October 2024 Resources
Each month LOR sends a curated list of funding opportunities and other resources relevant for small rural communities in the Mountain West. To receive a link to our monthly resources guide, drop us a line to connect@lorfoundation.org.
Funding Opportunities
October Deadlines
The Family Caregiver Alliance’s Innovations in Alzheimer’s Caregiving program is offering three awards of $20,000 to organizations that support family caregivers of adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Eligible entities include nonprofit and tribal organizations, state and local governments, and universities.
Deadline: October 9
Kyndryl Foundation is offering grants ranging from $50,000 to more than $250,000 to nonprofits that focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence skills and job placement for underrepresented populations. Organizations that are rooted in the communities they serve and led by trusted individuals with lived experience will be prioritized.
Deadline: October 11
The Shubert Foundation provides grants with a minimum of $15,000 for general operating support to nonprofit professional theaters and dance companies. U.S. nonprofit organizations with a record of artistic activity, developing and producing new work, and a demonstrated commitment to underserved audiences or underrepresented voices are eligible to apply.
Deadline: October 16 for dance, arts-related organizations, and Shubert Scholars applications; December 4 for theater applications.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program is offering planning assistance to rural communities in growing the outdoor recreation economy and revitalizing main streets. Eligible applicants include local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, as well as local colleges, universities, and extension agencies.
Deadline: October 16
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program has allocated more than $1.7 million for local governments to provide additional personnel or purchase equipment, supplies, contractual support, training, technical assistance, and information systems for criminal justice efforts. Programs include law enforcement, prosecution and courts, prevention and education, and more.
Deadline: October 22
The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Tourism Grant Program has allocated $1.4 million to provide financial assistance to tribal communities to create, rebuild, or strengthen their tourism industry. Awards will range from $75,000 to $150,000. Eligible entities include Native American tribal organizations and tribal governments.
Deadline: October 25
The Council on Library and Information Resources’s Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant is offering between $50,000 and $300,000 to support the digitization of rare materials held by collecting organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Eligible applicants include nonprofit, academic, independent, and community-based organizations as well as government entities that collect, preserve, and share rare and unique materials with the general public.
Deadline: October 30
The Whole Kids Foundation and The Bee Cause Project’s Bee Grant program is awarding either $1,500 or an indoor observation hive to support schools’ and nonprofit organizations’ beehive programming. Eligible entities include K-12 schools or nonprofit organizations that serve any grades K-12.
Deadline: October 31
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has allocated up to $1.3 million to the Southwest Rivers Headwaters Fund for projects that produce measurable outcomes for species of concern in the headwaters of the Colorado and Rio Grande Rivers. Eligible applicants include local, state, federal, and tribal governments and agencies, special districts, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. Applicants are required to provide at least one dollar in non-federal matching funds for every dollar of NFWF grant funds requested.
Deadline: October 31
November Deadlines (and beyond)
Kindness Grows Here’s Kid Kindness Grants is offering awards of up to $800 to kids between the ages of 5-18 who have ideas for spreading kindness. Both individuals and groups of kids may apply. All applicants must have an adult supervising their project.
Deadline: November 1
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is offering two grant opportunities: the Community Development Grant and the Economic Development Grant, both awarding between $25,000 and $75,000 to nonprofits led by low-income individuals. The Community Development Grant focuses on addressing the root causes of poverty by challenging institutional barriers, societal behaviors, and public policies. The Economic Development Grant supports initiatives that empower marginalized communities by creating businesses that provide quality jobs or develop community-owned assets.
Deadline: November 1
The VIA Art Fund’s Artistic Production provides grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 that support the production and exhibition of new commissions in public venues. Eligible applicants include artists, curators, nonprofits, cultural institutions, art production platforms, and festival planners.
Deadline: November 4
The Department of Agriculture’s Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program has allocated $4.8 million for projects that address food and nutrition security for public food program service providers, tribal organizations, or nonprofits. Two types of grants are available. The Community Food Projects grants seek solutions over the longer term rather than focusing on short-term food relief. Planning Projects grants seek to provide early-stage investment in new startup projects or to invest in completing project plans toward the improvement of community food security. Grants can range from $25,000 to $400,000.
Deadline: November 7
The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship program supports high-achieving, low- to moderate-income high schoolers with funding of up to $55,000 to attend college. Applicants must be U.S. high school seniors graduating in spring 2025, planning to enroll in a four-year college in fall 2025, have a minimum 3.75 unweighted GPA, and demonstrate financial need with a family income up to $95,000.
Deadline: November 14
The U.S. Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Grant Program 2025 West is awarding grants ranging from $25,000 to $300,000 for high impact projects in the West that lead to measurable outcomes on the landscape, leverage public and private resources, and further priorities identified in a State Forest Action Plan or equivalent science-based restoration strategy. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government entities, institutions of higher education, and Native American tribal governments.
Deadline: November 15
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ is offering several grants that range in size and priority. The deadline for all grants is November 15.
- The Inspire! Initiative, part of the Museums for America program, will offer grants ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 to small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to enhance lifelong learning, institutional capacity, and collections stewardship and access.
- Via the Museums for America program, grants from $5,000 to $250,000 are available for museums of all sizes for strategic, project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational programs, digital learning resources, professional development, and more.
- The Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture program is awarding grants ranging from $5,000 to $500,000 to museums with a primary focus on American Latinos that support projects that build the capacity of American Latino history and culture museums and advance the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino cultural institutions.
- The 21st Century Museum Professionals Program is awarding grants ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 for projects that offer professional development to the current museum workforce, train and recruit future museum professionals, and identify and share effective practices in museum workforce education and training.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program has allocated $2 billion to fund community-driven projects that address climate challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. This opportunity offers two funding tracks: Track I provides 150 large grants of $10-$20 million for community-driven projects, while Track II offers 20 grants of $1-$3 million for meaningful engagement. Both grant types have a maximum duration of three years.
Deadline: November 21
The Paralyzed Veterans of America Education Foundation offers grants up to $75,000 for projects, $20,000 for conferences, and $10,000 for virtual conferences that educate community members on quality of life opportunities for veterans and others living with spinal injuries and disease. Nonprofit academic institutions, health-care institutions, and associations are eligible for funding.
Deadline: December 2
The American Society of Breast Surgeons Foundation is providing grants up to $5,000 for research projects and grants related to patient breast care and education. Grants should be used to improve breast disease patient care through research, education, and community outreach. Grants are available in three categories: education, community outreach, and research.
Deadline: December 11
The National Endowment for the Humanities Public Humanities Project provides grants of up to $1 million to support efforts to bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences via public programming. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, various government entities, and institutions of higher education.
Deadline: January 8
The PenFed Foundation Military Heroes Program High Impact Community Grant provides funding to celebrate the leadership and service of military members and support the transition from service to civilian life. Nonprofit organizations working with military communities are eligible to apply.
Deadline: Rolling
The Economic Development Administration Research and National Technical Assistance program is awarding up to $1.5 million for local economic development projects that benefit distressed communities. Eligible applicants include state, local, and tribal governments, as well as district organizations, nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and for-profit businesses.
Deadline: Rolling
State-specific Funding Opportunities
Colorado: Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) offers competitive grant programs for outdoor recreation, land conservation, and stewardship projects in Colorado. Programs currently open for application include the following:
- Land acquisition grants.
- Community impact grants to develop and revitalize parks, trails, school yards, fairgrounds, environmental education facilities, and other outdoor projects that enhance a community’s quality of life and access to the outdoors.
- Planning and capacity grants that support capacity, research, pathways to career building opportunities for underrepresented individuals, education, and storytelling projects.
- Stewardship impact grants for collaborative stewardship work improving ecological and recreational amenities. Deadlines: October 24 and January 23
Colorado: The PNC Foundation’s Grow Up Great Grant funds nonprofits focused on early education initiatives that children from birth to age five in low- and moderate-income households. Funding supports direct services or programs for children in their classroom or community, professional development and workforce development for early childhood educators, and family or community engagement in early learning.
Deadline: Rolling
Idaho and Montana: AgWest Farm Credit’s Rural Community Grants support nonprofits with grants up to $5,000 for projects that improve rural communities. Projects include building or improving facilities, purchasing equipment, making capital improvements to community assets, or improving local facilities.
Deadline: Rolling
New Mexico: Delta Dental of New Mexico’s Smiles Across New Mexico program is offering grants of up to $5,000 to nonprofits that promote oral health. Of particular interest are programs that promote and improve the oral health of underserved children and individuals in at-risk populations, as well as programs that have an oral health education component.
Deadline: October 31
New Mexico: The Frost Foundation provides grants to support initial funding or operating funds to organizations that encourage self-reliance, creativity, and ingenuity on the part of the clients the organization serves. Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations working in the areas of human services, the environment, or education in New Mexico and Louisiana.
Deadline: December 1
New Mexico: Housing New Mexico’s Restoring Our Communities Program has allocated $4 million for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and resale of single-family properties to increase homeownership opportunities for low-moderate and middle-income households. Eligible applicants include associations and entities capable of assuming legal responsibility through a Performance Agreement or contract.
Deadline: Rolling
New Mexico: The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration’s New Mexico Match Fund has allocated $75 million for eligible entities with a reliable source of funding to increase competitiveness for federal grant programs that require a local match. Eligible applicants include state agencies, tribal governments, counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions.
Deadline: Rolling
Resources
Groundworks New Mexico Resource Library: This library covers key topics including advocacy, board development, collaboration, communications and marketing, diversity, equity and inclusion, evaluation, financial management, fund development, human resources, leadership, technology, and volunteer management.
Grant Writing Toolkit for EPA Community Change Grants: The toolkit is designed to help schools in disadvantaged communities apply for EPA Community Change Grants, which support local environmental and public health projects. It includes templates, examples, and tips for writing successful applications. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Alliance is offering grant writing tools and templates for schools interested in pursuing $10 to $20 million grants from the program.
The Poverty Area Measures Data Product: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Poverty Area Measures data provides an online resource that details four measures of areawide poverty: high, extreme, persistent, and enduring.
Back-to-School Toolbox: The Institute of Child Nutrition offers school food and nutrition Back to School Resources including access to online trainings, a community sharing hub, culturally inclusive recipe toolkit, and an equipment purchasing manual.
The Greenlights Grant Initiative: The just keep livin Foundation’s Greenlights Grant Initiative helps school districts nationwide access billions of dollars of available federal funding to create safer school environments and ensure the wellbeing of our children. Educators and volunteers supporting school districts can sign up to request support in the pursuit of federal funding to address school violence prevention, mental health services, and academic enrichment.