Classics for Kids Foundation In a world where the arts often take a backseat to budget cuts, philanthropist Michael Reynolds has carved out a powerful niche – supporting music education for underprivileged kids through his nonprofit, the Classics for Kids Foundation. Since its inception in the late 1990s, his vision has been simple yet transformative: provide matching grants for high-quality string instruments to organizations serving at-risk youth across the United States. The organization’s focus on matching grants to help acquisition of string instruments, from violins to cellos, is not only unique but also plays a critical role in keeping young people engaged in something positive.
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Dale Jr. Foundation Dale Jr. Foundation is dedicated to giving underprivileged youth the resources to improve confidence, education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals. Support focuses on the following areas: empowerment, education, wellness, hunger, and hope. Types of support include monetary donations and in-kind donations of items for auctions and raffles. The application deadline is October 31, 2025.
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Karma for Cara Foundation Karma for Cara Foundation seeks to support young people throughout the United States in their efforts to contribute to society and help repair the world through volunteerism and community service. Students 18 years of age and under may apply for funds between $250 and $1,000 to complete service projects in their communities. The microgrants support a wide variety of projects and events, such as turning a vacant lot into a community garden, rebuilding a school playground, or helping senior citizens ready their homes for the winter. Application deadlines are January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 each year.
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KFC Foundation Kentucky Fried Wishes Program KFC Foundation Kentucky Fried Wishes Program provides grants to support capacity-building projects for nonprofits that expand access to food and shelter in local communities. Examples of eligible projects include remodeling food pantries, creating community gardens, upgrading animal shelters, and repairing or renovating buildings. Eligible applicants must be local nonprofit organizations, or local chapters/affiliates of larger nonprofits, that directly serve their communities. The application deadline is July 31, 2025 and grants may be awarded up to $10,000.
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Lois Lenski Covey Foundation Lois Lenski Covey Foundation seeks to advance literacy and foster a love of reading among underserved and at-risk children and youth in the United States, including U.S. territories. The Foundation’s Bookmobile Grants support bookmobile programs that serve economically or socially at-risk children. The grants are used for purchasing books published for young people preschool through grade 8. The application deadline is August 15, 2025 and grants may be awarded from $500 to $3,000.
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Glenn W. Bailey Foundation The mission of the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation is to foster pathways to success in globally competitive STEM careers for American students. The Foundation funds programs and projects throughout the United States that provide students and educators with enhanced resources for hands-on, STEM-based learning. Additional areas of interest include entrepreneurial programs that teach business, money management, marketing, leadership, strategy, financing, and startup skills; innovative environmental projects that utilize interdisciplinary research to identify and address critical environmental problems with innovative solutions; and projects and programs that contribute to advancements in biomedical research and innovation. Grants of up to $25,000 are provided through the Foundation’s specific program areas, all of which focus on supporting STEM education at all levels. Applications are reviewed monthly, as are letters of inquiry for projects that fall outside the Foundation’s specific programs or that require funding above $25,000.
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It Gets Better: Changemakers The It Gets Better: Changemakers grant program provides funds for exceptional projects led by LGBTQ+ youth in collaboration with a partner organization that aim to make communities bolder, safer, and prouder places for all. Support is provided to LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 to 18 who are partnering with registered nonprofits or public and charter secondary schools within the United States, including U.S. territories. Funded projects must support LGBTQ+ youth in the community. Projects that support LGBTQ+ youth of color, trans and nonbinary youth, and LGBTQ+ youth with disabilities are of particular interest. The application deadline is May 5, 2025, and the geographic scope is the entire United States, including U.S. territories. Grant amounts range from $500 to $10,000.
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Voya Unsung Heroes Awards Program The Voya Unsung Heroes Awards Programs helps U.S. K-12 educators and their schools fund innovative classroom projects. Each year, 50 educators are selected to receive $2,000 for their class projects. Of these finalists, three are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. Full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff with effective and innovative projects that improve student learning are eligible to apply. Applicants must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States. (Nonprofit groups that are not schools are not eligible to apply.) There is no application deadline.
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The Andrew Family Foundation’s Junior Board Grants The Andrew Family Foundation’s Junior Board Grants support nonprofit organizations in the United States that positively impact the lives of youth. The focus is on efforts that help people enrich their lives by providing opportunities for education in traditional academics and the arts. Support is also provided for programs that raise awareness about the importance of living sustainably and in harmony with the environment. The Foundation prefers to support well-established organizations with five or more years of operating experience and organizations with budgets of less than $5 million. Grants are made for specific purposes or projects that will have a direct impact on the target population. There is no application deadline for letters of inquiry.
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Instrumentl Instrumentl is an online resource for identifying grants available to support youth development and youth leadership programs. It currently features more than 400 such opportunities totaling $78.5 million in funding (with a median grant of $25,000). Searches can be conducted by focus area, such as grants available to organizations in the state of California.
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Kid Kindness Grants Kindness Grows Here is a grassroots organization whose mission is to create a kinder world by fostering kindness in youth. Through Kid Kindness Grants, support is provided to kids between the ages of five and 18 who have ideas for spreading kindness. The intent of these grants is for young people to be involved in developing and carrying out their own ideas dedicated to solving problems in their community by spreading kindness. Applications must be written and submitted by someone who is five to 18 years old. Both individuals and groups of kids may apply, including a group of friends, a school club, a classroom, a scout troop, or a sports team, etc. Individuals may apply for up to $250. Small groups (two to four kids) may apply for up to $500. Large groups (five or more kids) may apply for up to $800. All applicants must have an adult supervising their project. Applications are accepted from September 1 to November 1.
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Toshiba America Foundation STEM Grants Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) is dedicated to helping classroom teachers make STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning fun and exciting for students in U.S. schools. TAF funds innovative STEM projects designed by teachers for use in their own schools and classrooms. Teachers at public and nonprofit private schools throughout the United States are eligible to apply. Application deadlines: Grade 6-12 applications of up to $5,000 are due March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1, annually. Grade 6-12 requests of more than $5,000 are due May 1 and November 1, annually.
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W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grants The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is committed to ensuring all children, families, and communities—regardless of race or income—have opportunities to reach their full potential. Support is provided nationally to nonprofits throughout the U.S., though up to two-thirds of grantmaking is focused on the priority places of Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New Orleans in the U.S.; Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico; and Central and South Haiti. The Foundation’s priorities are 1) thriving children, including supporting a healthy start and quality learning experiences for all children; 2) working families, with a focus on efforts to help families obtain stable, high-quality jobs; and 3) equitable communities, including advancing racial equity and racial healing, engaging communities in solving their own problems, and developing leaders capable of guiding change. Information on how to apply is available on the Foundation’s website.
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The Climate Initiative The mission of The Climate Initiative (TCI) is to empower youth voices for climate action. TCI’s Youth Action Grants provide support of up to $2,500 to youth organizations and individuals for youth-led, community-based action projects that empower youth ages 13-23 to develop climate solutions in their local landscape. The goal is to encourage youth to take action within their communities to better mitigate climate challenges, foster climate change discussion and education, and provide young people with the necessary resources to fill the gaps of climate adaptation in their communities. Applications from anywhere in the U.S. are reviewed on a rolling basis.
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MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation The MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint initiative by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), seeks to increase participation in and expand access to youth baseball and softball across the United States and internationally. The Foundation provides support in the following areas: capital projects, including field lighting, renovations, and construction; baseball and softball programs, including players’ and infrastructure equipment, uniforms, training of coaches, umpire fees, player registration fees, facility rental fees, and field maintenance; education initiatives, including programs, exhibits, and other learning opportunities that use baseball and softball as the primary focus to promote interest and engagement in the game; and grants to schools of up to $5,000 for players’ and infrastructure equipment. Letters of inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
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Education for American Civic Life Education for American Civic Life, a program of the Teagle Foundation, supports efforts to prepare students to become informed and engaged participants in the civic life of their local and national communities. Through this initiative, the Foundation seeks ambitious projects that confront gaps in undergraduates’ civic knowledge and prepare them for the intellectual demands of democratic participation. Successful proposals will promote learning about the formation of the American republic, the crafting of its Constitution, the history of contention over the interpretation of the Constitution, the development of representative political structures, and the principles of democracy. Funding is focused on two particular areas: 1) anchoring significant questions in democratic thought in local history and community, and 2) strengthening preparation for public service. Grants ranging from $100,000 to $300,000 over a 24-36 month period are made to a diverse array of institutions, including community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and comprehensive and research universities. Proposals for planning grants in the range of $25,000 over 6-12 months are strongly encouraged. Concept papers are reviewed three times per year with submissions due by December 1, March 1, and August 1.
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ECMC Foundation ECMC Foundation works to improve postsecondary outcomes for students from underserved backgrounds nationwide. The Foundation concentrates investments in two focus areas: The College Success category aims to increase the number of students from historically and presently underserved backgrounds who persist through and graduate from an institution of higher education with a bachelor’s degree. The Career Readiness category aims to improve postsecondary career and technical education outcomes for students from underserved backgrounds. Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies are eligible to apply. Letters of inquiry may be submitted throughout the year; proposals are reviewed by invitation only.
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Skatepark Project Skatepark Project is dedicated to helping underserved communities throughout the United States create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth. Grants are provided to organizations that are seeking to build free, public, concrete skateparks in underserved communities. The Foundation primarily supports projects that can demonstrate a strong grassroots commitment. Priority is given to projects that are designed and built by experienced skatepark contractors and include local skaters in the planning, fundraising, and design process. Grants of $1,000 to $300,000, with an average of $10,000, are provided to nonprofit organizations and state or local agencies, including public school systems and public projects. Letters of inquiry are accepted on a rolling basis and grants are awarded quarterly.
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Toshiba America Foundation Toshiba America Foundation is dedicated to promoting quality science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in the nation’s K-12 schools. The Foundation provides grants through two initiatives.: Grants for Grades K-5 of up to $1,000 are provided to teachers in public or private schools to help them bring innovative projects into their classrooms. The application deadline is October 1, annually. Grants for Grades 6-12 are provided to teachers who have an idea for making science and mathematics more fun for their students. Requests for grants of up to $5,000 may be submitted throughout the year and are reviewed quarterly. The annual application deadlines for large grants of $5,000 or more are May 1 and November 1, annually.
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Million Girls Moonshot Initiative The STEM Next Opportunity Fund and the Intel, Gordon and Betty Moore, and Charles Stewart Mott foundations have announced the launch of an initiative aimed at closing the gender gap in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. With the overall goal of increasing diversity and equity in STEM fields, the Million Girls Moonshot initiative will work to engage a million school-age girls in engineering and computer science learning opportunities over the next five years. To that end, partners in the initiative will provide funding and in-kind resources in support of hands-on, immersive STEM learning experiences to Mott-funded afterschool networks in all fifty states, with a focus on underserved and underrepresented groups. In-kind support provided by the initiative will include technical assistance, educational resources, special curricula developed by NASA and access to Intel’s She Will Connect program partners and employee volunteers. Other organizations participating in the effort include Qualcomm, Technovation, the National Girls Collaborative Project, CSforALL, JFF, Techbridge Girls, STEMconnector, and Lyda Hill Philanthropies.
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School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network School-Based Healthcare Solutions Network (SBHSN) supports under-resourced public and charter schools to implement and expand access to quality behavioral health and general pediatric services on school campuses to children living in rural and urban communities throughout the U.S. SBHSN offers the following funding opportunities: Community Grants are designed to bring highly skilled clinicians into schools, after-school programs, and youth summer programs to assist personnel and other adults who interact with youth in both school settings and local communities. Nonprofit organizations with a proven track record of providing intervention or prevention services on school campuses are eligible to apply. Grants of up to $100,000 may be awarded; each awarded grant requires a 40% cost-sharing match. Principal Grants provide up to $5,000 per academic year to principals of K-12 schools in selected states, as well as a mental health professional to support student behavioral health services on campus. Applications for both programs may be submitted at any time.
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Road Runners Club of America Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) is dedicated to supporting the growth of grassroots running clubs, training programs, and running events while promoting the common interests of runners throughout the United States. The Kids Run the Nation Grant Fund, an initiative of the RRCA, supports nonprofit organizations and schools in the U.S. that are interested in implementing or currently have a youth running program. Grants of $500 to $1,000 are provided to running clubs and other nonprofit organizations such as parent booster clubs, PTAs, etc. Elementary and middle schools that provide organized after-school running programs are also eligible to apply. Since the goal of the grant program is to have kids running at least once a week for multiple weeks, funded programs should offer more than just one-time events.
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Note : Appearance of activities, publications or organizations in these website listings does not constitute any type of endorsement from the Dwight Stuart Youth Fund. These listings are provided solely for informational purposes.
