Best Grants for 501(c)(3) in Wyoming

The Western SARE Graduate Student Research and Education Grant Program supports innovative research and educational outreach in sustainable agriculture. Funded by the USDA, it aims to enhance environmental quality, improve profitability for producers, and uplift rural communities. Projects must involve both research and education components, with proposals authored by graduate students collaborating with their advisors. This initiative fosters communication of results to agricultural professionals, ensuring practical applications for sustainable practices in the Western U.S.

The CWAM Grants program, offered by the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums, aims to enhance professionalism in the CWAM region. Grants support new projects, such as improved collections storage, disaster planning, and staff training, with no financial match required. Organizations must be 501(c)3 nonprofits or local government agencies and CWAM institutional members in good standing. Applications for ongoing projects will not be considered, and recipients must submit a final report by October 31, 2026.

The Nationwide Fishing Trap Removal, Assessment, and Prevention (TRAP) Program aims to eliminate derelict fishing traps nationwide. Focused on collaboration, it emphasizes standardized data collection, quantifying impacts, and comprehensive data sharing. With an annual budget of up to $1,475,000, the program supports 6 to 15 projects, providing grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 for 18-month initiatives. This effort significantly enhances marine resource conservation by reducing bycatch mortality and removing abandoned traps.

Catholic Extension provides essential funding to support the construction, expansion, or renovation of churches and community facilities. This initiative aims to meet the facility needs of under-resourced Catholic dioceses across the U.S. By focusing on active projects, Catholic Extension ensures that communities can enhance their worship spaces and support local ministries, ultimately fostering a stronger church community. Funding is available for both minor and major requests, with an emphasis on urgent needs and robust funding strategies.

The Rural Business Development Grants in Wyoming offer vital support for small rural businesses, providing technical assistance and training to enhance their operations. Grants can be used for a variety of projects including training, market research, and business planning, with no maximum grant amount. Priority is given to smaller requests, and funds are aimed at benefiting communities outside urban areas, ensuring economic growth in rural settings.

The Wilburforce Foundation Conservation Grants aim to enhance the conservation of vital lands, waters, and wildlife in Western North America. By 2025, their vision is to ensure native wildlife thrives across connected landscapes. The foundation supports organizations dedicated to strategic conservation efforts, focusing on habitat security and wildlife linkages. Grants are available to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations and similar entities, fostering initiatives that protect critical wildlife habitats and promote ecological integrity.

The Asian Cultural Council's Graduate Fellowship provides financial support for travel and living expenses to graduate students from Asia studying in the U.S. It offers $15,000 for one academic year, potentially renewable for another year, covering essential costs while pursuing full-time coursework. This initiative fosters international cultural exchange and enhances academic training in the arts. Eligible applicants must be enrolled full-time in accredited graduate programs and commit to at least two consecutive semesters of study.

The Building Leaders Grants by Catholic Extension aim to enhance the recruitment, education, and ongoing formation of church leaders. This initiative provides critical funding for the professional development of both ordained and lay leaders in mission dioceses. By fostering partnerships with various organizations, it addresses the need for trained ministers and supports various funding areas, including seminarian sponsorship and diaconate formation, ensuring a robust future for church leadership.

The Building Foundation Grants by Catholic Extension aim to support essential pastoral and administrative functions in under-resourced communities. These grants provide salary subsidies and operational funding to ordained, religious, and lay ministers, ensuring access to Catholic services. Prioritizing areas with significant financial need, this initiative seeks to sustain the church's presence where it is most critical, enabling continued ministry and outreach for those who may otherwise be underserved.

The SEARCH Grant provides essential support for very small, financially distressed rural communities by funding predevelopment feasibility studies and technical assistance for water and waste disposal projects. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes. Funds can be used for feasibility studies, design analysis, and technical help in securing financial assistance, ensuring improvements in rural infrastructure and community health.

The Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowships program, managed by the USDA's NIFA, aims to enhance the training of new graduate students in food and agricultural sciences. It provides essential funding for master's, DVM, and doctoral students, focusing on developing the next generation of experts to address critical needs in agricultural sciences. This initiative supports U.S. citizens and residents in achieving their educational goals and contributing to the USDA's mission.

The Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation Direct Grants program provides support to non-profit organizations in focus areas including STEM education, sustainable construction, and workforce development. The foundation aims to foster community development and environmental stewardship. Eligible applicants include IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organizations and accredited educational institutions in the U.S. The Foundation prioritizes partnerships that allow employee involvement and volunteer support, aiming to build meaningful relationships with grantees.

The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Assistance Fund offers crucial financial support and counseling for individuals in the theatrical exhibition and distribution sectors facing health-related challenges. This fund assists with medical expenses, housing emergencies, and essential services like vocational rehabilitation and equipment aid. Eligible applicants must have a minimum of three years in exhibition or five years in distribution. The fund aims to provide a safety net for those impacted by illness, injury, or significant life changes.

The Sprouting School Gardens Grant, provided by the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, supports school-based gardening and cooking programs to foster healthy eating habits in children. Grants between $5,000 and $10,000 help cover program operations, supplies, and educator stipends. Eligible applicants include schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofits located in areas served by Sprouts Farmers Market, promoting meaningful connections between local teams and school gardening initiatives.

The Pipeline Grants Competition by the Russell Sage Foundation aims to bolster early-career scholars and enhance diversity in the social sciences. It supports innovative research focusing on economic mobility and systemic inequalities in the U.S. Eligible applicants can receive up to $35,000 individually or $50,000 in teams. The foundation emphasizes methodological diversity and interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging novel data usage. Projects should align with RSF's mission to improve social conditions, prioritizing underrepresented scholars from under-resourced institutions.

The NCDDG program supports innovative research aiming to discover and develop new treatments for mental disorders, including substance use and alcohol use disorders. This initiative encourages collaborations between academic and industry partners to advance neurostimulation techniques and drug/device development. Applicants are invited to submit proposals that focus on specific projects utilizing the U01 mechanism, with a clear emphasis on rationally designed candidate agents and cutting-edge technologies. Letters of Intent are encouraged 30 days prior to the submission deadline.

The National Cooperative Drug/Device Discovery/Development Groups (NCDDG) program invites applications to foster innovative research in treating mental disorders and substance use issues. This initiative promotes collaboration between academia and industry, supporting diverse, multidisciplinary projects aimed at developing rational therapies and neurostimulation techniques. Applicants are encouraged to submit Letters of Intent 30 days before the proposal deadline to enhance project alignment with funding goals.

Socrates Foundation Grant

The acorn in the Socrates Foundation logo symbolizes the Board’s vision for investing seed money in projects with growth potential, in projects showing strength/sustainability resulting from innovative, wise planning. That vision birthed the purpose of the Foundation: to fund grants primarily for seed money for capital appropriations that are used for education or humanitarian purposes.

• One-time capital funding projects
• Projects with matching gift programs in their plans
• Proposals dealing with development of new intellectual skills
• Youth projects
• Projects in education or health
• Projects being completed over 1-2 years (depending upon project addressed)
• Innovative ideas that can be sustained following initial funding
• Projects between $5,000 and $50,000
• Projects supporting small non-profit organizations in Wyoming

Who We Are

Since 1989, the Wyoming Community Foundation (WYCF) has connected people who care with causes that matter to build a better Wyoming. With over 500 funds and $270 million in assets, we support local nonprofits and make grants in every county. WYCF has granted more than $150 million to charitable causes and works with donors to support the communities and organizations they care about most. 

By working with donors, nonprofits, and communities, WYCF makes giving accessible and impactful, helping strengthen organizations and the communities they serve. As one of the only accredited community foundations in Wyoming, WYCF is your trusted partner in philanthropy. 

WYCF serves donors and communities by connecting them to causes they care about most. We make giving easy by accepting a wide-range of gifts, from cash and appreciated securities to more complex gifts such as real estate and mineral interests. WYCF is overseen by a volunteer board who ensures that your funds are being used to best support Wyoming.

WYCF Competitive Cycle - Spring

The Competitive Cycle is WYCF's flagship grant program. We accept applications for all types of grant purposes. Applicants may apply for general operating or project/program funding.

How much can I request?

Most grant amounts awarded are between $1,000-$10,000, with other amounts considered. An organization may receive full funding, partial funding, or be denied funding. In some cases, additional conditions may be attached to funding approval. If you are uncertain as to how much to request, we encourage you to contact staff or schedule Office Hours.

WYCF accepts one application per organization per grant deadline. If you have previously received funding, a final report must be submitted prior to submitting a new grant request. 

If awarded, grantees should skip the next cycle before applying again.

The Wyoming Arts Council offers the Professional Development/Career Advancement Grant to enhance the capabilities of individuals and organizations engaged in the arts. This program supports diverse projects, including leadership training, strategic planning, and fundraising development. Eligible applicants include individual artists and 501(c)(3) organizations based in Wyoming. The grant aims to foster artistic excellence and community engagement, ensuring that the arts thrive in the state's economy and culture.

The Creative West Artist Fund supports artists and cultural practitioners across 16 states, providing essential funding and resources to enhance their emotional and financial well-being. Rooted in values of Democracy, Wellness, and Belonging, this initiative offers no-strings-attached funding alongside coaching and community care. It aims to empower artists as vital contributors to the creative economy, while promoting equitable and trust-based grantmaking practices. The fund serves to foster a rich creative community through collaboration and support.

The HDR Foundation Grant Cycle supports community organizations aligned with HDR's values, focusing on education, healthy communities, and environmental stewardship. This employee-funded initiative emphasizes the importance of employee engagement in grant proposals, requiring a clear scope of work and completion within a year. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofits, educational institutions, and tribal governments, while grants are not provided for faith-based organizations or individual support.

The Social Justice Fund NW offers sponsorships to grassroots organizations in ID, MT, OR, WA, and WY, encouraging innovative projects often overlooked by traditional funders. Applicants must comply with specific requirements, including being within the designated region and ensuring events are accessible to the public. This initiative supports community-led efforts, particularly those led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color, fostering connections and amplifying collective action through diverse events.

The Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence: Development Phase (COBRE-D) program aims to enhance biomedical research capacity in IDeA states, which historically receive low NIH funding. By providing critical support for early-career investigators and essential infrastructure, COBRE-D facilitates a long-term vision for institutions. This initiative not only supplements start-up packages for new hires but also establishes research facilities and improves administrative services, paving the way for less-resourced institutions to transition into the COBRE E/S program.

The NIOSH Miner Safety and Health Training Program aims to enhance health and safety training for miners in the Western United States. With mining fatalities significantly higher than the national average, this initiative seeks to address critical training needs by developing effective programs, increasing qualified instructors, and ensuring compliance with existing safety guidelines. By focusing on culturally appropriate training methods and collaborative efforts with other agencies, the program aims to reduce injuries and fatalities in the mining sector.

Mission

The Foundation was established in December 2013 by Kathryn B. McQuade, after retiring from 33 years of working in the business community. I was blessed to have been born into a loving middle class family. My father worked very hard to insure that all of his children were given an opportunity for a good education and my mother, “a stay at home Mom’ was always there for us. My world was safe and comfortable. My life is in stark contrast to how much of the rest of the world lives. I continue to read of the terrible injustices waged against women and children globally and hope that this foundation can provide them the opportunity and resources to succeed. We will support organizations that help us achieve our goal of Striving to make sustainable improvements in women and children’s rights education and welfare.

Kathryn McQuade Foundation Grant

The Foundation will make timely decisions on your grant request and provide clear communications on our expectations of reporting progress.

Women

The Foundation’s goal is to provide women assistance and provide them an opportunity to succeed. Assistance can take many forms, however our goal is to help them become self sufficient and enable them to lift themselves out of poverty and provide for their children. Access to education, job training and professional skills, even access to capital in order to build a business are possible ways we will consider helping women to succeed. Grant requests should focus on enabling the women to sustain financial independence.

We look forward to hearing of the many creative ways organizations are working on helping women succeed through out the world. To help women is to help their children and the communities they live in.

Children

Too many children in the US and across the world live in poverty and lack the access to education. Education and/or appropriate skills training are necessary to break the cycle of poverty and crime. While the assistance to women may take many forms, the foundation’s focus for children will target education and/ or skills training. The Foundation is open to many ideas on how to accomplish this goal and look forward to receiving proposals to help all children achieve their potential.

The TRGS Field Scholarships, funded by the Tobacco Root Geological Society, support students engaged in geoscience research in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Scholarships of up to $1200 are awarded annually based on clarity, relevance, and potential impact of projects. Since 1995, over $156,500 has been granted to more than 222 students. Preference is given to mapping projects in Montana, Idaho, and northern Wyoming, with opportunities for presentation at the annual TRGS Field Conference.