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COVID-19 Related Funding
Opportunities related to the COVID-19 pandemic
Current COVID-19 funding opportunities are available on our website.
National Funding
Opportunities throughout the U.S.
Support for Climate Change Activism
Climate Emergency Fund
Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) supports organizations and activists who are transforming climate politics. CEF's areas of grantmaking include the following: Protesting Climate Silence on TV supports activists who are pressuring the media to tell the truth about the climate emergency. Climate Emergency Campaigning supports the vanguard of the climate movement, in policy as well as in tactics. Back to the Streets supports youth activists and organizations to recapture their momentum and get safely back to protests and public demonstrations. Building Movement Infrastructure makes strategic investments in building a climate emergency ecosystem. Grants range from $1,000 to $100,000 and are primarily provided to U.S. organizations and individuals. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Learn more about CEF's campaigns and grant application process at climateemergencyfund.org.
Shakespeare Performances for Youth Funded
Shakespeare in American Communities
Shakespeare in American Communities, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest, brings performances and educational activities to audiences across the country. Grants are being offered through the following programs: The Schools program aims to reach middle and high school students in underserved schools throughout the United States with high quality, professional productions of Shakespeare's plays; adaptations of Shakespeare's texts; or productions that incorporate scenes, monologues, and/or sonnets of Shakespeare. Matching grants of $25,000 will be provided to up to 40 theater companies to support performances and related educational activities for middle and high school students from a minimum of five schools. Performances may be held in the theater company's facility, a school, a community venue, or virtually. Most students should experience the play in-person and it should be conducted in partnership with schools. The Juvenile Justice program will provide grants of $15,000 to $25,000 to six to ten organizations to support theater education programs exploring Shakespeare's texts that reach young people within the juvenile justice system. No matching funds are required for this program. Intent to apply emails for both programs will be accepted through December 2, 2021; the application deadline is February 2, 2022. Visit the Shakespeare in American Communities website to access the guidelines for the Schools and Juvenile Justice programs.
Grants Strengthen Native Language Education Programs
First Nations Development Institute: Native Language Immersion Initiative
The Native Language Immersion Initiative, a program of First Nations Development Institute, is designed to support Native language immersion education programs in tribal communities throughout the country. First Nations will award five to eight grants ranging from $45,000 to $75,000 to build the capacity of and directly support Native language immersion programs. Funded programs should be actively growing new speakers and have assessment and evaluation plans in order to identify progression in student Native language acquisition. Eligible applicants must be Native-controlled institutions or organizations or tribal governments with an existing language-immersion program providing at least 20 hours per week of Native American language instruction with at least ten students within the target group of three to 22 years of age. The application deadline is November 10, 2021. Visit the First Nations website to review the request for proposals and submit an online application.
Efforts to Help the Military and Veteran Communities Supported
Bob Woodruff Foundation: NFL Grants
The Bob Woodruff Foundation, in partnership with the National Football League (NFL), offers NFL Grants, which support nonprofit organizations with programs that help our service members, veterans, and their families and caregivers thrive. The focus is on the evolving needs of the military/veteran community in the current pandemic, with special emphasis upon food insecurity, housing and homelessness, mental health, and employment. The Foundation encourages all prospective applicants to consider current guidelines for safe delivery of programs. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation's website for more information about the NFL Grants program.
Regional Funding
Opportunities for specific geographic areas
Funds to Develop and Enhance Public Trails in Kansas
Sunflower Foundation
The Sunflower Foundation is dedicated to serving as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans. The Foundation is currently offering two requests for proposals: The Trail Builders RFP will help improve the health and well-being of Kansans by supporting the development of public trails in communities of all sizes, locations, and backgrounds. Priority will be given to underserved areas with no existing trails and projects with an explicit intention of increasing diversity among trail users. Grants of up to $55,000 will be provided. Local units of government and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. The Trail Champion Cohort is designed for community teams ready to take the next step in enhancing the value of existing trails. Priority will be given to proposals working to diversify their trail base of users, supporters, and volunteers. Selected teams will have access to expertise, technical assistance, and coaching around topics such as economic impact analysis and trail user evaluation. Community teams with two to four individuals from different stakeholder sectors related to local trails are invited to apply. The application deadline for both RFPs is November 9, 2021. Visit the Foundation's website to access the Guidance Document for each RFP.
Grants Promote Positive Change in Louisiana and New Mexico
The Frost Foundation
The Frost Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations in the states of Louisiana and New Mexico. The Foundation's areas of grantmaking interest include education, human service needs, and the environment. Grants are focused primarily on 1) supporting exemplary organizations that can generate positive change beyond traditional boundaries, 2) encouraging creativity that recognizes emerging needs, and 3) assisting innovation that addresses current urgent problems. Priority is given to programs that have the potential for wider service or educational exposure than an individual community. The upcoming proposal summary deadline is December 1, 2021. Funding guidelines and application instructions are available on the Foundation's website.
Support for Environmental Education Programs in North Carolina Schools
NC Beautiful: Windows of Opportunity
NC Beautiful, a nonprofit organization that improves North Carolina's environmental resources through education and environmental stewardship, is offering Windows of Opportunity grants to teachers at public, private, and charter K-12 schools in North Carolina. The Windows of Opportunity program provides awards of up to $1,000 to help teachers develop educational programs that will create student excitement about environmental stewardship and promote the protection of natural resources throughout the state. The focus is on sustainable programs that will cultivate student appreciation of the natural environment by getting them outside. The application deadline is November 30, 2021. Visit the NC Beautiful website to review the application process.
Capacity Building Opportunity for Minnesota Culturally-Led Organizations
Propel Nonprofits: Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program
The Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant Program (NIGP), administered by Propel Nonprofits, is aimed at supporting the missions of small, culturally-led organizations in Minnesota by strengthening their infrastructure. NIGP will provide grants, as well as ongoing support, to grow the organizational capacity of small Minnesota nonprofit organizations that work with historically underserved cultural communities in order to help position these organizations for greater impact in their community. The focus is on proposals that lead to meaningful improvement in an organization's infrastructure, including technology investments, staff development, relationship building, or other opportunities to increase a nonprofit's core mission support. Grants of up to $45,000 will be provided. The application deadline is November 1, 2021. Visit the Propel Nonprofits website to download the 2021 NIGP request for proposals.
Federal Funding
Opportunities from the U.S. government
Program Helps Agriculture Entities Address the COVID Pandemic
Department of Agriculture
The Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program offers support to specialty crop producers and processors, other select producers, meat and other processors, distributors, and farmers markets to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including for measures to protect workers against COVID. Covered activities include workplace safety measures, market pivots (such as transition to online sales), retrofitting facilities, transportation costs incurred to maintain social distancing, worker housing related to social distancing, and medical costs associated with providing or enabling vaccinations, testing, or healthcare treatment of infected employees. The application deadline is November 22, 2021.
Funds Available for Environmental Education
Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Education Grants Program supports education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. The Program offers financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. The application deadline is December 6, 2021.
Partner Depot
Register for the 2021 GPA Annual Conference!
November 3-6, 2021—be where the grant people meet—The 2021 GPA Annual Conference is in-person and online. The Grant Professional Association's Annual Conference attracts over 1,000 grant professionals for three days of grant professional learning and networking opportunities. From early-career to advanced/master, the professional development sessions are designed to raise your skillset to the next level. Check out the agenda and breakout sessions offering something for all areas of the grant profession.
Enter to Win a Free GrantHub Subscription!
GrantHub by Foundant Technologies is an online grant search and tracking solution that manages all of your funders, tasks, applications, reports, and important grant documents.
Use GrantHub to:
- find and manage funders and grant opportunities;
- track tasks, deadlines, and awards;
- streamline proposal creation;
- organize your grant documents and funder information; and,
- quickly track and report your progress.
Enter to win a free year of Foundant Technologies' GrantHub, the intuitive grants management solution specifically designed to increase your efficiency and funding success.
Giveaway runs September 16 to October 31, 2021. One winner will be randomly selected and notified by November 5, 2021.
TD Charitable Foundation's Housing for Everyone Grant Competition
In response to an increased demand for assistance on affordable housing providers due to COVID-19, the TD Charitable Foundation pledged $5.8 million through the 16th annual Housing for Everyone grant competition to help affordable housing providers deliver critical resident services to individuals and families in need. Eligible organizations located within the TD Bank footprint are invited to apply by October 28th.
PathFinder: Featured Resource
A library of quality resources designed to help you develop your career path as a grants professional
Uncharted Ground
Are you looking to learn more about innovative approaches to solving the world's challenges? If so, the Stanford Social Innovation Review's Uncharted Ground podcast may provide you with some insights. This podcast tells the stories of nonprofit and social entrepreneurs at the forefront of global development. Host Jonathan Levine takes listeners on their journeys to solve some of the most daunting social issues on the planet.
Upcoming Online Education Trainings
Live Webinars
Unless otherwise noted, all Online Education Trainings are webinars,
are 90 minutes in duration, and are scheduled to begin at 2 PM Eastern Time.
FREE: Funders Discuss Award-Winning Proposals
This summer GrantStation ran its biennial Winning Grant Proposal Competition. With over 200 fabulous submittals, the judges narrowed it down to three, and from that small pool picked our winner—the Conservation Trust for North Carolina. Who penned this award-winning proposal? The Trust's Executive Director, Chris Canfield. Join our host, Cynthia Adams, CEO of GrantStation, and two of the judges: Fallon Peterson, Program Officer, Nord Family Fund, and Michael Renner, Strategist, Missouri Foundation for Health, in a free, lively discussion about why this particular proposal was selected as the winner. Specifics about the proposal, as well as the time and effort that Chris put into it, will be discussed. Learn what made this proposal stand out from the rest of the very well-written submittals. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.
Advanced Storytelling
We all know money talks. The important question is: HOW does YOUR organization talk about money? In this session, Lori L. Jacobwith will dive into the topic of talking about money as a fundraising strategy. You'll learn how to share "mission moment" stories that include your need for support, but don't sound like "begging" for money. The secret tool that makes this an advanced storytelling session is discovering how to share action-causing stories. During this webinar, you will 1) learn what your money story is; 2) learn how to talk about money so it inspires more giving; and 3) learn the best questions to ask so you can gather story nuggets to craft action-causing stories. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
The Ultimate Leadership Test
Do you want the impact of your leadership—e.g. the long-term effects on your clients and the people benefiting from your nonprofit's programs—to go beyond your actual involvement? Do you want to be remembered as a front-stage star, with everyone going home once you exit the stage—or a back-stage architect who designs a sustainable organizational model that far outlives your involvement? If you want to rise to the ultimate test of leadership, you have to be prepared for this session to challenge many of your views about power and leadership. In a session that cuts to the core of leadership, Dr. Anthony Silard will discuss how to focus less on being charismatic and more on being systematic. In so doing, you will learn how to build a nonprofit organization from the ground up that will sustain itself without your direct involvement. This session will help you locate the keys to your own prison—as you will be able to start choosing to lead your organization because you want to rather than because you need to in order to keep it afloat. The seminar will be held on Thursday, October 21, 2021.
GrantStation Announcements
The latest updates from GrantStation
Assembling Your Grants Team
If you are responsible for the grants program for your organization, you may find that you simply do not have the time to submit as many grant requests as your organization wants, needs, and deserves! Establishing a grants team could be the answer. Who should be on this team? How do you go about building and managing the team? We now offer a guide for Members on how to recruit for the various roles in an effective grants team. It lays out the skill sets required for each role, from the data analyst to the graphic designer to the copy editor and more.
This guide is part of the revamped section for Members on building a grants program from the bottom up. If you have questions, please contact us.
Funding Alerts
Don't forget to check out the additional Funding Alerts on our homepage—you don't want to miss them!
Information contained in the GrantStation Insider may not be
posted, reprinted, redistributed, or sold without permission.
Editor: Julie Kaufman
Copy Editor: Ashlyn Simmons
Contributing Writer: Kevin Peters
National Funding Opportunities
Support for Climate Change Activism
Shakespeare Performances for Youth Funded
Grants Strengthen Native Language Education Programs
Efforts to Help the Military and Veteran Communities Supported
Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds to Develop and Enhance Public Trails in Kansas
Grants Promote Positive Change in Louisiana and New Mexico
Support for Environmental Education Programs in North Carolina Schools
Capacity Building Opportunity for Minnesota Culturally-Led Organizations
Federal Funding Opportunities
Program Helps Agriculture Entities Address the COVID Pandemic
Funds Available for Environmental Education