Stanley 1913 Creators Fund

Stanley 1913 Creators Fund supports emerging leaders and nonprofit organizations working at the intersection of humanity, sustainability, and possibility. The program provides early-stage grants intended for Creators, Builders, and Inventors who reflect the communities they serve and bring optimism to efforts addressing urgent challenges. The fund is designed to accommodate a wide variety of causes, with examples including climate change, food security, housing security, and equity and justice. Stanley 1913 emphasizes learning from leaders who understand the nuances of challenges within their own communities and who have developed innovative solutions to those challenges. The program supports social entrepreneurs and the nonprofit organizations with which they are affiliated. Well-suited organizations must demonstrate alignment with Stanley 1913 Creators Fund objectives and Stanley 1913 values and standards, including its commitment to inclusion. Eligible organizations must have an operating history of less than 10 years and annual operating income between $200,000 USD and $2,000,000 USD. They must also demonstrate willingness to partner with the Stanley 1913 brand and other stakeholders to amplify the organization's story and progress. U.S.-based recipients must operate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or work with a qualified 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor eligible to receive corporate funding. Organizations outside the United States must provide documentation showing legally recognized nonprofit or charitable status in their country and must operate with strong governance based on local standards. Individuals are ineligible, as are organizations that do not meet the required nonprofit status. Government agencies and political advocacy organizations designed to support political purposes, lobby regulators or elected officials, or elect candidates are excluded. Educational entities such as schools and colleges are not eligible. Religious institutions, including houses of worship, affiliated organizations, and organizations intended to recruit or promote a specific religious faith, are also ineligible. Organizations that violate Stanley 1913 values, standards of business conduct, nondiscrimination policy, or applicable U.S. or international law are excluded. Award recipients are expected to make transparent and responsible use of the funding to advance their ideas and mission. Progress updates are encouraged but are not required. Applications are due Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 11:59pm PST and must be submitted through the designated online portal. Applicants are asked to provide information about the 501(c)(3) organization applying for funding and information about the affiliated leader. The application also requires a description of alignment with Stanley 1913 Creators Fund objectives, including the cause at the center of the applicant's work, the qualities, accomplishments, or ideas that exemplify the applicant as an emerging Creator, and specific actions that may be pursued as a result of Stanley 1913 Creators Fund support. Applicants receive an email confirmation after submission. Applications undergo an eligibility screening and review of basic information about the organization's intended work, innovative solution, and leadership. Evaluation considers Create, Build, Invent, focusing on innovation and originality in approaches to systems change; Theory of Change, examining whether the solution has been created, defined, tested, and/or received funding; Leadership and Voice, considering the ability to use compelling narrative to advance ideas and rally support; Project & Capacity, examining how funding will enable additional development or delivery of the solution; Inclusion, considering inclusive operational commitments and service delivery; and Partnership, assessing commitment to collaboration with a wide group of stakeholders. Leading applicants may be asked for additional information and/or invited to a conversation with Stanley 1913 Creators Fund representatives before final decisions are made. Stanley 1913 anticipates selecting a minimum of five and a maximum of eight recipients. A maximum of $50,000 USD will be awarded to each recipient in 2026, with final amounts determined at Stanley 1913's sole discretion and potentially adjusted based on the number of applicants, the size of awardee organizations, and proposal strength. Funding in 2026 is single-year funding. No matching or cost-share requirement is stated. All applicants will be notified of their status by November 2026, and final decisions and awards will be made during November 2026. Applicants not selected are welcome to reapply in future grant cycles. Program questions may be sent to stanleycreatorsfund@stanley1913.com; Stanley 1913 aims to respond within five working days but cannot provide individual application status updates.

Demonstrate innovation and originality in systems change; articulate a theory of change showing the solution has been created, defined, tested, and/or funded; use compelling leadership and narrative to advance ideas and rally support; clearly explain how funding enables additional development and/or delivery; demonstrate inclusion in operations and service delivery; show commitment to collaboration and broad stakeholder partnerships.