Private Diversity Equity and Inclusion Grants

The Central Minnesota Community Foundation, in partnership with the Initiative Foundation, offers the Rural Poverty Fund grants during even years (2020, 2022, 2024, etc.) for planning and implementation of projects or programs aimed at addressing rural poverty in central Minnesota. Eligible projects may include establishing or supplementing emergency and transitional activities, assessing community needs and assets, developing action plans, or providing for project implementation in rural areas. The grant aims to address the specific and immediate needs of rural people in poverty through a variety of identified programs or agency needs. The application period for the next round of funding opens on April 1, 2024, with a deadline of June 30, 2024. Grant decisions are made within 90 days of the application deadline. Decisions on grant applications are made within 90 days of the application deadline.

This funding opportunity is designed to support new nonprofit organizations in Middlesex County that are working on initiatives related to racial equity, education, financial stability, housing, wellness, and youth development.

This grant provides financial support to newsrooms in Colorado that serve BIPOC, non-English speaking, and rural communities, helping them strengthen their operations and improve local news access.

Grant Opportunity: U.S. Bank Community Possible Grant Program Focus: Addressing racial and economic inequities through workforce education, economic prosperity, neighborhood stability, revitalization, artistic and cultural enrichment, and learning through play. Considerations: Innovation in focus areas, positive community engagement efforts, demonstrated outcomes and impact, service delivery to low-and moderate-income individuals, women and people of color, diversity in management and governing board, financial health of the organization. Funding Types: Operating grants for day-to-day expenses, program/project grants for specific activities with explicit objectives, and capital grants for fixed assets with certain criteria.

This program supports emerging leaders aged 24-45 from diverse sectors across the U.S. by providing them with training, coaching, and a collaborative network to drive positive change in their communities.

The Indy Arts Council offers Art for Awareness Grants to support projects that use arts based activities to prevent or create awareness of substance use disorder or addiction in Marion County, Indiana. The program promotes collaborations between artists and subject matter experts and encourages the use of evidence based techniques. Grants range from 5,000 to 65,000 dollars with no match requirement. Priority is given to youth oriented programming and projects that center racial equity. Funds may support artist fees, program delivery, and project costs associated with prevention and awareness efforts rooted in artistic practice and community engagement. Eligible artists must be at least 18 years old, reside in or work predominantly in Marion County, and be able to provide required identification numbers. Eligible organizations must have 501(c)(3) status, be Indianapolis based and physically headquartered in Marion County, include artists in their programs, and provide equitable compensation for artistic work. Applications are due May 3, 2024. Additional information is available from the Indy Arts Council.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to eligible nonprofits, schools, government entities, and religious organizations in the Black Hills region of South Dakota for programs that promote creativity, sustainability, and community collaboration.

This funding opportunity is designed to empower organizations representing persons with disabilities to advocate for health equity by providing resources, training, and support for inclusive health policies and practices.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are offering the Step Up for School Wellness (SUFSW) grant, an innovative program designed to empower school health leaders, educators, administrators, families, and communities. This initiative aims to improve the health and well-being of K-12 students and staff across all public, charter, or private nonprofit schools in Michigan. The program aligns with the foundation's mission by fostering healthier school environments and cultivating a culture of wellness, which directly contributes to the development of lifelong healthy behaviors. The primary beneficiaries of this program are K-12 students and school staff throughout Michigan. The program's core impact goals revolve around reducing the incidence of obesity and undernourishment, combating absenteeism, addressing trauma, and nurturing a more productive teaching and learning atmosphere. Through a five-step model, the SUFSW program translates into specific goals focused on improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to health and wellness. The program prioritizes several key areas, including empowering students to be more physically active daily and make healthy food choices that incorporate fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean protein. Furthermore, it aims to empower students to learn and practice social and emotional skills, and equip staff to implement and participate in well-being initiatives. A significant focus is also placed on encouraging staff to instigate policy, system, and environmental changes that bolster the well-being of both students and staff within schools. Expected outcomes include improved physical activity levels, healthier eating habits, enhanced social and emotional skills among students, and a stronger culture of wellness for all school employees. The program also anticipates policy and environmental changes within schools that support overall well-being. These measurable results are driven by three distinct focus areas: physical activity and physical education resources, healthy eating and nutrition education resources, and well-being resources, all working towards a greater collective impact.

The Career Pathways grant, accepting applications from May 27 to July 5, 2024, is dedicated to increasing economic mobility and generational wealth by providing access to family-wage jobs, entrepreneurship, and small business ownership. The grant supports programs that facilitate skill development, offer wrap-around services, and support entrepreneurship, especially for minority- and woman-owned businesses. Prioritizing culturally specific and minority-led programs, it aims to serve communities facing systemic barriers, ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in all initiatives.

The Regional Arts Commission’s Artist Support Grant provides funding for the career advancement of individual artists in St. Louis City and County, Missouri. This grant directly aligns with the foundation's mission to foster the creative life of the artist and contribute to the vibrant artistic culture of St. Louis. It is designed to be flexible, accessible, and to encourage creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustained commitment to artistic work across all artistic disciplines. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are individual artists aged 18 or older who are current residents of St. Louis City or County and have maintained primary residence for at least one year. These artists must also have created and presented their original work(s) to the public or performed for the public in the past three years. The grant's impact goals are to enable diverse artists to advance their careers, complete creative projects, and ultimately enrich the St. Louis community through culturally and artistically significant practices. The grant prioritizes proposals that demonstrate cultural and/or artistic essentials (40% weight), community benefit (30% weight), and artistic/practice capacity and sustainability (30% weight). Key focuses include the artist's clear plans, contribution to their practice, innovation in their artform, and thoughtful use of funds. Additionally, the grant emphasizes broad community benefit, considering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as the artist's ability to demonstrate community participation and connection. For capacity and sustainability, realistic budgeting, diverse revenue streams, a strong artistic resume/CV, and relevant work samples are crucial. Expected outcomes include the completion of individual artist projects, enhanced artistic skills and craft, and increased innovation in the arts. Measurable results are tied to the funding criteria, such as the provision of essential information, artist statements, proof of residency, clearly articulated plans, and descriptions of intended audiences and DEIA efforts. The budget also serves as a measurable component, requiring a realistic and balanced approach. The maximum funding an individual artist can receive is $7,500, supporting projects and needs occurring from November 2024 through May 2025.

This fellowship program supports entrepreneurs in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area who are developing innovative solutions for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to U.S.-based organizations conducting health equity research that has been disrupted by federal funding cuts, prioritizing projects led by early- to mid-career researchers from historically underrepresented backgrounds.

The NAACP x BACARDI are working together to provide dedicated support under-represented minorities in the beverage alcohol service, sales and hospitality industries. Backing the B.A.R. is an NAACP initiative that is awarding over $100,000 in acceleration grants, education, support and entrepreneurship solutions for minority-owned bars, restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores and small businesses in the process of applying for a liquor license. If you are a minority-owned business owner with a liquor license or real liquor license aspirations - and you need financial, educational or mentorship support, please apply here. Ideal grant recipients are looking for support in accelerating their business for the future.

The National Press Foundation is offering the Covering Equitable Community Development Journalism Fellowship, an expenses-paid program designed to enhance journalists' ability to report on equitable community development. This initiative aligns with the foundation's mission to support and educate journalists, specifically by equipping them to investigate the intersection of policy, public and private financing, and calls for equitable housing, parks, and other community assets. The program aims to address the critical need for comprehensive and nuanced reporting on how resources are allocated and what initiatives receive support within various regions. The target beneficiaries of this fellowship are U.S.-based journalists working across print, TV, radio, or online media, with a particular encouragement for those who cover race and metro beats. The program emphasizes diversity and welcomes applicants from across the nation. The impact goal is to empower these journalists to better understand and report on pervasive racial gaps and the policies and investments in their communities related to health, wealth, and overall community well-being. By providing specialized training, the fellowship seeks to foster a more informed public discourse on community development issues. The fellowship's priorities and focuses include an immersive exploration into community development issues, especially in the context of small and mid-sized cities. The program will delve into how financing and investing institutions—such as community development financial institutions (CDFIs), philanthropic impact investors, private banks, and other investors—prioritize projects. It will also examine how policymakers and public officials can actively involve residents in decision-making and ensure accountability for anti-racist practices in the community development sector. Other key topics include identifying conditions that lead to healthier, more equitable communities with access to essential resources like affordable housing, education, and healthcare, as well as addressing environmental justice as a community development issue. The expected outcomes and measurable results of this fellowship include equipping journalists with the knowledge and context to add breadth to their coverage of community development. By bringing together experts from health equity, nonprofit, policy, financing, and community organizing sectors, the program anticipates that fellows will gain a deeper understanding of complex issues. While specific measurable results are not explicitly stated as quantitative metrics, the qualitative outcome is a more capable and informed journalistic body that can investigate and report on community development effectively, potentially leading to increased public awareness and accountability in these areas.

The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts's Flexible Funding 2024 program offers general operating support to nonprofits benefiting the region. This initiative aligns directly with the foundation's mission to foster equity and opportunity in Western Massachusetts by providing unrestricted financial support. The program's core aim is to sustain the day-to-day operations of organizations, allowing them to focus directly on their missions without the burden of highly restricted funding. This approach reflects the foundation's strategic priority to strengthen the nonprofit sector by providing flexible, trust-based philanthropy. The program primarily targets smaller, newer, non-traditional, or fiscally sponsored organizations that have historically lacked substantial institutional philanthropy. It also prioritizes organizations deeply rooted in their communities, recognizing their essential role in local impact. While not explicitly stating "expected outcomes" or "measurable results" in a quantitative sense, the program's design implies an outcome of increased organizational stability, capacity, and effectiveness for these beneficiaries. The theory of change suggests that by providing flexible funding to these specific organizations, the foundation can catalyze greater community well-being and progress towards its equity goals. The foundation's strategic vision forms the cornerstone for establishing the priority support areas for Flexible Funding. These areas are designed to increase equity and opportunity and include: racial justice; accessible and more affordable post-secondary education and training; a strong start for all children; a vibrant local arts and creativity ecosystem; financial resiliency (Springfield only); and family economic resiliency (Franklin County only). These focus areas clearly articulate the foundation's strategic priorities and direct funding towards issues that are central to its broader theory of change for regional development and social justice. Flexible Funding provides grants of up to $30,000 for a grant period of January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025. Eligibility requires IRS-designated 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor, and organizations must be located in and serve residents of Franklin, Hampden, and/or Hampshire counties. There is a strong preference for organizations with operating budgets less than $5 million, and organizations with budgets over $10 million are ineligible, reinforcing the focus on smaller, community-based entities. This emphasis on local and less-resourced organizations highlights the foundation's commitment to equitable resource distribution and supporting the foundational elements of a thriving community.

The Kansas Innovation Fund, facilitated by KHF, is an initiative designed to empower visionary individuals and organizations in Kansas who are dedicated to creating positive change within their communities through innovative solutions. Offering up to $5,000 for each approved idea or project, the fund aims to address complex issues by exploring new strategies that improve health and health equity across different sectors. This funding opportunity is open year-round to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations, government entities, and churches in Kansas, with applications reviewed monthly. Projects that enhance health opportunities for Kansans, reflect innovative approaches, and benefit Kansas communities are prioritized for funding.

This fellowship provides $5,000 to support research on anti-Black racial injustice and structural racism in Indiana, encouraging scholars to explore the historical and contemporary experiences of Black Hoosiers and their responses to systemic racism.

The Rural Housing Assessment Grant program, administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA)'s Center for Rural Revitalization, aims to empower rural communities in Iowa. This initiative aligns with a broader mission to revitalize rural areas by enabling communities to interpret publicly available data and implement changes in development codes, local ordinances, and housing incentives. The program's foundation is deeply rooted in the belief that data-driven decisions at the local level are crucial for fostering a development environment attractive to potential housing developers, ultimately contributing to the economic and social well-being of rural Iowa. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are local city and county governments, as well as federally recognized tribal governments located in Iowa. Specifically, projects and programs must exist in and benefit communities with a population of 20,000 or fewer, and not be contiguous to a city with a population of 40,000 or greater. For countywide projects, eligibility is restricted to the 88 least populous counties. The impact goals are centered on facilitating the assessment of current development environments, enacting policy changes, and ultimately increasing the availability of suitable housing in these underserved rural areas. The program prioritizes several key areas. First, it focuses on supporting the use of publicly available, online information, encouraging communities to leverage existing data for informed decision-making. Second, a significant focus is placed on partnering with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach for their Rural Housing Readiness Assessment workshops. These workshops are integral to helping communities assess their current housing landscape and identify areas for improvement. The grant funds are specifically designed to support housing assessment data collection, participation in these workshops, and the subsequent implementation of workshop outcomes within the contract period. Expected outcomes include the completion of housing assessment reports, successful participation in the ISU Extension and Outreach Rural Housing Assessment Readiness Workshop, and the implementation of policy and procedural changes that attract developers. Measurable results will be tied to the completion of these deliverables and the demonstrable progress made in adjusting local regulations to be more conducive to housing development. Grant recipients can be awarded up to $20,000, with a funding period for all project activities and incurred expenses spanning from October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2026. The program also requires a $5,000 cash match for each city or full county partnering on an application, ensuring local commitment and investment.

This funding opportunity supports Scottsdale-based non-profit arts and culture organizations in delivering diverse programs and events that enhance the community's cultural landscape.