North Carolina Private Grants

The High Point Community Foundation's grant program is designed to provide essential funding to nonprofit organizations that actively address the needs within the community. This aligns directly with the foundation's mission to support local initiatives and ensure that critical services and programs are available to those who need them most in the greater High Point area. The foundation prioritizes organizations that demonstrate a direct benefit to the community. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are primarily the residents and various groups within the greater High Point area, as the foundation emphasizes local impact. While not explicitly stated as "impact goals" or "expected outcomes" in specific metrics, the overarching goal is to support nonprofits in their efforts to respond to community needs, suggesting an expected outcome of improved well-being and enhanced services for the High Point population. The foundation's priorities and focus are clearly on local impact, with state-wide or national programs only considered if funding directly benefits the High Point area. Furthermore, there is a strong focus on ensuring the financial integrity and legitimacy of applicants, as evidenced by the detailed requirements for 501(c)(3) status and varying levels of financial statements based on annual budget size. Grantmaking restrictions highlight what the foundation will not fund, which implicitly defines their strategic priorities. They do not fund costs already incurred, endowments, loans or mortgages, sectarian or political purposes, or individuals. This indicates a strategic priority towards funding direct program and capital needs that have an immediate and tangible impact on the community, rather than administrative overheads or long-term financial instruments. The maximum grant allowed is $50,000 for program and capital requests, and the grant committee will not fund requests less than 50% of the total asked. They also implement a matching grant policy to ensure shared investment. The foundation's "theory of change," though not explicitly named as such, can be inferred as supporting local nonprofits with direct funding will empower them to effectively address community needs, leading to a stronger, more resilient High Point community. The strict guidelines regarding eligibility and financial transparency are in place to ensure that funds are responsibly allocated to organizations that can demonstrate accountability and a genuine capacity to deliver on their proposed projects, ultimately contributing to measurable positive change within the community.

The City of Spokane, through its Accounting and Grants Department, is offering a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to support community-serving organizations with capital campaign expenses. This grant program aims to provide capital dollars to help organizations secure physical locations for operation, ultimately expanding services and benefiting historically marginalized communities. The program aligns with a mission to foster community development and support vital organizations within the City of Spokane. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are 501c3 organizations registered within the City of Spokane, particularly those establishing or expanding multicultural centers. These centers must be located within city limits and dedicate over 50% of their space to outward-facing multicultural activities. The impact goal is to strengthen the infrastructure of community-serving organizations, enabling them to provide expanded and more accessible services to their target populations. The program prioritizes organizations demonstrating a clear need for a capital project, a proven history of serving historically marginalized communities, and fiscal responsibility. Key tasks for funding include strategic planning, feasibility studies, campaign implementation, and staff training related to capital campaigns. The focus is on ensuring that the funded projects are well-planned, sustainable, and directly contribute to the organization's ability to serve its community effectively. Expected outcomes include the successful implementation of capital campaigns, resulting in organizations securing or expanding their physical operating locations. Measurable results will include the completion of projects by June 30, 2026, with funds contracted by December 31, 2024. This initiative reflects a strategic priority to invest in community infrastructure and empower organizations that are vital to the social and cultural well-being of Spokane's diverse population. The theory of change is that by providing capital for physical locations, the City can enable organizations to better serve and expand their reach within the community.

The Flash Grant program, managed by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech), aims to energize innovative ideas in the life sciences field that show early signs of exceptional commercial potential. Flash grants provide a quick infusion of funding at critical early stages to help shape innovative research ideas into high-potential life sciences technologies. The grants support short, focused research projects that generate initial exploratory, proof-of-concept, or feasibility data, or that conduct final experiments to advance research into the translational phase. These micro-grants target projects too early for traditional grant funding mechanisms and are available to researchers at any North Carolina university or nonprofit research institute.

The Jackson County Community Foundation is offering community grants to qualified charitable organizations that serve the local community within Jackson County, North Carolina. This grant program aligns with the foundation's mission to address a broad range of local needs, supporting essential services and development within the community. The grants are intended to foster local initiatives that improve the well-being of residents and strengthen community infrastructure across various sectors. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are diverse, encompassing individuals and groups benefiting from human services, education, youth development, health, food/nutrition, and arts programs. The impact goals are to meet a wide array of community needs, providing support to vulnerable populations, enhancing educational opportunities, promoting healthy lifestyles, and enriching cultural experiences. The foundation prioritizes organizations that are 501(c)(3) public charities, local governments (including public schools), fire and rescue departments, and religious entities engaged in social outreach programs. The program focuses on funding initiatives that provide tangible benefits to the community-at-large, with a particular emphasis on services that are accessible and non-discriminatory. Expected outcomes include improved access to essential services, enhanced community programs, and a strengthened local support network. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond the range of grants, the implied results are the successful implementation of programs in the areas of human services, education, youth development, health, food/nutrition, and arts. The Jackson County Community Foundation's strategic priorities are to address local needs comprehensively through community-focused grantmaking. Their theory of change appears to be that by funding a diverse range of charitable organizations and public service entities, they can collectively create a more resilient, educated, healthy, and culturally vibrant community. The grant size typically ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, indicating a focus on supporting numerous local projects rather than a few large-scale initiatives.

This funding opportunity supports collaborative projects in Western North Carolina that address the challenges faced by communities affected by Hurricane Helene, focusing on innovative solutions in housing, education, economic opportunity, and health and wellness.

This funding opportunity supports North Carolina-based universities and nonprofit research organizations in advancing early-stage life sciences projects focused on sleep, hibernation, and the effects of space travel.

This initiative provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and Tribal governments in coal-impacted communities to develop and scale innovative economic projects that create job opportunities and foster local economic transformation.

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina offers Learning Links grants up to $1,000 for public school teachers in selected counties to implement hands-on, innovative learning projects that align with the curriculum and aim to increase student enthusiasm for learning.

The South Arts In These Mountains (ITM) initiative is a grant program designed to support projects that promote the sharing, teaching, learning, preserving, documenting, and continuity of folk arts and traditional culture within Central Appalachia. This aligns with a broader mission to foster cultural preservation and community enrichment, particularly in underserved regions. The program seeks to empower communities through their unique cultural heritage, ensuring these traditions are passed down through generations and remain vibrant within the region. The target beneficiaries for this grant program are nonprofit organizations and educational organizations located in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This includes a wide array of entities such as community cultural organizations, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, museums, performing arts presenters, community festival organizations, and faith-based organizations. The primary impact goal is to strengthen the traditional arts and cultural fabric of these communities, particularly those in rural areas with populations under 50,000, by providing essential funding for relevant projects. South Arts has several key priorities and focuses for this initiative. They are deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, actively encouraging applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led and LGBTQIA+-led organizations, as well as organizations led by people with disabilities. Furthermore, they prioritize applications that feature BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and traditional artists with disabilities. Another significant focus is on funding traditional arts projects specifically in rural communities. The grants are awarded in the amount of $10,000, with a project period from October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The expected outcomes and measurable results of the ITM initiative include a sustained and increased engagement with folk arts and traditional culture in Central Appalachia. Success will be measured by the number and quality of projects that effectively share, teach, learn, preserve, document, and support the continuity of these cultural practices. The prioritization of diverse and rural-led organizations aims to ensure that funding reaches those most in need of support and that a wide array of voices and traditions are represented and uplifted. The strategic priority of South Arts, as evidenced by this grant, is to build a more equitable and culturally rich Central Appalachia through targeted investment in its traditional arts.

This program provides financial support to rural nonprofit and governmental organizations in select Southern states for presenting touring artists across various disciplines, including film, performing arts, and visual arts.

The Washington State Department of Commerce is initiating a Request for Applications (RFA) to fund clean energy projects across Washington State. This grant program aims to support the planning, design, and construction of various clean energy initiatives. Approximately $34 million will be available in a general round, open to all eligible project types and applicants. The overall mission aligns with advancing clean energy infrastructure and decarbonization efforts within the state. Target beneficiaries for this program include a broad range of entities such as associate development organizations, federally recognized tribal governments, for-profit entities, utilities (investor-owned, cooperative, or public retail electric), K-12 school districts, local governments, non-profit organizations, private and public educational institutions, other academic or research institutions, state agencies, and tribes’ contracted service providers. The impact goals are to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, bring private investment and federal funding to the state, improve grid integration, advance community resilience, and accelerate beneficial load integration and demand management. The program prioritizes several key areas. These include electric grid modernization and innovation, innovative large-scale and dual-use solar projects, solar energy retrofits for public buildings, clean energy project siting and permitting, and building, industry, aviation, and maritime decarbonization. Additionally, projects that leverage private and federal funding are highly encouraged. Specific project categories outline more detailed focuses, such as large-scale solar innovation (over 100 kW AC at a single site or 1 MW across multiple sites, without displacing critical habitat or productive farmland), dual-use commercial solar, and grid integration and innovation focusing on distributed energy resources and non-wire alternatives. Expected outcomes and measurable results include the development and demonstration of distributed energy resources, improved integration of renewable energy and energy storage, and the implementation of sustainable microgrids. For planning projects, the expectation is that they will lead to a capital asset or support pre-development work, land use studies, or planning efforts to improve permit timeliness and certainty. Construction projects are expected to result in installed solar PV on public buildings or contribute to the reduction of emissions and economic development in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. The minimum award amount is $50,000, with a maximum of $3,000,000, indicating a focus on funding a diverse range of project scales.

This grant provides funding to charitable organizations that serve the community in Alleghany County, North Carolina, to address local needs and improve residents' quality of life.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in central and western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee that focus on education, medical services, and essential human services.

This funding opportunity provides unrestricted financial support to established arts and culture organizations in Forsyth County, North Carolina, that demonstrate strong administrative and programmatic excellence.

This funding program provides financial support to Black- and Latinx-owned small businesses in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to help them succeed, retain jobs, and create new employment opportunities.

This grant provides financial support and mentorship to early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs in the Midwest who are developing innovative solutions to promote economic growth and environmental sustainability.

This funding initiative provides financial support to graduate students conducting herpetological research focused on the conservation and management of reptiles and amphibians in the southeastern United States.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations, local governments, and public schools in selected states to implement sustainability initiatives, workforce development, and community resilience programs that enhance the quality of life and economic vitality in their communities.

This grant provides financial support to charitable organizations serving Wilson County, focusing on projects that address local needs and enhance community development.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit arts organizations in rural communities with populations of 15,000 or fewer, helping them to create and sustain exceptional artistic programs that engage and benefit local residents.