GrantStation Insider: January 9, 2025

Application deadline: February 23, 2025, for eligibility forms
Grant amount: $1 million
Description: Through the 1954 Project initiative, CAFE Group awards $1 million unrestricted grants to leaders and their organizations advancing educational equity for Black students and communities in the United States. The program is designed for leaders with a proven track record of success in education that are ready to scale their impact through solutions in the following areas: innovation in teaching and learning, with a focus on effective, equitable, and culturally affirming education models that center on Black students and ultimately serve all students; diversity in education, with a focus on increasing the number of Black educators and leaders; and pathways to economic mobility, with a focus on strengthening pathways from education to career to increase Black students' and families' economic mobility. In addition to the grants, selected leaders, known as Luminaries, receive leadership development support and membership in a network driving systemic change. ​Applicants should demonstrate proximity, lived expertise, and a deep commitment to advancing equity for Black students and communities most impacted by systemic inequities in education.

Application deadline: January 31, 2025
Geographic scope: United States, including U.S. territories
Grant amount: Single-year grants range up to $25,000.
Description: The Enterline Foundation aims to increase access to services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States. The Foundation’s 2025 grantmaking is focused on initiatives that support recruitment and retention of the direct support professional workforce in order to ensure service provision. Supported initiatives could include (but are not limited to) internship programs, new hire orientation and coaching, training and professional development, establishment of career ladders, improvements to organizational culture, communication and feedback initiatives, recognition and appreciation activities, supervisor coaching and development, and technology to support data collection and employee experience. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations that are either providers of services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or sector level organizations that support service providers or the sector at large. For 2025, the Foundation anticipates making seven to ten single-year grants and up to two multi-year grants. (Multi-year grants are by invitation only.)
 

Application deadline: Applications will be accepted from January 10 to March 3, 2025.
Geographic scope: United States, including U.S. territories
Grant amount: $50,000 to $500,000
Description: The National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers financial and technical support to community-serving historic houses of worship across the United States. Matching grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 are available for significant capital projects addressing urgent repair needs, improving accessibility, or making vacant or underused space usable for community outreach. Eligible properties must have been originally built to be a house of worship, be owned by an active community of faith, be occupied by a congregation that is community-minded and serves nonmembers, and possess historical, cultural, or architectural value or be listed on or be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Submissions are particularly encouraged from congregations that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history, as well as for historic sacred places of importance to historically and contemporaneously underrepresented communities.

Application deadline: Applications are accepted quarterly in January, April, July, and October.
Description: The Banfield Foundation supports animal welfare organizations working to provide veterinary care, shelter, and disaster relief to pets in need in the United States. Through the Community Care Grants, the Foundation provides funding and medical supplies to nonprofit organizations and local and state government agencies that deliver veterinary care to owned pets through on-site, mobile, or pop-up clinics. The Foundation offers additional grant programs focused on disaster relief and pet medical care. Visit the Foundation's website for additional information on open grant programs.

Application deadline: None
Geographic scope: Communities served by Regions, including locations in AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX
Description: The Regions Bank Community Engagement Program provides support to nonprofit organizations in communities served by Regions, including locations across the South, Midwest, and Texas. Support is provided for programs in the following areas: community and economic development, with a focus on affordable housing, job creation, small business development, homebuyer education and retention, and neighborhood revitalization and stabilization; education and workforce readiness, including student competency and skill building, college and career readiness, educational access and success, credential building and employment, and educator training and resources; and financial wellness, with a focus on financial education, financial planning tools and resources, and asset-building.

Application deadline: Letters of intent are accepted throughout the year. Invited proposals are reviewed five times annually.
Geographic scope: New Jersey
Grant amount: $1,000 to $15,000
Description: The mission of the Robert & Joan Dircks Foundation is to support nonprofit organizations that enrich and improve the quality of life for individuals primarily located in the New Jersey area. The focus is on innovative programs and projects that benefit and improve the lives of children and adults who are physically, mentally, or economically disadvantaged. The Foundation concentrates on small nonprofit organizations and prefers programs and projects to prevent or solve problems, rather than operational needs.

Application deadline: The 2025 spring cycle deadline for letters of intent is February 3, 2025.
Geographic scope: South Carolina
Description: The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation supports projects that aim to promote the health of South Carolinians and to increase access to healthcare for the economically disadvantaged. Grantmaking areas of interest include access to care, building a stronger healthcare workforce, improving the quality and value of health and healthcare, investing in the health and well-being of South Carolina children and families, and research and special projects. Most funding targets the Foundation’s four core health priorities: oral health, mental health, diabetes, and social determinants of health. Nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and tax-exempt educational and research institutions are eligible to apply.

Application deadline: February 1 and August 1, annually
Geographic scope: Oregon
Grant amount: The Fast Track Grant Program provides up to $12,499. The Mid size Grant Program serves requests from $12,500 to $50,000.
Description: The Reser Family Foundation aims to improve and strengthen communities throughout Oregon. Funding priorities include the following: Education support focuses on middle and high school campus-based or school-day academic and transitional programs as well as programs targeting the basic needs and skills of K-12 students with limited economic means. Health priorities include mental health services and addiction programs for underserved youth; basic needs for those impacted by domestic violence and low-income seniors; and day shelters providing wraparound services leading to successful employment for unhoused individuals. Arts support focuses on engaging youth through creative visual and performing arts programs as well as broad-based community arts programs that increase access and enrich communities. Environment priorities include resiliency and vitality of the natural environment and community spaces and economic development in the built environment that create sustainable community improvement. (In addition to the Responsive Grant Programs, which include the Fast Track and Mid Size grant programs, support is provided through the Next Gen Council Grant Program and the Small Community Initiative.)

Application deadline: February 18, 2025
Description: The purpose of the National Women’s Mental Health and Substance Use Technical Assistance program is to enhance the capacity of healthcare providers serving women across the nation in the core health specialties of mental health and substance use, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, emergency services, crisis services, and primary care to address the diverse needs of women with or at risk for mental and substance use disorders, including those who were greatly impacted by COVID-19.

Application deadline: February 8, 2025
Description: The Bringing Youth Outdoors Together and Environmental Steward Program focuses on youth development, recreation, service, social and environmental responsibility, and healthy living that emphasizes the value and significance of natural and cultural resources in nearby parks and communities. The program provides young people—particularly youth from underserved communities in urban, rural, military, and native settings—with outdoor experiences and excursions to their local national park.

The AARP Purpose Prize award supports AARP's mission by honoring extraordinary nonprofit founders 50 and older who tap into the power of life experience to build a better future for us all.

Up to five winners will receive $75,000 for their organizations. Winners also have access to yearlong individualized supports to help further their organizational goals. Examples of current supports include one-on-one leadership coaching for founders, data and evaluation consulting, succession planning, prospectus development, social media and branding support, and more.

See rules and apply by February 28, 2025, at 5 PM ET. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

Are you looking to add to your list of favorite podcasts in 2025? If so, you might want to check out Fundraising HayDay. This podcast is about grants, fundraising, and other such topics. Recent episodes have covered topics such as using IRS 990s for grant research, how to build and grow a grant consulting business, and tips for those who wear all the hats in their organization.

Do you have a New Year's resolution to improve or expand your organization in the coming year? The GrantStation database includes options for capacity building and training programs under the "types of support" dropdown. These options will help you find funders that will help you strengthen your organization and team.

Webinar date: January 14, 2025, 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: Planning and goal setting are two very important aspects of being an effective nonprofit manager or leader. We often come up with a list of things we’d like to accomplish, but sometimes this is where our momentum ends. But what if you could create a roadmap for success in 2025? During this webinar, Jena Lynch, Education & Community Engagement Manager at Donorbox, will help you evaluate your 2024 efforts and refine your approach for the future. You’ll gain actionable tools and insights to confidently close out last year, reflect on successes and challenges, and hit the ground running with a strategic plan to achieve your goals in 2025.

Webinar date: January 15, 2025, 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: Finding the funds needed to fulfill your mission is a never-ending challenge for all nonprofits. Whether you’re part of an established nonprofit or you’re a one-person development office, GrantStation can work for you because it is designed to help nonprofit organizations of all sizes get funded. During this live demo and Q&A session, Jeremy Smith, Director of Communications Technology, and Kerry Glauser, Director of Research, will show you how you can use GrantStation to complete your grant research quickly and get high-quality results. You’ll see how you can find and vet funding opportunities in a quick, streamlined fashion, so you and your staff can focus on what's most important—serving your community.

Webinar date: January 21 and 22, 2025, 2:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: Are you ready to maximize QuickBooks for your nonprofit’s financial needs? This practical workshop is designed specifically for nonprofit bookkeepers and finance professionals, offering actionable insights and tailored strategies to streamline your accounting processes. Led by expert Gregg Bossen, CPA PC, this two-part interactive clinic (120 minutes per session) dives into advanced QuickBooks topics essential for nonprofits. Through live demonstrations, you’ll learn practical skills, see real-time QuickBooks applications, and get immediate answers to your questions.

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Get ready for a sleek design, improved navigation, and an updated experience you’ll love. Stay tuned—our refreshed website is coming soon.

Thank you for being a valued part of our community. We can’t wait to share this with you!

More funding opportunities are featured on the GrantStation homepage. Click here to see the grantmakers spotlighted this week! Current opportunities include KFC Foundation: Kentucky Fried Wishes (U.S. national), Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation (U.S. local: company communities in DE, GA, KY, MD, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, and WV), FireSmart Canada: Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (Canada), and Other Foundation (selected African countries).