Grants & Funding

The Community Foundation now has the following funding opportunities available for organizations in the Greater Washington Region. Applications are now being accepted for the following initiatives:

• 2024 Community Action Awards (DC, MD, NoVA) – These small grants will support nonprofits working to make our region more equitable and inclusive by addressing issues and challenges highlighted in the VoicesDMV Community Insights report. Applications must be submitted by Monday, June 24 at 4 pm.

• Health Equity Fund (DC) Fostering Networks for Economic Mobility seeks to fund organizations that value community networks that strengthen community support services, provide health resources, and implement service models that increase income, economic mobility, and/or build wealth. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, July 10 at 4 pm

• Health Equity Fund (DC) Demonstration Projects seeks to support nonprofits working in innovative, collaborative, and targeted ways to implement economic mobility models that build community wealth for people and communities with the greatest economic and health disparities. Letter of Interest are being accepted on a rolling basis through March 2026 (or until funds have been exhausted)
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FY 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is providing $274.5 million for facility hardening and other physical and cyber security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist or extremist attacks.
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Marilyn Hatza Memorial SHINE Grant: Strengthening the Humanities Investment in Nonprofits for Equity.
Maryland Humanities’ grants program funds general operating support to nonprofits conducting work in the humanities throughout Maryland. We have been actively adjusting our grant practices over the past few years with a focus on equity and accessibility.
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AmFund 2024 Golden Pear Grant Application Open
The American Fundraising Foundation (AmFund) officially announced it will begin accepting applications for its much-anticipated 2024 Golden Pear Grant Program beginning today, Tuesday, June 4th, at 10:00 am Eastern, through Tuesday, July 16th, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

Wheaton Access Program will distribute a total of $75,000 in in-kind assistance towards the reduction of permitting costs for use of local government facilities and venues. Submission deadline: June 30.
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lululemon invites applications for the 2025 Here to Be Grant
which will award general operating support of up to $50,000 to community-led nonprofit organizations working to create equity in well-being, and serving populations most impacted by systemic inequity. Applications from organizations working at the intersection of environment and well-being are also welcomed. An annual budget of less than $2 million is preferred.
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Ben & Jerry’s Foundation invites applications from grassroots organizations
The foundation invites applications to its National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO), which offers two-year, unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year—with an average grant size of $20,000 per year—to small, constituent-led grassroots organizations across the United States and its territories.
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Additional Grant Opportunities for Food Assistance & Nonprofit Partners

Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation invites applications from nonprofits in the D.C. area. 
The foundation invites applications for its grants program, through which it aims to improve the lives of D.C.-area residents, with an emphasis on creating a more equitable region. Grants are awarded in five program areas: arts and humanities, community services, education, environment, and health and wellness. The portal opens on June 1, 2024, for the July 1, 2024 deadline.
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Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP) is excited to sponsor the Beyond the Rails community grant program and we’re inviting local organizations throughout the project corridor to apply for our next group of grants (deadline is May 31, 2024). For your information, PLTP is the State of Maryland’s private-sector partner on the Purple Line and we are the sole funder of the grant program.
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FY 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is providing $274.5 million for facility hardening and other physical and cyber security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist or another extremist attack.
Learn more 

Wheaton Access Program will distribute a total of $75,000 in in-kind assistance towards the reduction of permitting costs for use of local government facilities and venues. Submission deadline: June 30.
Learn more

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 
Culture of Health Award
Is your community actively working to ensure residents have what they need to reach their best health and well-being? The 2024 Culture of Health Prize call for applications is now open until June 3.
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Gladys Brooks Foundation Grants
The Foundation will consider major grant applications for innovative projects in the fields of libraries, education, hospitals and clinics. The deadline for submitting a Grant Proposal Letter is May 31.
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Ben & Jerry’s Foundation invites applications from grassroots organizations
The foundation invites applications to its National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO), which offers two-year, unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year—with an average grant size of $20,000 per year—to small, constituent-led grassroots organizations across the United States and its territories.
Learn more

Additional Grant Opportunities for Food Assistance & Non-profit Partners

The Office of Grants Management is soliciting grant applications for the County’s FY 2024 Community Grants Program from qualified nonprofit organizations providing direct services to or advocacy for Montgomery County community members.   Both the County Executive’s FY24 Recommended Budget and the County Council’s FY24 Approved Budget (Resolution 20-184) provide $5.75 million to nonprofit organizations for unique, innovative programs to cover special community needs that are not otherwise addressed by other County funding or efforts.  Funding may be awarded to new initiatives or to projects supported by Community Grants in previous fiscal years.  FY24 Community Grants applicants may request funding between $50,000 and $375,000.  The performance period of these grant awards will be from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.  Applicants may submit multi-year funding proposals of up to three (3) years but funding beyond the first 12 months will be contingent on both satisfactory project performance and future Council appropriations.

The target populations for this Grant Program are Montgomery County:

• Youth: $1.5 million is available for programs targeting the needs of the County’s youth community;
• Seniors: $1.5 million is available for programs targeting the needs of the County’s senior community;
• Residents who have Disabilities: $1.5 million is available for programs targeting the needs of County residents who have disabilities; and
• Residents who are members of Underserved Communities: $1,258,128 is available to nonprofit organizations from underserved communities who have unique insights into their local challenges and can develop the best programmatic solutions address them.

Click here to download the full FY24 Community Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) document in .pdf format.

Key dates for this program are:

• Application Opens:  Thursday June 29, 2023
• MS Teams Live Virtual Information Session:  Thursday July 6, 2023 from 1:30 to 3:00 PM (click here to join the event or to view a recording of the event afterwards).
• Application Closes:  Sunday August 6, 2023 at 11:59 PM

Questions about the application process can be directed to Ali, Outgoing Grants Program Manager of the Office of Grants Management, by calling 240-773-3384 or emailing ali.hoy@montgomerycountymd.gov.

City of Gaithersburg 
Mental Health Support for Youth Grant

The City of Gaithersburg is seeking not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) agencies in the Gaithersburg area to apply for FY24 Mental Health Support for Youth Grant. The design of this program funds support to qualifying agencies that provide youth mental health services to City youth. Click here for more information.

Chesapeake Bay Trust
Outreach and Restoration Grant

This grant program encourages outreach, community engagement activities, and on-the-ground restoration projects that increase knowledge, change behavior, and accelerate stewardship of natural resources that involve residents in restoring local green spaces, waterways, and natural resources. Click here to learn more.

USDA
FNS SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants

FNS intends to make available in fiscal year (FY) 2022 approximately $3 million to non-profit organizations with large networks of community colleges or consortia of community colleges with experience providing workforce development services to low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants. Grant funds will be used to support new organizational capacity to provide network or consortia members training and other technical assistance so that network or consortia members may become third-party SNAP E&T providers. Click here for more information.

Montgomery County Food Council
is a great resource that lists all news on food such as different food grants, events, and job opportunities! To sign up for their newsletter click here.

MATCH Mini-Grant Application
Community-based, nonprofit environmental justice organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region are encouraged to apply for the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Climate Action Hub Mini-Grant program. These proposed projects should address local climate and environmental injustices in the communities served by the organizations. Environmental justice organizations in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are eligible to apply.

Gold Futures Challenge
Asian American Futures and Gold House are proud to host the annual Gold Futures Challenge, an online model for philanthropy that awards ten prizes ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to AAPI-serving organizations that ensure our communities are Seen, Heard, Empowered, and United.

Every cohort of winners receives invaluable non-cash rewards in addition to the grant. They receive access to technical platforms and become a part of the Gold Futures family of organizations, which includes peer relationships, leadership training, and organizational training. An informational webinar will be on May 17, 2023 at 3pm. Click here for more information.

Montgomery County Government Office of Grants Management: 

FY23 Resident and Community Food Gardening Grant Program
The Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience and the Office of Grants Management are soliciting grant applications for the FY23 Resident and Community Food Gardening Grant Program for qualified nonprofit organizations in Montgomery County that expand resident and community food production capacity as a means of increasing local food security. Award amounts will vary, with a maximum award amount of $15,000.

FY23 Strengthening Support to Migrant and Asylum-Seeking Residents (SSMASR) Grant Program
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Grants Management are soliciting grant applications for the County’s FY 2023 Strengthening Support to Migrant and Asylum-Seeking Residents (SSMASR) Grant Program from qualified nonprofit organizations providing direct service delivery to new migrant and asylum-seeking populations in the County.

Children’s Opportunity Alliance: COA 2023 Grant
Funding will provide organizations with resources to make early care and education more equitable for Montgomery County children and families.

A Foundation for Radical Possibility: Community Power Grantmaking
IF will support the organizing of low-income patients/clients, workers, community members, immigrants, and others. IF will also support community-based organizations and nonprofits that use advocacy strategies with a racial equity lens at the local, state, and regional levels.

Maryland State Department of Education: Prekindergarten Expansion Grant Program
The Prekindergarten Expansion Grant is a competitive grant program administered by the Division of Early Childhood at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It provides funding for local education agencies (LEAs) and private providers to administer high-quality prekindergarten and school readiness services throughout the State for children and their families in coordination with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

Please visit Nonprofit Montgomery’s website for information on grants that were advertised previously.

Montgomery County Government: FY23 Nonprofit Technical Assistance and Management Support Grant Program
The Office of Grants Management is soliciting grant applications for the County’s FY 2023 Nonprofit Technical Assistance and Management Support (NTAMS) Grant Program from qualified nonprofit organizations providing direct services to or advocacy for underserved communities in the County. Application Closes: March 15, 2023 at 9:00 AM

Montgomery County Government: FY23 Underserved Communities Projects Grant Program
The Office of Grants Management is soliciting grant applications for the County’s FY 2023 Underserved Communities Projects (UCP) Grant Program from qualified nonprofit organizations providing direct services to or advocacy for underserved communities in the County. Application Closes: March 15, 2023 at 9:00 AM

City of Gaithersburg: Community Service and Educational Support Grants
The City’s Grant portal opened February 1, 2023, where the City of Gaithersburg Community Services Division in coordination with the Educational Enrichment Committee, will be offering one-year School-Based Nonprofit Grant opportunities. There was a mandatory info session on January 23, but click here to access the recording.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Healthy Eating Research (HER)
HER issues calls for proposals (CFPs) to solicit scientifically rigorous, solution-oriented proposals from investigators representing diverse disciplines and backgrounds.

Children’s Opportunity Alliance: Request for Proposals: Development of a Strategic Plan
The Children’s Opportunity Alliance (The Alliance) is seeking a consultant or consulting firm to develop an initial strategic plan and three-year action plan for the organization.

• Complete proposals should be submitted to Laura Jahromi by February 28, 2023. Proposals will be reviewed as quickly as possible. Applicants may be invited to participate in a brief interview with the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Directors.

The City’s Grant portal opens February 1, 2023, where the City of Gaithersburg Community Services Division in coordination with the Educational Enrichment Committee, will be offering one-year School-Based Nonprofit Grant opportunities.

An information session on the grant program and portal access will be held on Monday, January 23, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Please click here  to register to receive the link to the virtual training. If you have any questions, please email mary.armbruster@gaithersburgmd.gov. Training attendance is mandatory.