Grants for Community Foundations: Donor-Advised Funds and Capacity Support
Grant programs and capacity-building funding available to community foundations themselves, including donor-advised fund partnerships, technology grants, and field-leadership cohorts.
Community foundations occupy an unusual position: they are themselves grantmakers, but they also receive grants for capacity building, technology infrastructure, and field leadership. The Council on Foundations and CFLeads coordinate much of this peer funding.
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Top opportunities
GIFT IX Matching Grants
Lilly Endowment Inc.Up to $15MDeadline: Jun 30, 2026openGIFT IX Matching Grants is sponsored by Lilly Endowment Inc.. The ninth phase of the GIFT initiative provides matching funds to help Indiana community...
Google.org AI Opportunity Fund for AI Workforce Training and Digital Inclusion
Google.orgUp to $15MopenGoogle.org's $75 million AI Opportunity Fund aims to help over one million Americans learn essential AI skills by providing grants to workforce develo...
FEED Grant Program (Food Equity and Emergency Distribution)
Community Foundation of Frederick County (in partnership with Frederick County Government)Up to $1.0MopenFEED Grant Program (Food Equity and Emergency Distribution) is sponsored by Community Foundation of Frederick County (in partnership with Frederick Co...
Brighter Communities Fund
St. Louis Community FoundationUp to $500KopenBrighter Communities Fund is sponsored by St. Louis Community Foundation. This fund supports historically under-resourced nonprofits in the St. Louis ...
Health – Integration, Collaboration, Advocacy Grants
California Community FoundationUp to $500KopenHealth – Integration, Collaboration, Advocacy Grants is sponsored by California Community Foundation. This funding promotes and improves health and qu...
LinkedIn Future of Work Fund
LinkedIn's Donor Advised Fund with the Silicon Valley Community FoundationUp to $300KopenThe LinkedIn Future of Work Fund is a corporate grant from LinkedIn supporting nonprofit organizations helping workers navigate career transitions and...
Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund
Akonadi Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, and City of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs DivisionUp to $300KopenBelonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund is sponsored by Akonadi Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, and City of Oakland’s Cultural Affa...
Critical Needs List
Community Foundation Tampa BayUp to $250KopenCritical Needs List is sponsored by Community Foundation Tampa Bay. The Critical Needs List offers nonprofits an opportunity to receive support toward...
Community Foundation of the Ozarks 2025–26 Competitive Grant Programs
Community Foundation of the OzarksUp to $250KopenCommunity Foundation of the Ozarks 2025–26 Competitive Grant Programs is sponsored by Community Foundation of the Ozarks. Supports nonprofit, municipa...
F. R. Bigelow Foundation Community Solutions Grant Program
F. R. Bigelow FoundationUp to $250KopenF. R. Bigelow Foundation Community Solutions Grant Program is sponsored by F. R. Bigelow Foundation. The F. R. Bigelow Foundation Community Solutions ...
Think Big for Kids Fund
YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. LouisUp to $240KopenThink Big for Kids Fund is sponsored by YouthBridge Community Foundation of Greater St. Louis. The Think Big for Kids Fund provides grants designed to...
Long Island Grants Program
Long Island Community Foundation (a division of The New York Community Trust)Up to $200KopenLong Island Grants Program is sponsored by Long Island Community Foundation (a division of The New York Community Trust). This program supports nonpro...
Fund for Community Good
Grand Rapids Community FoundationUp to $150KDeadline: Oct 1, 2026openFund for Community Good is sponsored by Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The Grand Rapids Community Foundation's Fund for Community Good supports pr...
Fields Artist Fellowship
Oregon Community FoundationUp to $150KopenFields Artist Fellowship is sponsored by Oregon Community Foundation. The Fields Artist Fellowship awards funding to artists who address important iss...
Leonard & Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation Grants
Baltimore Community FoundationUp to $150KopenLeonard & Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation Grants is sponsored by Baltimore Community Foundation. The Leonard & Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foun...
Reed and Carolee Walker Fund
Oregon Community FoundationUp to $150KopenReed and Carolee Walker Fund is sponsored by Oregon Community Foundation. This fund supports organizations addressing critical community needs across ...
Lawrence County Community Foundation Grant Program
Up to $120KopenThe Lawrence County Community Foundation provides grants to support charitable projects benefiting residents of Lawrence County. Applicants can access...
The John J. Snyder, Jr. Fund for Historic Preservation
Lancaster County Community FoundationUp to $117KopenThe John J. Snyder, Jr. Fund for Historic Preservation is a grant from the Lancaster County Community Foundation that funds the restoration, maintenan...
Passion Grants
Lancaster County Community FoundationUp to $117KopenPassion Grants is sponsored by Lancaster County Community Foundation. Passion Grants support a broad range of impact areas including human services, t...
Community Leadership Grants
Hampton Roads Community FoundationUp to $100KopenCommunity Leadership Grants is a grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation that funds seed and program funding for promising new or expanding ...
Common questions about grants for community foundations
Can community foundations receive grants themselves?
Yes. While community foundations are best known as grantmakers, they regularly receive capacity-building grants from national foundations (Mott, Kresge, MacArthur, Knight), federal CDFI Fund awards, and peer-foundation cohort programs. Funding typically supports staff development, technology infrastructure, donor-advised-fund modernization, and place-based-philanthropy initiatives.
What is the CFLeads cohort program?
CFLeads is a peer-learning network for community foundations that operates cohort programs on topics like equity grantmaking, public-private partnerships, and donor mobilization. Membership and cohort participation often include modest grant support; participation also unlocks introductions to larger institutional funders.
Are there federal grants available to community foundations?
The CDFI Fund occasionally makes awards to community foundations operating loan-fund subsidiaries. HUD funds neighborhood revitalization work that community foundations partner on. The Corporation for National and Community Service (now AmeriCorps) routes federal volunteer-program dollars through some community foundations. These are exception cases, not standard operating support.
How do community foundations fundraise from larger foundations?
The most effective approach is positioning the community foundation as a regional anchor for the funder's geographic strategy: a national funder wanting impact in a specific region partners with the local community foundation rather than running its own portfolio. The Kresge Foundation, the Mott Foundation, and the Knight Foundation all operate variants of this place-based partner model.
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