Best Grants for Community Centers in Washington

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is inviting a CESU partner to research chronic wasting disease (CWD) management in the northeastern and western United States. This initiative aims to develop decision support tools to anticipate CWD's arrival and spread, enhancing strategic planning and targeted actions like surveillance and culling. By aligning with executive orders and existing plans, the project seeks to improve efficiency in managing wildlife diseases and ensuring healthy ecosystems, thereby supporting local communities economically.

The Gesa Local Heroes Grant empowers organizations that support essential community workers, including firefighters, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, educators, and veterans. Through the Local Heroes affinity debit card, Gesa members contribute funds that are distributed as grants. The amount awarded is determined by the funds raised in the previous year, with grants given annually in October. This program fosters community support and recognition for those who serve.

The Great American Cleanup Grants, offered by Keep America Beautiful, aim to enhance community beautification and environmental efforts across the U.S. This initiative encourages KAB affiliates to remove litter, plant greenery, and restore public spaces, contributing to the larger goal of cleaning up 25 billion pieces of litter by 2026. With cash grants available, this program fosters collaboration among communities, promoting sustainable practices and a cleaner, greener future for all.

About School's Out Washington

High-quality expanded learning programs meet young people where they’re at—physically, academically, socially, and emotionally—to help them build the relationships, competencies, and confidence they need to thrive. These fundamental opportunities for growth must be integrated into and aligned with other systems of support that young people navigate.

As an intermediary, School’s Out Washington does not provide direct services to children and young people. Instead we help increase access and improve quality and equity within summer and after school programs. We do this work as part of a larger ecosystem of partners and community.

Washington state is one of 41 states receiving RSI funds from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Funds are issued to Washington’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA), which contracts with School’s Out Washington to administer the Refugee School Impact Program.

School’s Out Washington seeks to support local school systems impacted by significant numbers of refugee children and youth, ages five to 18, who have been in the country less than five years.

Refugee School Impact Program

The Refugee School Impact Program (RSIP) is a federal grant administered by SOWA that provides funding and support to school districts serving refugee populations in Washington.

RSIP fosters partnerships between community organizations and school districts to better serve refugee students.

Program outcomes

The Washington state Refugee School Impact Program focuses on the following goals:

• Ensuring refugee students’ academic support and successful school integration
• Strengthening the skills, knowledge, and competence of parents, schools and community-based organizations to support refugee students

Program activities

School’s Out Washington’s Refugee School Impact responsibilities include:

• Supporting district-community partnerships in the implementation of their RSI projects
• Providing technical assistance and training on program-related issues
• Offering district-community partnerships opportunities for training, professional development, and additional materials and/or resources to enhance RSI service delivery

The Aerospace Career Enhancement (ACE) Scholarship is designed for eligible American Indian and Alaska Native students pursuing engineering and high-demand degrees in Washington state. In partnership with SPEEA, this need-based scholarship offers $5,000 annually, with additional support for recipients with dependent children. The program aims to assist students entering professional or technical careers in the aerospace industry, ensuring they have the resources necessary to succeed in their educational and career goals.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to issue a Broad Pragmatic Studies (BPS) PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) on Aug. 4, 2026, seeking to fund high-impact, patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects. This preannouncement provides potential applicants additional time to identify collaborators; obtain patient and stakeholder input on potential studies; and develop responsive, high-quality applications. 

Patient-centered CER compares at least two available health treatments, services or care delivery strategies. PCORI seeks proposals that compare clinical interventions (e.g., pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, screening and diagnostic approaches) and healthcare delivery system interventions (e.g., workforce, technologies, healthcare service delivery designs) to evaluate potential benefits and harms of different treatment and care delivery options, thus generating evidence that empowers patients, caregivers and the broader healthcare community with information to make informed choices that reflect their needs and preferences. 

About Us

Who We Are

The National Federation of the Blind is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940 and currently headquartered in Baltimore, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in all fifty states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.

What We Do

Through our network of blind members, we coordinate many programs, services, and resources to defend the rights of blind Americans, provide information and support to blind children and adults, and build a community that creates a future full of opportunities.

What We Believe

We are the only organization that believes in the full capacity of blind people and has the power to transform our dreams into reality. We believe in blind people because we are blind people—from our democratically elected leaders to our diverse nationwide membership.

Scholarship Program

Thanks to our generous partners, there are thirty $10,000 merit-based scholarships currently available. All scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and leadership. The finalists are announced every spring. They then attend our national convention in July when the winners of each individual scholarship are selected. 

Lillian S. Edelstein Scholarships

Up to two students receiving these scholarships hail from or will be attending college in Washington, Idaho, or Oregon.

Major Grant Fund

Apply for $50,000 to $200,000 per year, renewable up to two times for a total of three years of funding. Funds may support health-related direct service delivery or advocacy efforts. New for 2026, Major Grant funds can also support evaluation projects.

Funding Principles

Projects funded by the Health Equity Fund should align with the following funding principles:

Improving health outcomes and access

for communities and populations experiencing the deepest and most persistent health and economic disparities in King County.

Actively addressing the issues of systemic, structural, and institutional barriers

including racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, income inequality, and other forms of oppression or discrimination that negatively impact healthcare delivery and health outcomes.

Partnering or collaborating with other organizations

to enhance the impact of addressing health disparities.

Building capacity and empowerment

for communities addressing health disparities.

Funding for service delivery is limited to King County. There are no geographic restrictions on the residence of clients served or advocacy efforts, as long as the program can demonstrate the use of funds addressing disparities in health among residents of the Puget Sound region (King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Kitsap counties).

Organizations may not receive two PHPDA grants in the same year for the same project. Applicants can request grant funds for a different project as long as the time period covered by funding ends by the new contract period.

Organizations may only submit one application.

Focus Areas

Specific populations are facing heightened threats to their safety, security, and access to care, and the organizations that support them are experiencing drastic funding cuts. Our Major Grant program aims to support these organizations who are facing disproportionate burdens to their wellbeing. This year, Major Grants will be limited to organizations with projects in one or more of these three focus areas:

• Gender Affirming Care and/or HIV Prevention and Care for LGBTQIA2S+ Communities
• Barrier-Reducing Healthcare Delivery for Immigrant and Refugee Populations that is Responsive to Community Concerns 
• Access to Birth Control and Abortion Care

The Franz Bakery Foundation Grant supports local charitable organizations focused on family support, youth development, and hunger reduction in areas served by Franz Bakery. With an average grant amount of $3,000, the Foundation aims to foster respect, equity, and inclusion within communities. Eligible applicants must be 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofits located in specific states and align with the Foundation's mission. Organizations can reapply annually, although applications do not roll over to the next year.

The Express Health Information Outreach Awards aim to enhance public health by increasing access to biomedical information for U.S. health professionals and the general public. These awards support projects that improve health information literacy among consumers and caregivers, ensuring they can effectively find and utilize health information. Focused on partnerships and outreach to underrepresented communities, the initiative seeks to promote healthy behaviors, prevent illness, and improve health outcomes through informed decision-making.

The RMEF Grant Program lies at the core of advancing our mission.

RMEF established the program in 1986 to provide financial and logistical support to projects that align with our priorities and goals. Grant funds raised by RMEF members, volunteers and generous donors from across the country translate into significantly more conservation accomplishment when matched with partner funds. The RMEF Grant Program also aims to build recognition for RMEF’s work, grow engagement, and boost local fundraising efforts.

Governed by clear guidelines and criteria, the RMEF Grant Program seeks to foster meaningful collaborations and long-term impacts in the conservation of natural resources and outdoor traditions. Grant project partners include federal, state, local, and tribal wildlife and land management agencies, private landowners and local stakeholders, sportsmen and women, and conservation organizations, universities, foundations and the outdoor industry. Eligible projects primarily focus on habitat stewardship, land conservation and access, wildlife management, and hunting heritage.

We support organizations recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501(c)3 entity, federal, state, local, or tribal government entities, sportsmen’s organizations, or educational institutions. All applicants must have a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) issued by the IRS. RMEF does not offer grants to individuals.

Wildlife Management and Research

RMEF funds wildlife management and research to keep big game healthy and thriving, including disease surveillance, big game-friendly fencing, road management, and scientific studies that expand our understanding of big game habitat, movement, interactions, and overall herd health.

RMEF’s 2026 priorities include:

• Research on migration + connectivity, critical habitat + nutrition, big game population trajectories, challenges to big game populations, and big game management solutions
• Big Game-Friendly Fencing

About PCORI

PCORI funds patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER).

Our Mission

PCORI helps people make informed healthcare decisions, and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes, by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers, and the broader healthcare community.

Broad Pragmatic Studies PCORI Funding

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to issue a Broad Pragmatic Studies (BPS) PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA), seeking to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) projects. 

Research Initiative Highlights

CER compares at least two available health treatments, services or care delivery strategies. PCORI seeks proposals that compare clinical interventions (e.g., pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, screening and diagnostic approaches) and healthcare delivery system interventions (e.g., workforce, technologies, healthcare service delivery designs) to evaluate potential benefits and harms of different treatment and care delivery options, thus generating evidence that empowers patients, caregivers and the broader healthcare community with information to make informed choices that reflect their needs and preferences.

Special Areas of Emphasis

For Cycle 2 2026, PCORI is particularly interested in submissions that address the following Special Areas of Emphasis (SAE) within the BPS funding opportunity. The purpose of identifying these SAEs is to encourage submissions to these areas, rather than limiting submissions to these topics. Applicants addressing one of the below SAEs should identify the area that is best associated with their research approach:  

• Addressing Obesity
• Diabetes Prevention, Care and Treatment
• Management of Urogynecological and Pelvic Pain
• Pain Management for Individuals Living With Sickle Cell Disease

In PCORI-funded research, patients and other research partners are expected to meaningfully contribute their lived experience or professional expertise to ensure studies are patient-centered, relevant and useful for healthcare decision making. Applicants must address PCORI’s Foundational Expectations for Partnerships in Research — an evidence-based framework supported by tools and resources to guide effective engagement strategies. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consider the inclusion of a broad range of patient-centered burdens and economic outcomes. 

Broad Pragmatic Studies PFA: Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 Study Specifications

PCORI will commit up to $120 million in direct costs through this funding opportunity. This funding opportunity contains three categories for funding:

• Category 1: Category 1 will support research projects with direct costs up to and including $5 million.

• Category 2: Category 2 will support research projects with direct costs greater than $5 million and up to a maximum of $12 million. Applications for funding under Category 2 will be required to provide additional information in the Letter of Intent (LOI) and application to justify the size and scope of the proposed research projects and to explain how additional funds are necessary with respect to the scale, scope and complexity of personnel and material resources needed to address the research question.

• Category 3: Category 3 will support research projects with direct costs up to $12 million that utilize PCORnet® to conduct observational studies and/or pragmatic trials that are national in scale. Category 3 PCORnet Studies® must include two or more Clinical Research Networks and share study progress, performance metrics and best practices with the network to promote continuous learning and improvement. PCORnet Studies® will leverage the PCORnet Common Data Model® as appropriate. Additional details about Category 3 can be found on the PCORI website.  

Ren H. Rice Scholarship

The scholarship supports students from Spokane County.

Applicants must submit proof of their status as described above. Applicants with physical disabilities must provide a doctor’s report describing the disability and the limitation to their ability to work. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors or graduates age 21 or younger and must be accepted or enrolled at an accredited post-high program in Washington State.

Recipients may re-apply in subsequent years, regardless of age.

The Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Internship Grant supports entry-level athletics administrative positions for one academic year, promoting diversity in NCAA Division II. It provides $30,000 for intern salaries and $3,000 for professional development, benefiting six schools annually from a total budget of $180,000. Eligible applicants must be active NCAA members, with a focus on enhancing ethnic minority and gender representation in athletics administration. This initiative encourages professional growth and compliance in diverse environments.

The WAEF Scholarships, supported by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, provide over $1 million in educational awards to more than 300 students this year. These scholarships target individuals with family ties to the tree fruit industry in Washington, allowing them to pursue various degrees at accredited institutions. Eligible applicants include high school seniors and current college students, with awards applicable to a range of educational paths, including vocational training in fields relevant to the industry.

The Great Apes and Gibbons Program Grant, administered by the Arcus Foundation, supports conservation efforts for great apes and gibbons across 24 priority landscapes in Africa and Asia. The program emphasizes sustainable coexistence between humans and wildlife, having awarded over 2,000 grants to more than 500 organizations globally. Funding is not available for individuals or specific lobbying activities, ensuring resources are directed towards impactful conservation initiatives.

The WAEF Scholarships, offered by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, support over 300 students pursuing various degrees linked to the tree fruit industry. This year, more than $1 million in educational awards is available to Washington state high school seniors and current college students. Eligible applicants should be involved in the tree fruit sector, with studies focusing on vocational trades such as refrigeration and electrical technology at accredited institutions.

The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) offers scholarships to over 300 students this year, providing more than $1 million in educational awards. Eligible applicants include Washington state high school seniors and college students connected to the tree fruit industry, either through family ties or direct involvement. Scholarships can be renewed for up to four years if requirements are met, allowing students to pursue diverse academic paths at accredited institutions.

The WAEF Scholarships, supported by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, provide over $1 million in educational awards to more than 300 students this year. These scholarships are primarily for students with a connection to the tree fruit industry, allowing them to pursue various degrees at accredited institutions. One notable scholarship honors E. Peter Krier of Moss Adams LLP, aimed at college juniors, seniors, or fifth-year students studying accounting.

The WAEF Scholarships, offered by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, support over 300 students this year, providing more than $1 million in educational awards. These scholarships target current college students and high school seniors from families connected to Washington's tree fruit industry. Applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, with opportunities for higher renewal awards for those achieving a GPA of 3.5 or higher. This initiative fosters educational growth and career development in agriculture-related fields.

The Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act Tribal Capacity Grants aim to empower federally recognized tribes in Washington state by providing essential funding to address environmental and health disparities. These non-competitive grants support projects that enhance community engagement, promote environmental justice, and improve public health. Eligible activities include hosting educational events, conducting assessments, and collaborating with state agencies to ensure effective implementation of the HEAL Act. This initiative fosters a healthier environment for all tribal communities.

The WAEF Scholarships, named in honor of Roger Calhoun, provide critical financial support to over 300 students linked to Washington's tree fruit industry. With funding exceeding $1 million, these scholarships assist high school seniors and current college students pursuing diverse degrees. Applicants must have familial ties to the tree fruit sector, ensuring that the legacy of industry involvement continues among future generations. Preference is given to graduates of Naches Valley High School and those entering agriculture-related fields.

The WAEF Scholarships, supported by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, provide over $1 million in educational awards to more than 300 students this year. These scholarships benefit high school seniors and college students pursuing careers linked to the tree fruit industry, particularly in technical fields. The Scott Baker Technical Education scholarship honors a creative individual, empowering students to pursue vocational programs and trade schools, fostering innovation and skills in modern technology.

The WAEF Scholarships, offered by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, support over 300 students this year with more than $1 million in awards. Eligible applicants include high school seniors and college students linked to the tree fruit industry, particularly those associated with Sundquist Fruit. Scholarships can be used at accredited colleges and universities, promoting diverse educational paths. This initiative fosters academic growth and career opportunities in production agriculture.

The WAEF Scholarships, funded by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, support over 300 students with more than $1 million in awards this year. Open to Washington state high school seniors and college students pursuing careers in the tree fruit industry, applicants must have parents or guardians employed in related entry-level positions. These scholarships cover educational expenses at accredited institutions, promoting various degrees and vocational training paths.

The WAEF Scholarships, funded by the Washington Apple Education Foundation, support over 300 students annually with more than $1 million in awards. These scholarships are designed for Washington state high school seniors and current college students pursuing vocational or technical education in the tree fruit industry. Eligible recipients can apply for two $3000 scholarships, with funding raised from contributions by the tree fruit industry. This initiative aims to foster educational opportunities for students in Washington's fruit-growing regions.

The National Forest Foundation's Matching Awards Program connects communities to forests by funding stewardship activities that promote engagement with National Forests and nearby public lands. This program aims to create lasting impacts, ensuring that all communities can benefit from the rich resources of these natural areas. By supporting various projects, the program fosters a deeper relationship between people and the environment, ultimately enhancing conservation efforts and community well-being.