Best Professional Development Grants for Nonprofits

The WCGMF Rapid Response Grants are designed to support organizations and individuals in Connecticut who confront systemic oppression through community-building and education. These grants aim to foster healing and inclusion while opposing hatred and divisiveness. Funding will be allocated swiftly to aid local groups in their advocacy efforts, ensuring timely support for critical initiatives that promote equity and well-being.

The Idaho Humanities Council offers Humanities for All Grants to enhance access to cultural programs for Idahoans. With awards up to $1,000, these grants aim to remove barriers such as language and geography, facilitating public engagement with Idaho's rich cultural heritage. Projects can include translation services, archival support, and interpretation. Applications are accepted monthly, with decisions typically made within two weeks. This initiative primarily targets out-of-school adults, promoting inclusivity and preservation of Idaho's history.

The Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, addresses abandoned mine lands in Appalachia. This initiative provides crucial funding for reclamation efforts that promote both environmental restoration and local economic development. Since 2017, Ohio has received over $100 million to revitalize communities affected by mining. The program targets areas with significant unfunded AML issues, fostering sustainable growth and enhancing community well-being.

Fremont Area Community Foundation

The mission of the Fremont Area Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in the Fremont area by connecting donor interests with community needs and serving as a leader and catalyst in the development of solutions. Since 1980, generous donors in the Fremont and surrounding areas have invested their charitable dollars to be transformed, through careful stewardship and deep community knowledge, into positive local impact. Over $20 million in grants has been given through the Foundation.

Hooper Area Community Foundation

The residents of the Hooper area enjoy a wonderful quality of life in a unique small town atmosphere. To ensure that quality of life continues well into the future, the Hooper Area Community Foundation was established in 2008. With the purpose of receiving, administering and disbursing funds for community improvement, the Hooper Area Community Foundation will have the ability to provide assistance in areas such as civic, arts and culture, health and recreation, social services and education.

The local foundation is a component fund of the Fremont Area Community Foundation (FACF), a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose funds must be utilized for charitable needs.

Hooper Area Community Foundation Grant

The Hooper Area Community Foundation’s mission is to support activities, which provide civic, educational, health and recreation, social services, or arts and culture benefits to Hooper, Nebraska, and its surrounding area. Requesting organizations must be tax-exempt; no grants are made to individuals, for ongoing operating expenses, or to religious organizations for religious purposes.

The Connie Burwell and William W. White Foundation focuses on enhancing the Denver metro community by funding education, the arts, and human welfare initiatives. They prioritize programs that bridge opportunity gaps for students and foster cultural access for under-resourced populations. Support is exclusively for 501(c)(3) organizations, with a commitment to non-discrimination. Their aim is to strengthen community ties and improve the quality of life through targeted investments.

The CFNI Neighborhood Grants Program encourages community engagement by funding resident-led projects that enhance local quality of life. It supports initiatives such as community gardens, crime prevention, and beautification projects, focusing on partnerships among residents and organizations. Eligible applicants include 501c3 non-profits and neighborhood associations within specific counties in Illinois. The program aims to strengthen neighborhoods by leveraging local assets and fostering civic pride.

The Arts Alive! Organizational Grants, funded by the Weld Community Foundation, support innovative projects that enhance the arts in Weld County. These grants aim to expand artistic access, promote cultural diversity, and foster community engagement through the visual, performing, and literary arts. Ideal proposals should serve underserved populations, offer measurable outcomes, and have a positive impact on local artistic endeavors, ensuring a vibrant cultural landscape in the community.

The Inlaks-Ravi Sankaran Grant for Field Biology, Ecology & Conservation supports Indian citizens under 28 with a Bachelor's degree who demonstrate a strong interest in conservation. This initiative provides seed funding for unconventional projects that aim to foster long-term conservation efforts in India, highlighting the role of local communities. The Foundation encourages young applicants to present bold ideas that tackle pressing environmental challenges.

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) Validation Program aims to accelerate the transition of innovative stem cell technologies from research labs to the commercial sector. With funding of up to $250,000, the program supports projects that address unmet medical needs, fosters collaborations between academic and private sectors, and emphasizes the development of new medical strategies for human diseases. This initiative is vital for advancing stem cell research and enhancing healthcare outcomes in Maryland.

About NIF

Advancing Equality for All Israelis

The New Israel Fund (NIF) helps Israel live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all its inhabitants. Our aim is to advance liberal democracy, including freedom of speech and minority rights, and to fight the inequality, injustice and extremism that diminish Israel.

From Israel’s first rape crisis centers, to fighting discrimination, NIF-funded organizations have driven positive social change and furthered justice and equality. NIF has provided over $350 million to more than 950 organizations since our inception in 1979.

Naomi Chazan Global Activism Fellowship

Want to travel to Israel/Palestine while advancing equality, democracy, and peace for all?

The New Israel Fund’s Naomi Chazan Global Activism Fellowship offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to visit Israel/Palestine, meet frontline Israeli and Palestinian activists, and learn about issues of war, peace, and inequality by seeing the reality on the ground. 

Fellows will visit Israel/Palestine on November 3-10, 2026.

This trip is a great opportunity to learn alongside peers and friends (ages 21 – 35). NIF is based on the simple idea that those of us who share a commitment to Israel/Palestine and to progressive values can join together to work for equality, freedom, and human rights. You will join a cohort of participants from the U.S. and Canada building relationships across borders to be sustained for years to come.

Following the trip, participants are expected to organize at least two NIF events in their home communities, with support from NIF staff. These events could look like a report-back highlighting the participants’ learnings from the trip, educational programs featuring NIF grantees/partners, or something else entirely that is tailored to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of the fellow’s communities.

The program is subsidized by generous donors in the NIF community. All “on-the-ground” costs—your hotel accommodation and almost all meals—will be covered by NIF. Participants are responsible for purchasing their own airfare and travel/health insurance. If the cost of airfare is a barrier for you, please apply anyway. Limited airfare subsidies may be available.

The Rosamond Thaxter Foundation Grant supports charitable organizations in Kittery, Maine, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the Isles of Shoals. The Foundation prioritizes local non-profits focusing on history, healthcare, land conservation, education, museums and libraries, and the arts. Eligibility requires tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), while private foundations are ineligible. Through its grants, the Foundation aims to enhance community well-being and support diverse initiatives.

Sheridan County Community Foundation

The Sheridan County Community Foundation is an Affiliate Foundation of Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation with all funds managed by GNWKCF.

The Foundation became an affiliate of GNWKCF in 2012. An affiliate is a collection of community funds to increase philanthropic giving in a geographic area. Both endowed and non-endowed funds are developed to provide financial support to 501(c)(3) and other qualifying nonprofit organizations and for charitable purposes to benefit area residents. The mission of Sheridan County Community Foundation is to encourage, prudently manage, and distribute charitable contributions to improve the quality of life in Sheridan County residents, now and in the future.

Gerald A. & Darlene R. Schaffer Fund

The Gerald A. & Darlene R. Schaffer Fund provides grant support to assist organizations or community projects that benefit Hoxie and/or Sheridan County in the following categories or entities as specified: Healthcare needs in Sheridan County; Education in Sheridan County (Hoxie Schools specific); Music, arts, and entertainment opportunities (Hoxie specific); City of Hoxie Golf Course; Hoxie Elks Projects; St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church; and St. Frances Catholic Cemetery. Grantmaking decisions are overseen by the Sheridan County Community Foundation Board of Directors.

The Newtown Savings Bank Foundation supports community nonprofits with a focus on affordable housing, economic development, and financial education. Established as a 501(c)(3) organization, it prioritizes requests from organizations that serve local communities and demonstrate innovative solutions to financial need. Applications are accepted year-round, with funding directed towards initiatives that create lasting impact. The foundation encourages submissions at least 30 days before an event to ensure timely consideration.

The CCWC Cultural Coalition Grant supports nonprofit arts, heritage, and humanities organizations in Washington County. Through the Community Cultural Participation Grant Program, it aims to promote public awareness, support diverse cultural activities, and increase access to arts education. Grants range from $1,000 to $3,000, encouraging projects that enhance community engagement and cultural tourism. This initiative fosters cultural diversity and partnerships, enriching the region's cultural landscape.

Overview

We believe that Central New York has the human and social capital to build a vibrant community. Generational poverty and social inequality present a significant hindrance to realizing our full potential. We know from extensive research that there are strategies and investments that can make a difference. That’s why we have a local, place based approach to addressing systemic and structural inequity. We are authentic, strategic and collaborative, and we are embracing a future of prosperity and equity in our community.

In general, the Allyn Family Foundation is open to requests that:

• Support healthy development for children and families
• Build family economic stability and self-sufficiency
• Support places and spaces that bring people together with intention
• Build neighborhoods of choice
• Amplify community voice and power-building

Scioto Foundation

The Scioto Foundation is a community foundation serving the people of the Scioto County area. Since 1975, SF has awarded approximately $30 million in grants and distributions to local non-profit organizations, schools, and local governments. 

Regular Grant 

Typically, the Foundation funds projects in the following areas: education, healthcare, community development, economic development, arts and culture, social services, and civic benefit.

• The Foundation is interested in those organizations that can demonstrate they have planned their projects in light of overall community needs. Similar projects by other organizations should not duplicate the proposed services.

• The Foundation will look favorably at those projects that promise to affect a broad segment of the population of the Scioto County area or that tend to help a segment of the citizenry not being adequately served by other resources in the community.

• The Scioto Foundation is especially interested in supplying the “seed money” for new and dynamic projects. Grants will be made to existing groups moving in new directions or to new organizations.

• As a rule, the Scioto Foundation prefers projects that occur in a one-year time frame.

The board will review applications for the regular grant rounds quarterly.

The Elliott Family Foundation, established in 2003, aims to enhance human quality of life by supporting community health projects, scholarships, and housing initiatives. They favor grant requests from organizations that are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt and actively work in Sacramento, Phoenix, and Yuma. The Foundation's mission includes aiding patients, women and children in need, and disadvantaged seniors, while ensuring equality and non-discrimination in its funding practices.

The Stoughton Area Community Foundation Grants support local organizations and individuals, enhancing community life through charitable funding. Grants range from $300 to $5,000 and focus on areas such as arts, education, health, and community development. Established in 1998, the foundation aims to connect donors with causes that matter, fostering collaboration and volunteerism to address local needs. Applications are reviewed annually, with deadlines set for September 15th.

About BHOF

For 40 years, the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) has been committed to preventing osteoporosis and promoting awareness about bone health. Learn more about our organization.

Awards

Robert F. Gagel, M.D. Community Leadership Award

The Robert F. Gagel, M.D. Community Leadership Award recognizes a healthcare professional who has made outstanding contributions to improving osteoporosis care and increasing community awareness about bone health. This award will be presented annually to a healthcare professional residing and working in the United States or its territories.

The Executive Committee of the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation’s (BHOF’s) Board of Trustees will review nominations and select the recipient.

The award winner will be notified and announced in May, in recognition of Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. The recipient will receive a plaque and a financial award (currently $1,000) to support community service efforts initiatives related to osteoporosis and bone health.

About

The Jacobs Family moved to Wellington in 1972, when strawberry fields were still common and very few of Wellington’s roads were paved. In the intervening four decades, multiple generations of our family have been proud to call Wellington home.

The foundation was formed in 2015 to facilitate our family’s philanthropic efforts, and to support medium- to long-term programs for education, athletics, at-risk youth, and preservation in and around Wellington.

The Community Foundation of Richmond County Grant supports healthcare-related charitable needs in Richmond County, NC. It funds projects that promote health and wellness, indigent care, health education, and research. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) charities, churches, and government agencies. Ineligible projects typically involve debt retirement, direct individual support, or political activities. The foundation encourages collaboration and fiscal sponsorship for non-eligible organizations, ensuring that grants effectively benefit the local community.

The Benton Telecommunications Foundation Grant aims to enhance human development across spiritual, intellectual, physical, and psychological domains. The foundation prioritizes projects that promote healthy living, address basic human needs, and foster educational and personal development. It supports community improvement initiatives, particularly in Benton County, Minnesota, while considering the financial need of applicants and the potential community impact of proposed projects.

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is offering funding for innovative research aimed at improving health outcomes for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations. This grant will support preparatory and pilot activities that focus on understanding health disparities, testing interventions for chronic diseases, and promoting health behavior changes in collaboration with community partners. Projects should address critical health issues such as cancer, diabetes, and maternal health.

The Rural Downtown Economic Development Grants program, administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce, aims to revitalize downtown areas in the state's most distressed counties. This initiative prioritizes projects that enhance public infrastructure, support economic development, and foster community-wide uses. Eligible local government units can receive grants up to $850,000, focusing on initiatives that leverage downtown assets for economic growth while ensuring a cash match of at least 5% from local resources.

The Arizona SFY25 AmeriCorps State Formula Grant, managed by the Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family, offers between $100,000 and $500,000 to support programs engaging AmeriCorps members in impactful community services. Eligible applicants include local governments, non-profits, and educational institutions. This program addresses critical needs in areas such as disaster services and education, with approximately $4 million available in total funding. Note that the next grant request is expected in Winter 2027.

The Jaspers Family Foundation Fund of Worth County, established by the Jaspers Family with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, aims to enhance life in Worth County, Iowa. Grants are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government entities, focusing on areas such as arts, education, community betterment, health, and environmental welfare. The fund prioritizes projects that demonstrate community need and sustainability, with a minimum request of $1,000 and approximately $45,000 available for funding.

The State of Ohio Security Grant (OSG) provides funding to nonprofit organizations, houses of worship, chartered nonpublic schools, and licensed preschools for security improvements. Authorized by House Bill 33, eligible organizations can apply for funding up to $125,000 per site, with a maximum request of $250,000. This grant aims to enhance security measures against potential acts of terrorism, ensuring safety and preparedness in the community.