GrantStation Insider: April 17, 2025

Application deadline: June 13, 2025
Grant amount: Four awards of $250,000 will be made.
Description: The Verizon Disaster Resilience Prize, a collaboration between Verizon and MIT Solve, seeks technology-driven solutions that strengthen disaster resilience in U.S. communities. The Prize has a particular interest in innovations that enhance early warning systems and disaster preparedness, improve emergency response and resource coordination, strengthen infrastructure and protect vulnerable communities, and support long-term recovery and community resilience after weather-related disasters. Four selected solutions will receive $250,000 in funding to advance their initiatives.​ Solutions can be for-profit, nonprofit, and hybrid organizations.

Application deadline: May 2, 2025, for letters of intent
Grant amount: A minimum of $400,000 total will be awarded in 2025.
Description: The Sports 4 Life initiative, cofounded by the Women's Sports Foundation and ESPN, aims to increase participation and retention in sports among Black, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American girls aged 11 to 18. Grants are provided to nonprofits, nonprofit schools, parks and recreation departments, and amateur sports leagues for structured, developmental sports programming serving predominantly Black, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American girls. Funding may be used for coaching, curriculum, equipment, uniforms, transportation, facility rental, tournaments, or team-building activities, with a focus on developing leadership, self-esteem, and confidence.

Application deadline: May 15, 2025, for the health and wellness funding cycle
Grant amount: Up to $10,000
Description: The JD Finish Line Foundation's Louder Than Words grants seek to support diverse and underserved communities in the company's corporate Indianapolis, IN, neighborhood as well as communities across the United States. Applications are currently being accepted through the Foundation's health and wellness funding cycle, with a focus on participation in programs focused on personal development, an active and healthy lifestyle, or mental health. Funded programs must create positive impact specifically in diverse communities. (Funding cycles focused on workforce development and safe communities are offered later in the year.)

Application deadline: May 18, 2025
Grant amount: Typically $5,000 to $20,000
Description: The Amazon Literary Partnership seeks to fund organizations working to champion diverse, marginalized, and underrepresented authors and storytellers in the United States. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations whose core mission is to develop emerging writers, support diversity, celebrate storytelling, or build authors' careers. Previously funded organizations and programs include nonprofit writing centers, residencies, fellowships, after-school classes, literary magazines, national organizations supporting storytelling and free speech, independent publishers, and poetry and translation programs.

Application deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed until funds have been allocated.
Geographic scope: Communities where Albertsons Companies stores are located
Description: Nourishing Neighbors, a program of Albertsons Companies Foundation, is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children, seniors, and families, have access to nourishing food. Through the Innovation Spark Incubation Fund request for proposals, support will be provided to organizations for new and innovative ideas or concepts that create lasting independence from food assistance and help end hunger. The focus is on new, never tried solutions that create impact in communities where Albertsons Companies stores are located. (A list of stores in the Albertsons Companies family, as well as states where Albertsons Companies stores are located, is available in the application portal.)

Application deadline: The upcoming deadline is June 5, 2025.
Geographic scope: Minnesota; Dallas, TX; Northern San Francisco Bay Area/Marin County, CA; and the Vail Valley, CO
Description: The George Family Foundation is dedicated to fostering wholeness in mind, body, spirit, and community by developing authentic leaders and supporting transformative programs that serve the common good. Funding focuses on the following geographic areas: Minnesota; Dallas, TX; Northern San Francisco Bay Area/Marin County, CA; and the Vail Valley, CO. Letters of inquiry are currently being accepted in the areas of whole-person health and well-being and the environment, including access to natural space, youth participation in outdoor activities, and nature stewardship. Through a separate application cycle, letters of inquiry are accepted in the areas of authentic leadership, youth development, and spirituality and inner life.

Application deadline: None
Geographic scope: Communities where Ferguson has operating locations
Description: Ferguson Cares, the corporate giving program of Ferguson, awards grants to nonprofit organizations located within Ferguson’s geographic footprint in the United States. Support focuses on the following areas: housing and neighborhood revitalization, skilled trades workforce development, access to clean water and sanitation, and advancing the economic well-being and quality of life in Ferguson's hometown of Newport News, VA.

Application deadline: May 2, 2025
Geographic scope: Mississippi
Grant amount: Up to $15,000 for general operations, $5,000 for planning, and $10,000 for research
Description: The LGBTQ Fund of Mississippi is currently accepting proposals for projects carried out in Mississippi for the benefit of the state's LGBTQ population. Funding is available to support planning, research, and general operations that address priority needs of LGBTQ Mississippians as they strive to live safely, openly, and without alienation, isolation, prejudice, or discrimination. Special attention will be paid to proposals addressing the needs of Mississippi's most underserved LGBTQ communities, intersectional programs addressing faith and acceptance, and efforts serving transgender and gender non-conforming persons.

GrantStation is closely monitoring recent federal actions and their impact on the nonprofit sector. This article tracks ongoing developments, providing links to source materials. We will update the article at least once a week, and in cases of significant developments, we will provide updates as quickly as possible.

The Grant Professionals Association now has a dedicated Advocacy section on its website, making accessing current and valuable information easier than ever!

The 5th Annual Kubota Hometown Proud® grant program is now open! This year, Kubota will award funding and equipment to 10 hometown projects, each valued at $50,000 ($25,000 in cash AND a $25,000 equipment voucher). Any nonprofit can apply for any community project—from rodeo arena renovations to parks, trails, and community gardens, Kubota is looking to make an impact in your hometown. Visit KubotaHometownProud.com for official rules.

50 US/DC, 18+, & designated representatives of 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in viable financial standing & located within 50 miles of a Kubota dealer. Void where prohibited. Contest Entry Period ends 5/9/25. Judging Period ends 7/31/25. Subject to Rules: see link above. Kubota Tractor Corporation.

Are you looking to unlock the secrets of fundraising success? If your answer is yes, you may want to read Great Fundraising Organizations: Why and How The World's Best Charities Excel at Raising Money. Written by Alan Clayton, this book delivers a proven blueprint for charities and nonprofits worldwide to scale their fundraising efforts and their effectiveness. Based on data gathered over twenty years of work with more than 500 organizations, it explains exactly what works and why, revealing to readers the rigorously researched mindsets, strategies, and practices in use by great fundraising organizations.

When we find a potential grant, sometimes we get so excited about what does qualify that we forget to look at what doesn't qualify. Always remember to check out a funder's restrictions before moving into deeper research. Not only can you verify that you won't be wasting your valuable time, but the restrictions section often includes clarifications about certain types of support. Also double-check any geographic restrictions, such as whether your organization needs to be headquartered in the funder's service area or just providing services in the region.

Webinar date: April 28, 2025, 2:00 to 2:45 PM Eastern Time
Description: As the funding landscape evolves, more grantmakers are prioritizing economic value alongside social good. In this TargetED, Alice Ruhnke will guide you through strategies for quantifying and communicating your program’s economic impact. You’ll learn how to translate social outcomes into compelling economic benefits that resonate with funders focused on social investments with tangible returns. (This webinar is part of the TargetEd series Shifting Perspectives to Enhance Your Grant Competitiveness.)

Webinar date: April 29, 2025, 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Time
Description: While your organization may be ready to reap the benefits of grant awards, many nonprofits have not developed the infrastructure necessary to be competitive in the application process. During this webinar, Alice Ruhnke will guide you through a process which can help you assess your organization's grant readiness.

Webinar date: May 6, 2025, 2:00 to 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Description: If the current funding environment is making you feel on edge, it’s time to channel that angst into action. In this session, we’ll tackle the concerns that even the most seasoned grant professionals face to help you move forward with confidence. Join Susan Schaefer as she introduces a fresh approach grounded in today’s philanthropic trends—whether it’s shifting award sizes or how funders make decisions. You’ll leave with practical, cross-departmental strategies that turn your next big grant into a true team effort.

We’re committed to equipping you with the tools and knowledge to navigate the grantseeking process with independence and confidence. 

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Want to stay on top of upcoming deadlines? Check out the weekly Funding Spotlights on the GrantStation homepage. Current opportunities include the Howard T. Petrie Charitable Trust (U.S. national), Ravi and Naina Patel Foundation (U.S. local: California), Fair Finance Fund (Canada: Ontario), and European Lung Foundation: Healthy Lungs for Life (global).