GRANTS & loans
The latest grant opportunities:
Check out this Grant Finder Tool from the Spark Foundation! It lets you search for Connecticut specific, or national grants available to after school programs.
Click here to access the tool!
******************************************************
Home Depot Community Impact Grants Program
Deadline: October 31
The Home Depot Community Impact Grants Program provides support to nonprofit organizations, public schools, and public service agencies in the U.S. that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their communities. Proposals for the following community improvement activities will be considered: repairs, refurbishments, and modifications to low-income and/or transitional housing or community facilities (schools, community centers, senior centers, etc.); weatherizing or increasing energy efficiency of low-income and/or transitional housing or community facilities; planting trees or community gardens and/or landscaping community facilities; and development of community parks or green spaces. Grants of up to $5,000 are made in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services.
www.homedepotfoundation.org/how-we-help/grants.html
********************************************Back to top
The Leviticus Fund offers low cost loans to organizations purchasing property, building or upgrading existing facilities in Connecticut.
www.leviticusfund.org/borrow_childcare
*********************************************Back to top
AfterSchool.gov - www.afterschool.gov, can connect you to information on federal grants, how to organize a program and other resources.
Information on funding for snacks and other food programs is available here.
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention provides grants that are applicable to after school, although most go to state agencies (in Connecticut, usually the Office of Policy and Management). Check the Federal OJJDP Web site or sign up for their e-newsletter to get an idea of what is available.
To get in touch with Connecticut offices that handle these and other juvenile justice grants click here.
***************************************************
FEDERAL and other grants in the arts:
www.arts.gov/grants/apply/Artsed.html
Grants.gov - The most accessible source of information on all U.S. government grants is www.grants.gov/ It is enormous and best handled by signing up for automatic emails (every day!) of new announcements from the departments and programs related to after school.
********************************************Back to top
Charlotte Martin Foundation Youth Grants
Award Amount: $1,000 - $20,000
Deadline: Rolling
The Charlotte Martin Foundation is a private, independent foundation dedicated to enriching the lives of youth in the areas of athletics, culture, and education and also to preserving and protecting wildlife and habitat. Athletics include a wide range of individual and team sports, with an emphasis on the value of sports for lifelong participation. Funds support sports programs, facilities, equipment and after school programs, with a focus on ages 8-15. The Foundation accepts applications, reviews proposals and makes funding decisions on an ongoing basis.
For More Information, Click Here
Captain Planet Grants
Deadline: Ongoing
The Captain Planet Foundation makes available grants, ranging from $250 to $2,500, for projects that engage children and youth in the environment with hands-on activities.
Eligible programs will promote the understanding of environmental issues; focus on hands-on involvement; involve children ages 6 to 18; promote interaction and cooperation within the group; help children and youth develop planning and problem-solving skills; and include adult supervision. If awarded a grant, a commitment to follow-up communication with the Captain Planet Foundation also is required.
For information on the grants, including deadlines and a link to apply, go to http://captainplanetfoundation.org/default.aspx?pid=3&tab=apply.
Clean Air-Cool Planet Community Catalyst Fund offering
$250 - $2500 grants
The Community Catalyst Fund will accept applications focused on improving the environmental sustainability, health and economic well-being of their communities. The goal of this new fund is to allow groups in communities of fewer than 25,000 people to overcome small financial hurdles and move forward with projects and programs that will bring much greater rewards to their areas.
The Fund will consider projects aimed at energy use reduction, public engagement and the promotion of environmental stewardship, offering grants mainly in the $250 to $2,500 range per project.
There are no deadlines for grant submission; proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Apply at: www.localfunds.org.
*******************************************Back to top
Fender Music Foundation
Non-Profit organizations with an established, ongoing, and sustainable music program providing music instruction to individuals of any age who would not normally have the opportunity to make music are eligible to apply for $500.00 - $5,000.00 in Guitar Center Music Foundation Grants. Grants are awarded three times yearly and applications are continuously accepted. To learn more and to apply, click here.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The Kellogg Foundation funds education, health & well-being programs to promote school readiness and success for under served populations. This grant can help jump start your PE, After School, or Coordinated School Health program to boost academic achievement and help your students learn and have fun! Click here for details.
Champions for Healthy Kids The General Mills Foundation
The General Mills Foundation, in partnership with the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President's Council on Physical Fitness, developed the Champions for Healthy Kids grant program in 2002. Each year since inception, the General Mills Foundation awards 50 grants of $10,000 each to community-based groups that develop creative ways to help youth adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle. Click here for details.
Education, Health, and Safety Programs Funded
Verizon Foundation
The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, works to improve lives through literacy, knowledge, and a readiness for the 21st Century. The Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States that address one of the following funding priorities: supporting innovative technology-based approaches to literacy and education for both adults and children, preventing domestic violence and helping victims gain independence, improving health care through technology, and educating parents and children about Internet safety. Grants generally range from $5,000 to $10,000. Online applications may be submitted from January 1 through October 31, annually. Visit the Foundation's Web site to take the eligibility quiz and submit an online application.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation
Programs Assisting Children, Animals and the Environment Funded Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation. The Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation is committed to improving communities and impacting lives by supporting programs throughout the United States that address the needs of children and families, animals and the environment. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000, with an average of $2,500. Build-A-Bear Workshops also provides gift certificate donations to schools and nonprofit organizations that address the company's priorities. Requests for either program may be submitted at any time. Visit the Build-A-Bear Workshop's Web site for funding guidelines and restrictions.
********************************************Back to top
Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation
Deadline: Open
Purpose: Subsidizes small projects designed to improve inner-city education in Providence, Boston, Hartford, New York and Washington DC. Proposals aimed at helping to reduce school absenteeism and dropout rates are of particular interest. Applicants must be a "frontline education worker."
Finish Line Youth Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the athletic shoe retailer. It focuses its grant making toward organizations that provide opportunities to youth participation in youth athletic programs and camps. Youth athletic program grants help to fund community based programs addressing active lifestyle and team building skills. Camp grants are awarded to established organizations emphasizing sports and an active lifestyle especially those serving disadvantaged and special needs children. Monies may be used for executing programs, for scholarships, equipment purchases and small capital projects. The Foundation prefers to fund direct service projects, rather than policy-oriented organizations. Programs operating near Finish Line stores are given priority. Grants range from $1000 - $5000. Click here for more information.
The Women's Sports Foundation's GoGirlGo! National Grant Program will award a total of $430,000 in grants to organizations seeking to add new or expand participation opportunities for under-served populations of girls aged 8 - 13. Organizations must implement the GoGirlGo! curriculum and deliver a minimum eight-week sports/physical activity program. Grants can be put toward expenses such as equipment, facility rental or travel.
*********************************************Back to top
Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation provides grants for structuring, developing or modifying special-needs children's programs.
Proposals for grants of less than $5,000 are reviewed on a rolling basis.
The RGK Foundation provides grants for community projects including human services, community improvement, abuse prevention and youth development programs. Human service programs of particular interest to the Foundation include children and family services, early childhood development and parenting education. They also fund literacy programs. Grants are generally under $25,000. Letters of inquiry are received on a rolling basis.
The Educational Foundation of America
The Educational Foundation of America (EFA) provides grants for projects related to the environment, the crisis of human overpopulation and reproductive freedom, Native Americans, arts, education, medicine and human services. Applicants are required to send a letter of inquiry as the first step.
Deadline: rolling
American Honda Foundation
The Honda Foundation awards grants for innovative programs for youth. Deadline: rolling
*********************************************Back to top
The Milagro Foundation -- Grants for Children and Youth Programs
The purpose of this grant is to support non-profit, community-based organizations that work with at-risk and disadvantaged youth due to factors such as poor health, illiteracy or poor educational and cultural opportunities. Eligible applicants include non-profit, community-based, grass roots organizations. Grants range in size from $2,500 to $5,000.
Deadline: rolling
Information and application guidelines: www.milagrofoundation.org/apply.asp
The Kresge Foundation focuses on "bricks and mortar" funding as well as capital campaign matching and challenge grants to strengthen all kinds of non profits.
www.kresge.org/
The Tiger Woods Foundation grants focus on providing opportunities to under served youth, ages 5-17. Grants averaging $2,500 to $25,000 are made to programs that enhance the learning process for youth (other than schools), and year-round mentoring and/or tutoring programs, primarily in U.S. cities. Deadlines are four times/year:
- February 1st
- May 1st
- August 1st
- November 1st
******************************************Back to top
The LEGO Children's Fund Grants
Award Amount: $500 - $5,000
Deadlines: January 15, April 15, July 15, October 15
The LEGO Children's Fund will provide quarterly grants for programs with a special interest paid to collaborative efforts and in providing matching funds to leverage new dollars into the receiving organization. Focus areas include: early childhood education and development; technology and communication projects; and sport or athletic programs that concentrate on under-served youth. Priority is given to programs in communities where Lego operates with a special focus given to organizations serving Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. For More Information, Click Here
******************************************Back to top
The GTECH After School Advantage Program is a national community investment program, which provides non-profit community agencies and public schools with state-of-the-art computer labs. These computer centers are designed to provide inner-city children ages five to 15 with a meaningful, yet fun learning experience in a safe environment. This initiative is meant to provide an otherwise unavailable educational experience and bridge the digital divide among at-risk children.
GTECH After School Advantage
Deadline: Open
Best Buy Product Donations - Local Best Buy stores focus charitable contributions on organizations that serve youth by offering youth leadership and educational opportunities to develop the skills necessary for them to become successful adults. Public agencies and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations located within 50 miles of a Best Buy store that serve children in grades K - 12 are eligible applicants. Contribution decisions are made at the local store. Submit your request for a product donations at least six weeks before you need it. Click here for details.
Ford Motor Company Fund
Deadline: rolling
The Ford Motor Company Fund grants awards in six categories: education; environment; public policy; health and social programs; civic affairs and community development; arts and humanities. www.fordfound.com/grants/types-of-grants
*****************************************Back to top
Service Learning and Community Service Project funding is available from several sources with various deadlines. Find listings here.
Do Something has created a Web page that lists 40 different sources of grants for youth service. They include programs such as the weekly $500 grants for young social entrepreneurs offered through Game Stop that will go to young people age 25 and younger (this could include after school staff members) who have a great idea for a community-action project. A second grant program (with Plum TV) offers $500 grants to social entrepreneurs, age 25 and younger, who have recently created a sustainable project, program or organization.
www.dosomething.org/table-of-us-youth-service-awards
Information on kids' gardening grants with various deadlines may be found here.
******************************************Back to top