Marais.
• Alger County Women’s Enrichment: Established by a group of Alger County women interested in supporting activities designed to enrich the lives of women.

Operating/Unrestricted

• Alger County Operating / Administrative: Established to support the administrative activities of ARCF.
• Alger County Unrestricted: Established as an unrestricted fund in support of activities designed to enhance opportunities in Alger County in the charitable, educational, recreational, environmental, cultural, or social welfare areas.
• Peoples State Bank – Hometown Endowment Fund: Established as an unrestricted fund in support of activities designed to enhance opportunities in Alger County in the charitable, educational, recreational, environmental, cultural, or social welfare areas.

Funding

Grants from the Foundation will normally not exceed $ 2,500.00. Applicants may request any amount; however, the full Board of Trustees of the Foundation must approve both the higher amount as well as the grant itself. Amount of funds requested in a proposal may be reduced by the recommendation of the Grant Committee.

The Center for Cooperative Media, a grant-funded program within the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University was founded in 2012 in response to the downsizing of New Jersey news organizations and the changes in the ownership of regional public media. These shifts in the news and information landscape hurt the volume of local news available in a state that has historically had limited news coverage, due to its proximity to the major metropolitan areas of New York City and Philadelphia. With 564 municipalities packed into a densely populated state, New Jersey was—and is—ripe for innovation in local journalism.

The mission of the Center for Cooperative Media is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond. The Center coordinates statewide and regional reporting, connecting more than 300 local news and information providers through its flagship project, the NJ News Commons. We offer innovative professional development seminars, with training sessions on topics such as data and investigative journalism, fact-checking, OPRA, podcasting, video production, digital sales, and business planning, among many others. We also offer one-on-one coaching. The Center’s research agenda is focused on issues impacting local journalism, especially collaboration and sustainability questions.

About Civic Science Media

At its core, civic science media is created when journalists and other storytellers work intentionally with diverse community members and scientists to collaboratively address issues of shared interest. Civic science media serves as an important bridge between scientists or scientific organizations and the people most impacted by scientific discovery, and promotes a dynamic conversation between scientists, media, and the public. The goal is both to inform and support active participation in solving or addressing community-identified concerns related to science, including climate change, public health, and artificial intelligence.

Civic Science Media Project Funding

The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University is delighted to announce a funding opportunity for civic science media projects, thanks to support from the Rita Allen Foundation. The awards aim to accelerate civic science media collaborations across the United States with funding and coaching.

This is the second open call for pilot awards in support of projects that can bridge the gap between scientists, media, and communities, with a focus on increasing public participation in science, expanding public deliberation about emerging science and creating opportunities for science to be informed by diverse communities.

• The award builds on a global research project conducted in 2020 and 2021 by the Center that studied how and why journalists and civil society organizations around the world collaborate to achieve and increase impact. Led by Dr. Sarah Stonbely and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the research showed that journalists have become more willing to partner with civil society organizations in order to achieve tangible impact on issues such as corruption, governance, climate and environment, and human rights.
• With new openness among journalists and media makers to partner with civil society and community organizations, rapid advances in scientific discovery and debate, and increased polarization across communities, there is an urgent need to create a culture of civic science — where all people feel a sense of belonging in, and benefit from, the practice of science so they can inform meaningfully deliberation about society's most pressing problems.
• Rita Allen Foundation recently published the industry’s first in-depth analysis of civic science media, in a report that highlights a broad range of civic science media initiatives from across the country. The landscape scan showcases a range of civic science media projects and insights from leaders in this emergent field; potential award applicants should familiarize themselves with the paper.

The Award

A total of 10 awards up to $15,000 each are available. This opportunity is not meant to fund long-term, multi-year partnerships, but rather short-term pilots that:

• Foster ongoing, multidirectional dialogue between media organizations, scientists, and local communities.
• Include direct community participation in the scientific and/or media-creation process, ensuring that local concerns and perspectives substantially influence the conversation.
• Enhance science literacy by making complex scientific topics more accessible and engaging.

In addition to funding, participants will receive hands-on coaching, including regular check-ins, peer-to-peer meetings, and tailored support to align goals, address challenges, and ensure robust and impactful community engagement.

Priority areas include artificial intelligence, climate science, and neuroscience, which align with the broader goals of the Rita Allen Foundation’s overall civic science program.

The awards are intended to cover the cost of the applicant’s and co-collaborator’s time, project materials, equipment, and associated production/editing costs to complete the project. Audience participation incentives are also encouraged; applicants should ensure they are not being extractive when it comes to involving members of the public.