Best Professional Development Grants for Nonprofits

The Bushrod H. Campbell and Adah F. Hall Charity Fund supports initiatives addressing the needs of the elderly, education for underserved youth, and social services for vulnerable populations in Greater Boston. Additionally, it funds reproductive health projects both locally and for US-based nonprofits operating internationally. Grants are administered by Hemenway & Barnes LLP, focusing on impactful local programs while also considering international reproductive health issues.

The West Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association Scholarship, established in 2001, supports students from Ottawa, Oceana, Newaygo, Muskegon, or Allegan County pursuing careers in horticulture or the green industry. Administered by the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, awards consider financial need and academic achievement. Applicants, including high school seniors and college students, must submit transcripts and additional required documents. This scholarship aims to foster education and partnerships within West Michigan's green industry.

The NH Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program offers financial assistance to eligible municipalities for planning and transformative projects aimed at improving community viability. Grants support public facilities, affordable housing, economic development, and microenterprise initiatives, prioritizing low and moderate-income populations. With a focus on innovative solutions and partnerships, the program encourages municipalities to address pressing community needs effectively. The funding is administered by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority and is available on a rolling basis until all funds are allocated.

The Citi Foundation's Global Innovation Challenge invites proposals from community organizations worldwide developing innovative employment solutions for low-income youth aged 15 to 24. This initiative aims to enhance youth employability, addressing global unemployment challenges faced by millions. Eligible organizations can apply for funding to support programs such as vocational training, entrepreneurship, and financial education to empower young people. The deadline for application registration is March 4, 2025, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Iredell County Community Foundation Grant Cycle aims to enhance the community by supporting local initiatives in areas such as education, human services, and workforce development. The foundation prioritizes one-time funding for projects that demonstrate collaboration and sustainability. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits and institutions serving Iredell County residents. Ineligible projects include capital campaigns and direct support for individuals. This grant fosters community growth and engagement through philanthropy.

The Cooper Foundation Grant Program aims to enhance the quality of life in Waco, Texas, by providing funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a Grant Inquiry and consult with Foundation staff to ensure their proposals align with funding priorities. The Foundation supports projects in education, health, arts, culture, and social services, emphasizing community impact and collaboration.

About the Foundation

The MxCC Foundation Supports CT State Middlesex and Meriden Campuses

The purpose of the Middlesex Community College Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) public charity incorporated in Connecticut, is twofold:

• To support the college and its students by receiving, managing, and distributing funds for scholarships and other educational purposes, and
• To generate and strengthen communication and collaboration between the college and the Foundation and business, industry, professional, civic, and educational leaders in the communities served by the college—all of Middlesex County, Meriden and Wallingford in New Haven County, and Rocky Hill in Hartford County.

Removing financial obstacles that bar or inhibit student access to education is the Foundation’s driving force. Scholarships address not only the growing need for financial assistance, but also our perennial wish to celebrate student achievement.

The MxCC Foundation’s charge is to develop external resources that contribute support to student and academic programs, as well as efforts that foster student success.

Greenberg-Hilsdon Family Annual Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to a new or continuing female student with financial need, a minimum GPA of 2.5, and enrolled in business administration, accounting, computer science or a STEM field.

The Illinois Climate Pollution Reduction Grant's Community Geothermal Planning and Pilots Phase One Grants aim to accelerate the deployment of community-scale geothermal energy systems. The initiative focuses on reducing carbon pollution by over 15,000 metric tons by 2030 and serving 1,100 households. With funding for planning and design of projects, this program seeks to create replicable and cost-effective geothermal solutions that contribute to significant greenhouse gas reductions, fostering sustainable energy practices in Illinois.

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), promotes active research participation among undergraduate students across various research areas. It supports two mechanisms: REU Sites, which engage multiple students in ongoing research, and REU Supplements, which enhance existing NSF-funded projects. Participants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents, and each REU opportunity has its unique application process.

UWNSV Impact Grants

The Challenge

Nearly 4 in 10 households in the Northern Shenandoah Valley cannot afford the basics: housing, food, childcare, transportation, and healthcare.

And instability does not stop at one family’s doorstep. It ripples across classrooms, workplaces, clinics, and neighborhoods. We all feel the cost.

Impact-Driven Funding Opportunities. Hyper-Local Focus.

We live in the communities we serve, working alongside local leaders and residents. Together, we use local data and lived experience to design solutions tailor-made for the challenges right here in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

It is all rooted in United Way values and proven strategies, but never a one-size-fits-all approach. Every dollar you give stays local, drives measurable results, and fuels change where it matters most — in your own community.

Our Response: Building Stability

United Way NSV invests in more than quick fixes. We create long-term stability:

• $535,000 invested through Community Impact Grants, endowed funds, and supplemental awards, strengthening 50+ nonprofit partners across the region raised during the 2024-2025 campaign season. 
• Nearly 1,000 volunteers at 80+ sites during 2024’s Day of Caring, completing painting, repairs, garden builds, and cleanups. This saved agencies thousands of dollars and strengthened community infrastructure, with even greater impact expected in 2025.
• 211 and other community initiatives connecting families to critical resources before crisis becomes catastrophe.
• $50,000 transferred annually to nonprofit partners through designated funds received during workplace giving campaigns.

Impact: Together, these efforts reached 11,000+ households and 27,628 individuals — nearly one in ten people in our region.

Our Priorities: Impact for People

We fund programs and partnerships that create lasting change:

• Education → Children succeed in school and beyond.
• Financial stability → Families avoid eviction, debt, and crisis.
• Health access → Neighbors receive care regardless of income or ZIP code.
• Community resilience → Families gain stability through food, housing, and other basic needs support.
• Collaboration → Shared solutions emerge that no one sector could achieve alone.

To ensure fairness across communities, investments were distributed regionally:

• City of Winchester – Housing stability, food access, youth enrichment
• Frederick County – Housing, crisis response, and family support
• Clarke County – Food security and youth development
• Warren County – Health clinics, shelter, and family resilience
• Shenandoah County – Rural health, education, and crisis care
• Page County – Domestic violence prevention, housing, and community care

The MD Animal Waste Technology Grants, established by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, support innovative technologies for managing animal waste. These grants aim to reduce nutrient runoff into local waterways and promote sustainable farming practices. By funding projects that transform waste into valuable products or energy, the program not only aids farmers in meeting environmental goals but also enhances their economic viability. This initiative is part of Maryland's commitment to restoring the Chesapeake Bay's health by 2025.

Efficiency Maine Trust 

The Efficiency Maine Trust (Efficiency Maine) is the independent, quasi-state agency established to plan and implement energy efficiency programs in Maine. Through its suite of nationally recognized programs, Efficiency Maine provides consumer information, marketing support, demonstration pilots, discounts, rebates, loans, and other initiatives to promote high-efficiency equipment and operations that help Maine’s homes, businesses, and institutions reduce their energy costs and lower their greenhouse gas emissions. The result is job growth, better grid reliability, improved energy independence, a stronger local economy, and progress toward meeting the State’s climate change goals. Efficiency Maine is governed by a Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program

The C&I Custom Program incentivizes tailored energy efficiency and distributed generation projects that require site-specific engineering analyses and/or projects with energy conservation measures that are not otherwise covered by the C&I Prescriptive Program incentives.

Examples of customers who have participated in the C&I Custom Program include hospitals, manufacturers, universities, commercial bakeries, food processors, office complexes, and data centers.

The C&I Custom Program includes: 1) Custom Efficiency Projects; 2) Custom Distributed Generation Projects; 3) Energy Storage System Projects; 4) Compressed Air Leak Surveys; 5) Technical Assistance; 6) School Decarbonization Technical Assistance; 7) Scoping Audits 

Custom Efficiency Projects

Program Description

The Trust is seeking applications for energy efficiency projects with the principal goal of reducing energy use by Maine businesses and institutions through the installation of more efficient equipment. 

Maine businesses, nonprofits, institutions and governments are eligible for funding for electrical and thermal energy efficiency projects through Efficiency Maine’s Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program.

Eligible projects may include process improvements designed to improve efficiency, heat recovery and custom heat pump systems, HVAC equipment and controls, high efficiency compressed air systems, installation of VFDs on motors, chillers and pump upgrades.

The Albrecht Family Foundation, established in 2007, supports organizations in the Greater St. Louis area that promote self-sufficiency through education and training. With a strong family commitment to the region, the foundation values creativity and entrepreneurial solutions. It has previously contributed to local institutions such as St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the University of Missouri, reflecting its dedication to enhancing community welfare and fostering new opportunities.

Efficiency Maine Trust 

The Efficiency Maine Trust (Efficiency Maine) is the independent, quasi-state agency established to plan and implement energy efficiency programs in Maine. Through its suite of nationally recognized programs, Efficiency Maine provides consumer information, marketing support, demonstration pilots, discounts, rebates, loans, and other initiatives to promote high-efficiency equipment and operations that help Maine’s homes, businesses, and institutions reduce their energy costs and lower their greenhouse gas emissions. The result is job growth, better grid reliability, improved energy independence, a stronger local economy, and progress toward meeting the State’s climate change goals. Efficiency Maine is governed by a Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program

The C&I Custom Program incentivizes tailored energy efficiency and distributed generation projects that require site-specific engineering analyses and/or projects with energy conservation measures that are not otherwise covered by the C&I Prescriptive Program incentives.

Examples of customers who have participated in the C&I Custom Program include hospitals, manufacturers, universities, commercial bakeries, food processors, office complexes, and data centers.

The C&I Custom Program includes: 1) Custom Efficiency Projects; 2) Custom Distributed Generation Projects; 3) Energy Storage System Projects; 4) Compressed Air Leak Surveys; 5) Technical Assistance; 6) School Decarbonization Technical Assistance; 7) Scoping Audits 

Custom Distributed Generation Projects

Program Description

The Trust is seeking applications for DG projects with the principal goal of reducing grid-supplied kilowatt hour (kWh) consumption from businesses that use electricity delivered through Maine’s electrical grid.

Maine businesses, nonprofits, institutions and governments are eligible for funding for distributed generation projects through Efficiency Maine’s Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program. Distributed generation projects are behind-the-meter generation projects that reduce the consumption of grid-supplied electricity and meet Efficiency Maine’s cost-benefit analysis.

Combined heat & power (CHP) projects are the most common type of distributed generation project completed through the C&I Custom Program.

Efficiency Maine Trust 

The Efficiency Maine Trust (Efficiency Maine) is the independent, quasi-state agency established to plan and implement energy efficiency programs in Maine. Through its suite of nationally recognized programs, Efficiency Maine provides consumer information, marketing support, demonstration pilots, discounts, rebates, loans, and other initiatives to promote high-efficiency equipment and operations that help Maine’s homes, businesses, and institutions reduce their energy costs and lower their greenhouse gas emissions. The result is job growth, better grid reliability, improved energy independence, a stronger local economy, and progress toward meeting the State’s climate change goals. Efficiency Maine is governed by a Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program

The C&I Custom Program incentivizes tailored energy efficiency and distributed generation projects that require site-specific engineering analyses and/or projects with energy conservation measures that are not otherwise covered by the C&I Prescriptive Program incentives.

Examples of customers who have participated in the C&I Custom Program include hospitals, manufacturers, universities, commercial bakeries, food processors, office complexes, and data centers.

The C&I Custom Program includes: 1) Custom Efficiency Projects; 2) Custom Distributed Generation Projects; 3) Energy Storage System Projects; 4) Compressed Air Leak Surveys; 5) Technical Assistance; 6) School Decarbonization Technical Assistance; 7) Scoping Audits 

Energy Storage System Projects

Program Description

The Trust is seeking applications from customers with demand meters to install and dispatch energy storage during ISO-New England peak summer load conditions. The Trust will require participants awarded under this PON to remain active in the program for a minimum of 5-years. 

Efficiency Maine’s Energy Storage System (ESS) Program Opportunity Notice (PON) offers performance based incentives for the deployment of energy storage systems during summer peak demand conditions.

All demand metered customers (commercial, nonprofits, institutions and government) are eligible to participate.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee Catholic Community Foundation is offering the Fall Education, Lay Leadership, and Community Grant Cycle, aimed at supporting Catholic education and community initiatives. Grants are available for organizations that align with the Foundation's focus areas, including education, leadership development, and community-building. Eligible organizations must be listed in the Official Catholic Directory or have a mission consistent with the church. Note that multi-year grants are rarely funded.

Efficiency Maine Trust 

The Efficiency Maine Trust (Efficiency Maine) is the independent, quasi-state agency established to plan and implement energy efficiency programs in Maine. Through its suite of nationally recognized programs, Efficiency Maine provides consumer information, marketing support, demonstration pilots, discounts, rebates, loans, and other initiatives to promote high-efficiency equipment and operations that help Maine’s homes, businesses, and institutions reduce their energy costs and lower their greenhouse gas emissions. The result is job growth, better grid reliability, improved energy independence, a stronger local economy, and progress toward meeting the State’s climate change goals. Efficiency Maine is governed by a Board of Trustees with oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program

The C&I Custom Program incentivizes tailored energy efficiency and distributed generation projects that require site-specific engineering analyses and/or projects with energy conservation measures that are not otherwise covered by the C&I Prescriptive Program incentives.

Examples of customers who have participated in the C&I Custom Program include hospitals, manufacturers, universities, commercial bakeries, food processors, office complexes, and data centers.

The C&I Custom Program includes: 1) Custom Efficiency Projects; 2) Custom Distributed Generation Projects; 3) Energy Storage System Projects; 4) Compressed Air Leak Surveys; 5) Technical Assistance; 6) School Decarbonization Technical Assistance; 7) Scoping Audits 

Compressed Air Leak Surveys

Efficiency Maine’s Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Custom Program provides funding for compressed air leak surveys and leak repairs. The program is designed to reduce compressed air losses and support capital planning for larger compressed air investments through installation of permanent compressed air flow metering equipment.

Efficiency Maine also offers incentives for high efficiency air compressors and dryers.

The Pedestrian & Bicycle Program, funded by the Washington State Department of Transportation, aims to enhance safety and mobility for pedestrians and cyclists. With an available budget of $49,380,000 for the 27-29 biennium, it supports projects like bike lanes and sidewalk improvements. The program emphasizes the importance of active transportation and requires annual reporting on project statuses to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Virginia Citizen Water Monitoring Grants support individuals and groups in monitoring water quality across Virginia. These grants fund essential activities like purchasing monitoring equipment and training volunteers. The program aims to generate valuable data for water quality assessment and foster community education on environmental stewardship. With options ranging from mini-grants to larger coordination grants, applicants can secure funding to enhance local water monitoring efforts and address pollution sources effectively.

The Capitol Hill Community Foundation offers Mini-Grants of up to $500 to support various programs and projects that benefit the Capitol Hill neighborhood. These grants are available throughout the year and are typically aimed at one-time or emergency needs. Eligible areas include educational enrichment for schools, youth programming, arts and culture initiatives, social services, and enhancements for community spaces.

The Capitol Hill Community Foundation offers Fall and Spring Grants to support local programs in education, youth, arts, social services, and community spaces. Each grant can provide up to $3,000 to nonprofits, schools, and neighborhood groups that enhance the lives of Capitol Hill residents. Since 1989, the Foundation has contributed over $6.6 million to various projects, fostering a stronger and more caring community.

The San Joaquin River Conservancy, established in 1992, aims to preserve the river's biodiversity and cultural resources while enhancing recreational and educational opportunities. This initiative spans approximately 5,900 acres along a 22-mile stretch of the river, facilitating land acquisition and habitat restoration through the Wildlife Conservation Board. The program supports public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and tribal entities in activities such as property acquisition and habitat enhancement to ensure sustainable access and conservation of the region's natural assets.

Central Kentucky Community Foundation

Established in 1960 as North Central Education Foundation, Central Kentucky Community Foundation is one of more than 780 community foundations in the United States today. We serve the Lincoln Trail Region, offering our donors and partners a variety of ways to touch our community through philanthropic giving.

Youth Sports Fund of Hardin County

CKCF’s Youth Sports Funds encourage and support youth participation in recreational sports, making these opportunities available to any player, regardless of their financial situation. Our Youth Sports Funds offers scholarships for families who need financial assistance for children to play sports.

Scholarships will be paid directly to the sports league, not to the individual participants. Funding is limited, and scholarships are not guaranteed to all applicants.

The Change Ripley County Grant, initiated by the Ripley County Community Foundation, empowers local youth aged 13-23 to engage with their communities. By partnering with local nonprofits, these young leaders can secure grants of up to $10,000 to implement projects that foster positive change. This biannual grant focuses on initiatives that address community needs while promoting leadership and collaboration among youth and organizations in Ripley County.

The RCCF Women’s Giving Circle Grants support nonprofit organizations serving women and children in Ripley County. Established by the Linda S. Phaneuf Women & Children Fund, these grants aim to address community needs through innovative projects. Grants of up to $2,000 will be available in April 2024, with potential for a second cycle during the Day of Giving. The initiative encourages collaboration and aims for significant community impact.

The Investing in Our Future Grants by Erie Insurance aim to enhance educational outcomes in the Erie region by addressing poverty through quality education. With grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000, the program focuses on two key areas: aligning instructional programming with out-of-school activities and ensuring school readiness. By supporting local nonprofits, Erie Insurance seeks to foster measurable changes that benefit students and their families, ultimately contributing to a more vibrant and sustainable community.

Chester County Community Foundation

The Chester County Community Foundation connects people who care with the causes that matter, so their philanthropy makes a difference now and forever.

We are entrusted with 430+ family, individual, community group & nonprofit legacy funds. We are a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  

Direct Service Programs/General Operations Grant

• Grants focus on Chester County causes & issues; but are not limited to Chester County.
• Charitable nonprofits working in all fields of interest are considered, such as: Arts, Culture, Heritage; Education, Libraries; Environment, Animals; Health; Human Services; Social Justice, Civic Engagement
• General operating grants are encouraged - Clear, succinct, compelling descriptions are appreciated: mission, aims, results & impact. 
• Nonprofits with higher GuideStar ratings receive stronger consideration.  
• Proposals can be submitted anytime all year.
• Grant decisions are made intermittently all year, as Fund Advisors desire.