Grants for Nonprofits - Employment Labor and Training

The City of South Bend Department of Public Works is currently accepting applications for its 2024 Lamppost Lighting Program. This initiative is designed to assist homeowners within South Bend's city limits by providing lighting enhancements for their neighborhoods through a cost-share program. The program directly aligns with the city's mission to improve public infrastructure and enhance community safety and quality of life for its residents. By offering solar-powered lampposts for residential front yards, the program aims to address practical needs while promoting sustainable solutions. The primary beneficiaries of this program are homeowners residing within the City of South Bend. The program specifically targets two areas selected based on income levels, the number of vacant lots, and the existing need for improved lighting. Homeowners in these target areas receive a reduced cost share of $50, compared to $250 for those outside these areas, demonstrating a focus on supporting communities with greater need. The overarching impact goal is to enhance neighborhood safety, visibility, and overall aesthetics by increasing accessible lighting. The program's priorities and focuses include ease of installation, accessibility, and community empowerment. It offers easy self-install, solar-powered lampposts, placing responsibility for pickup, installation, and maintenance on the homeowner, fostering a sense of ownership. While the City's Division of Engineering will inspect installations, the emphasis is on enabling residents to directly contribute to their neighborhood improvements. A limit of one lamppost per household ensures equitable distribution among participating residents. Expected outcomes and measurable results include a greater number of illuminated residential front yards, particularly in historically underserved or underlit areas. Success can be measured by the number of lampposts installed, the geographic spread of the installations, and anecdotal evidence or surveys from residents regarding perceived improvements in safety and neighborhood appearance. The cost-share model is a strategic priority, allowing for broader participation while distributing costs, and fostering a collaborative approach between the city and its residents for community betterment.

The City of Pasadena's 2024-2025 Festival and Parade Grant Program aims to support publicly oriented thematic events with a defined cultural or artistic focus. These events can encompass multiple arts genres/cultural activities or multiple offerings focusing on one artistic genre or cultural activity, and must include elements of community involvement. Examples include music festivals, dance festivals, fairs, parades, and cultural celebrations. The program is specifically for events produced by non-profit organizations or consortia of non-profit organizations, taking place within Pasadena city limits for one or more consecutive days, and featuring various art forms such as music, theatre, visual art, dance, or film. The program targets non-profit arts and culture organizations or non-profit social service organizations (including, but not limited to, chambers of commerce, social service agencies, homeowners associations, or business districts) in partnership with an arts and culture organization. The grant seeks to foster accessibility, cultural diversity, and geographic equity within Pasadena. Eligible projects include public events with a cultural or artistic purpose, arts/culture festivals or parades held in publicly accessible spaces that are free or of reasonable cost, and collaborations between Pasadena non-profit art/culture organizations and other non-profit entities. Social service organizations can apply if partnered with a Pasadena arts/culture organization. The grant prioritizes marketing costs and artists' fees to ensure events are accessible and diverse. The maximum grant request is $10,000, and projects must take place between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The program also supports arts/culture events produced in Pasadena by non-profit arts/culture organizations not based in Pasadena but providing an event not otherwise produced by a local producer, further enhancing the city's cultural offerings. The expected outcomes include an increase in accessible cultural and artistic events within Pasadena, greater community involvement in arts and culture, and the promotion of cultural diversity and geographic equity through supported festivals and parades. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, the program's focus on marketing costs and artist fees suggests an intention to increase attendance and participation in these events. The overall strategic priority is to enrich the cultural landscape of Pasadena and ensure a vibrant community through public arts and cultural celebrations.

This program provides funding to enhance workforce development by offering hands-on learning opportunities in emerging technology fields for individuals from diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds.

The Child Health Research Awards Program by the Charles H. Hood Foundation aims to advance child health by providing grant support to newly independent faculty within New England-based pediatric researchers. The program offers two-year grants of $200,000 ($100,000 per year inclusive of 10% indirects) to researchers who are within five (PhD scientists) or seven (physician-scientists) years of employment following completion of training. The grants support hypothesis-driven clinical, basic science, public health, health services research, and epidemiology projects focused on child health. Application deadlines occur in the spring and fall of each year, with funding beginning every January 1st and July 1st. For complete eligibility requirements and application guidelines, visit CharlesHoodFoundation.org.

The U.S. Mission to the UAE announces this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for organizations to submit proposals to implement the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in the UAE. The 14-month program will include a 46-month training and mentorship program to support at least 20 UAE-based, women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) build the knowledge, skills, and networks to expand market reach by taking advantage of the UAE entrepreneurship ecosystem and bilateral trade opportunities. Following the training period participants will have the opportunity to showcase successes at trade shows and policy summits AWE in UAE is a business training program (AWE) that provides UAE-based, women-owned SMEs the knowledge, networks, and access they need to build resilience and grow their businesses. AWE UAE will convene private sector networks, U.S. Government resources/alumni, and public and private resources to establish a network Emirati and long-term UAE resident entrepreneurs and business leaders that have the capacity to develop business growth plans and leverage market expansion and media opportunities. AWE UAE supports U.S.-UAE business partnerships, public-private sponsorships, and builds institutional capacity to increase womens access to economic opportunities. Since 2019, AWE has advanced womens businesses by empowering more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 120+ countries. Implemented in the UAE since 2020, AWE has helped 41 women-led business, which to date have raised $7 million in funding, generated $45 million in revenues, and created 500+ jobs

The Ramsey County Trusted Messenger Initiative Grants aim to foster and develop innovative approaches for delivering public health services, resources, and information. The overarching mission alignment for this initiative is to address health inequalities, language barriers, and isolation from county services, particularly for racially and ethnically diverse communities, immigrant families, and new Minnesotans. By empowering trusted messengers, the program seeks to ensure equitable access to crucial public health support and information, aligning with a strategic goal of community well-being and health equity. The program targets specific beneficiaries across several priority areas. For "Healthy Communities," the focus is on racially and ethnically diverse communities, immigrant families, and new Minnesotans, with an impact goal of increasing awareness and access to culturally informed public health information in areas like healthy aging, Hmong health, sexual violence, adolescent health, and child/teen checkups. The "Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)" priority specifically targets pregnant and postpartum women and their children, especially early in pregnancy and multigenerational African American populations, with the goal of increasing WIC program awareness and referrals for healthy food, nutrition education, and lactation support. The "Family Health and Home Visiting" area is dedicated to promoting equity in birth outcomes for diverse communities, including African American, Native American, Latino/x, and immigrant populations, aiming to support families, fathers, and other caregivers in navigating pre- and post-birth care with a holistic approach. Key priorities also include "Clinical Services," which seeks to increase awareness and access to vaccines, immunizations, tuberculosis care, sexual and reproductive health services (HIV/STD testing, syringe services), wound care, and naloxone training for people using drugs. "Environmental Health" prioritizes finding creative ways to boost participation in food scraps pick-up, hazardous waste drop-off, and electronics recycling programs, especially within racially and ethnically diverse communities, while also raising awareness of the Environmental Service Center. Finally, "Climate Action" aims to increase awareness of climate change's health impacts and county resources to mitigate them. The expected outcomes and measurable results revolve around enhanced public health service delivery and increased community engagement. The initiative anticipates awarding approximately 10 grants, each up to $36,000, with an emphasis on reaching underserved populations. Success will be measured by improved access to health information, increased participation in public health programs, and a reduction in health disparities among the targeted communities. The foundation's strategic priorities are evident in its encouragement of applications from organizations that have not previously contracted with Ramsey County, ethnically and culturally diverse, women-owned, or veteran-owned organizations, and those with fewer than 50 employees, indicating a theory of change that values community-led, grassroots efforts and seeks to broaden the network of trusted service providers. Organizations serving adjacent counties like Dakota County are also encouraged, signaling a broader regional impact goal.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Alaska for projects that strengthen their internal operations and improve their effectiveness through capacity-building initiatives.

An undiversified economy and inequitable participation in the labor force are two economic challenges facing the Dakhla and Laayoune regions. Largely dependent on agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, tourism, and phosphate mining for income, the region is susceptible to a disconnect between citizens and the government when the primary source of revenue is from a natural resource rather than the citizens themselves. Overreliance on those industries also limits private sector growth and contributes to a low rate of womens participation in the labor market. Competitive proposals will support activities targeting underserved communities, to include women, youth, and People with Disabilities (PWD). The beneficiaries should receive some combination of soft- and job-skills along with entrepreneurship training. Proposals which have an innovative approach and/or have concrete outcomes such as jobs obtained, or businesses created will be looked on favorably. Proposals can reference relevant prior experience. This project will support civil society in the Dakhla and Laayoune regions by developing the professional skills of the participants. Incremental progress in these areas is made possible through an informed and empowered population. The project will also help create the economic conditions that, in turn, allow associations and businesses to organize and approach local officials on questions and issues important to them, whether resource allocation or gender equity.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering Regular Urban Forestry Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Wisconsin for projects that enhance community tree management, maintenance, or education, including tree inventory, urban forestry plans, pest response, public outreach, and tree planting.

The Pigeon River Fund (PRF), managed by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC), aims to enhance the streams and rivers within Haywood, Buncombe, and Madison counties. This mission directly aligns with CFWNC's strategic priority of improving regional environmental health and quality of life. The fund primarily targets projects that provide direct benefits in areas such as improved surface water quality, enhanced fish and wildlife management and habitats, expanded public access to waterways, and increased citizen awareness regarding their roles in protecting these vital resources. This aligns with a theory of change that by investing in direct improvements and community engagement, the overall health and sustainability of local aquatic ecosystems will be uplifted. The PRF supports a range of projects with specific focuses and priorities. Higher priority is given to efforts that address water quality issues in streams or watersheds identified as priorities in county action plans, especially those promoting collaborative or coordinated projects with long-term benefits. Education and awareness initiatives, particularly those helping individuals understand their impact on the river basin's health, are also highly valued. Furthermore, the installation of water quality Best Management Practices (BMPs) or other stream improvements that are part of a coordinated, multi-faceted effort and result in significant water quality improvement are considered high priority. Conversely, scattered projects, government agency operating support (especially staffing), and projects related to regulation enforcement are generally lower priority. The grant program seeks to achieve measurable results and expected outcomes. Projects are anticipated to lead to tangible improvements in surface water quality, as well as an increase in the health and diversity of fish and wildlife populations. Expanded public access to rivers and streams is another key outcome, fostering greater community engagement with these natural resources. Additionally, the program aims to increase citizens' awareness and understanding of water quality issues, empowering them to take more active roles in environmental protection. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $35,000 for one year, with some exceptions, and are contingent on the leveraging of other funds or in-kind resources to maximize impact. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and governmental entities serving Buncombe, Haywood, or Madison counties. The grant requests are expected to demonstrate how they will address at least one of the four focus areas, contributing to the fund's overall impact goals. The emphasis on coordinated, long-term, and educational projects reflects CFWNC's strategic approach to fostering sustainable environmental improvements and building a more engaged and knowledgeable community in Western North Carolina.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is offering a grant of over $1 million, with a total funding of $10,000,000, to educational and non-profit organizations in Urbana, Illinois, to promote bioprocessing through infrastructure and capital equipment expansion, increased training opportunities, and short course offerings, with the project having been partially funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Tech Hubs program.

The Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Development Fund, supported by the Princeton Area Community Foundation, aims to bolster nonprofits within the Chamber's five-county operational area. This initiative aligns with the foundation's mission by strategically investing in organizations that are vital to the community's progress in education, leadership, economic opportunity, and self-sufficiency. The fund specifically targets areas that address critical societal needs, ensuring that resources are directed towards impactful and sustainable change within the region. The program's core focus areas are Education and Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development. In education, the fund prioritizes innovative programs designed to help low-income and at-risk students succeed academically, prepare for higher education, or enter the workforce. Key impact goals include reaching a broad student population, fostering community resource collaboration, promoting curriculum innovation, and supporting scalable models. The expected outcomes are improved academic achievement, increased access to post-secondary education or employment, and the development of replicable successful educational initiatives. For Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development, the fund supports nonprofits that drive economic growth. This includes initiatives for small business development and expansion, commercial revitalization, job creation, work-entry programs, specialized skills training, and transportation solutions. The impact goals are centered on fostering a more robust local economy and creating pathways to self-sufficiency for community members. Measurable results would include an increase in new businesses, job placements, individuals completing skills training, and improved access to employment opportunities. The eligibility criteria for applicants reflect the foundation's strategic priorities, requiring tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)3, public charity status under Section 509, and registration with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. This ensures that funds are distributed to credible and well-governed organizations. The geographic scope, encompassing numerous municipalities within the Chamber's area, highlights a theory of change that local, targeted investments in key sectors will lead to broad community development and improved quality of life across the region. The one-year grant duration encourages focused, impactful projects with clear objectives within that timeframe.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations that provide housing stability and services for youth experiencing homelessness in economically challenged areas of Greater Boston.

The City of Gig Harbor is offering its 2025 Lodging Tax Grants, aimed at supporting tourism-related operations or marketing within the city. This program is funded by a percentage of hotel/motel taxes collected from lodging establishments within city limits, which the Department of Revenue then distributes back to the City of Gig Harbor. These funds are specifically designated for tourism-related capital facilities, non-event operations, and event marketing and operations, aligning with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Chapter 67.28, which details the use and reporting of tourism funds. The primary beneficiaries of this grant funding are non-profit organizations and municipalities that can demonstrate the ability to achieve specific tourism-related goals. The overarching impact goal is to stimulate economic activity through tourism. This includes increasing hotel/lodging occupancy within Gig Harbor by creating overnight stays and boosting the number of visitors traveling from more than 50 miles away, or from other states or countries. The program's strategic priority is to enhance Gig Harbor's appeal as a tourist destination, thereby generating economic benefits for the local community. The grant program focuses on activities and expenditures designed to increase tourism. This encompasses a broad range of efforts, including advertising, publicizing, and distributing information to attract and welcome tourists, developing strategies to expand tourism, operating tourism promotion agencies, and funding the marketing or operation of special events and festivals. All applications must include estimated outcomes, demonstrating how the proposed activities will lead to an increase in overnight stays and visitors from outside the 50-mile radius or from other states/countries. Expected outcomes and measurable results are central to this grant. Applicants are required to provide additional information in their applications to ensure that data on increased overnight stays and visitors is collected. The City of Gig Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee evaluates proposals based on factors such as the estimated amount of lodging tax funds available, the thoroughness and completeness of the proposal, the percentage of the request relative to promotion budgets and overall revenues, projected economic impact (especially overnight stays), the applicant's financial stability, and their history of tourism promotion success. This rigorous evaluation process reflects a theory of change where strategic investment in tourism promotion directly translates to quantifiable economic growth and increased visitor engagement.

The Educational Opportunities Program, offered by Middlesex Savings Bank, is designed to empower organizations to deliver distinctive and impactful educational experiences to both youths and adults. This grant aligns with the foundation's mission to support community development through initiatives that foster learning and skill-building. By focusing on a broad range of educational opportunities, the program seeks to address critical needs within the communities served by Middlesex Savings Bank, promoting personal and professional growth for individuals of all ages. The primary beneficiaries of this program are youths and adults residing in the designated geographic areas. Impact goals include enhancing job readiness, improving adult literacy, promoting financial education, and enriching youth development. Specifically, the program targets individuals who can benefit from job training, English as a Second Language courses, credit education, home-buying seminars, and various youth enrichment activities. The expected outcomes are increased employment opportunities, improved financial literacy, enhanced educational attainment, and overall community betterment. The program prioritizes initiatives that provide tangible skills and knowledge. Key focus areas include job training and readiness programs, adult education, English as a Second Language instruction, credit education, home-buying seminars, and youth enrichment programs. The foundation's strategic priority is to invest in educational programs that offer practical, measurable results and contribute directly to the economic and social well-being of the community. This aligns with a theory of change where targeted educational interventions lead to improved individual capabilities and, consequently, stronger communities. While the overall grant size ranges from $10,000 to $100,000, individual grant requests are considered up to $20,000. This indicates a focus on supporting a wider array of smaller, impactful projects rather than a few large-scale initiatives. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations serving one or more communities within Middlesex Savings Bank's service area. The program specifically excludes funding for political or sectarian activities, as well as organizations utilizing a fiscal agent, ensuring that funds are directed towards direct educational services within the foundation's established guidelines.

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) is offering grants through its Environmental Sustainability Grant Program, with a deadline of July 19, 2024. This program is designed to enhance environmental sustainability in the Greater Cincinnati region by improving the accessibility and quality of greenspaces, supporting conservation efforts, promoting horticulture, and advancing nature education, particularly for historically marginalized groups. This initiative aligns directly with GCF's mission to support and enhance the environmental sustainability of the region. The target beneficiaries of this program are organizations with efforts based in the Greater Cincinnati region, specifically in Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties in Ohio; Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn County in Indiana. The program aims to increase the benefits of nature for historically marginalized groups, including improved fresh food access and nature education, especially for children and youth. The overall impact goal is to create a more environmentally sustainable and equitable region through accessible greenspaces and quality education. GCF's priorities for this grant cycle include organizations that develop solutions with a racial equity lens, requests that beautify, create, conserve, and/or restore greenspaces (with a preference for those benefiting historically marginalized groups), and proposals that connect historically marginalized groups to the benefits of nature. Strong preference will be given to organizations demonstrating partnerships, collaboration, alignment with community-wide efforts, and insights from past results, utilizing an asset-based approach. Funding may be used for a variety of purposes, including supporting, expanding, or strengthening existing programs, enacting capital improvements, launching new programs, or building organizational capacity. Collaboration between well-aligned organizations is highly favored. GCF has approximately $400,000 available for the 2024 Environmental Sustainability cycle, with individual grants awarded for up to $25,000. Expected outcomes include clear and measurable results related to greenspace improvements, increased access to nature for marginalized communities, and enhanced environmental education.

The Washington State Department of Commerce (WSDC) is offering its 2025 Religious and Nonprofit Security Grant, designed to enhance the physical security of nonprofit organizations across all counties in Washington. This grant aligns with the WSDC's mission to support and protect vulnerable community institutions by providing funding for renovations and other security investments. The program's strategic priority is to safeguard organizations that are at risk of physical attacks, threats, or damages due to their mission, ideology, or beliefs, thereby fostering a more secure environment for these groups to operate. The target beneficiaries for this grant include a broad range of nonprofit organizations, with a specific emphasis on religious nonprofits, "by-and-for" organizations, and cultural community centers. The impact goal is to mitigate security risks and improve the safety of these sites. Successful applicants will demonstrate a clear need for security enhancements based on past incidents or credible threats. This proactive approach aims to prevent future attacks and ensure the continuity of services provided by these vital community organizations. The grant prioritizes investments in physical security enhancements, construction or renovation projects, target hardening, preparedness planning, training, and exercises. Applications must explicitly detail how the funding will be utilized for these purposes. A key focus is on tangible improvements that directly address identified security vulnerabilities. Organizations must either own the property or have written permission from the owner to implement the proposed security upgrades, ensuring the long-term impact and sustainability of the investments. The expected outcomes of the grant program include a measurable reduction in security incidents and an increased sense of safety among the beneficiary organizations. By funding critical security measures, the WSDC aims to empower these nonprofits to continue their valuable work without undue fear of harm. The grant's theory of change posits that by investing in physical security and preparedness, organizations will be better equipped to withstand and deter threats, leading to a more resilient and secure nonprofit sector within Washington State.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for community development projects that improve facilities, infrastructure, and public services for low- and moderate-income residents in specific areas of San Diego County.

The Southern Monterey County Foundation (SMCF) offers grants to organizations that serve the communities of Southern Monterey County, specifically King City and all points south, excluding the coastal region. The foundation's mission is to support nonprofit organizations with strong leadership and the capacity to provide essential community resources and services. This grant program directly aligns with SMCF's mission by channeling funds to local initiatives that address critical needs within its defined service area. The target beneficiaries of these grants are residents and communities in Southern Monterey County. The impact goals include measurable improvements in identified community needs, the establishment of new community programs, and the expansion of existing ones that tackle high-priority issues. The SMCF aims to foster stronger, more resilient communities by investing in projects and programs that yield tangible benefits for the local population. In 2020, the foundation prioritized specific types of requests. These include funding for specific projects or one-time costs designed to produce a measurable impact on an identified community need. Additionally, grants are given to establish or expand community programs that address high-priority community issues or needs. These priorities reflect the SMCF's strategic focus on outcomes-based funding and its commitment to addressing pressing local challenges. Eligibility for these grants extends to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, public programs (such as schools, parks, and public health initiatives), and church-sponsored activities that benefit a broader community beyond their own membership. Organizations and collaboratives that are not legally incorporated can also apply, provided they have a 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor. The foundation's strategic priorities include supporting a diverse range of organizations capable of delivering impactful services, emphasizing fiscal responsibility through the fiscal sponsor requirement for unincorporated groups. The expected outcomes of the SMCF grant program are positive and measurable changes in Southern Monterey County communities. This includes addressing specific community needs, fostering the growth of vital community programs, and enhancing the overall well-being of residents. The foundation's theory of change appears to be that by strategically investing in projects and programs with clear objectives and measurable results, it can empower local organizations to drive meaningful and sustainable improvements in the region.

This funding opportunity provides substantial support to national organizations using music to drive systemic change across multiple U.S. states or territories.