Best Operating Grants for Nonprofits in Washington

Accepting applications for affordable multifamily rental projects — state funding available

What funding is available?

The Washington State Department of Commerce is soliciting applications for multifamily rental affordable housing projects seeking capital funding from Washington State’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF), administered by the Multifamily Housing Unit (MHU).

This Notice of Funding Availability and Solicitation (NOFA) is intended for applicants seeking to undertake activities resulting in an increase of affordable housing stock in Washington State, or to preserve existing affordable housing stock through rehabilitation.

MHU intends to award $138,547,977 made available by the Washington State Legislature.

The NFL Foundation Grassroots Program, in partnership with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), aims to enhance the quality, safety, and accessibility of community football fields. With grants up to $250,000, this initiative addresses the critical lack of safe recreation spaces in low-income neighborhoods, ensuring children and adults have access to well-maintained facilities for gathering and exercise, ultimately fostering community health and well-being.

The Zinnia Grant is a competitive funding opportunity aimed at making a significant impact in Oregon organizations. It typically awards between $250,000 and $350,000 annually for a three-year term. Eligible applicants must have an operating budget over $1M and a proven track record of previous grants. This grant emphasizes a commitment to equity and is designed to streamline the application process for organizations aligned with the foundation's mission.

The Washington State Department of Commerce is inviting applications for affordable Homeownership housing projects. This funding opportunity aims to support the creation of affordable housing units, enhancing the housing stock in Washington State. Eligible projects can apply for capital funding from the state Housing Trust Fund, fostering accessibility to homeownership for residents. This initiative is part of a broader effort to address housing needs and promote sustainable communities.

Cambia Health Foundation seeks to improve health care through focused investments in the health care workforce. They aim to expand, diversify, and train professionals to address behavioral health provider shortages. By enhancing both paid and unpaid workforce sectors, Cambia fosters wellness, reduces stigma, and promotes collaborative care models. Their commitment to health equity reflects in their strategic areas of investment, ensuring everyone has the opportunity for better health outcomes.

The TAC Small Urban Partnership Support Grant provides competitive operating support to arts organizations in Tennessee's urban counties. Eligible organizations must have a minimum budget of $30,000 and can request up to 20% of their cash operating expenses. A one-to-one dollar match is required. Applicants must demonstrate a history of funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission and meet specific eligibility criteria related to IRS status and recognized art forms.

About Serve Washington

Serve Washington advances national service, volunteerism, and civic engagement to improve lives, expand opportunity to meet the local critical needs of residents of Washington, and strengthen community capacity while creating healthy and resilient communities.

AmeriCorps Planning Grant

AmeriCorps Planning Grants provide initial funding to support current staff or to hire additional staff who can plan a proposed AmeriCorps program and develop systems for successful implementation of an AmeriCorps operational grant application. This is a great place to start if you are new to AmeriCorps! 

AmeriCorps Focus Areas

The National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act, emphasizes measuring the impact of service and focusing on a core set of issue areas. To carry out Congress’s intent, maximize the impact of investment in national service, and achieve the goals laid out in the Strategic Plan (2022-2026), AmeriCorps has the following Focus Areas:

• Disaster Services: Helping individuals and communities prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of disasters and increase community resiliency.
• Economic Opportunity: Improving the economic well-being and security of underserved individuals.
• Education: Improving educational outcomes for underserved people, especially children. AmeriCorps is particularly interested in program designs that support youth engagement and service learning as strategies to achieve high educational outcomes.
• Environmental Stewardship: Supporting communities to become more resilient through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve land and water, increase renewable energy use and improve at-risk ecosystems, especially in underserved households and communities.
• Healthy Futures: Support for health needs within communities, including mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and other public health crises, access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity, especially in underserved communities.
• Veterans and Military Families: Improving the quality of life of veterans, military families, caregivers, and survivors. 

Funding

Awards for planning grants may not exceed $75,000

The Building for the Arts Grant, provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce, supports nonprofit organizations in funding up to 33% of eligible capital costs for acquiring, constructing, or renovating arts and cultural facilities. This initiative aims to enhance community engagement and accessibility to the arts, fostering a vibrant cultural landscape across the state. Eligible organizations are encouraged to apply for this vital support to advance their projects.

The No Child Left Inside Grant Program, administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, aims to enhance outdoor experiences for underserved youth in Washington. Applications will open in late summer or early fall of 2026. Grants support various activities, including environmental education and outdoor adventures, with funding tiers ranging from $5,000 to $150,000. This initiative promotes community engagement and helps remove barriers to outdoor access, fostering improved health and academic outcomes for participants.

The Source Water Protection Local Assistance Grant Program in Washington offers financial support for projects aimed at safeguarding drinking water sources. With up to $200,000 available annually, the program encourages local governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to implement measures that reduce contamination risks. Eligible projects include planning studies, implementation of best management practices, and security enhancements to protect water sources. This initiative promotes long-term improvements in water quality and public health.

The Homelessness Diversion Program Grant in Washington aims to provide essential funding for diversion services to nonprofits and Tribal Governments, focusing on families and individuals facing housing crises. By prioritizing marginalized communities, including BIPOC and those with disabilities, the program addresses homelessness with low-barrier, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive solutions. This initiative is vital to reducing inflow into the homeless crisis response system, ensuring that everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.

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

Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office

The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency that manages grant programs to create outdoor recreation opportunities, protect the best of the state’s wildlife habitat and working farms and forests, and help return salmon and orcas from near extinction.

Planning for Recreation Access

The Washington State Legislature created the Planning for Recreation Access program to fund planning projects in communities that lack adequate access to outdoor recreation opportunities. This program specifically focuses on diverse urban neighborhoods, small rural communities, and those that are less experienced with RCO's grant process.

Grants are used to support planning, community engagement, and collaboration between local governments, community-based organizations, and residents to define outdoor recreation needs, prioritize investments to address those needs, and prepare on-the-ground projects for RCO and other funding opportunities.

Typical Projects

• Long-range, comprehensive recreation planning
• Pre-design plans and permitting for a park or athletic facility
• Comprehensive site planning, feasibility study, or technical survey for a park or trail

All phases of planning, pre-design, and technical assistance for public outdoor recreation facilities including comprehensive plans, construction drawings, environmental assessments, feasibility and preconstruction studies, cultural resources surveys, and comprehensive site plans are eligible.

Established in 2007 with the enactment of Substitute House Bill 2115, the Initiative is aimed at recognizing and preserving significant historic resources related to the agricultural heritage of Washington. These goals are achieved in two ways: through the creation of the Washington State Heritage Barn Register and the appropriation of matching funds to assist with the emergency stabilization and rehabilitation of barns and associated significant agricultural buildings.

The 2026 Carceral Systems Organizing Grant seeks to support organizations working to eradicate carceral systems, create alternative justice solutions, or pursue system reform by addressing systemic criminalization that disproportionately targets Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and low-income/poor communities across our five-state region.

We define carceral systems organizing broadly to include all systems that criminalize people’s lives based on race, poverty, gender, immigration status and/or disability. Examples include but are not limited to: 

• Abolition, transformative justice, and alternatives to incarceration
• Ending racial profiling and police brutality
• 'Addressing racial inequities in drug laws
• Child welfare, foster care, child protective services
• Youth incarceration and the school-to-prison pipeline
• Detention and deportation of immigrant communities
• Homeless encampment sweeps and criminalization of survival needs
• Re-entry organizing by and for folks who were recently incarcerated

The Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect Initiative, overseen by the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy in Washington State, supports organizations providing essential services to children affected by abuse and neglect. Grants of up to $100,000 per year for two years target gaps in services, emphasizing direct support for victims. Eligible applicants must demonstrate experience in victim services and a commitment to addressing the needs of affected children, ensuring their safety and well-being.

CommonSpirit Health offers the Community Health Improvement Grant to enhance health equity and service systems for underserved populations. Through collaborative efforts with 501(c)(3) organizations, this initiative provides financial support for essential health projects. Grant amounts range from $19,500 for small grants to $150,000 for standard grants, varying by hospital. Participating hospitals include those under Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health, aimed at addressing significant community health needs.

The Snoqualmie Tribal Organization Grant for Habitat Restoration offers up to $50,000 to nonprofit organizations in Washington State focused on restoring habitat for fish and wildlife. Since 2010, the Snoqualmie Tribe has contributed over $8 million to various nonprofits. Eligible applicants must be IRS-registered 501(c)(3) organizations located in Washington State, ensuring support for local community initiatives aimed at environmental preservation.

Columbia Basin Trust

The Trust was created in 1995 to support efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin—the region most affected by the Columbia River Treaty.

Mission: The Trust supports efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being and to achieve greater self-sufficiency for present and future generations.

Non-profit SMART Grants

Non-Profit SMART Grants support Basin non-profits and First Nations to increase their energy efficiency, generate renewable energy, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and/or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

There are two streams for this grant: Stream One – Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations; and Stream Two – Renewable Energy and Improvements to Buildings

Stream One – Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations

This stream supports the purchase of one new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle for use in Basin communities, and/or up to two charging stations.

Arbor Rising Grant, established in 2010, is a NYC-based nonprofit providing unrestricted multi-year funding and capacity-building support to nonprofits focused on alleviating poverty. The grant process occurs every three years, with the next round in 2025 being invitation-only. Eligible organizations must demonstrate high potential and effective leadership, typically operating on a modest budget. Arbor Rising prioritizes applicants from the NYC metro area while expanding to cover the lower 48 US states.

Washington State Department of Commerce

The Washington State Department of Commerce’s mission is to strengthen communities in Washington. We are the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington. We administer a diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs and several state boards and commissions, all focused on helping communities achieve positive growth.

HUD811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA) Program

The Department of Commerce is soliciting applications from qualified applicants for funding of units to be set aside for clients referred by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, under the HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance program.

811 PRA units provide non-time-limited tenancy for non-elderly persons with disabling conditions.

Washington State Department of Commerce

The Washington State Department of Commerce’s mission is to strengthen communities in Washington. We are the lead state agency charged with enhancing and promoting sustainable community and economic vitality in Washington. We administer a diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs and several state boards and commissions, all focused on helping communities achieve positive growth.

Who is OCVA?

The Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) is housed within the Department of Commerce. OCVA serves as a voice within government for the needs of crime victims in Washington State. Established in 1990, OCVA serves the state by:

• Advocating on behalf of victims obtaining needed services and resources.
• Administering grant funds for community programs working with crime victims.
• Assisting communities in planning and implementing services for crime victims.
• Advising local and state government agencies of practices, policies, and priorities that impact crime victims.

OCVA’s Telemedical Forensic Examination (TFE) Grants

What is this application for?

The purpose of this application is to implement and administer a statewide program to provide Telemedical Forensic Examination support and survivor advocacy to increase access to medical forensic exam services across the state, particularly in rural and underserved areas. This funding is available through the Unmet Needs portion of the VOCA Plan.

For this initiative, eligible applicants are organizations in Washington State that are able to provide telemedical examination and advocacy services to hospitals and clinics across the state.

What can these funds be used for?

Services provided with this funding must be available to hospitals serving child, adolescent, and adult victims of sexual and/or physical abuse and/or assault. Applicants must provide both telemedical support to hospitals and tele-advocacy support to survivors, either through their own program or partnership with another.

Equitable Access to Credit grant program

Commerce is initiating this request for applications from qualified lending institutions to provide businesses in historically underserved communities with access to credit. The funding allows these organizations to offer technical assistance services, small business training, loans and investments to borrowers who might not be eligible for traditional bank loans. Considered “unbanked”, the Equitable Access to Credit Program’s qualifying loan recipients might not have bank accounts, might have poor credit or no credit at all. The program goal is to encourage investment in small, typically rural, and underserved businesses to boost community and economic development in Washington.

Funding

Commerce has about $4,356,000 available from the Equitable Access to Credit Program, and the grant awards typically range from about $50,000 to over $1M.

• Funding comes from a unique program offering businesses and individuals who pay state business and occupation tax (B&O) taxes the ability to contribute and receive tax credits.
• By making cash contributions equivalent to their B&O tax liability, participants can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit from the Department of Revenue (DOR).
• Once a business has reached its annual contributor limit of $1 million or the program has reached its annual cap of $8 million, the state will not accept further contributions for the year.
• As a special preference, a minimum of 65% of the value of all grants awarded in any calendar year must be allocated for native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) or grantees to provide services or invest, or both, in rural counties.

The Historic Cemetery Preservation Capital Grant Program, initiated by the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation in Washington State, aims to protect and maintain historic cemeteries. This program, established in 2016, provides funding for projects that enhance the preservation of these cultural resources, ensuring they continue to serve their communities and honor the veterans interred within. Collaborating with various partners, the program promotes the significance of historical heritage in the state.

The Heritage Capital Projects (HCP) grant is for facilities projects that provide public access to history and  support the capital needs of facilities and organizations that preserve and interpret Washington’s history and heritage. Since 1995, HCP has distributed more than $106 million in capital grants to support more than 421 community history facilities and historic landscapes.  HCP follows the legislative two-year (biennium) cycle with applications opening in Jan/Feb of each even-numbered year. Applicants must first pass an Eligibility review (Stage 1) to be able to submit a full proposal (Stage 2). 

Research for Novel Approaches in Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program

The Northeast SARE Research for Novel Approaches grant program funds ‘proof of concept’ applied research projects that are designed to confirm the benefits and/or feasibility of new practices and approaches—i.e., Novel Approaches—in agriculture.

These applied research projects must have some existing evidence from previous experiments or pilot projects (your own or others) suggesting that the practice or approach is beneficial and feasible, but further testing, data, and refinement are needed before it can be recommended for widespread adoption by farmers.

Research for Novel Approaches Grant projects require an explicit connection to the needs and interests of farmers in the Northeast. All proposals must include documented interest among farmers and service providers in utilizing or promoting the novel approach should it be proven beneficial and feasible.

Funding Available

Novel Approaches grants have a minimum award of $30,000 and a cap of $250,000.

Columbia Basin Trust

The Trust was created in 1995 to support efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin—the region most affected by the Columbia River Treaty.

Mission: The Trust supports efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being and to achieve greater self-sufficiency for present and future generations.

Non-profit SMART Grants

Non-Profit SMART Grants support Basin non-profits and First Nations to increase their energy efficiency, generate renewable energy, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and/or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

There are two streams for this grant: Stream One – Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations; and Stream Two – Renewable Energy and Improvements to Buildings

Stream Two – Renewable Energy and Improvements to Buildings

This stream supports solar photovoltaic arrays, energy efficiency retrofits or other building improvements to structures or property.