Tennessee Capacity Building Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to small and mid-sized nonprofit arts organizations in the southeastern U.S. for professional development activities that enhance staff skills and organizational effectiveness.

This program provides funding opportunities for certified counties in Tennessee to support community development projects that align with their strategic goals.

This program provides funding to certified counties in Tennessee for community development projects that align with local goals, enhancing collaboration and long-term prosperity.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofits and public organizations in East Tennessee to strengthen their operational capacity and foster collaboration on projects that address community needs and promote prevention initiatives.

This program provides funding to distressed counties in Tennessee for high-impact projects that promote economic development and community growth, with a focus on strategic planning and measurable outcomes.

Applicants are invited to apply for the Spirit of Humanity Award. Donor Name: Legacy Foundation State: Kansas, Tennessee County: Cowley County (KS), Sumner County (TN) Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/09/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Each year the Legacy Regional Community Foundation recognizes their Spirit of Humanity awardee(s) for inspiring the vision of Legacy Foundation through his/her leadership and action. The award recipient(s) are honored at a reception and their picture and story is posted in the Foundation gallery. Guidelines The candidate may be of any age, however must live in the region in-or-around the Cowley/Sumner County area. The candidate must reflect uncommon leadership or action within the last 12 months that truly reflects the mission and vision of the Legacy Regional Community Foundation, which is “creates a stronger future for our area by building endowments, providing informed leadership & connecting donors to critical needs of the region.” The action may take many forms, it need not be financial. The candidate may also be a civic group, organization, or groups of individuals for achievements or contributions to the community. For more information, visit Legacy Foundation.

With generous support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, NALCAB will provide capacity building grants of $30,000 and customized technical assistance (TA) to 10 organizations, prioritizing organizations located in Wells Fargo’s priority geographic markets. Donor Name: National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB) State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/18/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year Details: The primary purpose of this award is to support a nationwide network of Latino- and immigrant-serving organizations to advance culturally relevant approaches to family financial health in low-and moderate-income Latino and immigrant communities. This program of grantmaking, technical assistance and training is intended to strengthen the delivery of financial capability services focused on: Integrating a culturally relevant financial curriculum into asset-building programs like homeownership and small business development services.  Intentionally utilizing financial coaching to prepare participants to access capital for asset-building activities.  Improving organizational capacity to track and report financial health outcomes, with a focus on improving credit, increasing savings, increasing income, and reducing debt.  Prioritizing access to innovative financial products to boost family financial wellness, such as increasing savings, decreasing debt, or building or establishing credit. Wells Fargo Priority Markets: NALCAB will focus on the following priority markets, as communicated by Wells Fargo: Georgia: Atlanta  Illinois: Chicago  North Carolina: Charlotte  Texas: Dallas, Houston  California: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco  Florida: Miami  Tennessee: Nashville New York  Pennsylvania: Philadelphia  Arizona: Phoenix  Missouri: St. Louis  Washington, DC  Minnesota: Minneapolis Grant Period  October 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants are any 501(c)(3) nonprofits who integrate, or plan to integrate, culturally relevant financial capability services into existing asset-building programs. Applicants should demonstrate:  A comprehensive and specific strategy that will result in meaningful and measurable impact and change for Latino and immigrant financial health.  Organizational capacity to implement the proposed strategy. Budget and projected outcomes that align with the proposed strategy. For more information, visit NALCAB.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) seeks proposals to voluntarily conserve aquatic habitat in southeastern United States and Texas. Donor Name: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) State: Selected States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/18/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: The priorities of the Southeast Aquatics Fund are informed by the aquatic goals and strategies of the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan, which was adopted by the NFWF Board of Directors in 2018 (updated 2023). To the extent possible, proposals should describe how activities will advance specific goals and objectives of the Longleaf Forests and Rivers Business Plan and/or other relevant conservation plans. The plan seeks to conserve the extraordinary biodiversity found across the southeast. It prioritizes work in northern Alabama and Georgia due to measurement and monitoring constraints. It utilizes a suite of aquatic species as indicators of healthy aquatic habitat in prioritized watersheds. Because of the priority given to this subregion, funding is available for a wide range of activities in the Conasauga River (GA) and Locust Fork and Middle Coosa (AL) watersheds. Priority will be given to projects that would benefit the following focal species: Conasauga River – Endemic and Native Fishes (Alabama shiner, banded sculpin, blue shiner, bridled darter, Coosa darter, Coosa shiner, Greenbreast darter, tricolor shiner and trispot darter). Middle Coosa – Trispot darter Funding Information Approximately $8.45 million is available in grant funding in 2024. Grant awards are expected to range from $150,000 to $500,000, depending on the overall scale and duration of the project. Project Period Anticipated completion time for funded projects typically will be 24–36 months following finalization of a grant agreement.  Geographic Scope Grants will be made in specific geographies or river basins in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and Texas.  Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions. Applicants must comply with or be exempted from federal single audit requirements. Ineligible applicants include U.S. Federal government agencies, businesses, unincorporated individuals, and international organizations. U.S. Federal agencies are encouraged to partner with applicants but are not eligible to apply. For more information, visit NFWF.

The Economic Development Fund supports charitable and educational programs aimed at fostering regional economic development. Donor Name: East Tennessee Foundation State: Tennessee County: Selected Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/07/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Funding Information Amounts will range from $5,000 – $6,500. Grants will be awarded for one-year terms in August 2024. The grant term is August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  Eligible organizations must have and be able to provide documentation to verify the following: Confirmation that the organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity, unit of government, or public educational institution New or emerging groups that do not have nonprofit status may apply if they have an established nonprofit organization as a fiscal sponsor Employee Identification Number (EIN) Legal name of organization, address, and contact information (phone, email address, fax) Primary contact person and title Most recent financial statements and/or most recent audit and/or IRS Form 990 Current year organization operating budget List of current board of directors or equivalent governing body List of staff administering the project Confirmation that the organization operates and is organized so as to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, sexual orientation, age, disability, covered veteran status, or other characteristics as identified in the Foundation’s Diversity and Non-Discrimination Statement. The following types of requests will not be funded: Check eligibility requirements specific to each competitive grant program for variations. Grants to individuals. They are restricted by law and therefore unable to provide grants directly to individuals. Debt retirement or budget deficits Endowment funds or general fundraising campaigns Capital campaigns Faith based organizations and houses of worship are welcome to apply. However their projects that have explicit religious content, express a particular religious view, limit participation based on faith affiliation, or require participation in religious activities or services will not be considered. For example, a church’s food pantry may be awarded funding if participation in the program is not limited based on faith or attendance. For more information, visit ETF.

This grant provides funding to local organizations in Campbell County, Tennessee, to support innovative projects that enhance community well-being and address local challenges.

The Downtown Johnson City Facade Improvement Grant Program is to provide incentives to improve the facades of buildings within the Redevelopment District of Downtown Johnson City, with a priority within the Historic Overlay District. Donor Name: Johnson City Development Authority State: Tennessee City: Johnson City Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: All Time Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: By improving the appearance of building facades, the program serves to increase the economic viability of this area, improved aesthetics, increase property values, enhance the marketability of space within the buildings, eliminate blight, and draw businesses and residents to the area. The Downtown Johnson City Facade Grant Improvement Program is administered by the Johnson City Development Authority and is supported through the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Program. Conforming commercial and mixed-use properties located in the Historic Overlay District are eligible for the façade improvement program.  Examples of Eligible Activities Masonry repairs and repointing bricks; Repair/replace/preserve historically significant architectural details; Storefront reconstruction; Removal of false façade; Cornice repair; Exterior painting and stucco; Awnings and canopies; Window and door repair or replacement; Permanent exterior lighting; Repair/replacement of gutters and down spouts; Permanent exterior signage integrated into the design; Visible roof repairs in conjunction with structural improvements; Decking and stairs; and Visible electrical, mechanical equipment enclosures Eligibility Criteria In order to be eligible for a facade grant, applicants must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness from the City’s Historic Zoning Commission or receive preapproval from the City’s Planning Division staff. In addition to design criteria, the Planning Division will determine if the use of the building conforms to the use requirements for the zoning district in which the property is located. Furthermore, the application must submit their proposed renovations to the JCDA and receive approval prior to commencing the renovations. The level of funding for each grant will be based upon the availability of funds and the impact of the project upon the Redevelopment District. Eligible properties will be considered for reimbursement at 50% of the costs of renovations associated with eligible facade improvements to the primary facade of the building and 25% of the costs of renovations on side of the buildings that are street facing. Re-imbursement will be capped at $10,000 per application for eligible facade improvements to single-faced buildings. For buildings with multiple street facing facades, up to an additional $5,000 may be awarded. Larger grants may be awarded for projects that show substantial economic impact, including job creation and sales tax generation in the downtown area. Grants will be evaluated and awarded on a case-by-case basis and may be denied for any reason. Additional Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must be current on all taxes, mortgages, and insurance for the proposed project site. Property owners who are licensed general contractors must provide a second quote from a licensed contractor in order to be eligible. Projects that have been approved but have failed to commence within six (6) months of the approval date must reapply. For more information, visit JCDA.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has grants available for aquatic stream clean-up projects across the state. The program assists cities, schools, community organizations, civic groups, watershed organizations, and conservation groups with stream clean-up projects. Five grants, at a maximum of $1,000 each, are available for each of TWRA’s four regional Aquatic Habitat Protection regions (a total of $5,000 per region). The grant money could be used to buy supplies such as rakes, work gloves, and garbage bags. Also, it could be used to pay disposal fees for solid waste and tire removal or to provide promotional items like project advertisements or T‑shirts and refreshments for volunteer support. The funds will be obligated as grants, so the grantee must have a nonprofit tax number. Grant proposals should include the applicant organization’s name, tax ID number, address, phone, and name of a contact person authorized to enter into a contractual agreement on behalf of the organization. The proposal should also include the name of the stream, the county or counties involved, and the project area and description.

READY Community Foundations, part of ARC's READY Appalachia initiative, offers no-cost training to community foundations in Appalachia. Participants will build skills in financial management, fundraising, grantmaking, and strategic planning. Eligible foundations can apply for up to $25,000 in funding to implement capacity-building projects post-training. Applications are due by July 5, 2024.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for innovative healthcare projects aimed at improving services and access for underserved populations in Tennessee's rural counties.

The City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation Department offers an annual Challenge Grant Program, which provides grants to non-profit projects associated with public parks or recreation facilities within the City limits. Donor Name: City of Knoxville State: Tennessee City: Knoxville Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/28/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Challenge Grants may also be used to promote activities in City Parks and on Greenways. Grants can provide match funds for various fitness classes such as Yoga, Tai Chi, or other activities. Passive programming for activities such as painting and birdwatching will also be considered. Approved activities must be on City Park properties, and all other rules associated with the Challenge Grant Program will apply. In order to receive a grant, the projects are preferred to be on City-owned or -leased property, but must be related to a facility that is available to all residents on a yearly basis. Funding Information Recipients of a challenge grant will be reimbursed 50 percent of the cost of a single project, up to $3,000. Eligibility Criteria  The grants are available to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(6) status community groups, homeowner associations, schools, Scout troops and other organizations. Ineligibility  The grant funding may not be used to purchase a new facility, regular maintenance, or for the purchase of individual or team equipment. For more information, visit City of Knoxville.

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 funding opportunity supports innovative healthcare projects that improve access and wellbeing for residents of Jefferson County, particularly targeting underserved populations.

This program provides free training and funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations in the Appalachian region, helping them build capacity to better address community challenges and improve their operational effectiveness.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations in the Greater Memphis area that are focused on creating sustainable, positive change in health, education, social justice, arts, and community development.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to healthcare organizations in Tennessee to establish a center that will improve rural health access and outcomes through innovative service delivery and technical assistance.