Nonprofit grants are a vital part of the charity funding landscape. Through grants, nonprofits access free resources they don’t need to repay later. The capital from grant funding can help you improve company capacity, run essential programs for your cause, and achieve other nonprofit goals like financing marketing campaigns.
In this guide, we’ll cover various aspects, such as how to find grants for nonprofit activities. Before that, we’ll explain what they are, the different types, and whether you should apply.
Grants for nonprofits are financial capital offered by organizations to charities as gifts. Unlike a loan, the nonprofit receiving the grant doesn’t have to repay the funds— however, the funding is usually awarded for a specific program or goal.
A grant provider may define how your nonprofit must use the money according to the cause, demographic that benefits (e.g., children), program types, etc.
When considering whether to apply for a grant, understand the funder’s requirements, what they want to award the grant for, and the scope of their funding. At times, these requirements may also include specifications about the kind of organization they want to work with (e.g., how long you must be in operation, the size of your organization, and more).
Use these stipulations as guidelines for whether you fit their grant opportunity and highlight your suitability through your application proposal. The final decision will rest on the funder's choice on whether they want to select you for their grant.
A few questions you can ask yourself when trying to determine whether you should apply for a grant include:
Another factor you can consider when asking whether you should apply for funding is the type of support. Grants for nonprofits fall into different categories, each defining your relationship with the grant organization differently. The grant type can also influence what you can use it for. The main grant types include:
Your nonprofit needs infrastructure to operate. Capital support grants for nonprofits often aid in developing your company's infrastructure. You can receive them to fund your buildings' construction, renovation, or redesign. You can also use the capital to finance the purchase or acquisition of a building, land, or property.
These grants support specific programs such as any educational, learning, or community programs your nonprofit runs. They’re often restricted to that project and have spending limitations. You usually have to outline a budget for your spending and stick to it, demonstrating to the granter that you’re using the funds for the specific goal in your proposal.
Research grants are another specific funding format. They back research and academic projects for nonprofits. This can include field or scientific research, paper publishing, and more. Although you can apply for research support for a company project, these grant types are often linked to a specific team member. They can apply as members of your organization and conduct the research professionally.
Unlike targeted program grants, this type is less restrictive. The funds provided here allow you to cover necessary operational expenses. These can be daily operational needs or functional aspects like technology upgrades. The point of these grants is to support your general work toward your cause and to allow you to remain operational.
You can also classify startup grants under this category as they help nonprofits set up and begin operations.
Not all grants are in the form of capital or money. In-kind support gives nonprofits important non-monetary contributions. This can include anything from free software to personnel support to supplies and equipment.
There are many platforms where you can find relevant grants for nonprofits in the United States and globally, like:
The government offers a range of nonprofit funding opportunities at the local, state, and federal levels. Local opportunities target a specific district or community, and state options are for nonprofits within a specific state. Any nonprofit in the country can apply for and receive a federal grant.
There are often no limitations around how many government grants your organization can apply for and receive as long as you’re eligible. Find government grants on Grants.gov, the Economic Development Administration, and the National Endowment for Arts.
Grant databases, such as GrantFinder, GrantWatch, and government databases, collect available opportunities in one place. You can use them to search for funding according to local, federal, and state openings.
Foundations and philanthropic organizations set up by estates, families, corporations, and individuals often include grants in their programs. They are a type of nonprofit that can support other nonprofits.
Notable examples include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Coca-Cola Foundation.
Large corporations often set up giving programs to meet their social responsibility. They use these programs to support nonprofits with capital. However, they also provide in-kind gifts like corporate volunteering, equipment and resource assistance, and more.
Google’s Ad Grants program is an excellent example of corporations providing resources to charitable institutions. It even includes a monthly grant opportunity of $10,000 toward your marketing efforts.
Grants offer nonprofits much-needed support. They can help you balance all the moving parts involved in sustaining your organization. Most importantly, they expand your capacity by improving your resources and access to capital and other necessities.
Start reading more about available opportunities and find one that fits your needs. It will transform your operations as you work to make a change in the world.