October 2025 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 Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund
The Youth Power Fund is offering grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to youth-led organizations driving responsible technology initiatives. Funding supports projects that protect human rights, promote digital inclusion, and maximize social impact, with a focus on artificial intelligence, mental health, and climate-related solutions.
Deadline: Oct. 10
Restorative Practices Pilot Sites Program
The U.S. Department of Justice is offering a 48-month grant of up to $1 million to support and expand restorative justice programs addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking.
Deadline: Oct. 14
Bee Grants
The Whole Kids Foundation, in partnership with The Bee Cause Project, is offering grants to help schools and nonprofits develop educational beekeeping programs. Traditional Bee Grants are available as $1,500 monetary awards or equipment grants; Renewal Bee Grants provide $500 for past recipients.
Deadline: Oct. 15
The Sparkplug Foundation
The Sparkplug Foundation offers grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 to support music, education, and grassroots community organizing projects. Funding helps nonprofits engage students in innovative learning, support musicians sharing their work, or encourage collaborative community efforts.
Deadline: LOI deadline is Oct. 15; Full application deadline is Nov. 3
Innovations in Alzheimer’s Caregiving Awards
Family Caregiver Alliance is offering three $20,000 awards to community-based nonprofits leading creative, inclusive, or policy-driven initiatives that support caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias.
Deadline: Oct. 20
STOP School Violence Program
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance is offering up to $83 million to help schools implement evidence-based strategies to prevent violence. Grants of up to $2 million will support school personnel training, education, threat assessment teams, mental health crisis response, and anonymous reporting systems.
Deadline: Oct. 27
Community Action Grants
The American Association of University Women is offering grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 to nonprofits and educational institutions working to advance education and equity for women and girls, particularly through STEM programming.
Deadline: October 31
November Deadlines and Beyond
Kid Kindness Grants
Kindness Grows Here awards grants of up to $800 to K-12 students for youth-led community kindness projects. Children and youth ages five to 18 can apply as individuals ($250), small groups of two to four ($500), or as groups more than five ($800). An adult sponsor is required.
Deadline: Nov. 1
Artistic Production Grants
The VIA Art Fund offers grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to individual artists and nonprofits for visual art commissions presented outside museum or gallery walls that demonstrate artistic vision and community engagement. Projects must start after May 31 (spring cycle) or Dec. 15 (fall cycle).
Deadline: Nov. 6
National Health Service Corps
The Health Resources and Services Administration offers up to $160,000 in student loan repayment to final-year medical, dental, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, and midwifery students. Eligible students can receive funding for committing to work in high-need areas, with an additional bonus for doctors and midwives serving in Maternity Care Target Areas.
Deadline: Nov. 6
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation offers between $1,000 and $20,000 grants to support a wide range of community-based nonprofit initiatives across the U.S. Funding may be used for general operating support or specific projects in the arts, education, health, youth and senior services, environmental protection, and more.
Deadline: Nov. 10
Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Program
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.
Deadline: Nov. 12
SeedMoney
SeedMoney is accepting applications for its annual 30-day crowdfunding challenge, running from November 15 to December 15. The funding is open to public food garden projects, including youth gardens, community farms, and food bank or shelter gardens.
Deadline: Nov. 12
Farm to School Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering $18 million to connect schools with local food and agricultural education. Grants support efforts to incorporate local foods into school meals, develop school gardens, train producers, improve distribution infrastructure, and integrate an agricultural curriculum.
Deadline: Dec. 5
The FundPlay Foundation
The FundPlay Foundation is offering rolling software grants to youth sports organizations seeking registration and communication tools. Awardees receive a free license to LeagueApps’ youth sports management platform, coaching development from Positive Coaching Alliance, and discounts on impact evaluation tools.
Deadline: Rolling
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation offers unrestricted grants of up to $50,000 to painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper. Grants support professional development and financial needs such as studio rent, materials, residencies, or living expenses.
Deadline: Rolling
Democracy is Indigenous Campaign
The Center for Native American Youth is offering rolling grants to Indigenous youth ages 11–24 for community action projects that promote leadership, well-being, or cultural preservation. The program provides micro-grant funding, professional development, and national visibility.
Deadline: Rolling
The Wish You Well Foundation
The Wish You Well Foundation offers grants ranging from $200 to $10,000 to support adult and family literacy programs across the United States. Proposals must include a detailed program description, budget, and organizational breakdown.
Deadline: Rolling
Outdoor Fund
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund offers grants to local organizations for projects that conserve wildlife or connect new audiences to the outdoors, including programs, events, or initiatives that align with one of the fund’s two pillars: wildlife and habitat conservation or outdoor access.
Deadline: Rolling
The Lisa Libraries
The Lisa Libraries donate children’s books to nonprofits across the United States in low-income or underserved areas that need a small library, need to rebuild or add to a library, or serve children who would benefit from having new books to take home.
Deadline: Rolling
Women’s Shelters Grant
The AKC Humane Fund offers grants to domestic abuse shelters to support housing for survivors and their pets. Funding may be used for operational costs or capital improvements related to pet housing.
Deadline: Rolling
Junior Board Grants
The Andrew Family Foundation offers project-based grants to nonprofits with under $5 million budgets supporting youth through education, the arts, or humanitarian work. Funding is intended to foster individual growth and community enhancement.
Deadline: Rolling
The Public Media Bridge Fund
The Public Media Bridge Fund is moving quickly to raise resources to help prevent the closure of up to 115 public television and radio stations, with a focus on rural and underserved communities.
Deadline: To be announced
State-specific Funding Opportunities
Caring for Colorado Foundation
Eligible state(s): Colorado
The Caring for Colorado Foundation will award approximately $7.5 million to Colorado nonprofits advancing youth health and well-being for young people ages 9 to 25. Funding is available for organizations supporting youth who face health inequities caused by racism, discrimination, and economic injustice.
Deadline: Feb. 5
Nathin Yip Foundation
Eligible state(s): Colorado
The Nathan Yip Foundation will award rural Colorado school districts up to $75,000 over three years for student-centered education initiatives. In this inaugural round, five to seven districts will be selected.
Deadline: Nov. 21
The Auto Club Group Foundation
Eligible state(s): Colorado and Idaho
The Auto Club Group Foundation offers grants typically ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for projects focused on traffic safety, financial literacy, and driver education. Funding supports innovative efforts to reduce roadway hazards, provide financial literacy education in K–12 schools, and increase access to driver education in underserved communities.
Deadline: Rolling
The Intermountain Community Care Foundation
Eligible state(s): Idaho
The Intermountain Community Care Foundation is offering grants to organizations in southern Idaho that serve low-income and vulnerable populations. Funding is available in three focus areas: agency health priorities, social determinants of health, and child and family mental well-being.
Deadline: Feb. 1
Career Ready Students Micro-Grant
Eligible state(s): Idaho
The Idaho Department of Education provides up to $50,000 to school districts and public charter schools to strengthen career technical education in middle and high schools. Grants can be used for equipment and consumable supplies to promote in-demand careers.
Deadline: Oct. 17
Rural Community Grants
Eligible state(s): Idaho and Montana
AgWest Farm Credit supports nonprofits with grants of 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
Community Health Corps Montana
Eligible state(s): Montana
Community Health Corps Montana will launch its inaugural AmeriCorps program in 2026, placing 14 members with Montana host sites to address key public health challenges. The program supports initiatives in mental health and substance use, chronic disease, and social determinants of health.
Deadline: Oct. 24
New Mexico Arts and Cultural Districts
Eligible state(s): New Mexico
New Mexico Creative Industries Division is offering one-time grants of up to $100,000 for state-authorized Arts and Cultural Districts to pilot high-impact creative industry programming.
Deadlines: Cycle 1 – Dec. 1–26, 2025; Cycle 2 – Feb. 2–27, 2026
Artist Residency
Eligible state(s): New Mexico
New Mexico Arts is offering a six-week, $14,000 residency at the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center for U.S.-based visual or interdisciplinary artists. This 2026 residency invites artists to develop new work inspired by the land, culture, and community.
Deadline: Oct. 10
Resources
Community-Based Suicide Prevention Course (NACCHO)
With support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Association of County and City Health Officials has launched a free, online course on community-based suicide prevention for local health departments.
Congressional District Health Dashboard
The Congressional District Health Dashboard, created by the NYU Grossman School of Medicine with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, offers policymakers access to district- and state-level information on 40 health measures to guide decision-making.
Community Development in Rural Health Toolkit
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health has released a comprehensive toolkit to help rural communities strengthen health outcomes through locally driven strategies.
Rural Care Network
Eligible state(s): Colorado
Early Milestones Colorado is launching the Rural Care Network this October to support family, friend, and neighbor caregivers in rural communities. The network will offer monthly opportunities for connection, training, and assistance to help strengthen caregiver support systems.
Ambassador Program
Eligible state(s): New Mexico
The New Mexico Arts Division invites artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals to join a statewide movement to strengthen New Mexico’s creative economy. Ambassadors volunteer on grant review panels, support events, promote programs, and share professional insight.
Business Resource Map
Eligible state(s): New Mexico
The resource map from the New Mexico Economic Development Department highlights a wide range of government programs that can benefit creative businesses—even if they aren’t labeled as such. Resources include workforce development initiatives, apprenticeship and paid training opportunities, and low- to no-interest financing programs.