Best Grants for Charities in West Virginia

The Smith Richardson Foundation's Domestic Public Policy Grant supports initiatives that help address critical challenges in the U.S. It funds research and evaluations of public policies while promoting innovative solutions to enhance education, fiscal practices, and the criminal justice system. The Foundation aims to foster effective policies that improve economic opportunities and public services, ensuring a prosperous future for all citizens.

The Community Foundation of Carroll County supports nearly 70 academic, sports, special circumstances, and 4-H scholarships. Search scholarships by name, or sort by application type.

Georgia E Frank Scholarship

The mission of the Georgia E. Frank Scholarship Fund is to support graduating Carroll County high school students of all backgrounds and needs as they pursue their dreams of being a teacher. As Georgia was a life-long Family and Consumer Science teacher in Carroll County, this fund aims to invigorate, encourage, and support aspiring young educators as they transition from high school to the collegiate stages of their training. As a teacher, Georgia encouraged her students to love what they do, to do it well, in order to make the world around them a better place to live. We hope this fund provides assistance to similarly minded young people as they pursue their future teaching career.

The Distressed Cities Technical Assistance (DCTA) Program provides competitive funding for eligible applicants to deliver technical assistance to local governments serving economically distressed communities of 50,000 or fewer residents. Selected awardees collaborate closely with HUD to enhance the capabilities of UGLG officials and staff, ensuring they effectively address community needs. Applicants may focus on broad HUD jurisdictions or specific areas as specified in the program's NOFO.

The ASPCA Fund to End Factory Farming Grant Program aims to transform the U.S. food system by promoting humane practices and reducing reliance on factory farming. By funding eligible projects, the program seeks to improve animal welfare, support farmers, and enhance public health. Projects must include educational components to raise awareness about their impact. This initiative reflects ASPCA's commitment to ethical treatment of animals and fostering a culture of compassion and inclusion.

The U.S.-Southeast Asia-Japan Collaboration and Exchange Initiative Grant, administered by the Japan Foundation, New York, aims to enhance Japanese Studies through collaborative research and academic exchanges. Targeting U.S. institutions with developing Japanese Studies programs, this initiative fosters meaningful connections between scholars in the U.S., Southeast Asia, and Japan, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and resource sharing to strengthen academic networks across these regions.

The Prioritization Process Pilot Program (PPPP) Competitive Grant Program, funded by the DOT Federal Highway Administration, offers up to $26 million for innovative transportation planning in FYs 2024-2026. Grants of up to $2 million will support the development of transparent, data-driven prioritization processes for project selection in transportation plans, ensuring that funded projects deliver public benefits and meet community needs.

About

Founded in 1971, the Mensa Foundation was established by members of American Mensa to extend the organization’s impact. While connected by a shared purpose, the Foundation operates independently, guided by its own Board of Trustees, strategic plan, and initiatives.

Grants & Fellowships

Early Career Mini-Grant

The Mensa Foundation empowers emerging researchers through its Early Career Mini-Grant program.

Designed to support post-doctoral researchers and early career faculty, this grant funds innovative studies that advance our understanding of intelligence, creativity, gifted education, and related fields.

Details

The Early Career Mini-Grant provides $2,500 to support post-doctoral researchers and faculty within five years of completing their doctoral degree. This grant is intended to promote groundbreaking studies that advance our understanding of intelligence and its applications in education and beyond.

Grant Components

The Blueprint MedTech Translator program aims to support the advancement of therapeutic and diagnostic devices for nervous and neuromuscular disorders. This initiative encourages clinical feasibility studies and the implementation of clinical prototype devices, along with safety and efficacy testing. Participants will receive funding to conduct research in their own labs, collaborate with NIH consultants, and access contract research organizations for specialized testing, ensuring a comprehensive approach to device development.

The Research on Research Security Program, funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to foster collaboration between STEM researchers and research security practitioners. It encourages interdisciplinary approaches to enhance evidence-based research on security issues. Proposals can include conferences, workshops, and planning grants, as well as international partnerships, to address U.S. concerns in research security. This initiative is vital for developing a robust community in this emerging field.

Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy

Unlike surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, cell and gene therapies harness the power of your immune system to destroy cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. We fund the research that will make this vision a reality.

Collaborating with partners and funding research fellows, we are transforming cancer treatments today while bringing the world closer to a cure for all cancers tomorrow.

ACGT Investigator Award in Cell and Gene Therapy for SOLID TUMOR CANCERS 

Purpose

Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, Inc. (ACGT) funds breakthrough research that is transforming cancer treatment through cell and gene therapy. This ACGT grant award is for those conducting translational cell and gene therapy research specifically in solid tumor cancers.

Research Objectives

Cell and gene therapy for solid tumors poses major challenges driven by antigen heterogeneity, physical exclusion, immunosuppressive microenvironments, genomic instability, and safety limitations. This RFA seeks innovative, translational cell and gene therapy strategies that directly address these barriers.

Proposed approaches should demonstrate the capacity to: (1) overcome antigen escape through multi-targeted designs that broaden patient populations and account for heterogeneity and resistance due to antigen loss; (2) enhance trafficking, infiltration, and persistence within solid tumor sites; (3) resist or reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment; and (4) incorporate built-in safety and controllability mechanisms suitable for clinical translation. Successful proposals will integrate these elements to enable durable, precise, and scalable therapeutic impact in solid tumors.

Building on the priorities outlined above, this RFP encourages proposals spanning a broad range of cell and gene therapy (CGT) platforms and rational combinations, including but not limited to:

• Engineered T Cell Approaches
• Innate and Alternative Immune Cell Platforms
• Gene Editing & Synthetic Biology Strategies
• Microenvironment-Modulating Strategies
• Combinatorial Approaches

Proposals that integrate multiple strategies to overcome trafficking, suppression, antigen escape, and safety barriers in a coordinated manner are strongly encouraged. Preference will be given to approaches with clear mechanistic rationale and a credible path toward clinical translation in solid tumors.

About The NRA Foundation

The heart of The NRA Foundation’s mission is preserving the core of our American values and traditions in our steadfast effort to Teach Freedom.

The NRA Foundation Supports Freedom, Family, and the Future of the Shooting Sports

Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc. (“NRA Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans.

The heart of The NRA Foundation’s mission is preserving the core of our American values and traditions in our steadfast effort to Teach Freedom.

Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc. (“NRA Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the National Rifle Association of America and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and to educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological and artistic context. Funds granted by The NRA Foundation benefit a variety of constituencies throughout the United States including children, youth, women, individuals with physical disabilities, gun collectors, law enforcement officers, hunters and competitive shooters.

Awards

The NRA is proud to recognize the contributions of those who have demonstrated dedication to the promotion of the Second Amendment, significantly impacted the preservation of the shooting sports, advanced the purposes and goals of the NRA and exemplified leadership through public service. Each year, women, youth, clubs, law enforcement officers and NRA Foundation volunteers are awarded for their efforts in pursuit of these principles.

NRA Law Enforcement Officer Of The Year Award

NRA's Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award was established in 1993 and recognizes an exceptional act or service by a law enforcement officer and is administered by the NRA Law Enforcement Division. Nominations are accepted from anyone having knowledge of the nominee's actions. This includes, but is not limited to, the nominee's agency head, other law enforcement officials, elected officials, fellow officers, community leaders, interested citizens, and NRA members.

The JAMS Foundation / NAFCM Mini-Grant Program offers funding to support innovative community mediation programs that foster sustainability and growth. This initiative emphasizes conflict resolution training for local leaders, enabling them to effectively address community issues. Through structured peer interactions, grantees share best practices and insights. Resources generated by the program are freely accessible to enhance the wider community mediation field, ensuring shared knowledge and enhanced practices across the nation.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

June M. and John C. Vandervelde Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of June M. and John C. Vandervelde, who established the June M. and John C. Vandervelde Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The Vandervelde's are both long-time Muskegon residents. Many Muskegonites will recognize the name "Vandervelde Furniture" which was located on Broadway in Muskegon Heights for many years. Generations of people bought their furniture from Vandervelde's. June is a long active volunteer for many community organizations, and both have a strong belief in and recognize the importance of a college education. This scholarship fund will assist Muskegon County students as they pursue that education.

At the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, we work with donors, grantees, and advisors to address key community issues.

Ken and Clara Kolberg Family Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Ken Kolberg and family, who established the Ken and Clara Kolberg Family Scholarship of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. Teaching is the family business of the Kolberg Family. Ken started teaching in Muskegon Public Schools after WWII and did so for thirty-seven years. Ken and Clara raised five children, of whom four became teachers - two working in Muskegon. Through the establishment of this Fund, the family is assured of having an impact on students far into the future. This Fund will support Muskegon students pursuing careers in education, especially minority students so greatly needed as teachers in our school systems.

The ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships offer early career researchers a chance to engage in independent research aligned with the Army Research Laboratory's mission. Candidates should demonstrate exceptional scientific abilities and a potential for leadership, having addressed significant scientific or engineering challenges during their doctoral studies. Fellowships provide a stipend of $115,000 per year, along with health insurance and other benefits. Applicants must have completed their Ph.D. by October 1, 2025, and are required to undergo a Department of Defense clearance.

Arnold Ventures

Arnold Ventures (AV) is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through evidence-based policy solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. We focus on improving systems where outcomes are falling short, incentives are misaligned, and the time is right for change.

To advance this mission, we invest in rigorous research to better understand the root causes of problems and strengthen the evidence base on what works to solve them. Using this evidence, we advocate for policy reforms at all levels of government and help build durable, bipartisan coalitions for lasting change.

Causal Research on the Impacts of Cell Phone Policies in K-12 Schools

The Opportunity

Smartphones are nearly universal among children and adolescents in the United States: 95% of teens reported having access to a smartphone, giving them regular exposure to social media, gaming, and video streaming platforms. While smartphones can support learning and social connection, emerging evidence suggests that using phones during school may also interfere with important educational goals, including student engagement, attendance, and academic performance.

In response, more than 30 states have passed laws restricting cell phone use in K-12 schools in recent years. These policies vary widely, ranging from “bell-to-bell” policies to classroom-level bans on phones only during instructional time. Despite the rapid adoption of these policies, rigorous evidence on academic, behavioral, and mental health impacts remains limited. In the absence of strong research, federal and state policymakers, as well as school and district leaders, lack the information needed to make informed decisions that effectively support student success. Building a robust evidence base is critical for shaping policies and practices that improve learning and well-being in both the short- and long-term.

This RFP seeks to address these gaps by supporting rigorous, causal research on the academic, behavioral, and mental health impacts of cell phone policies in K-12 schools in the United States. We seek studies that generate actionable insights for policymakers, as well as school and district leaders, who are deciding whether and how to implement or refine such policies. This RFP will support both Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Quasi-Experimental Designs (QEDs) that can credibly estimate causal effects. While we are open to a range of research questions, we highlight 2 areas of particular interest below.

What are the overall impacts of policies restricting cell phone use in K-12 schools?

• What are the short- and long-term impacts of cell phone policies on student-level outcomes, including academic achievement and attainment (e.g., standardized test scores, graduation rates), behaviors (e.g., engagement, attendance, disciplinary actions), and/or mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, loneliness)?

• What are the short- and long-term impacts of cell phone policies on school-level outcomes, including school safety (e.g., reported incidents), school climate (e.g., bullying, social connections), and administrative factors (e.g., costs, logistics, communications with parents)?

• Do initial impacts persist, fade, or grow as schools refine their practices over time?

What factors explain variation in the impacts of cell phone policies?

• Which students, schools, and districts are most impacted by cell phone policies?

• Which policy design features (e.g., what devices are banned, when devices are banned, how devices are stored/locked) make cell phone policies more — or less — effective?

• Which implementation strategies (e.g., training and supports for school staff, consistent approaches for enforcement) make cell phone policies more — or less — effective?

• How do the resource and operational implications of different policy approaches (e.g., costs, staff time, infrastructure needs) influence their effectiveness? How do these factors affect the scalability and sustainability of effective approaches?

This funding opportunity aims to advance mechanistic research for precision probiotic therapies. It invites R33 applications focused on characterizing individual differences in probiotic responses, identifying responder subgroups, and enhancing clinical outcomes. The goal is to develop strategies addressing barriers to effective probiotic use, accounting for human variability. Proposals should include innovative studies using animal models or human subjects, supported by preliminary data to test biological patterns and their effects on health outcomes.

Deb & John Quirk Memorial Scholarship

The Hastings Community Foundation is excited to announce the creation of the Deb and John Quirk Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will provide a $10,000 annual scholarship and is renewable for a total award of up to $40,000. One scholarship will be awarded each year. This scholarship is only available to graduating seniors from Hastings High, Adams Central, or Hastings Catholic Schools. Applicants must be focused on impacting social justice through their education and future employment, as illustrated through an essay submitted to the scholarship committee.

The Edna and Erma Memorial Scholarship, established by The Dayton Foundation in 2018, supports women from Montgomery County, Ohio, pursuing education degrees. It is aimed at female high school seniors and adult learners returning to college, requiring a minimum GPA of 3.0 and demonstrated financial need. This scholarship reflects the Foundation's commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and empowering women in the community.

The Graduate Education Fund offers scholarships for American and Australian graduate students to study in each other's countries. With deadlines in March and September, eligible applicants can receive up to $40,000 to support their education in fields like Science and Technology. This initiative fosters cross-cultural academic collaboration and requires applicants to be enrolled in accredited programs, ensuring a high standard of educational exchange.

The BJA FY 2026 Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program aims to enhance school safety by funding initiatives that train staff and students, develop threat assessment teams, and implement technology solutions like anonymous reporting systems. This program supports effective strategies to identify and mitigate risks of school violence, ensuring students have the tools necessary to foster a secure learning environment while adhering to the guidelines set forth by the STOP School Violence Act.

The Project SEED Fellowship aims to provide high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with hands-on summer research experiences in chemistry and related fields. Over 50 years, it has engaged more than 11,000 students, offering mentorship and support for college readiness. Participants work under the guidance of scientists for 8 to 10 weeks, with opportunities for scholarships and travel grants, thereby fostering interest in STEM careers and promoting diversity in the sciences.

The Celia C. Newcomb Memorial Scholarship, managed by the Crown Point Community Foundation, aims to enrich the lives of South Lake County residents. This scholarship supports Lake County, IN residents pursuing degrees in Education, including high school graduates and adult learners. Applicants must provide an additional essay and meet specific eligibility criteria. It embodies the foundation's mission to address community needs through charitable giving.

The BJA FY 2026 DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR)—Formula Grants Program aims to support states and local governments in enhancing their DNA analysis capabilities. By providing funding for existing crime laboratories, this initiative seeks to increase the processing capacity for DNA samples, thereby reducing the backlog in forensic DNA analysis and ensuring timely entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Applications are due by November 5, 2026.

The Rev. Robert L. Browning Memorial Scholarship, managed by the Decatur County Community Foundation, supports students from Decatur County pursuing careers in ministry or social services, as well as those planning to attend Anderson University. This scholarship is renewable for up to three years and is aimed at graduating high school seniors residing in Decatur County, IN. Preference is given to applicants who attend the Church of God.

The Mifflin Memorial Fund Grant supports nonprofit organizations in human services and education, particularly those serving low-income and minority populations. This private fund also contributes to environmental and conservation initiatives, and occasionally cultural organizations for specific projects. Eligible applicants must be tax-exempt nonprofits, ensuring that grants are directed towards impactful community services and educational opportunities.

Academy Sports + Outdoors, a leading sporting goods retailer, supports community initiatives by providing donations to registered 501(c)(3) organizations. Their focus is on promoting safety and responsibility in sports and outdoor activities. Proposals must foster community engagement and must not be affiliated with religious or political groups. Events should take place in areas with Academy stores, ensuring a positive local impact while encouraging active lifestyles and connection among community members.