Author Archives: grantcentraldepot

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation

For 20 years, The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation has been planting fruit, nut, and medicinal trees alongside Native American tribes, schools, and animal sanctuaries. Their goal is to help plant 18 billion trees around the world to protect the environment by improving the soil, water, and air quality, to feed those in need, and to strengthen communities.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis. Most funded projects are in the United States, but they accept applications from international projects as well.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to:

Nonprofit organizations
Non-government organizations
Public schools
Government entities serving a charitable purpose

Applicants must also:

Own or have a long term lease on the planting site or have a long term usage agreement with the non-profit or governmental entity that owns it
Be committed to caring for the orchard indefinitely
Have a clear goal for how the orchard can help them fulfill their charitable mission
Be able to recruit and coordinate volunteers for planting day

Site

The site must:

Be suitable for planting trees about 15 feet apart with holes dug to 18 inches deep and 2 feet wide
Have a year-round irrigation source. The Foundation may be able to provide hoses or a drip irrigation system, but there must be somewhere to hook them up.

There isn’t a set number of trees required per project but they typically consist of at least 15-20 trees.

Grant Package

Grantees will receive:

Assistance with designing the layout of their orchard
Trees and shrubs
Equipment
Horticultural workshops
Training and manuals on the care and maintenance of the trees
Funds for deer fencing and irrigation systems is available on an as needed basis
Optional educational materials for schools

Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund

DoorDash and Hello Alice have partnered for the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund which supports local restaurants in the United States and Puerto Rico that have suffered losses due to natural disasters.

Applications for $10,000 are due by December 29, 2023 at 6 PM ET. DoorDash may close the grant early or extend the due date at their sole discretion.

Eligibility

Applicant

Applicants must be:

The lead executive of an eligible business
A legal resident of the United States or Puerto Rico
At least 18 years old (19 in Alabama and Nebraska)

Business

This grant is open to restaurants which:

Are independently owned
Have been open for at least 6 months
Have no more than three physical locations
Have no more than 50 employees per location
Had a revenue of $3 million or less per location in 2022
Experienced a loss in revenue as a direct result of a state of emergency or federally-declared natural disaster in the last 12 months

Allowable Expenses

Only expenses incurred from a natural disaster which occurred 12 or fewer months ago and were not covered by insurance are eligible. Grant funds may be spent on

Mortgage payments, including principal and interest
Rent
Utilities
Operational costs
Maintenance
Supplies, including food and beverages to sell
Other expenses necessary to maintain operations

Review Criteria

Applications will be assessed for

Demonstrated need (40%)
Clarity and feasibility of plan for funds (40%)
Demonstrated commitment to the community (20%)

Reiman Foundation

The Reiman Foundation has been supporting charitable and civic projects in the United States since its founding in 1986. They focus on four key areas: Health Care, Education, The Arts, and Children.

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.

Eligibility

This grant is open to entities with tax-exempt status.

Application

Unlike most grant programs, the Reiman Foundation does not require a specific format for applications. They simply ask that you provide the following information on your organization’s official letterhead:

Date of application submission
Agency overview including focus and population served
Contact person’s name and information
Brief project description
Need for funding
Amount requested and, if possible, a Wish List of items with costs
Documentation of tax-exempt status

Applications can be mailed to:

Reiman Foundation, Inc.
125 West Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 200
Pewaukee, WI 53072

or emailed to reimanfoundation@hexagoninc.com.

Wells Fargo Foundation

The Wells Fargo Foundation awards grants as part of their commitment to building a more sustainable and inclusive world. They fund projects in four priority areas: Financial Health, Housing Affordability, Small Business Growth, and Sustainability and Environmental Justice.

Grant Interest Forms are accepted on an ongoing basis. Only if your form is approved will you receive a code to submit a full application. A grant amount is not specified, but the Interest Form question “Select the budget amount for the proposed project” has the options:

$0-$50k
$101-$500k
$51-$100k
Over $500k

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

Nonprofits with a 501(c)3 designation
Government agencies
Native American Tribes
Public schools or school systems

Applicants must also be able to demonstrate fiscal and administrative stability.

Priority Areas

Financial Health

Applicants under this heading should be working to increase access to financial systems for racially and ethnically diverse and low to moderate income Americans. This access will allow them to reduce debt, grow their savings, and build wealth. Secondary categories under this area are:

Youth/Young Adult Financial Health
Adult Education Counseling, Coaching and Education
Asset Building
Financial Research and Policy Advocacy
Technical Assistance and Practitioner Training
Innovation of Products and Services

Housing Affordability

Projects under this heading should focus on making it possible for all Americans to have a safe place to call home. This includes promoting racial equity in housing and home ownership. Secondary categories under this area are:

Affordable Home Supply
Expand Homeownership Opportunities
Housing Stability
Transformation and Innovation

Small Business Growth

Applicants under this heading should provide support such as training, technical assistance, and capital to small business. Secondary categories under this area are:

Capital and Product Innovation
Technology
Sustainability
Policy, Research and Advocacy

Sustainability and Environmental Justice

Projects under this heading should be working toward a low carbon future through innovative clean technology, developing local climate resiliency, and promoting environmental justice. Secondary categories under this area are:

Sustainable Finance
Adaptation/Resilience
Measuremen

The Skatepark Project: Skatepark Construction Grants

Formerly The Tony Hawk Foundation, The Skatepark Project is on a mission to help underserved communities build public skateparks. Since 2002, they’ve awarded over $10 million to more than 600 projects in the United States.

Skatepark Construction Grants are available through two programs – the National Program and Built to Play which is only available in specific counties. Letters of Inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed quarterly.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to:

Tax exempt nonprofits
Local government entities
State government entities
Public school systems

Project

To be eligible, a project must:

Be a permanent, concrete structure
Be located on public property
Be a new skatepark
Have a preliminary design for the park*
Have a location secured
Have raised funds from other sources
Not charge an entrance fee
Not limit access during daylight hours
Not have received a grant of more than $1,000 from the Skatepark Project

* If you need technical assistance with your design, email contact@skatepark.org for free help.

Community

This grant is only available for the construction of skateparks in underserved communities. Whether a community qualifies will be based on factors such as:

Median household income
Poverty rate
Free and reduced lunch rate
Population density
Racial and ethnic demographics
Suicide and overdose rates
Distance to skate facilities

Programs

National Program

National Program grants are available for projects across the United States. The average grant is for $10,000.

Built to Play

The Built to Play program is only available to specific counties in two states. These grants are from $50,000 – $300,000.

Michigan – Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair and Livingston counties
New York – Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Genesee, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties

Project Elements

The Skatepark Project is looking for proposals that contain at least some of the following elements:

Grassroots, community support
Local skater involvement in planning and design
Have a creative mix of street obstacles (rails, ledges, stairs, etc.) and transition/vert terrain (quarterpipes, bowls, halfpipes, etc.)
Allow all types of skatepark users (skate, BMX scooter, roller skate, Wheelchair (WCMX) and inline)
Don’t require skaters or their parents to sign waivers
Encourage skaters to look out for themselves and each other rather than over-regulating for safety

USAID Development Innovation Ventures

Development Innovation Ventures from the U.S. Agency for International Development invests in original solutions to problems anywhere they operate in the world. Projects should focus on what USAID refers to as the ‘base of the pyramid,’ or people earning less than $2 a day.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis for 4 stages of funding. There is no matching requirement, but applicants are encouraged to develop other support, whether cash or in-kind.

Eligibility

This funding opportunity is open to applicants from anywhere in the world, including:

Individuals
Nonprofit and non-governmental organizations
For profit businesses
Government entities*

*Foreign government entities may only receive funding through a sub-grant arrangement with a non-governmental organization as the lead applicant.

Core Principles

All projects are expected to adhere to USAID’s core principles:

Rigorous evidence of impact
Cost-effectiveness
A viable pathway to scale and sustainability

Funding Stages

Projects should apply for the funding stage most appropriate for the current phase of their program. Recipients of one stage do not automatically receive funding for subsequent stages. They must apply for each stage separately.

Stage 1: Pilot

Stage 1 projects may request up to $200,000 to conduct a pilot program to assess demand, impact, and viability. Projects at this stage should be past the idea and protype phase and ready to test.

Stage 2: Test and Position for Scale

Stage 2 projects may request up to $1.5 million to perform more intense analysis. The public sector should generate compelling evidence of cost-effectiveness; businesses should perform market analysis and expand operations to scale efforts.

Stage 3: Transition to Scale

Stage 3 projects may request up to $15 million to expand operations into new contexts and/or locations.

Stage 4: Evidence Generation

Stage 4 projects may request up to $1.5 million for research into common development approaches that lack persuasive evidence of their impact and/or cost-effectiveness. This could include randomized control trials.

Change Happens Foundation

The Change Happens Foundation was founded in 2001 with the mission of being a catalyst for progressive, secular social change. They do this by partnering with organizations that have a high impact and are committed to improving the human experience.

Their primary focus areas for grantmaking are Education, Science, and the Environment. Letters of Inquiry, may be submitted at any time.

Eligibility

This grant is open to applicants in the United States who are:

Registered 501(c)3 nonprofits
Government entities
Federally recognized Native American Tribes

Applicants must also be verifiable via GuideStar with valid credentials and three years of 990 forms.

Focus Areas

Education – Ideas and practices to educate and prepare students for bright and rewarding futures

Science – Research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics

Environment – Programs focused on conservation, climate change, and sustainable energy

Ineligible Activities

Change Happens funds may not be used for:

Scholarships
Endowments
Special Events
Individuals
Indirect costs such as processing fees or fiscal sponsor fees
Religious activities

Application Process

All new applicants must submit a Letter of Inquiry with basic information about the organization and project.
If your LOI is accepted will you be invited to submit a full proposal.

Applicants whose LOI was not accepted are asked not to submit a second inquiry.

Current and past grantees may be asked to submit a second proposal once all performance reports have been completed.

The Tony Robbins Foundation

The Tony Robbins Foundation was founded in 1991 by author and motivational speaker Tony Robbins to help those whom society has left behind envision a happier life. This includes unhoused, food insecure, and imprisoned individuals, youth, and seniors.

The Foundation accepts requests for funding on a continuous basis. They don’t have a specific focus area, but are looking to work with organizations that align with their mission. They also do not specify a certain amount for requests.

Eligibility

This grant is open to organizations with:

501(c)3 nonprofit status in the United States
Nonprofit status in another country and documentation of that status
Tax documentation of at least one year of operations
A mission that aligns with the Tony Robbins Foundation

The Foundation does not fund individuals or for-profit businesses. They also do not fund start up costs for new nonprofits.

Application Process

Submit a Letter of Intent through an online form on the website. (Scroll down about halfway to find the form.)
The grants committee will review your LOI and invite you to submit a formal application with a deadline.
Applicants not asked to submit a formal application may reapply in the next fiscal year.

TiME Land Purchase Grant Program

This is My Earth (TiME) is an international environmental organization founded in 2016. Their Land Purchase Grant Program helps local groups acquire threatened land and protect its biodiversity.

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. If approved, projects will then be included in TiME’s annual crowdfunding campaign which begins on January 1st. Although no maximum amount is specified, the average request is $20,000 – $60,000.

Eligibility

Applicant

This grant is open to groups that:

Are nonprofit or non-governmental organizations with legal documentation
Are locally based or able to demonstrate a capacity to operate locally
- Are capable of purchasing and protecting the land
Have a clear conservation objective
Have a plan for long-term management of the land

Land

To be eligible, land must:

Be for sale
Be located in an area with high biodiversity and conservation value
Be under threat

Crowdfunding Campaign

Applications that have been received and approved will be a part of the crowdfunding campaign starting the following January 1st. Both TiME and the applicant are responsible for recruiting donors to the project.

Each donor of at least $1 will have the right to vote on how funds raised should be distributed among the different projects. The campaign runs until sufficient funds have been raised or December 31st, whichever comes first.

Ciena Teaching Grant

Telecommunications company Ciena offers grants of up to $3,000 to classroom teachers doing innovative work in STEM. Their goal is to increase learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math and to make access to the digital sphere more equitable. Applications are accepted and awarded on a rolling basis.

Eligibility

This grant is open to teachers in the United States, the District of Columbia, or employed by the Department of Defense Education Activity. They must be teaching science, technology, engineering, or math to K-12 students.

Priority consideration will be given to schools with more than 50% of students receiving free or reduced lunch.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds must be spent on materials and equipment for STEM-based projects. This can include distance or virtual learning programs that are particularly inventive.

Application Requirements

All applications must include:

A letter of recommendation from your school principal
Volunteer opportunities for Ciena employees

Potential volunteer opportunities include:

Exhibit or activity judging
Award presentation
Program preparation
Direct assistance in the classroom or during extracurricular activities