Diversity Equity and Inclusion Grants

The Bay Mini-Grants, offered by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, are competitive awards designed to fund environmental restoration and education projects within the Tampa Bay watershed, with a strong emphasis on community-led initiatives. This program is rooted in the broader mission of stimulating environmental stewardship and science literacy among the residents, workers, and visitors of Tampa Bay. The funding directly aligns with the foundation's strategic priorities by focusing on local action to address critical environmental challenges and fostering a more engaged and informed public concerning the health of the bay. The program targets a diverse range of beneficiaries, including nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies, particularly those with strong volunteer or community involvement. Past award recipients have included neighborhood associations, artists, and researchers, highlighting a broad reach. Projects that are led by, empower, benefit, or engage underserved and/or overburdened communities are specifically encouraged, indicating a commitment to equitable impact. The primary impact goal is to enhance the environmental health of the Tampa Bay watershed through tangible restoration efforts and increased public awareness and participation. The grant prioritizes projects that address one or more of the objectives outlined in the Tampa Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). These priorities include improving water quality and reducing contaminants, increasing and preserving healthy bay habitats, protecting and enhancing fisheries and wildlife, improving spill prevention and response, reducing invasive species, increasing public education and involvement, improving responsible public use of the bay, improving the resiliency of bay habitats to climate change, and incorporating CCMP goals into local land use plans. These focus areas reflect a holistic approach to environmental management and community engagement. Expected outcomes include tangible improvements in water quality, expanded healthy habitats, and a more robust and protected ecosystem. Measurable results could involve specific reductions in pollutants, acres of restored habitat, increased biodiversity, and a higher level of community participation in environmental initiatives. The program's theory of change posits that by providing financial support to community-led initiatives focused on these key priorities, it will empower local stakeholders, drive direct environmental improvements, and ultimately cultivate a more environmentally conscious and active citizenry, leading to a more resilient and healthy Tampa Bay. The grant period for projects is January 1 to December 31, 2025, with a maximum award of $5,000 per project.

The MIT Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship offers $10,000 plus up to $5,000 for expenses to U.S. journalists, both freelance and staff, to develop a news project that localizes the impact of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy, with a focus on local perspectives and solutions, aiming to engage and empower their audience.

This funding opportunity supports individuals with Moebius syndrome and their families in the U.S. to create projects that raise awareness and improve quality of life within their community.

This program provides early-stage companies in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with free mentorship, resources, and support to help them grow and prepare for investment opportunities.

The Denver Foundation is offering grants of $100,000 to $500,000 to qualified nonprofits in Denver County, Colorado, to increase legal services for the immigrant community, including direct legal representation, assistance with DACA and visa programs, and support for capacity building and legal-related fees.

Gener8tor is inviting applications for its gBETA Social Impact Accelerator Program, a free, seven-week virtual initiative offering coaching, mentorship, and resources to early-stage companies focused on equity in education or criminal justice reform, with the aim to prepare them for investment accelerators or seed funding rounds.

This grant provides funding to schools and organizations in the Upper Valley to enhance environmental education for K-12 students, particularly in underserved communities.

The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to nonprofit organizations in Coles County, Illinois, for projects that promote social justice, human rights, religious tolerance, and environmental protection, with a preference for initiatives that engage local youth and address significant, unmet needs.

The Siemer Milling Company Fund, managed by the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation, offers grants to 501(c)(3) organizations in Effingham County, Illinois, Christian County, Kentucky, and Dearborn County, Indiana, that operate programs aimed at developing leadership skills in youth aged 19 and under, with applications due by October 1, 2024.

Travel Paso is accepting applications for its 2025 Community Event Marketing Grant, aimed at supporting local events that align with its mission to promote Paso Robles, with a focus on collaboration, diversity, variety, and sustainability, and encourages applicants to outline their marketing strategies, event timing, measurement of overnight stays, and potential for partnership with Travel Paso.

The Public Art Learning Fund, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), is designed to fortify the public art landscape across New England by offering professional development opportunities directly to artists. NEFA's overarching mission, as reflected in this grant, is to cultivate more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant public spaces and public life throughout the region. This initiative aligns with NEFA's strategic goal of fostering a sustainable and equitable public art ecosystem by investing in the skills, resources, and connections of artists working in the public realm. The primary beneficiaries of this fund are artists residing full-time in one of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) who are actively engaged in public artmaking or are in the process of expanding their practice into this domain. The fund aims to empower these artists, contributing to more just and inclusive public art. Expected outcomes include artists developing enhanced skills and resources, leading to the creation of more vibrant public spaces and a stronger regional community of practice. The Public Art Learning Fund prioritizes opportunities that specifically expand an artist's public art practice and contribute equitably to more just and inclusive public artmaking. NEFA seeks clarity on desired learnings and their application to the artist's practice. The fund welcomes artists at various stages of their public artmaking careers from urban, suburban, and rural communities, recognizing that diverse cultural and artistic expressions are crucial for equitable and vibrant public spaces. A key focus of this grant is equity. NEFA acknowledges that various barriers, including race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography, can limit access to professional development. Therefore, the Public Art Learning Fund actively prioritizes equity in its funding decisions. This may include, but is not limited to, prioritizing artists who self-identify as Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and/or those who are rooted in rural communities, aligning with NEFA's theory of change that targeted support can address systemic inequities and build a more inclusive artistic landscape. Grants range from $500 to $3,000 and support opportunities taking place between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Eligible applicants must also have a Creative Ground profile, and the proposed professional development must directly relate to strengthening their public art practice and occur within the grant period. These measurable results, such as the number of artists served and the nature of their professional development, contribute to NEFA's broader strategic aim of fostering a more equitable and sustainable public art ecosystem in New England.

The City of Wilsonville is offering Community Opportunity Grants to fund projects and services that promote education, diversity, arts, or community involvement, aiming to provide entertainment and strengthen the community within Wilsonville. This grant program aligns with a mission to foster community engagement and cultural enrichment. The total funding for this program is $25,000, distributed in two grant cycles of $12,500 each per fiscal year. The target beneficiaries for these grants are Wilsonville community organizations, projects, or charitable/non-profit organizations that have been in operation for at least twelve months, or have demonstrated commensurate experience. The grants specifically aim to impact residents of Wilsonville by offering educational, artistic, and entertaining opportunities, promoting diversity, and encouraging civic engagement. The grant prioritizes projects, events, or services that further educational or artistic opportunities, encourage and foster diversity, provide entertainment and personal growth, advance civic engagement or community leadership, and involve Wilsonville's youth or elderly population in community activities. Expenses related to staff, paid volunteers, and general operating expenses (with the exception of space rental) are not eligible for funding. Expected outcomes include enhanced educational and artistic opportunities, increased diversity, strengthened community bonds, greater civic engagement, and improved community leadership within Wilsonville. Measurable results would be tied to the specific projects funded, such as participation rates in events, increased access to educational programs, or the number of community members engaged in leadership initiatives. Organizations must use funds for a specific project within the City of Wilsonville and are only eligible for one grant per fiscal year. Compliance with grant procedures, including filing a final financial statement and project evaluation, is also required for future eligibility.

The Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation is offering the Untold Stories Grants, ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, to institutions in Coles County that aim to preserve, educate, and disseminate stories of historically underrepresented individuals, thereby promoting racial equity and social justice.

The Lewis County Youth Development Program is seeking applications for grants to fund a wide variety of youth development initiatives. While the specific foundation mission is not explicitly stated, the program aligns with a broad mission of fostering positive youth development and providing community-level services, opportunities, and supports for young people in Lewis County, New York. The program aims to encourage municipalities to invest in a diverse range of activities that contribute to the holistic growth of youth. The target beneficiaries of this program are youth under 21 years of age residing in Lewis County. The impact goals are to promote positive youth development across several key areas. These areas include Citizenship and Civic Engagement, fostering youth leadership and cultural competency; Community involvement through youth activism, mentoring, and community service; Economic Security, focusing on career development and life skills; Physical and Emotional Health, encompassing seasonal activities like summer camps and opportunities for creative expression; Education, specifically "out-of-school time" programming for educational engagement and drop-out prevention; and Family, offering conflict resolution supports. The program prioritizes a comprehensive approach to youth development, encouraging a wide variety of programs that address multiple facets of a young person's life. A strong focus is placed on inclusivity, requiring a non-discrimination policy that ensures no youth are denied services based on ethnicity/race, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or other disability, national origin, or any protected characteristic. Data collection, including participant demographic information, is also a key focus, emphasizing accurate reporting of anonymized aggregate data to OCFS. Expected outcomes include enhanced youth leadership, increased community engagement, improved economic readiness, better physical and emotional well-being, stronger educational attainment, and more resilient family units among the youth served. Measurable results will be derived from the collected participant demographic information and program-specific data as required by OCFS. The program's strategic priorities are to support community-level services that demonstrate competency in governance, monitoring and evaluation, partnership, and financial stewardship, aligning with a theory of change that posits comprehensive, well-managed, and inclusive youth programs lead to positive individual and community-wide developmental outcomes for young people. The project period for these grants is from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that assist vulnerable and underserved communities in Wood County, WV, and Washington County, OH, to improve their essential services and overall quality of life.

The Stewarding Native Lands program, offered by First Nations Development Institute, is designed to bolster tribal co-stewardship agreements and related capacity building. This initiative aligns with the broader movement towards co-stewardship of public lands, as mandated by Joint Secretarial Order 3403 and other authorities, including new state policies. The core mission is to restore tribal stewardship, which is seen as crucial for advancing ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, and adaptation to climate change, particularly through the reintroduction of buffalo and fire to grasslands. The target beneficiaries are Tribes located near or bordering National Grasslands in the Northern Great Plains, specifically in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Eligible applicants include Federal- and State-Recognized tribal Governments and Departments. The program's impact goals center on empowering these Tribes with the necessary resources and capacity to effectively negotiate, implement, and monitor co-stewardship agreements with the U.S. Forest Service. The program's priorities and focuses include providing technical assistance, trainings, and networking opportunities specifically tailored to co-stewardship. A key emphasis is placed on strengthening and increasing tribal co-stewardship on National Grasslands in the Great Plains region. This strategic approach positions Tribes as vital anchors in promoting greater ecological connectivity for grassland protection and health. The expected outcomes and measurable results include a demonstrable increase in the number and effectiveness of tribal co-stewardship agreements with the U.S. Forest Service. The ultimate goal is enhanced ecological connectivity and improved health of National Grasslands through tribal leadership and participation. While the description doesn't explicitly detail the First Nations Development Institute's overall strategic priorities or theory of change beyond this program, it clearly indicates a belief that empowering Indigenous communities in land stewardship leads to significant environmental and cultural benefits. The grant period is from October 15, 2024, to November 30, 2026, with individual project budgets not exceeding $125,000.

The 2025 Pierce County Historic Preservation Grant Program, funded by Pierce County in Washington, offers $10,000 to $100,000 for projects that preserve and promote the county's historical and cultural heritage, including the protection, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of significant structures or sites, and the preservation or interpretation of historically significant artifacts and documents.

The City of Marfa is offering Historic Restoration and Preservation Grants, funded by the Hotel Occupancy Tax, to organizations that promote tourism and the hotel industry through projects enhancing historical restoration and preservation, with priority given to those generating overnight visitors and events held at specific local venues.

This initiative provides funding and resources to early-stage, technology-focused startups from the U.S. and abroad that are willing to relocate to Kansas City, Missouri, to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

The City of Austin's Equity Office is offering grants ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to support community-driven initiatives, particularly grassroots organizations, that address immigrant inclusion, solidarity with unhoused people, and anti-displacement efforts in the Austin-Travis County area, with priority given to applicants with annual operating budgets not exceeding $500,000.