Private Funders’ National Opportunities*

First Nations Development Institute 
Geographic Focus:  National.  Eligible applicants include Native nonprofit organizations, Native communities, tribes and tribal enterprises.

Description: The mission of First Nations Development Institute is to help Indigenous peoples, including American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, conduct their assets and build the capacity to direct their economic future in ways that fit their culture including:

• providing nonprofit capacity building services
• providing grants and technical assistance to models of culturally appropriate economic development programs that use asset-based strategies
• early stage investment and capitalization
• understanding and influencing the many issues and concerns related to food systems today
• developing comprehensive strategies for economic improvement, protection, and revitalization of traditional resources and the environment as a whole
• investing in youth to give them a sense of place and tradition in the community
• influencing a positive impact on Native American families in low-income areas

Lannan Foundation
Geographic Focus: National

Description: The Lannan Foundation supports special projects of exceptional contemporary artists and writers as well as inspired Native activists in rural indigenous communities.

Panasonic Foundation
Geographic Focus: National

Description: The Panasonic Foundation partners with school districts to help them become new systems of equity and quality in which all students are educated to high levels – in every school, in every classroom, and regardless of background. The Foundation does not accept applications or proposals.  School districts interested in exploring a partnership are invited to write to the Foundation.

The Comer Foundation
Geographic Focus: National

Description: The Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations focused on needle exchange and other harm reduction strategies within the drug using community and seeks to facilitate the process between organizations and communities committed to creating and maintaining health.

Regional Funders

Eastern U.S.

Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation
Geographic Focus: Priority is given to organizations located in the Maine to Washington, DC corridor.

Description: Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation is committed to providing support that directly improves the lives of the blind and visually-impaired, helping them realize their full potential in society.

The F.B. Heron Foundation
Geographic Focus: Emphasis on Appalachia, Mid-south Delta, New York City, and states of Michigan and Texas.

Description: The F.B. Heron Foundation supports organizations that help low-income people to create wealth and take control of their lives, including:

• increasing access to capital and preserving assets;
• supporting enterprise development;
• advancing home ownership;
• research and policy efforts that advance these wealth-creation strategies

Ben & Jerry's Foundation
Geographic Focus: Emphasis on Vermont

Description: Ben & Jerry’s Foundation supports Vermont organizations to furthering social justice; protecting the environment, and supporting sustainable food systems.

Central U.S

Lilly Endowment
Geographic Focus: Emphasis on Indiana, especially Indianapolis

Description: This organization concentrates its philanthropic efforts on strengthening the civic vitality for the purpose of human service needs, central-city and neighborhood revitalization, low-income housing, and arts and culture by:

• improving education with special emphasis on higher education and on programs designed to increase the number of residents with a  bachelor’s degree
• religious efforts supporting the encouragement, support and education of a new generation of talented Christian pastors and strengthening current pastors in their capacity for excellence in ministry
• philanthropic efforts are made to build the capacity of intermediary organizations and provide professional development for the staff and volunteer leadership of organizations in central Indiana

Emerson Charitable Trust

Geographic Focus: Primarily communities with company operations with emphasis on St. Louis, MO.

Description:  The Emerson Charitable Trust supports the following:

• learning programs that provide the foundation to create leaders, business mangers and skilled individuals who can thrive in a changing world and can help sustain the well-being of people of all ages and treatment of medical disorders, domestic abuse shelters and employment and job training;
• elevating living standards and quality of life through contributions to dance, music, and theater groups as well as educational television, public radio and numerous libraries, museums, zoos, and science centers;
• public service programs such as local police, fire, and rescue squads, housing assistance organizations and local conservation groups and parks;
• mentors, advocates and skills development programs for young people to prevent child abuse and providing care for terminally ill children;
• emergency needs such as hurricane, tsunami and earthquake relief efforts

Western U.S.

Sidney Stern Memorial Trust 1-800-352-3705.
Geographic Focus: Primarily California with a portion of the Trust’s grants provided to Hawaii, Connecticut and New York with occasional grants made elsewhere in the U.S.

Description: The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust supports legal aid organizations and civil and human rights organizations.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Geographic Focus:  Emphasis on Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties in Northern California as well as Pueblo County in Colorado.

Description: The Foundation provides grants to protect and restore our oceans, coasts and atmosphere and to enable the creative pursuit of scientific research toward this goal to ensure opportunities for all children to reach their potential, to slow population growth in high fertility areas of the world.  The Foundation’s local grantmaking program focuses on arts, children and youth, conservation and science, food and shelter, and population and reproductive health in counties in Northern California and Pueblo County, Colorado.

International

Compton Foundation

Geographic Scope: Priority for international projects in Mexico, Central America and sub-Saharan Africa, projects of national significance in the U.S. and a limited number of projects in California and Colorado. This foundation does not generally fund work in Alaska or Hawaii or outside the boundaries of the United States.

Description: The Compton Foundation’s funding priorities include peace & security, population & reproductive health, and environment & sustainability with a special emphasis on projects that explore the interconnections between these categories.

*Thank you to our sister company, Grant Station, for providing access to this information.