Grants for Independent School Districts

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations and public schools in Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties to promote equitable access to high-quality arts and culture for youth and underrepresented communities.

This grant provides financial support to educational institutions, local governments, and non-profit organizations for projects that promote recycling, composting, and waste reduction in the Ottawa-Sandusky-Seneca District.

The Arlington County Department of Human Services is offering a grant funding opportunity to support its Food Security Strategic Plan. This initiative aligns with the department's mission to address food insecurity and improve nutrition equity within Arlington County. The grant aims to support projects that enhance food access, promote outreach and education, build capacity among food assistance providers, and facilitate informed decision-making through data collection. The maximum grant award for a single project is $25,000, with funds to be spent by June 30, 2025. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are Arlington County residents experiencing food insecurity. The program targets various populations through strategies such as enhancing school-based supplemental food offerings, establishing new charitable food distributions in underserved neighborhoods, and increasing nutrition education opportunities for residents of all ages. The overarching impact goal is to eliminate, reduce, and prevent disparities in food security, ensuring that all those in need receive adequate support. The grant prioritizes projects that address at least one of five key strategies outlined in the Strategic Plan: Systemic Change, Food Access, Outreach & Education, Capacity Building, and Informed Decision Making. Specific focuses include improving nutrition equity, increasing food rescue and redistribution, promoting food assistance resources like SNAP, developing training materials for staff and volunteers, and collecting data on usage trends and services. Eligible organizations include IRS-designated 501c3 nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and public schools or universities that serve Arlington residents. Expected outcomes include improved access to nutritious food for Arlington residents, increased awareness and enrollment in food assistance programs, enhanced operational capacity for food pantries and meal programs, and better-informed decision-making based on collected data. Measurable results could include an increase in the number of residents served, the quantity of food distributed, the number of individuals participating in nutrition education, and the implementation of new or improved food security policies and practices. The grant period is from October 2024 through June 30, 2025, with funding awards announced in September 2024.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in the Merrill area for projects that enhance community well-being and foster collaboration to address local needs.

The Minnesota Housing, in collaboration with Greater Minnesota Housing Fund (GMHF), is launching the Single Family RFP through its Community Homeownership Impact Fund. This initiative is designed to expand and preserve affordable homeownership opportunities across all counties in Minnesota. The program’s mission aligns closely with the foundation’s broader vision: ensuring that every Minnesotan has access to safe, affordable, and sustainable housing. By focusing on single-family, owner-occupied homes, this funding opportunity aims to address both supply and quality gaps, particularly in underserved and economically marginalized communities. Through multiple financing mechanisms—grants, deferred loans, housing infrastructure bonds, and interim loans—the program seeks to foster community stability, economic inclusion, and equitable pathways to homeownership. The program’s primary beneficiaries are low- to moderate-income households, with a targeted emphasis on households of color, immigrant households, and those including people with disabilities. This focus reflects GMHF’s commitment to applying a racial and economic equity lens to homeownership initiatives, aiming to reduce historic disparities in property ownership and wealth accumulation. Targeted investments will support both the creation of new affordable housing units and the rehabilitation of existing homes, ensuring that communities not only gain new housing stock but also preserve their existing neighborhoods. Special priority will be given to applicants leveraging cross-sector collaborations—particularly in health and housing—to improve overall community well-being. Strategically, the program prioritizes projects that deliver tangible, lasting impact. Priority activities include acquisition, rehabilitation, and resale of existing properties; new construction of single-family homes; and stand-alone affordability gap assistance. Additional emphasis is placed on projects that advance Tribal housing initiatives, ensuring that Tribal Nations and communities have equitable access to homeownership opportunities. By offering flexible funding types—including forgivable loans and deferred downpayment assistance—the program allows local governments, nonprofits, Tribal entities, and developers to structure their projects to meet community-specific needs and financial realities. Expected outcomes are centered on measurable, high-impact results. Awarded projects must lead to the creation or preservation of affordable, owner-occupied homes with no more than four units, ensuring at least one unit is owner-occupied. The program anticipates that these efforts will expand the affordable housing inventory, increase homeownership rates among underrepresented populations, and stabilize neighborhoods. Success metrics will include the number of homes developed or rehabilitated, the number of households served, demographic diversity among beneficiaries, and the degree to which affordability thresholds are met and maintained. Additionally, the program seeks to generate long-term community benefits such as improved health outcomes, greater neighborhood investment, and increased intergenerational wealth. The foundation’s strategic priorities and theory of change rest on the belief that stable, affordable homeownership is a critical lever for advancing economic mobility and community resilience. By combining capital investment with equitable housing strategies, the program aims to dismantle systemic barriers to homeownership and create conditions for sustained prosperity. Through partnerships with municipalities, Tribal governments, nonprofits, and developers, Minnesota Housing and GMHF are fostering a collaborative ecosystem that ensures funding leads to meaningful, measurable, and community-driven change. This initiative is not merely about building houses—it’s about empowering people, strengthening communities, and reshaping the housing landscape in Minnesota for a more inclusive future.

The Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) program is an Indiana state-allocated fund designed to enhance school safety through matching grants. This program directly aligns with a foundation's mission focused on ensuring the well-being and security of educational environments, as it provides critical resources for creating safer schools. The grants are available to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools, and coalitions of school corporations, ensuring a broad reach across the state's educational landscape. The core objective is to mitigate threats, improve emergency response capabilities, and foster a secure learning atmosphere for students and staff. The target beneficiaries of the SSSG program are primarily students, school employees, and the broader school communities within Indiana. The impact goals are comprehensive, aiming to reduce the incidence of violence, enhance preparedness for critical incidents, and support the mental and behavioral health of students. The grant seeks to achieve these goals by funding initiatives that directly address vulnerabilities and promote a proactive approach to safety. The SSSG program focuses on several key priorities. These include the employment of school resource officers or law enforcement officers, conducting site vulnerability assessments and critical incident digital mapping, and purchasing equipment to restrict access, manage visitors, expedite first responder notification and access, and detect various threats. The program also prioritizes enhancing emergency communications, assisting with emergency medical response, implementing student and parent support services, and providing training for canine units and school employees on safety-related topics. Furthermore, it supports the design and construction of security-enhancing additions or renovations, bullying prevention programs, and active event warning systems. Expected outcomes include a measurable improvement in school security infrastructure and protocols, a reduction in safety incidents, and an increased sense of safety among students and staff. The program also anticipates enhanced preparedness for emergencies and more effective responses when incidents occur. Through these direct interventions and support for proactive safety measures, the SSSG contributes to a strategic priority of fostering safe and supportive learning environments. The underlying theory of change is that by investing in robust security measures, well-trained personnel, and comprehensive support systems, schools can deter threats, effectively manage crises, and ultimately create an optimal environment for student success and well-being. This grant directly contributes to a foundation's strategic goal of promoting community safety and educational excellence by providing tangible resources to achieve these critical objectives.

This grant provides financial support for underprivileged youth in Chelan and Douglas counties to access skating lessons, shows, and related activities, promoting enrichment and skill development.

The Neighborhood Empowerment Grant, offered by Kansas City, Missouri, is a program designed to foster community engagement, enhance neighborhood identity, and improve public safety and overall quality of life. The program aims to reduce violent and other crime, spur neighborhood investment and development, and address code violations through Association and resident-led projects. While the text doesn't explicitly state a "foundation" in the traditional sense, the city's strategic priority is clearly aligned with empowering local neighborhoods to address their unique challenges and build stronger, safer communities from within. This grant serves as a direct mechanism for the city to achieve its broader goals of urban improvement and resident well-being. The primary target beneficiaries of this grant are not-for-profit Neighborhood Associations registered with the City of Kansas City and the State of Missouri, or those partnering with registered associations. The impact goals are comprehensive, aiming to improve resident health and safety, enhance dignity, support aging in place, and address other necessary quality of life repairs. By empowering these associations, the program seeks to create a ripple effect, positively impacting all residents within the participating neighborhoods. The grant prioritizes several key areas to achieve its objectives. These include promoting active participation and involvement of residents through community engagement, celebrating unique neighborhood identities, enhancing community safety through public safety strategies, facilitating necessary repairs and upgrades for quality of life enhancements, reducing violence and other crimes, encouraging internal and external neighborhood investment, and implementing measures to reduce code violations. These focus areas collectively form a strategic approach to holistic neighborhood development and improvement. Expected outcomes and measurable results include a reduction in violent and other crime, increased neighborhood investment and development, a decrease in code violations, and an overall improvement in residents' health, safety, and well-being. The program's theory of change posits that by empowering local associations and residents to lead projects focused on these priority areas, communities will experience enhanced value through stronger partnerships, leading to increased strength and stability. The grant aims to facilitate positive interactions and outcomes, fostering resident collaboration and improving messaging within the neighborhoods. The current round of funding offers $400K for local projects, with a maximum of $20K per applicant, indicating a commitment to supporting numerous community-led initiatives.

This funding opportunity supports community-focused projects in Berrien County, Michigan, providing financial assistance to nonprofits, schools, religious organizations, and government agencies addressing various local needs such as education, the arts, health, and community improvement.

This funding opportunity supports charitable and community-based projects in Berrien County, Michigan, providing resources to eligible nonprofit organizations, schools, and government entities to enhance quality of life across various focus areas.

This grant provides $50,000 each to local nonprofits, schools, churches, and government agencies in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, and Stevensville to support programs that improve the lives of children and youth.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to creative teachers in Berrien County for innovative classroom projects that enhance student learning and engagement.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, and government entities that provide youth programs in Berrien County, particularly at designated Howard facilities in St. Joseph and the Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library.

The Initiative Foundation offers grants to nonprofits and local government units, focusing on program or capacity-building support, projects that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strategies to address workforce shortages. This aligns with the Foundation's mission to serve its 14-county region in Minnesota and Native nations of the Leech Lake and Mille Lacs Bands of Ojibwe, by fostering community and economic development. The grants are intended to be strategic investments, not ongoing support, with individual grants seldom exceeding $7,500. The grants target 501(c)(3) nonprofits, school districts, or local government units serving specific counties and Native nations within the Initiative Foundation's geographic service area. The impact goals are to strengthen communities by addressing urgent needs, particularly in low-income communities, promote behavioral change towards diversity, equity, and inclusion, and develop community-based solutions for regional workforce shortages, leading to family-sustaining wages. The Foundation prioritizes projects that demonstrably contribute to these outcomes. Priority consideration is given to proposals focusing on capacity-building support for nonprofits, especially those addressing urgent needs or low-income communities, including business planning, fund development, training, or pilot programming. Other key focuses include cost-share for projects creating behavioral change related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and advancement of community-based strategies to tackle regional workforce shortages in sectors with family-sustaining wages. Support for early-stage feasibility or pilot projects by local and regional community and economic development entities is also a priority. Expected outcomes include strengthened organizational capacity for nonprofits, measurable progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and tangible reductions in regional workforce shortages. While specific measurable results are not detailed in the provided text, the emphasis on "behavioral change" and "community-based strategies" implies a desire for demonstrable and sustainable impact. The Foundation's strategic priorities are clearly laid out in the priority areas, indicating a theory of change that by investing in these key areas, they can foster stronger, more equitable, and economically resilient communities. Ineligible expenses include grants to individuals and businesses, expenses incurred before grant receipt, capital expenses, projects not directly benefiting residents in the service area, replacement of government funding, religious activities, lobbying, school curriculum development or athletic programs, and out-of-state travel. Healthcare, arts, and historic preservation are not focus areas for discretionary grants, and potential applicants in these areas are encouraged to consult with staff before applying.

This funding opportunity is designed for Pre-K to 12th grade teachers in the Merrill School District to support innovative and engaging projects that enrich the educational experience for students and the community.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) is offering the 2024 Active Transportation Microgrant Program to solicit projects aimed at improving active transportation. This grant program aligns with a mission to foster equitable, safe, accessible, and sustainable transportation options, thereby encouraging healthier and more environmentally friendly travel modes. The program's core objective is to make conditions safer for individuals of all ages to engage in walking, biking, and other active forms of transit, contributing to broader community well-being and environmental sustainability. The primary beneficiaries of this program include municipalities, schools, school districts, and nonprofit organizations, all of which are encouraged to apply. The impact goals are centered on enhancing access and conditions for active transportation users across Connecticut. This includes increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists, promoting the use of non-motorized transport, and supporting educational initiatives that raise awareness about active transportation benefits and safety. The program prioritizes non-infrastructure projects, explicitly excluding design and construction costs. Eligible activities focus on improving access and conditions for active transportation users. This includes providing bicycle helmets, locks, lights, and maintenance training. It also covers the rental or purchase of bicycle fleets, including adaptive bicycles, League Cycling Instructor (LCI) training, and various programs and materials for pedestrian and bicycle safety education, such as safety vests. The emphasis is on practical, immediate interventions that directly support active transportation without requiring extensive infrastructural development. Expected outcomes and measurable results include an increase in the adoption of active transportation methods, a reduction in accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists due to enhanced safety measures, and a rise in community participation in active transportation events and educational programs. The funding limits for individual microgrants range up to $5,000, with an overall grant size between $1,000 and $10,000, indicating a focus on numerous smaller-scale, impactful projects rather than a few large ones. This approach suggests a strategic priority to broadly distribute resources to foster active transportation at a grassroots level across various communities in Connecticut.

The Gray Family Foundation's Outdoor School Grant Program is designed to bolster the capacity of schools and outdoor education providers in Oregon, ensuring that all 5th and 6th-grade students across the state have access to high-quality outdoor school experiences. This initiative directly aligns with the foundation's mission by fostering environmental education and connection to nature, which are integral to the holistic development of young people and the long-term stewardship of Oregon's natural and built environments. The foundation acts strategically to address existing barriers, particularly for communities and schools not yet prepared to access programmatic funding directly from OSU Extension Outdoor School. The primary beneficiaries of this program are all Oregon 5th and 6th-grade students, with a specific focus on increasing access for those in geographic regions or communities with limited or no outdoor school opportunities, as well as students from private, charter, and home schools who may be ineligible for OSU Extension Service funding. The overarching impact goals are to improve access to outdoor school programs, systematically integrate environmental education into the K-12 system, and ensure outdoor school providers are better equipped to engage and support Oregon's diverse populations with culturally responsive programming. In 2024, the Gray Family Foundation is accepting three types of funding requests. These include planning grants for schools or districts to launch or revise outdoor school programs, and planning grants for outdoor school program providers to enhance their capacity to serve all 5th and 6th-grade Oregon students. A crucial priority is also given to program grants for schools or student groups currently ineligible for OSU Extension Service Outdoor School funding, acknowledging the limitations of how these funds can be distributed. While the foundation encourages exploring alternative Measure 99 funds, they remain committed to ensuring participation for all students. The anticipated outcomes and measurable results of the program include an increased number of districts and ESDs applying for OSU Extension programmatic funding in future years, improved access to outdoor school programs for all eligible students, and a greater integration of environmental education within the K-12 system. Furthermore, the foundation expects outdoor school providers to be more prepared to effectively engage diverse populations, leading to an outdoor school experience that truly reflects the varied perspectives, knowledge, and relationships of all Oregonians as stewards of their environment. The Gray Family Foundation's strategic priorities are evident in its investment to build capacity, address funding gaps, and foster a more inclusive and equitable outdoor education landscape, with a recognition that 2024 may be the final year for direct outdoor school program funding.

CJI’s Leadership Circle is soliciting proposals from grassroots organizations led by formerly incarcerated and directly impacted individuals. The program aims to transform and reimagine the U.S. criminal legal system by building alternative community-based solutions and organizing to prevent the criminalization of marginalized identities and communities. This initiative directly aligns with CJI's mission to support meaningful, transformative, and systemic change within the criminal legal system, empowering future leaders who have often experienced incarceration themselves. The foundation's strategic priority is to support movement-building organizing that creates a new world, a "world they demand NOW." The target beneficiaries are formerly incarcerated individuals and directly impacted people, including primary family members, as well as marginalized groups within their communities (e.g., poor, houseless, young, elders, queer, trans, people with mental illness, people with disabilities). The program's impact goals include ending mass criminalization and incarceration, creating safe and healthy communities that do not rely on arrest and incarceration, and re-establishing rights and access for those formerly incarcerated or newly criminalized. The Leadership Circle's theory of change emphasizes shared authority among donors and community organizers, many of whom have lived experience with incarceration, to drive systemic change. The program prioritizes several key areas. This includes building alternatives to traditional carceral systems, investing in approaches that end mass criminalization, creating policies to reform and dismantle repressive legal systems, and uplifting the leadership and experience of those affected by the criminal legal system. Other focuses include re-establishing rights for formerly incarcerated individuals, promoting transformative and restorative justice, and supporting culturally appropriate healing programs connected to the criminal justice movement. CJI also has specific funding preferences for organizations led by formerly incarcerated individuals, groups operating in difficult political environments, those developing new leaders from marginalized backgrounds, and work addressing discrimination against incarcerated or detained people, particularly in the South, Indian country, and other rural areas. Expected outcomes and measurable results include the development of community-based interventions, changes in policies and institutions (like parole and probation), and a demonstrable commitment to systems change through organizing. The program seeks to empower new leaders, particularly from marginalized communities, and foster innovative collaborations among diverse organizations. While specific quantitative metrics are not provided in the description, the emphasis on "movement-building organizing" and "achieving systems change" suggests that the success will be measured by the demonstrable impact on criminal legal system reform and the empowerment of affected communities. CJI is particularly committed to supporting smaller, emerging organizations with budgets of $1 million or less, indicating a focus on grassroots impact and capacity building.

Impact Projects grants support arts organizations for collaborations between local artist(s) and community members to develop and express their own creative and artistic goals and address a community-defined need. Collaborative projects will utilize various creative practices to impact social issues affecting their communities, including but not limited to systemic marginalization, incarceration/justice systems, arts learning, poverty/economic disparity, health disparities, accessibility for people with disabilities, housing insecurity, violence, food insecurity, cultural/social justice, intergenerational/multigenerational learning, veterans’ issues, and environmental sustainability