Search Through Grants for Environmental Projects in Virginia in the U.S.

Purpose

The Appalachian Community Fund’s Technical Assistance Program is designed to help build strong organizations. These are small grants for specific technical assistance needs identified by the organization. By helping staff, board, and members hone their skills, ACF believes an organization’s work will be stronger and more effective.

ACF supports community-led efforts addressing systemic economic, racial, environmental, and social issues in Central Appalachia in order to ensure a more just and equitable future for our region.

Technical Assistance

We believe that building organizational capacity and skills is essential for carrying out effective social justice work. This program is designed to meet specific technical assistance needs of grassroots organizations working for social change in Appalachia.

ACF believes that building organizational capacity and skills is essential for carrying out effective social justice work.

Designed to meet specific technical assistance needs of grassroots organizations working for social change in Appalachia, this program awards grants to help build organizational capacity and train board or staff members in key skills such as:

• Leadership development
• Fundraising and planned giving
• Board responsibilities and roles
• Long range planning
• Financial management
• Legal issues, e.g. non-profit incorporation
• Community organizing
• Informing community/media about work
• Training fees, materials, and travel

Funding Criteria

ACF provides grants to community-based organizations working for social, economic, racial and environmental justice in Central Appalachia.

We look to fund organizations that have developed a realistic plan for creating social change and prioritize work that utilizes organizing and education as strategies to achieve this end. We invite projects that are startup in nature.

We fund organizations working to:

• End racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism
• Promote non-violent communities
• Build organizations that are fair, inclusive, and democratic

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Who We Are

The Block Foundation is a small family foundation established in 2001 to honor the memories of Harris & Frances Block and their daughter Carol Block Maurer. We are a small, family operated foundation whose ideological makeup reflects our family values.

Mission

The Harris and Frances Block Foundation seeks equitable solutions to social and environmental problems, working with small and emerging organizations to improve our communities and impact the world.

Values

The Harris and Frances Block Foundation holds as values:

Community: Where change begins and grows to scale.

Justice: Both social and environmental.

Equality: Aspiring towards a society that honors the potential of all humans.

Access: Equitable access to systems, resources, and opportunities.

Sustainability: Both social and environmental.

What We Fund

The Block Foundation supports small grassroots not-for-profit organizations with grants that work to foster just and sustainable communities.

Environmental Issues

• Environmental Education
• Environmental Justice

Food and Farm Initiatives

• Farm and Garden Programs
• Farmworker’s Rights
• Food Justice

About Us

Appalachian Community Fund is bold, forward-thinking, inclusive—a champion of the people of Appalachia.

By lifting up the voices of our community, supporting our community’s vision for change, and advancing local leadership, Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) embodies the power of collective action and bottom-up transformation. Inclusivity is paramount to our definition of community, and this value is lived out in our efforts to give many different voices a platform. To everyone at ACF, “y’all means all” is much more than a fun catchphrase.

ACF’s commitment to effective, people-driven progress is bolstered by our firm Appalachian roots. Beyond honoring Appalachian culture and heritage, our approach to change-making fundamentally reflects the spirit of Appalachia: gritty and resourceful with a well-developed instinct for problem-solving. At the heart of the fund is a staunch belief in the sharing of resources, energy, time, and ideas with each other to achieve a common vision for change and to shift the narrative about Appalachia.

Our Mission

ACF funds and encourages grassroots social change in Central Appalachia. We work to build a sustainable base of resources in order to support community-led organizations seeking to overcome and address issues of race, economic status, gender, sexual identity, disability, and the environment. As a community-controlled fund, ACF aims to expand and strengthen movements for social change—to change systems and institutions—by leveraging our collective power.

LGBTQ Initiative (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Initiative)

These grants are dedicated to expanding resources for LGBTQ organizing efforts in Appalachian communities. The LGBTQ fund is primarily focused on growing LGBTQ communties’ institutional resources, building capacity in LGBTQ efforts, and assisting organizational development. Special priority will be given to new and emerging efforts, particularly among LGBTQ youth.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Funding Criteria

ACF provides grants to community-based organizations working for social, economic, racial and environmental justice in Central Appalachia.

We look to fund organizations that have developed a realistic plan for creating social change and prioritize work that utilizes organizing and education as strategies to achieve this end. We invite projects that are startup in nature.

We fund organizations working to:

• End racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism
• Promote non-violent communities
• Build organizations that are fair, inclusive, and democratic

Better people. Braver leaders. Wiser world.

Over the years, Luck Companies’ message and VBL work has reached thousands of individuals and organizations. Recognizing our opportunity to share this life-changing work with others inspired us to establish a non-profit leadership institute. In 2015, in collaboration with a community of VBL practitioners, we launched InnerWill to pursue a mission to develop better people, braver leaders, and a wiser world. InnerWill uses Values Based Leadership to teach, coach and support the development of those interested in transforming both their life and the lives of others. 

Working with the Community

Our commitment to the communities we serve is deep and extensive.

We study, explore, and learn about the communities we enter to understand their past and imagine the possibilities for the future. We engage and partner with community leadership, government and institutions to turn visions into collaborative realities.

Whether we’re working on a new bridge project or one of Virginia’s many highways, we take a long-term approach to our business to ensure that the community benefits from our work for decades to come. 

Additionally, each year, we provide sponsorships and product donations to our communities. We take pride in the role we play to help build and sustain the infrastructure of a healthy society and the people who live in it.

The Luck Companies Foundation 

We support our associates and the organizations that mean the most to them by matching donations from associate giving. In addition, the Luck Companies Foundation offers grants and charitable donations to purpose-driven organizations.

The Luck Companies Foundation also partners with non-profits to lead work that results in long-term, positive outcomes for our local communities. We focus in two main areas — Values Based Leadership and Environmental Stewardship. 

OSI partners with conservation organizations in the Northeast to assemble networks of protected lands most likely to preserve plant and animal diversity in a changing climate. The Fund supports projects in four focus areas in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and the Central Appalachians offering the greatest opportunity to conserve missing links for resiliency in the overall landscape.

Grant Opportunities

The Fund provides capital grants and loans to qualified non-profits for the acquisition of land or conservation easements on climate-resilient lands, capitalized with a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Through an in-depth review process, we selected four focus areas in order to target funds most effectively. A fact brochure with maps for each focus area can be downloaded:

Potomac Headwaters – West Virginia & Virginia

Highlands and Kittatinny Ridge – New Jersey & Pennsylvania

Middle Connecticut River – Vermont & Massachusetts

Southern New Hampshire & Maine Forests 

Mission

We are a public foundation created to serve southern communities and organizations seeking social, economic, and environmental justice by providing them with financial resources, opportunities for technical assistance and training, and access to systems of information and power. 

Purpose

Develop and nurture grassroots community-based leaders and organizers. Build the capacity of their organizations. Strengthen rural communities and people. Develop equitable peer relationships, which support real transformation toward a just society.

Our Values

Using a grassroots perspective, we believe that culture is the essence of its people and should be valued, shared and preserved in the process. 

We must build our strength and unity by incorporating standards of integrity, respect, love, diversity, quality and interconnectedness.

Please note over the next four years SPF will focus on three primary issue areas in its grantmaking: Education Reform; Immigration Rights; and Voter Engagement

The Discretionary Fund

Existing grantee partners as well as organizations new to SPF may apply for funding. All applicants should fall within the scope of the SPF mission and guidelines: grassroots community organizing for economic, social and environmental justice, in rural communities in the South.

Discretionary support includes (not limited to) grants for capacity building, community organizing events and/or activities, and voter engagement activities. There are three primary funding areas within discretionary

• General Discretionary: community organizing activities or small projects that aim to create change in SPF’s 12-state region.
• Technical Assistance: capacity building, strategic planning, organizational development, trainings and technology upgrades.
• Travel Assistance: conference travel and participation or civic engagement activities.

Discretionary fund resources are limited. Organizations may submit a maximum of two requests per year for a total reward of $3,500 per year.  

The Impact Fund awards recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits, private attorneys, and small law firms who seek to confront economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice. Since our founding in 1992, the Impact Fund has made more than 800 recoverable grants totaling more than $10 million for impact litigation. We award grants four times per year, most within the range of US$10,000 to US$50,000.

Social Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants and legal support to assist in human and civil rights cases. We have helped to change dozens of laws and win cases to improve the rights of thousands. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Texas and North Carolina, incarcerated people with mental health disabilities are forced to remain in jail despite being found not guilty and unable to proceed with a criminal trial.
• In Orange County, California there are currently 13 gang injunctions under effect, which disproportionately affect young men of color.
• In Chicago, Illinois, the city’s homeless shelter program is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
• In Springfield, Oregon, the city and its police department used excessive force against Black Lives Matter protesters.
• In West Virginia, the state fails to protect children in foster care from abuse and neglect. 
• In Montana, voter suppression laws disadvantage young adults and give priority to gun owners.
• In Gary, Indiana, a gun manufacturer negligently marketed and distributed its guns, leading to an epidemic of gun violence in the city. 
• In Vancouver, British Columbia, the police perpetuate systemic discrimination against Indigenous people through bureaucratic measures.

Environmental Justice

The Impact Fund provides grants to support local litigation for environmental justice. These grants are for cases aiming to help people or communities who are affected by environmental harm or who lack access to basic environmental needs, such as clean water, clean air, adequate waste treatment, and green spaces. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Centreville, Illinois, the city’s failure to maintain its sewer system has caused raw sewage to flood peoples’ homes, endangering the property and health of a predominantly Black community.
• In Fresno County, California, the California Department of Transportation approved a highway expansion project that would increase air pollution and traffic in one of the state’s most environmentally burdened communities.
• In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the proposed expansion of a highway would divide the region's Black, Asian, and Latine neighborhoods and cause pollution and ill health.
• In North Dakota, the five-month closure of a highway in response to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests disproportionately affected the livelihoods and health of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members.
• In Ontario, Canada, mercury contamination of the English-Wabigoon river system causes catastrophic environmental and health impacts for the Grassy Narrows First Nation.
• In Sacramento, California, the county government and Sacramento Area Sewer District violated the Clean Water Act by discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
• In the Eastern Coachella Valley in California, 1,900 residents of the Oasis Mobile Home Park suffer from arsenic-laced drinking water, wastewater contamination, and overcharging for utilities.

Economic Justice

The Impact Fund provides financial and other forms of support to cases fighting for economic justice. From workers' rights to consumer protection for vulnerable populations, impact litigation is a powerful tool to hold corporationss and the government accountable. The cases we are funding allege that:

• In Brooklyn, New York, a prominent mortgage lender engaged in predatory practices, leaving homeowners of color at risk of losing their homes. 
• In Washington, live-in caregivers are unconstitutionally excluded from the state’s wage-and-hour protections.
• In Ravalli County, Montana, the county has created a “modern-day debtors’ prison” by incarcerating people unable to afford pre-trial fees. 
• In San Diego, California, vehicle ordinances target unhoused vehicle owners even when no adequate housing alternative exists.
• In New York, a federal immigration detention facility is violating minimum wage and forced labor laws by forcing detainees to work for just a dollar a day. 
• In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city and county destroy the property of unhoused individuals and conduct forced evictions from public spaces. 
• In Miami, Florida, insurance companies discriminate against a nonprofit community development corporation renting to tenants with Section 8 rental subsidies.

Community Conservation Program

Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE) funding under the “Community Conservation Program” provides funds for conservation initiatives located within the counties of Craig, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pittsylvania and Roanoke, and the cities of Salem and Roanoke. The Program focuses on water quality protection, restoration, and improvement; land conservation support; and environmental literacy and awareness within the listed jurisdictions. VEE will also consider funding portions of initiatives that extend beyond the listed jurisdictions.

The application process for the Community Conservation Program is open to any qualified organization. However, VEE strongly suggests that any organization interested in submitting a proposal first provide VEE with a one to two page letter briefly explaining the proposal so as to allow VEE staff the opportunity to provide an informal review and response before submission.

VEE will consider proposals of no less than $50,000 and multi-year projects of up to three years are eligible. VEE will decline without further review any proposal that is clearly outside the purposes and geographic limitations of the Program.

VEE encourages proposals that promise measurable results to improve the environment consistent with the mission and priorities of VEE and the Community Conservation Program. Applicants should describe specifically how they will measure success of a proposal.

About Us

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation connects you with charitable causes to improve life in our region. The community foundation manages permanent funds created by people from all walks of life. Its mission is to inspire philanthropy and transform the quality of life in southeastern Virginia.

Environmental Stewardship - Seed & Program Funding

Why it matters

Environmental stewardship requires the practice of conservation and sustainable activities that protect the natural environment for future generations.

We believe it is vital that Hampton Roads youth are knowledgeable of our waterways’ health and the implications of sea level rise and, accordingly, adopt positive behaviors in caring for the natural environment. After many years of good progress to improve them, many Hampton Roads waterways fall below the desired ratings for healthy waterways. Our region also ranks in the top 10 worldwide for sea level rise vulnerability. We believe that preparing the region’s youth to be good environmental stewards is critical to improving our region’s natural environment now and in the future.

Environmental Stewardship Community Grants focus on programs that educate youth, grades 3-12, about Hampton Roads waterways’ health and the impact of sea level rise in our region. 

Programs should be sustained efforts that:

• Provide hands-on outdoor experiences,
• Include education on environmental issues related to our water-based region, and
• Offer the opportunity for youth to develop and implement an action plan around watershed preservation and restoration.

Desired Outcomes: Grant proposals should address one or more of the following outcomes:

• Hampton Roads youth increase their knowledge of our waterways’ health and exhibit positive behaviors that improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
• Hampton Roads youth increase their knowledge of sea level rise and its potential impact on the region.

Proposals for program funding must be able to articulate:

• Program’s fit with our stated priorities
• Program’s desired outcomes
• Organization’s plan for measuring program effectiveness in reaching outcomes

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation connects you with charitable causes to improve life in our region. The community foundation manages permanent funds created by people from all walks of life. Its mission is to inspire philanthropy and transform the quality of life in southeastern Virginia.

The Foundation supports major capital projects and campaigns that are transformative for the organization and the communities it serves. Organizations requesting Vibrant Places facilities grants should support one of these areas:

• Health & Wellness
• Environmental Stewardship
• Educational Success
• Cultural Vitality
• Economic Stability

We see projects that will reduce local nonprofits' building operating costs over the long term and minimize the negative environmental impacts associated with construction and operation. We encourage "green" building practices that can cut heating and cooling costs, save water and reduce pollution.

Program Overview and Statement of Purpose

The Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust, founded in 1981 by Robert M. Jeffress in memory of his parents, is guided by its mission to benefit the people of Virginia and their research in chemical, medical, or other scientific fields. Since its founding, the Jeffress Memorial Trust has been a steadfast benefactor in support of scientists and research across the state of Virginia supporting mathematical modeling/simulations and analytics in bioinformatics, astrophysics, mathematical biology, drug development, and material science. 

To further the mission of the Jeffress Trust to benefit the people of Virginia, the 2022 grant program was changed to the Jeffress Trust Awards Program in Research Advancing Health Equity. The program focuses on research addressing the root causes of and systemic barriers to health equity for the state of Virginia. The shift in funding priority during the 2022 grant cycle was made after an intensive landscape assessment of the health needs and funding initiatives available to Virginia. With its historic focus on supporting the advancement of Virginia and the work of its constituents, the goals of this current funding opportunity are to further leverage the strengths of Virginia communities, organizations, and institutions in continuing to help its residents achieve optimal health. The guidelines below reflect and include feedback, suggestions, and guidance from Virginia leaders in health equity from community based organizations, health care, research, philanthropy, advocacy agencies, and the many others involved in the important work seeking to advance health equity.  

Funding Opportunities Available 

Partnership/Collaborative Establishment Awards - $150,000 over Two-Years

A Planning Period is any timeframe up to two years and allows a partnership the ability to develop relationships or build a foundation upon which to carry out future research activities. The Planning Period will enable the partnerships to form, as well as to determine the problem they would like to answer through future research activities, what methods should be used to answer associated questions, and who will be responsible for the conduct of those future activities. 

Outcomes for this grant will enable these partnerships to develop and refine the scope of work to be proposed for potential follow-on funding through the Research Implementation Grants opportunity.  

The Jeffress Trust will distribute funding to support research activities in three areas:

• Policy, Systems, and Environmental change strategies (PSE strategies) Analysis. Determine or identify new/promising PSE strategies, evaluating existing PSE strategies to learn what’s working and what’s not working (lessons learned), or adapting/adopting evidence-based PSE strategies for the context of Virginia to advance health equity. Strategies may focus on geographic or population-based communities at the local, regional, or statewide levels.
  • Policy change approaches may include a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments and other institutions.
  • Systems change approaches may include changes that impacts all elements, including social norms of an organization, institution, or system.
  • Environmental change approaches may include changes to the physical, social, or economic environment.
• Program/Practice Analysis. Analysis of new or existing community-based programs and their impact on advancing health equity and their potential to be scaled or replicated. Determining why programs no longer running may not have had the intended impact or effect as designed, that could improve future programming.
• General Research. Analysis of how institutional practices, social norms, relationships, leadership structures, modes of communications, values and beliefs, community history, community settings, societal factors and/or social-factors, influence health either through advancing or undermining health promoting policies and programs in ways not yet identified. Research must be action-oriented such that a plan for how findings will be used is clear and tangible.

About the Foundation

Founded in 1957 by Mr. Robert G. Cabell, III, and Mrs. Maude Morgan Cabell, the Cabell Foundation was established as a private, non-operating foundation to support the permanent needs of charitable organizations throughout Virginia, with particular emphasis on agencies in the metro Richmond region. Since its inception, the Cabell Foundation has provided permanent gifts and challenge grants to a diverse mix of nonprofit institutions. Mr. and Mrs. Cabell believed the Foundation should be responsive to human need in its deliberations and in taking initiative that would inspire the community to action. Early awards supported higher education and the cultural arts, including the Valentine Museum, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Randolph Macon College and Hampden-Sydney College.Mr. and Mrs. Cabell and the founding board members recognized the value of focused, strategic support and chose not to blanket the community with token grants. Today, Cabell Foundation support provides important leverage for the charitable sector in challenging the generosity of the donor community. The long term vision of the Foundation is to continue to meet the philanthropic needs of the community and to exist in perpetuity. Communities across the Commonwealth have been enriched by Foundation support to cultural arts institutions, historic preservation sites, environment and conservation initiatives, community development efforts, higher education infrastructure and the social services sector.

Semi-Annual Competitive Grants

The cornerstone of the competitive grants program provides support for permanent, capital projects. Generally, awards are made on a challenge or match basis in order to help stimulate broad community support. The challenge may be in any form, such as matching the award in some multiple of the grant, raising a stated percentage of the total goal, securing a specified number of new gifts or other parameters set by the Foundation. Typically, no more than 50% of the matching funds for a challenge grant may come from other private foundations. Depending on the specific circumstances of each project, other conditions may be required prior to payment. Grant periods are typically 12-18 months from the date of the award notification. Competitive grants are generally paid in one payment. Proposals are reviewed twice a year during the Spring and Fall Grants meeting.

Funding Areas of Interest

The Foundation is multi-purpose in its support and accepts proposals from organizations that represent the following categories. Funding is not allocated across these program areas. The competitive nature of the proposals drives funding recommendations and decisions. Representative examples of grants in each category are listed below.

Cultural Arts: Museum exhibitions and expansion; collection processing and storage; performing arts venue renovations; building acquisition; and, technology infrastructure.

Civic & Community: Neighborhood development initiatives; civic engagement projects; and, recreational projects that promote increased access to public spaces regardless of economic or physical limitations.

Conservation & Environment: Watershed protection and preservation; reclamation projects; wildlife protection; and, environmental outreach and education.

Education: Libraries; laboratories and equipment; technology; and, general physical plant support to private colleges and universities. Limited support for capital needs related to workforce training and development projects at the community college level. The Foundation also supports special projects at Virginia Commonwealth University, The College of William & Mary and Virginia Military Institute.

Historic Preservation: Site acquisition; infrastructure repair; exterior and interior renovations; and, exhibit installation.

Social Services, Health & Welfare: Building acquisition and/or renovation for health clinics; affordable housing; domestic violence shelters; vocational rehabilitation; and, mental health services. Technology and equipment support for hunger relief programs; healthcare clinics; and job training.

Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation

Grants from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation are distributed in four focus areas (human needs, environmental stewardship, education, community vitality) and are limited to organizations defined as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

Grant applications will be accepted online during two annual grant cycles, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Funding

Most grant awards range from $1,000 to $15,000, while higher amounts may be awarded when a program is an exceptional fit. We often receive funding requests far in excess of our Foundation budget. Regrettably we must often decline support for otherwise worthy proposals. Such a response does not reflect on Dominion Energy's view of the value of the organization or its services.

Mary Morton Parsons Foundation Grant

The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation was founded in 1988 by Mrs. Mary Morton Parsons as a private, non-operating foundation to support the capital needs of charitable organizations. To date, the Foundation has awarded approximately $73 million to qualified grantees.

Enriching Community Life throughout the Commonwealth

The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation enriches communities across the Commonwealth by providing capital support to cultural arts institutions, historic preservation sites, environment and conservation initiatives, community development efforts, education infrastructure, and the social services sector.

Arts & Culture

• Virginia's residents and visitors love Arts & Culture. That’s why The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation supports organizations that deliver cultural experiences through music, theatre, and visual and performing arts.

Civic & Community Needs

• The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation funds organizations that provide services to revitalize neighborhoods and local businesses, develop citizen leadership skills, bolster economic development, contribute to workforce training, and strengthen civic engagement.

Education

• From early childhood education to university and professional continuing education, The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation is proud to support educational organizations in the Commonwealth. We contribute funds to public, private, and faith-based schools that support both students and teachers.

Environment & Conservation

• To encourage responsible stewardship of the vast natural resources in the Commonwealth, The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation provides grants to conservation and environmental organizations.

Historic Preservation

• The Commonwealth of Virginia has a deep and long history. The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation is committed to preserving historically significant structures for future generations.

Social Services & Welfare

• The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation funds nonprofit organizations that address a wide range of human needs and aspirations. The Foundation serves people of all ages, socio-economic statuses, and backgrounds.

Grant Basics

Please be aware of the following before you begin your application:

• Typically our grants fund no more than 1/3 of a project’s cost.
• Grant awards are made on a challenge or matching basis.
• Grantees must meet all conditions stated in our award letter within 12 months of approval, and failing to do so may result in grant withdrawal.
• In the case of a construction grant, we will likely require the commencement of construction before we fund the grant.
• As a condition of funding, the Board of The Mary Morton Parsons Foundation expects that 100% of the grantee’s organizational board be contributing to the organization.

Application Deadline Information

Applications must be completed online by 5 pm EST on the following dates:

• Spring Cycle: Contact Form must be submitted by Feb 28. Application must be submitted by March 17 (Foundation response Early June)
• Fall Cycle: Contact Form must be submitted by August 29. Application must be submitted by September 15 (Foundation response Early December)

If these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted until 5:00pm on the first business day following.

Spring Grants Program 

This program focuses on capital projects and ongoing programs with documented successful outcomes. 

Spring Grant Size Limit: Up to $50,000

Purpose & Focus Areas

The Spring Grants Program funds capital projects and proven programs that address the needs of Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESVA) residents in these broad focus areas:

Arts and Culture

• Promoting participation in arts and cultural activities and preserving cultural heritage for current and future generations.

Child, Family, and Social Welfare

• Improving quality of life for vulnerable ESVA residents, particularly by addressing basic human needs.

Community Vitality

• Enhancing physical spaces, services, and programs that enrich civic life and connection.

Economic Resilience

• Helping individuals overcome barriers to self-sufficiency and prosperity, including projects addressing housing and employment readiness.

Education

• Preparing children for academic, work and lifelong success.

Environment

• Protecting natural resources and promoting environmental education and stewardship.

Health & Wellness

• Supporting access to health services and programs that encourage healthy behaviors.

Grant Priorities

Capital Projects

• Emphasis on long-term benefits such as construction, renovations, and equipment purchases.
• Priority will be given to applications that fulfill matching grants.
• Routine or ongoing maintenance projects are generally not considered.

Program Support

• Priority for programs with demonstrated positive impact in one of the six ESVCF focus areas.
• Innovative projects addressing critical unmet needs will be considered if the organization demonstrates sound management and fiscal accountability.
• Grants generally do not cover operating or administrative costs.

Special Initiatives

• ESVCF may participate in time-limited collaborative funding efforts for priority community needs.
• ESVCF may support initiatives such as studies, needs assessments, and other projects that enhance understanding of local needs, identify new opportunities to benefit residents, or strengthen the capacity of local nonprofits.

Background

The Foundation seeks to be responsive to community issues and needs. Our process is highly competitive and is open to new projects and new organizations. The following summary, Examples of our Grant-Making, is offered to help guide applicants. While this is not intended to be an exhaustive description and may, as appropriate, change over time, we hope that the following will suggest the kind of meaningful work in which the Foundation is seeking to invest.

Generally, the Foundation looks to support work that improves the lives of DC-area residents, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable and underserved individuals. We encourage organizations that provide comprehensive services and work towards systemic change, which addresses all levels of, and all who are affected by, the issue. The goal is that all in the region become self-sufficient and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. We search for nonprofits that also employ effective partnering and show cultural competence in engaging effectively with communities and people of various cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. On occasion, the Foundation invests directly in strengthening the nonprofit sector by helping current grantees to build organizational capacity and by supporting advocacy and other efforts.

Grants are made in five program areas:

Arts and Humanities

The Foundation recognizes the intrinsic value of the Arts and Humanities, as well as their power to innovate and create social change. The funds distributed support an array of artistic disciplines, as well as organizations that promote the humanities. These nonprofits demonstrate the depth and breadth of their initiatives, including how to meaningfully engage communities that have been historically underrepresented in the Arts and Humanities.

Community Services - The Community Services portfolio includes, but is not limited to:

• Community Development
  • The Foundation seeks to ensure access to safe housing and economic development across the region. These awards support affordable housing production and preservation, services for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, programs to address wealth disparities, as well as civic engagement and volunteerism.
• Children, Youth and Families
  • Grants in this area help young people improve their academic performance, gain employment, develop relationships with trusted adults and make connections to the larger community. The Foundation prioritizes programs that promote youth voice, empowering young people to advocate for change within their schools and communities.
• Justice
  • The Foundation seeks to ensure access to justice for all individuals in order to create a more equitable region. These grants support civil legal aid, services to survivors of violence, efforts to help people stay out of the criminal justice system and advocacy for system reform.
• Workforce Development
  • The Foundation supports organizations that focus on specific fields and career pathways as well as those that concentrate on broader job- and career-readiness.
• Capacity Building
  • The Foundation supports capacity building organizations that improve the sustainability, quality and impact of nonprofits in the region.

Education

The Foundation recognizes that a high-quality and equitable education system can reduce barriers to opportunity and transform lives. These grants aim to ensure that from the first day children enter an early childhood setting, to the day they receive a technical certificate or a degree, they are receiving an education that is founded in strong relationships, responds to their unique needs, and equips them with the skills they need to thrive and succeed in life.

Environment

The Foundation strives to restore and protect our region’s natural resources so that all individuals can have equal access to clean water, air and land. These grants focus on the restoration and protection of local parks, the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Grants to environmental education and stewardship programs for people of all ages create greater awareness of the dangers of an unhealthy environment and the need to protect open natural spaces.

Health & Wellness

The Foundation takes a holistic view of health and wellness to ensure that across the region people of all ages can live healthier lives, regardless of income or zip code. These grants include healthcare provision and supportive services, food and nutrition, as well as coalition building and advocacy.

RFP- Northeastern Region Programmatic Field Liaisons and Community Liaisons Grant

Overview

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks several qualified contractors to provide technical assistance under two distinct roles: 

• Programmatic “field liaisons” to broadly support applicants and grantees for the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF) and Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program (CAHSP), within NFWF’s Northeastern region. This support will help to advance CBSF and CAHSP goals to improve grantee and applicant experience and increase the quality and scale of qualified proposals to the program. The contractor will provide support for one year (with the option to renew for up to one additional year) and report to the Program Director for Chesapeake Bay and Central Appalachia, or to one of their direct reports. 
• For CBSF, “community liaisons” embedded within specific geographic areas of interest to provide education, coordination, and networking among a variety of community-based organizations and other community stakeholders, NFWF, and its existing grantee and partner networks. This support will help ensure community-level interests and priorities are integrated into NFWF grant programs and portfolios, inform and advance capacity building models in support of locally led environmental and conservation programming, and improve the quality and impact of associated proposals and projects through NFWF’s CBSF programs and portfolios. Specific geographic areas of interest include, but are not limited to, communities within greater metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.

Scope of Work

The purpose of the contemplated contract is to:

• Assist prospective applicants and current NFWF grantees and community partners in establishing, strengthening, and sustaining regional-scale partnerships and collaborative efforts to advance NFWF’s Chesapeake Bay Business Plan.
• Conduct outreach and offer assistance to potential grantees and community partners in targeted geographies to understand NFWF funding priorities, develop restoration project concepts, identify potential partnerships, and identify funding opportunities.
• Support successful project implementation through regular coordination and field-based site visits to troubleshoot potential challenges with project implementation; conduct pre-project monitoring assessments; obtain lessons learned or NFWF program feedback; collect photo documentation; provide guidance regarding projects’ long-term maintenance and stewardship plans; and to scope potential next phases of projects with grantees.
• Support NFWF staff in implementing grantee oversight activities to assist grantees who need additional guidance with reporting requirements or potential compliance issues and developing proposals to public and private funding partners for new projects and initiatives, consistent with NFWF’s Chesapeake Bay and Central Appalachia program goals.
• Ongoing engagement and participation in meetings and dialogues with EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program partnership, the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership, and other coordinating bodies advancing Bay restoration and conservation.
• Participate in team meetings with NFWF team and other field and community liaisons, generally on a bi-weekly schedule.
• Provide accurate and detailed information about site visits, grantee contacts, outreach, etc. for NFWF funder reports.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer learning among grantees and community partners through field tours, site visits, workshops, and other venues.
• Facilitate collaborative initiatives around NFWF priorities in the designated regions. 

Research & Education Grant

Southern SARE is requesting pre-proposals for either Systems Research Projects or for Education Projects and Activities that address issues of sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the region and the nation.

Maximum funding amount for Systems Research Projects is $400,000, and maximum funding amount for Education Projects and Activities is $50,000. Pre-proposals with smaller funding requests are welcomed and encouraged.

Southern SARE accepts proposals from applicants in the Southern region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Proposed projects must focus on Southern SARE’s program objectives in developing sustainable agriculture systems or moving existing farming systems toward sustainability, as defined by the Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill. Under that law, “the term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs;
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends;
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

Background

ACF makes grants on a yearly basis to grassroots organizations working to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and oppression in the Appalachian counties of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The General Fund is an annual board-directed program focused on assisting community-based efforts for social change. Awarded funds may be used for general support purposes as well as specific projects or programs.

ACF provides grants to community-based organizations working for social, economic, racial and environmental justice in Central Appalachia.

We look to fund organizations that have developed a realistic plan for creating social change and prioritize work that utilizes organizing and education as strategies to achieve this end. We invite projects that are startup in nature.

We fund organizations working to:

• End racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism
• Promote non-violent communities
• Build organizations that are fair, inclusive, and democratic

Grant-making Priorities

As part of its Strategic Planning process, the Virginia Environmental Endowment’s Board of Directors adopted the following grant-making priorities in 2013. Current grant-making priorities in the Virginia Program are focused on improvement of local rivers and protection of water quality, restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, innovative land conservation and sustainable land use practices, environmental literacy and public awareness, and emerging issues of concern.

Water Issues 

• Improve local rivers and protect water quality throughout Virginia:  With a focus on tangible improvements to water quality, pollution reduction and pollution prevention, preference will be given to projects and policies that promote implementation of best practices for advancing agricultural stewardship, address local and regional stormwater infrastructure needs and achieve on-the-ground improvements that contribute to healthy watersheds.     
• Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay:  With a focus on implementation of Virginia’s Watershed Implementation Plan to meet the Bay’s total maximum daily load (TMDL) interim and final goals by 2017 and 2025, respectively, preference will be given to innovative and creative strategies designed to reduce implementation costs and pollution and accelerate progress, when possible. Improved fisheries management, restoration of keystone fisheries and expanded recreational access are also an interest. 

Land Conservation and Use     

• Enhance land conservation and sustainable land use:  Special emphasis is placed on strategies, policies and projects focused on conserving large landscapes, restoring and protecting riparian buffers and headwater streams, establishing conservation practices on land previously placed under protective easement, and establishing local land trusts in areas where a gap exists.  A nexus with water quality protection is important. The Endowment does not provide grant funds for land purchases. 

Environmental Education and Public Awareness     

• Advance environmental literacy and public awareness:  Preference will be given to outcomes-based proposals that incorporate best practices related to student learning and teacher/principal training, including regional standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and those that offer meaningful experiential learning opportunities which connect students and families to nature.  Regarding public awareness, projects that tie environmental stewardship to jobs and those that use innovative, collaborative, and creative approaches such as media messaging to reach non-traditional environmental supporters are also encouraged. 

Climate Adaptation and Emerging Issues

• The Virginia Environmental Endowment is interested in using its strategic investments to make a difference on emerging issues, such as climate adaptation for coastal communities and projects that advance water supply planning and implementation, and efforts to mitigate invasive species.

SCF Community Grants Overview

The programs considered for support by the Shenandoah Community Foundation (the Foundation) are located in Shenandoah County or will directly benefit the citizens of Shenandoah County. Currently we will consider grant awards in six broad areas.

However, we also welcome good ideas emerging from the community. In these six funding areas, the Foundation is interested in working with organizations and associations to build on community strengths and find solutions to community problems.

At the discretion of the Foundation board, unsolicited grants may be made to qualified charities or organizations known to be meeting needs in the Foundation’s service area.

Arts and culture priorities

• Improving public awareness and support of arts and culture
• Increasing access to–and awareness of–the arts
• Supporting effective arts in education

Civic affairs priorities

• Improving neighborhood quality of life
• Encouraging preservation/education of area history
• Supporting appropriate community development planning
• Promoting workforce development
• Advancing Leadership training for youth and adults
• Supporting emergency preparedness and disaster planning and education

Environment priorities

• Building citizen awareness and participation in responsible growth
• Strengthening environmental organizations
• Supporting education about environmental issues

Education priorities

• Supporting career planning and career awareness initiatives
• Strengthening community/education/parent involvement
• Bolstering awareness and support of early education initiatives and community involvement

Health priorities

• Supporting health care for the indigent and uninsured
• Improving care for people with chronic medical conditions
• Supporting preventive disease management
• Animal Welfare issues

Family, Child, and Social Welfare priorities

• Assisting the chronically poor
• Building organization capacity to meet area housing and social welfare needs
• Helping agencies respond to public policy changes
• Strengthening families and meeting needs of at-risk children

Background

Every community faces unique barriers that require collaborative solutions to thrive. The Dow Promise Program supports educational and economic challenges Black youth and adults face in the United States by addressing community-identified needs and advancing equitable opportunities. Through grants of up to $10,000 towards social, economic or environmental initiatives, Dow Promise not only fosters a thriving community, but a shared future.

Since 2000, this annual competitive program has committed to uplifting communities in which Dow operates by supporting their needs and investing in positive social change for long-term success.

ABOUT ROOTED IN JUSTICE

“Rooted in Justice” is a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements.  Rooted in Justice supports community-based organizations and groups that manage established, youth-led, urban greening programs within a justice framework as a core part of their work, with two-year grants of $25,000/year.  

Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.

Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:

• A lack of access to land or nature;
• Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
• Food apartheid; and/or
• Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.

Rooted in Justice awards a small number of grants each year with applications due in the fall and decisions made the following spring. Final grant decisions are recommended to the Cedar Tree board via a participatory grantmaking process with outside reviewers who have experience in youth-led urban greening, as well as food or climate justice programming. So far the program has awarded multi-year grants to 21 organizations and one-time grants to 10 additional organizations since 2021. 

Definitions

Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.  

Social Justice-Based Programs

Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by different aspects of injustice by:

• Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
• Amplifying voices and leadership;
• Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
• Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.

Youth-Led

The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include programs where participants: 

• Managing a portion of their programming budget;
• Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
• Shape their own programming and/or organizational strategic planning;
• Have regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation; and
• Have opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization.

Urban Greening

For the purpose of this grant we define “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Programs that are a strong fit for Rooted in Justice will have many opportunities for youth to be outdoors.  Project settings can include, but are not limited to: 

• Urban and aquaponic farms
• Greenhouses and rooftop gardens
• Community gardens, green spaces, and rain gardens
• Composting sites
• Land conservation efforts
• Urban forests
• River or other water restoration  

Cohort-Based Youth Works

Rooted in Justice looks to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals. Priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that supports a cohort of youth over time.  Drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships are not a good fit for Rooted in Justice.  

Youth Budgeting

As part of grant proposal, all Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? We ask applicants to specifically set aside some amount of grant funds for youth to allocate to priorities of their choosing.  For example, youth participants can use their allocated funding to:

• Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
• Design the brand or swag for their group;
• Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
• Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
• Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
• Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
• Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.

Use of Funds

Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of existing youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support. 

Funding

Two Year Grant

• Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $25,000 per year.
• After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
• In the 2025-2026 grant cycle, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to support 4 organizations with multi-year grant awards.

Funding for Professional Development

• Each Rooted in Justice grantee organization also has access to an additional $6,000 to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.  Half of these funds must be used to directly support the professional development of youth. 
• Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this professional development fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming. The funds set aside for youth professional development can be used for youth exchanges or youth participation in conferences and other professional development opportunities directly for youth.  

Community Professional Development Calls

• Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
• These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year. 

Grant Intent

The Suffolk Foundation is interested in engaging in charitable grant-making to benefit the people of the City of Suffolk, Virginia, and the surrounding area. It is the intent of the Suffolk Foundation to assist in maintaining and enhancing health, education, arts, culture and humanities, public and societal benefits, human needs and services, environmental and animal welfare, and youth and elderly programs in the City of Suffolk and surrounding areas through the support of qualified non-profit organizations.Grant CategoriesGrants may be awarded in a wide range of categories, such as:

• Human Needs
• Artistic, Historical, and Cultural Programs
• Education
• Environmental and/or Animal Welfare
• Health

Priorities

Grant applicants should keep in mind that priority is given to projects and programs which:

• Reach a broad section of the community, and/or that target needs that are not being served by other resources
• Improve the quality of life for families and neighborhoods
• Provide practical approaches for dealing with current pressing community problems
• Promote collaboration and resource sharing among organizations
• Yield substantial benefits for the costs involved
• Meet demonstrable local needs
• Encourage matching gifts or added funding from other sources

Richard Lykes Biography

Richard Lykes was a freelance photojournalist whose work most often appeared in the Rappahannock News (Washington, Virginia). He was active in a number of county civic organizations including the Ki Theatre, the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community (RAAC), the Rappahannock Historical Society, and the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP). Lykes lived at Vista Hermosa Farm on Fogg Mountain near Flint Hill which he and his partner, Buddy Darden, purchased in 1992. He was an avid photographer since the mid-1950s but turned professional upon coming to Rappahannock County.

Before retiring in 2000 as an economist and research director for the Manufacturers Alliance, Lykes wrote extensively on international trade and authored several studies, including A Handbook on Financing U.S. Exports and Are You Ready for Disaster? A Corporate Guide for Preparedness and Response. He lived permanently in Rappahannock County since 2000. Born in Laredo, Texas, Lykes attended college at George Washington University (B.A. and M.A. in International Affairs/Economics). Growing up bilingual in Spanish and English, Lykes also studied abroad at Mexico City College (Mexico) and did graduate work in international law at the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) as a Rotary Foundation Fellow. Lykes has an identical twin brother, Roy, of Silver Spring, Maryland and brother, Dr. Frederick Lykes of Victoria, Texas. Richard Lykes died February 25, 2009.

Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund

A bequest from long-time Rappahannock resident Richard Lykes enabled the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation to create the Richard Lykes Rappahannock Community Fund, which is focused on improving the quality of life in Rappahannock County, addressing community challenges or creating new opportunities. Award amounts generally range from $1,000 to $10,000.

About the Innovation Prize

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks out innovators who are spearheading transformative early-stage projects in the fields of the environment, heritage conservation, and social justice.

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize is open to non-profit and mission-driven for-profit organizations that are tackling America’s most pressing challenges through social innovation. In 2019, we will award up to ten Prizes, each including a cash award of $150,000 over three years, plus $25,000 for project expenses, for a total award of $175,000. Awardees also receive guidance through the Fund and its resource network, providing tools and training for ascendant change agents.

For more than three generations, The J.M. Kaplan Fund has provided catalytic funding for projects in their early stages of development. Whether a pilot project, a new organization, or a nascent initiative, work supported by the Fund has involved a certain measured risk that ultimately led to large-scale, transformative results. We launched the J.M.K. Innovation Prize in 2015 to leverage this legacy of catalytic grant-making in the field of social innovation. Currently on a biennial schedule, the Prize has to date funded twenty wildly creative solutions to social and environmental challenges, ranging from high-tech efforts to restore imperiled coral reefs, to the nation’s first farm labor trust. Each awardee takes a visionary approach to a societal need, working within one or more of the Fund’s three program areas:

• The Environment: Protecting natural resources and reducing the impacts of climate change.
• Heritage Conservation: Conserving the places that communities care about most.
• Social Justice: Supporting just alternatives and reforms to the criminal justice and immigration systems.

Tailored for Early-Stage Social Entrepreneurs

We know there is a scarcity of funding for untested ideas being piloted in the social innovation field. The Prize is designed to fill this gap in innovation philanthropy, supporting ideas that other funders may deem too risky or too small. We also know that early-stage innovators need the freedom to seize opportunities when and where they arise. The Prize’s unrestricted funding offers this flexibility, letting awardees deploy resources where they are most needed, whether investing in core projects, hiring staff, or just keeping the lights on.

We know each organization must follow its own path to achieving a change-making vision. With its three-year period, the Prize gives awardees room to evolve at their own pace, with an infrastructure of support tailored to their specific needs as early-stage innovators.

An Innovation Community

Beyond the cash award, the Innovation Prize provides tools to help turn ideas into action. Over the three-year Prize term, we bring awardees together for two convenings each year. Each of these meetings, spotlighting a different awardee’s organization, offers opportunities for peer learning and mentoring from experts in organizational development, board cultivation, media coaching, leadership training, and more. From West Virginia coal country to Monterey, California, our awardees have shared powerful learning moments, embedded in one another’s work and reflecting on their role as change agents.

Mission

The mission of Southern Partners Fund (SPF) is to serve rural Southeastern communities and organizations seeking social, economic and environmental justice by providing them with financial resources, technical assistance, training and access to systems of information and power. There are two central ideas embraced in the democratic philanthropy of Southern Partners Fund: compassion and community. Compassion implies an understanding or concern for community members lacking local political power to impact the decisions that affect their lives. Community relates to the things that bring us and hold us together.

Purpose

The Purpose of SPF Grantmaking is to:

• Develop and nurture grassroots community-based leaders and organizers.
• Build the capacity of rural, grassroots community organizing groups and leaders.
• Strengthen rural communities and people.
• Develop equitable peer relationships, which support real transformation toward a just society.

Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grants Cycle

Hubert Ellis Sapp, a transformative visionary and grassroots organizer, was instrumental in turning the concept of Southern Partners Fund, a democratically led foundation directed by grassroots leaders, into a reality. To honor his legacy in the wake of his passing in February of 2021, we are honored to add his name to our Regular Grant Cycle, which from here on, will be referred to as the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant Cycle. 

• Applicants may request general support or project support.
• Applicants must have operating budgets of $350,000 or less to receive general support.
• Organizations with operating budgets over $350,000 can apply for project support only.

Members of SPF’s grants committee will contact organizations being considered to schedule a site visit, required for new applicants, or phone interview. SPF’s grants committee, made up of SPF members, makes grants decisions during a September grants panel meeting, which are then ratified by the Board. Groups will be notified of grants decisions after October 1st, 2024.

If an organization has received five consecutive years of regular grant cycle funding, it must take a year off before making a new RGC grant request.