Best Workforce Grants in Utah

The Daniels Fund Grants Program offers support to nonprofit organizations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, focusing on areas such as Aging, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, and Youth Development. With no specific deadlines, applications are accepted year-round, and the review process generally takes about 120 days. The fund prioritizes impactful programs that drive meaningful change and foster community growth, honoring the legacy of founder Bill Daniels through strategic philanthropic efforts.

The DanPaul Foundation aims to enhance early childhood development by training teachers and parents, protecting children from abuse, and promoting social responsibility. They provide grants to non-profits for programs that focus on education, health, and welfare of youth. Key initiatives include scholarships, environmental education, and support for underprivileged children. Grant amounts range from a few hundred dollars to $15,000 annually, with a focus on impactful, community-driven projects.

The Hearst Foundation's Social Service Grant focuses on tackling chronic poverty by funding direct-service organizations that implement effective solutions for economic independence and family strengthening. With a mission to support diverse nonprofits in the U.S., the Foundation allocates approximately 15% of its total funding to social services, prioritizing scalable programs that serve significant populations. The minimum grant size is $100,000, and special consideration is given to organizations addressing affordable housing, domestic violence, and youth development.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Grant supports charitable, scientific, medical, and educational organizations that are 501(c)(3) certified. This private funder emphasizes impactful service to diverse populations without discrimination. Grants must be utilized within the United States and cannot be awarded to individuals, political candidates, or lobbying efforts. The Trust is dedicated to enhancing the general welfare through soundly-managed initiatives that contribute significantly to community needs.

The Bank of America Foundation Sponsorship Program aims to enhance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities through partnerships with nonprofit organizations. This initiative focuses on critical areas such as workforce education, basic needs like food and housing, and community development. The Foundation invested $350 million last year and encourages employee volunteerism and giving, supporting nonprofits in various sectors, including arts, culture, and diversity initiatives.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints make up a diverse community of people around the world with a shared faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ showed us that faith is more than a belief. When we put our faith into action and follow Christ’s example in all that we do, He can bring more joy and peace into our lives. This is the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Utah Area Humanitarian Operations

Relieve Suffering – Instill Hope – Build Self-Reliance

Humanitarian Strategy

Across the Utah Area, many individuals and families are facing significant and growing challenges. We are deeply grateful for the many compassionate community leaders and dedicated organizations working to relieve suffering, instill hope, and build stability and self-reliance.

Starting in 2026, we are elevating and focusing our humanitarian activities by prioritizing a set of targeted initiatives – population-specific initiatives and service gap initiatives. These initiatives are designed to strengthen community support and make the greatest possible difference for those who need it most.

We will:

• Focus on vulnerable populations
• Address critical gaps hindering holistic service delivery
• Strengthen coordination between service providers
• Prioritize ‘catalytic’ projects that improve self-reliance
• Promote long-term outcome tracking

We will also collaborate with community organizations on a limited number of non-initiative projects. Tracking of specific outcomes aligned with Utah Area priorities – especially Housing and Food – will be required.

Population-Specific Initiatives

Workforce Development for Refugees & Immigrants

• Need: Growing risk of homelessness and negative family impacts due to high housing prices and a decline in government support
• Goal: Work with employers, refugee services, and education providers to offer credentialing, job placement, and wrap-around service support without destabilizing income
• Desired Outcome: Measurable increase in the number of refugees and immigrants earning sustainable living wages and retaining housing

Transitional Housing for Domestic Violence Victims and Homeless Youth

• Need: Severe shortage of service-rich housing that could prevent future homelessness and enable long-term recovery
• Goal: Support experienced organizations in quickly expanding transitional housing and wraparound services through affordable renovation projects
• Desired Outcome: Long-term retention of housing, income growth, and improvement in well-being and self-reliance indicators as assessed by case workers

Service Gap Initiatives

• Social Worker Workforce Expansion: We will collaborate with community organizations to provide scholarships, stipends, and employee retention support for current and prospective social workers to fill growing gaps in high-quality staff who provide wrap-around services and track outcomes.

• Pre- and Post-Homeless Community Support: We will collaborate with community organizations to establish ongoing follow-up support through case workers or volunteers after diversion or exit from shelter, with a focus on preventing a return to homelessness and long-term outcome tracking.

• Case Manager Support for Food Pantries: We will collaborate with community organizations to expand case management in high-volume food pantries to create a stronger funnel to needed wrap-around services and to better track progress towards self-reliance.

Humanitarian projects in the Utah Area follow a one-year cycle. Implementing organizations have up to 12 months to complete the project, beginning on the date the Church approves the project. Organizations receiving a humanitarian donation from the Utah Area are expected to help beneficiaries progress towards greater self-reliance. This includes connecting individuals with community resources and monitoring and reporting their progress. Organizations are expected to track and report outcomes and engage with collaborating organizations in an integrated systems/services model for project beneficiaries.

The Region 4 Professional Development Awards for 2025-2026 foster the growth of health information access and data science skills among network members. This funding supports diverse projects such as workshops, conferences, and educational activities aimed at enhancing the professional capacity of individuals affiliated with NNLM Region 4. By encouraging proposals that address the needs of underrepresented communities, the awards aim to improve health information services and access across the region.

Ameriprise Community Grants focus on supporting nonprofits that enhance community vitality and meet basic needs. With over 120 years of commitment to philanthropy, Ameriprise Financial engages employees in volunteerism and grantmaking. Key giving areas include hunger relief, housing stability, and community development. Priority is given to organizations with active volunteer engagement from Ameriprise advisors and employees, creating a meaningful impact on financial independence and community resilience.

The Nordstrom Community Grant focuses on supporting youth and families by providing over $1 million in grants annually. It aims to assist grassroots organizations that address essential community needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, as well as creating opportunities for economic mobility through mentorship and workforce development. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits located in areas where Nordstrom operates. Applications are encouraged for those meeting these criteria.

The Kahlert Foundation Utah Grant supports nonprofit organizations in Salt Lake, Summit, and Utah Counties, focusing on Health Care, Education, Youth Programs, Veterans, and Human Services. With a commitment to improve access to quality health care and education, the Foundation allocates significant funding to enhance community well-being. Their grants target various initiatives including medical care, educational programs, and youth development, aiming to empower individuals and strengthen local communities. This holistic approach fosters a brighter future for Utah residents.

Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP)

The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is a competitive grant program operated by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) in which funding from the United States Department of Agriculture is awarded to eligible applicants to support Utah’s specialty crop industry. Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture — including nursery crops, and more. Complete list of eligible specialty crops.

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to enhance the competitiveness of Utah-grown specialty crops and benefit more than one producer or organization.

Award Funding

UDAF is anticipating receiving between $300,000 and $350,000 to have available to be awarded. Individual project requests may not exceed $100,000. There is no request minimum.

This year, priority will be placed on projects that focus on:

• Strengthening the supply chain (including aggregation, distribution, storage, processing, and developing food hubs)
• Improving market access (including marketing, consumer education, and developing local, international, and institutional markets)
• Research and development (including developing new seed or plant varieties, pest & disease management, and conservation practices)
• Producer education and workforce development
• Enhancing food safety and regulatory compliance

The Pacific Power Foundation provides Education/STEM Grants aimed at enhancing community vitality through charitable investments. With over $1 million awarded in 2021, eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, educational institutions, and youth organizations. The foundation emphasizes initiatives in electrical safety, energy efficiency, and workforce development. Grants are available in four cycles to ensure thorough evaluation of requests. Exclusions apply to organizations that discriminate or operate outside the service areas of Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power.

Cambia Health Foundation is dedicated to enhancing healthcare experiences through its RFP, which aims to support older adult kinship and grand-family caregivers. By promoting strategies that strengthen social connections and improve access to mental health services, the foundation seeks to address the unique challenges faced by these caregivers. The initiative encourages tailored proposals that reflect the diverse needs of kinship families, ultimately fostering a more interconnected and supportive community for aging individuals.

The O'Reilly Automotive Foundation Grant focuses on enhancing community welfare through philanthropic initiatives that support economic stability, workforce development, health services, and disaster relief. Established in 2020, the Foundation seeks to empower underrepresented individuals and organizations in the U.S. by addressing vital community needs. It particularly aims to provide assistance to nonprofits that foster positive change and improve quality of life for those in need, ensuring a lasting impact in local communities.

About Us

Utah became the first state in the nation to consolidate employment and public assistance programs by creating Utah Department of Workforce Services in 1997. Today, more than 2,200 Workforce Services employees assist individuals in preparing for and finding jobs, meeting workforce needs of Utah businesses, administering temporary assistance, and providing economic data and analysis.

Through a collaborative approach, the department has served millions of Utahns and has become a leader on several statewide initiatives. These include intergenerational poverty, homelessness, affordable housing, supporting refugees, helping rural communities, serving veterans and individuals with disabilities, and getting Utahns trained and back to work.

Emergency Food (EFN/QEFAF) Grants

The Emergency Food Network (EFN) is a grant program for non-profit 501(c)(3) agencies and local government programs including emergency food pantries, food banks, prepared meal sites, and others whose primary mission is to meet the emergency food needs of low-income Utahns. EFN funds are distributed statewide through the State of Utah, Department of Workforce Services, Housing and Community Development Division, State Community Services Office (SCSO) to eligible entities. EFN funds may be used by eligible entities for costs of providing emergency food services including operations, transportation, supplies (excluding food or other commodities directly distributed to clients), equipment capacity building, technical assistance and staffing.

The Qualified Emergency Food Agency Fund (QEFAF) is also a state-funded competitive grant available to qualified emergency food agencies in Utah. The application to be a qualified emergency food agency is included within the grant application.

Eligible activities under the QEFAF grant include activities related to:

• Warehousing food and food ingredients.
• Distributing food and food ingredients to other agencies and organizations providing food and food ingredients to low-income persons.
• Providing food and food ingredients directly to low-income persons.

The Community Ties Giving Program by Union Pacific Foundation offers local grants aimed at enhancing community well-being through diverse funding priorities. These include safety initiatives, workforce development, community vitality, and environmental sustainability. The program emphasizes supporting organizations that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to create impactful projects that resonate with Union Pacific's heritage and mission. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations serving Union Pacific communities and demonstrate a clear need and capacity to deliver effective programming.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2000, dedicated to granting funds for environmental and human services causes. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) nonprofits and public schools, with grants typically ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. The foundation supports unrestricted grants for various projects, including disaster relief and environmental programs, but does not fund individuals or for-profit entities. Applications are evaluated based on alignment with the foundation's priorities.

The True Inspiration Awards, established by Chick-fil-A in 2015, recognizes nonprofit organizations that significantly impact their communities. In 2025, the program will distribute $6 million in grants, ranging from $30,000 to $350,000, to sixteen selected organizations. Categories include Caring for People, Caring through Food, Community, and Caring for our Planet, with a focus on educational initiatives, food security, housing services, and environmental stewardship, honoring the legacy of founder S. Truett Cathy.

Enterprise Community Partners

Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit that exists to make a good home possible for the millions of families without one. Home is where life happens, where plans are made, and futures begin. It is the foundation for dignity, health, education, wealth, and community. Yet rents keep going up, paychecks don’t keep pace, and good homes in strong neighborhoods are increasingly out of reach.

The system doesn’t work. It must be changed, and it must be changed by us.

Enterprise has the breadth, scale, and expertise to do it. We support community development organizations on the ground. We aggregate and invest billions to improve housing and strengthen communities across the U.S. We advance housing policy at every level of government. We build and manage communities ourselves. Everything we do is informed by the residents we serve.

Together with our partners, we focus on the greatest need — the massive shortage of affordable rental homes — to achieve three goals:

• Increase the supply of affordable homes
• Advance racial equity after decades of systematic racism in housing
• Support residents and strengthen communities to be resilient to the unpredictable, and make upward mobility possible

Since 1982, we have invested $92.0 billion and created 1.1 million homes across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We do all this to make home and community places of pride, power, and belonging.

National Housing Innovation Grant Competition

Home is foundational. It’s where we plant roots, raise and care for our families, and build community bonds. Yet in every corner of the country, millions of people of all ages and backgrounds need a home they can afford.

Wells Fargo is meeting this moment with a powerful grant opportunity. Together with Enterprise, Wells Fargo has launched the third iteration of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge. The 2026 cycle of the housing innovation competition will identify and propel proven, ready-to-scale solutions that transform current practices and increase housing choice and access.

Eligible applicants will compete for five individual grants of $2 million to advance their innovation and drive meaningful, systems-level change in the housing and adjacent industries. Winners will gain access to mentorship and coaching from industry leaders and experts and join a powerful network of Breakthrough Challenge innovators.

Focus Areas

This third cycle of the Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge aims to meet the nation’s affordable housing challenges across all types of communities: Native, rural, suburban, tribal, and urban.

Proposals must encompass one or more of three focus areas:

• Design and Construction
• Finance
• Service Delivery and Programs

Applicants will be asked to show how their proof of concept or pilot program has achieved clear outcomes and success, and provide a clear pathway to expanding the innovation’s reach and impact

Round 1: Criteria and Scoring

Your innovation must meet the criteria below to advance to the official scoring stage.

Type of Community

Innovations can serve all types of communities:

• Rural
• Urban
• Suburban
• Tribal

Location

Priority scoring will be given to applications from entities that are based in – or whose innovations are designed for – one or more of these 28 states, plus D.C.:

• Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C.

Affordability

Innovations must serve residents at these income levels:

• Rental: 80% AMI or below
• Homeownership: 120% AMI or below
• Workforce housing: 120% AMI or below

Utah Department of Health and Human Services

The current health and human services model and accompanying policies have led to a fragmented system of services creating unnecessary barriers and challenges to accessing care for those most in need. These systemic challenges contribute to inequities in health outcomes and determinants of health. A consolidated department will reduce these challenges and improve outcomes for all Utahns, particularly those within communities where disparities are greatest.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services will support and serve all individuals and communities throughout Utah. It will do so through effective policy and the operations of an effective and efficient seamless system of services and programs that is centered around the individuals and communities the department serves.

RISE 2.1, 2.A: GME Strategic Plan

This opportunity comprises the initial phase of Utah’s rural Graduate Medical Education (GME) expansion. The awardee will develop a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan to expand GME opportunities within rural Utah facilities, in partnership with local medical schools, health care systems, and facilities. Utilizing a collaborative stakeholder framework, the awardee will design a sustainable model for rural GME that ensures a reliable healthcare workforce pipeline.

Fall 2026 Early Childhood Education Funding Cycle

Overall Early Childhood Education Program Blueprint

The Stranahan Foundation’s Early Childhood Education grant program supports efforts to improve access to high-quality early care and education for young children (birth to five), especially those from low-income families. We do this by investing in strategies that strengthen, support, and retain a high-quality, thriving early educator workforce.

The Foundation has a history of supporting professional development (PD) and learning systems through its Provider strategy (). We believe strong professional development systems are essential for building a skilled early childhood workforce and creating positive learning environments for young children.

The Fall 2026 funding cycle is available for organizations that align with this Provider strategy.

Funding Opportunity

This funding opportunity will provide up to $750,000 to support early childhood education providers in strengthening existing professional development (PD) systems. Funding is intended to improve a specific area of an established PD system—not to build a brand-new system from scratch or put the foundational elements in place.

What kind of improvements can funding support?

Organizations should focus their projects on strengthening their professional development systems. The Stranahan Foundation defines a strong professional development system as one that includes:

• Connect learning opportunities that build on one another over time.
• Use adult learning best practices.
• Align staff learning to educator competencies, credentials, career growth, or compensation.
• Provide learning experiences that are individualized, scaffolded, and responsive to educators’ needs, experience, and goals.
• Have dedicated leadership and organizational capacity to support ongoing implementation.

• Gather regular feedback from staff and families.
• Use standardized assessment and evaluation tools to understand what is working and where improvements are needed.
• Make ongoing improvements based on what is learned.
• Support reflective practice, peer learning, and collaborative inquiry among educators.

• Offer both individual and group learning opportunities, such as training, professional learning communities, coaching, and mentoring.
• Provide learning opportunities on an ongoing basis rather than in a one-and-done situation.
• Connect internal and external learning opportunities to make the best use of available resources.
• Support classroom implementation through observation, modeling, feedback, and continuous improvement cycles.

• Provide learning experiences that are practical, relevant, and easy to apply in daily work.
• Include fundamental topics such as family engagement, effective instruction, developmentally appropriate practice, and classroom management.
• Align with established standards, research, and effective practices in the early childhood field.
• Equip educators to support all learners, including multilingual learners, children with disabilities, and children impacted by trauma or adverse experiences.

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award honors exemplary nonprofit organizations in the U.S. that foster collaborative partnerships across sectors. Annually, a national competition showcases numerous organizations demonstrating impactful community partnerships. Six organizations receive recognition, including the Thomas J. Moran Award, which offers $100,000, and the Frances R. Hesselbein Award, granting $75,000. Since 1996, the award has acknowledged 262 partnerships, emphasizing Mutual of America's commitment to societal improvement through collaboration.

The Park City Community Foundation offers grants to nonprofit organizations serving the greater Park City and Summit County area, focusing on community needs and effective programs. They encourage applications for general support, especially in light of COVID-19's impact. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits and operate within Summit County. The foundation prioritizes partnerships, professionalism, leadership, and innovation to enhance community wellbeing and address pressing issues.

The Richard E. & Nancy P. Marriott Foundation is dedicated to uplifting communities in Washington, D.C. by supporting nonprofit organizations focused on education, human services, and employment opportunities. With an emphasis on early childhood education, mentoring, and relief from hunger and homelessness, the Foundation awards approximately 150 grants annually, totaling around $1.8 million. They prioritize partnerships that foster community strength and individual dignity, especially for vulnerable populations, ensuring access to essential resources and job training.

Utah State Library

The Utah State Library (USL), created in 1957, provides funding, training, professional expertise, and technical advice to library directors, library staff, and trustees across Utah. Through the Program for the Blind and Disabled, Utah Bookmobiles, Interlibrary Loan program, Book Buzz for Book Groups, and Utah's Online Public Library, USL ensures access to library materials and state publications for all Utahns.

LSTA Competitive Grant

Purpose

The Utah State Library via the Library Development Program supports Utah's libraries and librarians and promotes the improvement of library service through training, grant funding, consulting, youth services, outreach, and more. The Institute of Museum and Library Services priorities for LSTA funding can be found here. Together, these institutions provide this funding in support of the goals, and an application should primarily support one of these focal areas:

• Institutional capacity: Improve the library workforce; Improve library's physical and technology infrastructure; Improve library operations.
• Information access: Improve users' ability to discover information resources; Improve users’ ability to obtain and/or use information resources.
• Lifelong learning: Improve users' formal education; Improve users’ general knowledge and skills.
• Human services: Improve users’ ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances; Improve users’ ability to apply information that furthers their personal or family health & wellness; Improve users’ ability to apply information that furthers their parenting and family skills.
• Employment & economic development: Improve users’ ability to use resources and apply information for employment support; Improve users' ability to use and apply business resources.
• Civic engagement: Improve users’ ability to participate in their community; Improve users’ ability to participate in community conversations around topics of concern.

To determine eligibility, applicants are encouraged to review the most recent Applicant Library Eligibility Criteria prior to applying.

Grant projects must fit into at least one of the Goals stated in USL’s LSTA Five Year Plan 2023-2027.

About DHHS

Vision

All Utahns have fair and equitable opportunities to live safe and healthy lives.

Mission

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services will support and serve all individuals and communities throughout Utah. It will do so through effective policy and the operations of an effective and efficient seamless system of services and programs that is centered around the individuals and communities the department serves.

RHTP Evaluation Contract

The purpose of this RFSQ is to obtain statements of qualifications from companies to provide monitoring and evaluation services for the Utah Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). 

The RHTP is a five-year federally funded initiative from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen rural health systems. Utah’s RHTP framework is built upon four strategic pillars: Making Rural Utahns Healthy, Workforce Development, Innovation and Access, and Technology Innovation. These pillars are operationalized through 24 key activities divided into seven integrated initiatives. These initiatives and activities aim to transform rural healthcare delivery, strengthen patient-centered care, and drive measurable improvements in health, coordination, and financial sustainability across rural Utah. A network of partners including other State Agencies, community groups, private sector entities, and academia will implement the program in 25 of Utah’s 29 counties (excluding Salt Lake, Utah, Davis and Weber). 

The RHTP Monitoring and Evaluation Contract will provide critical analytical support, evaluating whether the program achieved the intended outcomes, assessing the impact of the seven initiatives, evaluating innovative pilot activities, and monitoring performance to drive course corrections to maximize impact, and prevent ongoing financial obligations for the State of Utah.

The intent of this RFSQ is to award a contract under Utah Procurement Code 63G-6a Part 15 for the purchase of Design Professional Service Providers and Consultants. The vendor with the highest- ranking will be selected to negotiate a contract at compensation determined to be fair and reasonable. If fair and reasonable compensation, contract requirements, and contract documents cannot be agreed upon with the highest ranked vendor, the state may proceed with negotiations with the next highest ranked vendor. Do NOT include pricing when you submit your qualifications. 

The TJX Foundation Grants support nonprofit organizations located within 15 miles of a TJX store that align with their community mission. Eligible areas include basic needs, education for at-risk youth, workforce training, and safety from domestic violence. Organizations must be a registered 501(c)(3) for at least 12 months and have a nondiscrimination policy. Applications are invited through a Letter of Inquiry, with funding decisions based on community impact.