Kentucky Education Grants

This funding program provides equity-free grants to local entrepreneurs in the Greater Cincinnati Region, supporting early-stage and revenue-generating businesses in sectors like Retail, Manufacturing, and Tech, with a focus on innovation and community impact.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions for initiatives that improve earthquake safety and awareness across multiple states or nationally.

This funding initiative provides financial support to community-based organizations, local and tribal governments in eight southeastern states to address environmental justice issues and promote healthier environments.

This program provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in Louisville Metro for community-based events and initiatives that celebrate the city’s historical and cultural contributions as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations in Ohio and Kentucky that provide training and educational programs to prepare individuals for careers in the energy sector.

This grant provides financial support ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to small businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties in Northern Kentucky, helping them with various business improvement expenses.

The 501vc® Investment Fund is seeking to invest $200,000 to $300,000 in early-stage climate tech startups in the Greater Midwest region, focusing on sectors like advanced materials, renewable energy, and agriculture technologies.

This grant is specifically for new planning grant applicants and is part of the AmeriCorps federal agency. Applications and planning grant proposals are submitted to Serve Kentucky, which acts as a conduit for these federal funds. The application process is twofold, beginning outside the federal eGrants system, with Serve Kentucky reviewing, modifying, and approving applications before they are entered into eGrants​​.

The Lexington Fayette Urban County Government offers the Neighborhood Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant Program to assist property owners, businesses, and organizations in implementing projects that improve water quality through innovation and education in Fayette County, Kentucky. The program is funded by the Water Quality Management Fee and administered by the Division of Water Quality. Projects must address at least one objective, including improving water quality in impaired streams, addressing stormwater on existing or developing parcels, reducing stormwater runoff and flooding, or providing public or private education on water quality. Examples include storm drain marking, stream cleanups, riparian planting, agricultural fencing, tree canopy expansion, rain barrels or rain gardens, educational seminars, and retention pond enhancements. Projects may be funded up to 120,000 dollars with a required 20 percent cost share in cash or in kind; the maximum grant award is 45,000 dollars. Eligible expenses include materials and supplies, rental equipment, consulting fees, construction costs, teacher stipends, and permitting fees. The grant period runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. Eligible applicants are incorporated neighborhood, community, and homeowner associations with a roster of elected officers. Applications are due May 3, 2024. Additional information is available from the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government.

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.

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) offers the Environmental Sustainability Grant Program to support and enhance the environmental sustainability of the Greater Cincinnati region. This aligns with GCF's mission to increase accessibility and quality of greenspaces, conservation, horticulture, and nature education, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity for historically marginalized groups. The program aims to address environmental disparities and promote equitable access to nature's benefits. The primary beneficiaries of this program are organizations whose efforts are based in the Greater Cincinnati region, specifically within the counties of Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont in Ohio; Boone, Kenton, and Campbell in Kentucky; and Dearborn in Indiana. The program targets historically marginalized groups by prioritizing requests that connect them to the benefits of nature, including fresh food access and nature education, particularly for children and youth. The overarching impact goal is to foster a more environmentally sustainable and equitable region. The program prioritizes proposals that develop solutions with a racial equity lens, recognizing that environmental issues often disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Key focus areas include beautifying, creating, conserving, and restoring greenspaces, with a preference for those benefiting historically marginalized groups. Additionally, the program seeks to connect these groups to nature's benefits through various initiatives, such as increased fresh food access and nature education programming. Collaboration between well-aligned organizations is highly favored, as is an asset-based approach to the work. Expected outcomes include expanded or strengthened existing programs, successful capital improvements, the launch of new initiatives, and enhanced organizational capacity among grantee organizations. Proposals are expected to articulate clear and measurable outcomes, demonstrating how their efforts will contribute to the program's goals. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the general intent to increase accessibility and quality of greenspaces and nature education, the emphasis on "clear and measurable outcomes" suggests a commitment to tracking the tangible impact of funded projects. The foundation's strategic priorities are evident in its preference for organizations demonstrating partnerships, community alignment, insights from past results, and an asset-based approach, all contributing to a theory of change that values collaborative, data-informed, and community-centric environmental solutions with a strong equity focus.

This funding opportunity is designed to help nonprofit educational institutions in Kentucky establish or expand accredited dental hygiene programs to improve access to preventive oral health services in underserved rural communities.

This grant provides funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in specific regions to support programs that assist low- to moderate-income individuals and families in areas such as community development, education, health services, arts, and the environment.

This grant provides financial support and professional development opportunities to exceptional scriptwriters residing in the Southern United States, celebrating their contributions to the region's cultural landscape.

This program provides funding to K-12 teachers and administrators in specific Kentucky and Indiana counties to enhance classroom instruction through arts-integrated programming.

This funding initiative provides financial support to a variety of organizations, including local governments and nonprofits, to implement projects that reduce pollution from diffuse sources and improve water quality in Kentucky.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and local governments in economically distressed counties of Kentucky to enhance community capacity through planning and development projects.

This program provides funding to nonprofit organizations and schools in underserved communities to improve local football fields, ensuring safe and accessible spaces for youth sports and community engagement.

This program honors individuals, organizations, and educators who have made significant contributions to the arts in Kentucky, celebrating their dedication and impact on the arts community.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations focused on educational initiatives in communities where Donaldson Company operates, helping to enhance access to education and address local educational needs.