Grants

How to Find Grants for Your Nonprofit

Carol Walton

Dec 9, 2021 11:21 AM

As efforts are made to bring normalcy after a worldwide pandemic, many will turn to the services and supports provided by nonprofits. Due to cutbacks in contracted government funding and unawareness of the vast number of available funding sources, many nonprofits have encountered difficulties delivering services and programming. If you’re looking for additional funding for programming or you’d like to start a new initiative but need more money to do so, you’ll need to understand where to find the funding you need.

One funding stream that is always accessible and free for nonprofits are grants. A grant is a sum of money awarded by the government (or another organization) for a particular cause or purpose. They do not need to be repaid and are generally used to focus on areas such as helping a specific population, addressing focused issue areas, or for a targeted type of support such as program development.

There are different types of grants for nonprofit organizations and tend to fall within three categories: government grants funded by federal, state, or local governments, or taxpayer money; foundation grants donated by private funding from individuals or philanthropic organizations; and corporate grants awarded by corporations seeking to advance their charitable causes.

How do I search for grants?

Here are some quick tips for finding grant opportunities:

The simplest way to find grants is to do a Google search and use keywords tailored to your organization’s exact needs and targeted goals. Make sure to use specific keywords to help narrow down results. For example, if you’re looking for grants in Baltimore, you’d search “grants, Baltimore, MD.”
You can also seek available grants through local and state government agencies. For example, suppose your organization offers services to the unhoused in the NYC area. In that case, you can check for grants and Request for Proposals listings on the NYC Department of Homeless Services website. Contact the agencies or check their websites for funding opportunities. If available, subscribe to their weekly or monthly newsletter to keep abreast of any opportunities that become available. If you already receive funding from these agencies, frequently checking in for new RFP and grant opportunities.
Be on the lookout for corporations that donate to different nonprofit organizations and charities. Some businesses that we’re all familiar with, like Walmart and Macy’s, offer grant opportunities each year.
Community foundations— grantmaking public charities—are another great place to look. Their focus is to improve people’s lives in targeted areas by financially supporting nonprofit organizations through donations from individuals, families, and local businesses. You can find community foundations in your area by using the Council on Foundations Community Foundation Locator.

Below is a listing of grant opportunities that will be updated periodically. Click on the links to see your eligibility. Please note that the application period may have lapsed for some of the listings, which means that you’ll have to check back in for the next application deadline.

Government Grant Databases

Grants.gov

Sam.gov (for contract opportunities)

National Endowment for the Humanities

SAMSHA

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

U.S. Small Business Administration

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Transportation

Office of the Administration for Children and Families