Best Unrestricted Grants for Nonprofits in Wisconsin

Medina County Women's Scholarship FundOriginally established by the American Association of University Women of Medina County to award scholarships to nontraditional female students. A nontraditional student is a woman whose undergraduate education has been interrupted or delayed.Amount:

• Varies

Number of awards:

• Varies

Renewal:

• Must reapply annually by submission of a new application; however, any applicant cannot be selected more than twice for this scholarship.

The Joey Johnson Memorial Scholarship, established in 2019 by the East Texas Communities Foundation, honors Joey Johnson's caring spirit. This scholarship is available for graduating seniors from Gladewater, Sabine, West Rusk, or Overton High Schools, supporting students pursuing any field of study at colleges across the U.S. Financial need is considered, and recipients can renew the scholarship for up to three years by maintaining a 3.0 GPA and full-time status.

The American Epilepsy Society offers Seed Grants to support established researchers in exploring innovative research methodologies and collaborations. These grants aim to foster new lines of inquiry in epilepsy research. Notably, proposals that align with specific partner priorities may enjoy waived eligibility criteria, enhancing funding opportunities. This initiative seeks to advance understanding and treatment of epilepsy through novel research avenues.

The NIDCR Drug, Biologic, Device and/or Procedure Intervention Clinical Trial Planning and Implementation Cooperative Agreement (UG3/UH3) is designed to support clinical trial planning and implementation for dental, oral, and craniofacial conditions. This funding opportunity encourages applications that propose innovative research strategies within the NIDCR mission. Key deadlines span from February 2025 to January 2028, with emphasis on milestone-driven planning phases leading into possible clinical trial phases.

The American Epilepsy Society's Junior Investigator Research Awards support early-career researchers in epilepsy. The awards, offering up to $50,000 for one year, aim to enhance the ability of new investigators to secure longer-term funding from sources like the NIH. Proposals are encouraged across a range of epilepsy research, including basic, translational, and clinical studies, as well as health services research. This initiative also includes complimentary membership to the AES Annual Meeting.

The Emerging Scholars in Family Planning Grant, offered by the Society of Family Planning, aims to support early-career researchers in developing a family planning research portfolio. This grant provides funding for publishable scholarly research projects, including thesis or dissertation work, fostering the next generation of scholars in abortion and contraception research. By promoting diversity and inclusion, the grant seeks to build a multidisciplinary community dedicated to advancing family planning science.

The American Epilepsy Society offers Research and Training Fellowships for Clinicians, providing up to $75,000 for one year to support clinical fellows or new faculty aiming to advance in epilepsy research. This fellowship encourages proposals across basic, translational, and clinical research. It also includes $1,000 for travel to the AES Annual Meeting, membership benefits, and complimentary registration, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing in the epilepsy research community.

Enterprise Community Partners

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

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

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

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

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

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

National Housing Innovation Grant Competition

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

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

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

Focus Areas

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

Proposals must encompass one or more of three focus areas:

• Design and Construction
• Finance
• Service Delivery and Programs

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

Round 1: Criteria and Scoring

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

Type of Community

Innovations can serve all types of communities:

• Rural
• Urban
• Suburban
• Tribal

Location

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

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

Affordability

Innovations must serve residents at these income levels:

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

The Igor Gorin Memorial Award, established in 1993 by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, honors the legacy of Igor Gorin by supporting aspiring vocalists. With $382,000 awarded to 49 young talents, this fund provides unrestricted financial assistance for coaching, travel, and auditions. The 2026 award offers up to $12,000, aimed at those overcoming financial barriers to pursue operatic careers, ensuring that exceptional vocalists can thrive in their artistic journeys.

The American Epilepsy Society offers Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to support trainees conducting research on epilepsy's causes, treatment, and consequences. These fellowships provide up to $49,000 for stipend and benefits, $1,000 for travel to the AES annual meeting, and complimentary membership. Proposals can be basic, translational, or clinical research, and the number of awards depends on available funding.

The American Epilepsy Society offers Predoctoral Research Fellowships to support students conducting epilepsy-related dissertation research under expert mentorship. Proposals in basic, translational, or clinical research are encouraged. Each fellowship provides up to $30,000 for stipend and travel to the AES Annual Meeting for one year, along with a one-year AES membership. The number of awards varies annually based on available funding.

CAAM Fellowship

Maker and project development opportunity with a focus on nurturing mentor-fellow relationships within the Asian American documentary community.

The CAAM Fellowship Program aims to support documentary filmmakers developing Asian American stories by pairing selected Fellows with accomplished professionals as Mentors for six months to nurture both a project and the Fellow’s career in documentary filmmaking. 

These Mentors will be working one on one with their Fellows on their documentary projects and engage in virtual and in-person opportunities to nurture the full cohort. 

This year’s CAAM Fellowship is an opportunity to support filmmakers in the Midwest, a region that has been home to Asian Americans since before the U.S. was founded, especially for key sub-communities, such as the Hmong American community in Minneapolis, Michigan’s Muslim American communities, along with many others. This Fellowship continues CAAM’s commitment to uplifting nuanced, community-centered storytelling across the country.

The Fellowship includes one-on-one mentor meetings, monthly cohort gatherings, and participation in programs like the CAAMFest Filmmaker Summit and Ready, Set, Pitch! — building a lasting community of documentary makers.

The A. O. Smith Foundation, established in 1955, provides grants to support charitable, educational, and human services organizations primarily in communities where A. O. Smith Corporation operates. With a mission focused on enhancing community well-being, the Foundation promotes education, arts, culture, and health initiatives. It encourages employees to engage in volunteerism, fostering a culture of community involvement. Notably, the Foundation does not fund politically active organizations or those primarily aiming to influence legislation.

The AHRF Birtman Grant provides up to $75,000 for one year of research focused on hearing and balance disorders related to the inner ear. This grant encourages both basic and clinical studies, covering direct costs such as staff salaries and research equipment. Applicants must hold relevant advanced degrees and be affiliated with a U.S. university or hospital. An alternative budget option of $50,000 is available, enhancing eligibility for Regular grants if not awarded the Birtman Grant.

Community Collaboration Challenge

Applications for the 2026 Community Collaboration Challenge are now open! With support from the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, the Challenge provides $5,000 – $10,000 awards to communities and is designed to support collaboration that expands and pilots evidence-based K-12 student supports in the form of high-impact tutoring, mentoring, student success coaching, postsecondary transition coaching, and/or wraparound/integrated student supports.

The Lung Cancer Discovery Award, offered by the American Lung Association, supports innovative research aimed at improving outcomes for lung cancer patients. With funding of $100,000 per year for up to two years, this award encourages groundbreaking projects that enhance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, investigate genetic forms of lung cancer, and develop novel screening methods. The initiative is a vital step towards reducing lung cancer morbidity and mortality, ultimately improving patient care and saving lives.

Society of Toxicology

Founded in 1961, the Society of Toxicology (SOT) is a professional and scholarly organization of scientists from academic institutions, government, and industry representing the great variety of scientists who practice toxicology in the US and abroad. The Society’s mission is to create a safer and healthier world by advancing the science and increasing the impact of toxicology. SOT operates under four guiding principles:

• Serving the needs of the scientific discipline and our members to enhance human, animal, and environmental health.
• Life-long learning and intellectual scientific stimulation.
• Diversity of representation in all activities of the Society.
• Integrity.

MDCPSS Early Career Achievement Award

Description

The MDCPSS Early Career Achievement Award recognizes the research accomplishments of young scientists in the early stages of their careers who have demonstrated excellence in toxicological research related to medical devices and/or combination products.

Award Categories

Up to two award recipients will be selected:

• One undergraduate or graduate student
• One postdoctoral fellow or early-career scientist (≤5 years post-graduation)

Award Recognition

• Each recipient will receive a plaque and a monetary award to support travel to the SOT Annual Meeting.
• Awardees will be recognized at the MDCPSS Reception and invited to give a 5-minute overview presentation of their work.

Kickstart Your Project with a Mini-Grant

At H2O for Life, we never want finances to be a barrier to participating in a service project. The H2O for Life Mini-Grants are meant to be a supportive resource for teachers and students who want to kick-start their projects with us. Mini-grants of up to $500 will be awarded to support teachers and students with the necessary funds for their service-learning programs.

Our Mission

H2O for Life offers a service-learning opportunity designed to engage, educate and inspire youth to take action to solve the global water crisis by raising awareness and funds to support implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene education projects for global partner schools.

Since 2007, nearly 1 million students from H2O for Life schools have supported water, sanitation, and hygiene education projects for partner schools in the developing world.

What is H2O for Life doing to address the global water crisis?

H2O for Life’s service-learning opportunities are designed to engage, educate, and inspire youth to become global citizens. Our innovative school-to-school approach helps young people develop a concern for others by taking a major global crisis and scaling it down to a manageable size — one water project in the developing world.

Through the service-learning opportunity we provide, students learn that they can make a tangible difference for the students in their partner school.

About Us

Midlands Community Foundation (MCF) is here to serve and add value to donors’ philanthropic needs by providing them an opportunity to “invest in the power of community.” It is our goal to identify current and emerging issues, channel resources to address community needs, and help prepare for the future.

MCF Mission

The mission of Midlands Community Foundation is to be a catalyst for lasting impact in Sarpy and Cass counties and to give opportunities to organizations and individuals to pursue their charitable goals.

Scholarships Through MCF

Midlands Community Foundation is committed to the futures of communities in Sarpy and Cass Counties, and across the country. Supporting higher education of students is a direct investment in the futures of these communities.

The Walt Secord “Always Sunny and 75” Memorial Trade Scholarship Application

The Fund shall annually distribute two (2) scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each.

$20K for changemakers with transformative ideas & firsthand insight in early childhood

About the Imagine Award

The Imagine Award by the Promise Fund offers $20,000 in flexible funding (see definition in FAQs) and a six-month cohort-based learning experience for community-rooted early childhood leaders with ideas for transformative impact. ​​Award recipients are at the idea stage and will launch a pilot within six months, testing their solutions with real users, gathering feedback, and refining their approach.

Imagine Award recipients will learn strategies for designing and executing lightweight tests for rapid learning while gaining clarity on their idea's direction using impact and business models. They will craft a compelling story about their work to build future partnerships and run a focused pilot with strong feedback loops for gathering data, all while growing alongside a supportive peer community.

What We Provide

Our grant dollars are flexible and meant to be used at award recipients’ discretion for the pursuit of tests or a pilot of a transformative idea. Read the FAQ for more information.

Direct, one-on-one support from our team to help you learn, get tailored help, and make relevant connections.

Multi-day gathering for peer connection, learning, and pilot design.

Access to a bench of mentors to guide you as you transition out of the program and navigate next steps with your pilot.

Light, tailored coaching to support pilot preparation, launch, and implementation.

Ongoing peer community and resources to continue learning and collaboration

The Pilot Research Grant, offered by the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation, supports innovative research in interventional radiology to improve patient care. Grants of up to $35,000 are available for full-time faculty and post-doctorates with relevant degrees in the U.S. and Canada. Applicants must be current SIR members and can submit proposals for preliminary data generation, enhancing their chances for future funding opportunities.

The OJJDP FY 2026 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program Support aims to fortify a national network of 61 multiagency task forces dedicated to combating child sexual exploitation facilitated by technology. This funding opportunity enhances training, prevention, and outreach efforts while fostering collaboration among law enforcement entities. Applications are due in JustGrants by November 9, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. ET, ensuring timely support for critical initiatives to protect children.

The Parkinson Association of the Rockies Eric Wright Memorial Fund honors Eric Wright's legacy by providing scholarships to high school seniors and college students affected by Parkinson Disease. Recipients, eligible for up to $20,000 over four years, are selected based on merit and financial need. This fund aims to inspire the next generation while supporting students who have experienced loss or hardship due to this condition, promoting education and resilience within the community.

The Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA) offers Student Enrichment Grants to support educational activities in the music and entertainment fields. Grants of up to $1,000 are available for accredited institutions that are MEIEA members. Eligible projects include workshops, guest speakers, and community service initiatives. Special consideration is given to first-time applicants and projects promoting diversity and inclusion, aiming to enrich student experiences and foster greater engagement within the industry.

Stanislaus Community Foundation provides scholarship opportunities for students in order to help them achieve their educational and career goals. We believe that by investing in our students, we are investing in a brighter future for Stanislaus.

Jim & Betty Lilly Scholarship Fund

Open to students from Stanislaus and Calaveras County who have attended a continuation high school, including those who have returned to and graduated from traditional high schools or attending a Vocational School.

Award Amount:

• $1,000

The American Legion Post 27 Scholarship, offered by the Beatrice Educational Foundation, provides $500 scholarships to two Beatrice High School graduating seniors (one male and one female) pursuing education at accredited institutions. The Foundation, established in 1987, has a $3.8 million Endowment Fund and awards over $55,000 in scholarships annually to support students in their academic endeavors. Applications must be completed by the students themselves and adhere to specific ethical guidelines.

About Samaritan Health Services

We’re a nonprofit network of hospitals, clinics and health services caring for more than 290,000 residents in the mid-Willamette Valley and central Oregon Coast and portions of Marion and Polk counties. We work together to provide highly reliable and innovative medicine with world-class quality in a way that supports the values of the communities we serve. That includes caring for all people, regardless of their ability to pay.

Health Education Scholarships

One of the many keys to maintaining a healthy, prosperous community is ensuring a sustainable supply of excellent health care providers. To achieve this, Samaritan Health Services offers numerous scholarships to local students pursuing careers as doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, as well continuing education or specialty training for current medical providers.

Each year, Samaritan awards more than $25,000 in scholarships for health care education to ensure the communities we serve receive the best care possible well into the future.

Gribler Loving Trust Nursing Education Scholarship

Each year, the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation awards the Gribler Loving Trust Nursing Education Scholarship to three students who live in Lincoln County, are pursuing a degree in nursing and who intend to practice in the community when they graduate. Up to $3,000 is awarded to each student and students who receive the scholarship are eligible to apply for a second year.

The scholarship is awarded in honor of Bill and Olga Gribler, Newport residents since 1947. Bill taught music, providing entertainment throughout the community, and Olga worked for the phone company and later the Bank of Newport. They established this generous scholarship to help address the ongoing need for quality nurses in the region.

Purpose

The intent of this scholarship is to assist a resident from Lincoln County, Oregon:

• To secure training in order to enter or re-enter the field of nursing.
• Who is pursuing a career as a Registered Nurse.
• Who needs training to improve working skills.
• Who has obligations in addition to those of providing for their education