Our Grants
Helping the Sacramento region thrive
Though the majority of our grants are directed to nonprofits by our fundholders according to their own interests, our Foundation-directed grantmaking continues to grow, and we are committed to supporting an array of funding opportunities that serve the diverse needs of our community.
We invite you to browse our Foundation-directed grant opportunities by category below, review our recently awarded grants, and see the grant opportunities that are currently accepting proposals.
Our Strategic Initiative grantmaking seeks out programs that address the desired outcomes for the Foundation's Strategic Initiatives. With a combination of commissioned and competitive grants, we aim to partner with Strategic Initiative grantees in a deeper, more sustained manner to maximize our impact together. Consequently, Strategic Initiative grants are among the larger grants awarded by the Foundation each year.
Whether working to foster a thriving cultural community, expand equitable access to higher education, or create a more healthy and accessible food system, we encourage grantseekers who have explored our Strategic Initiatives and are interested in partnering with the Foundation to make a measurable difference in some of this community’s toughest issues to register via the Grants Registry to be alerted when we announce funding opportunities related to a relevant initiative. You may also review some of our previously awarded Strategic Initiative grants.
We awarded Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services a $100,000 grant to strengthen the region's emergency food system, a central tenant of our Connecting the Regional Food Economy initiative.
Finally, periodically throughout the year, the Foundation offers a handful of grants through competitive opportunities. As with our other Foundation-directed grantmaking, we announce these additional funding opportunities via email through our Grants Registry.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVE GRANTMAKING
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- Transforming the Creative Economy
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Through the RFP process, the Foundation is seeking to support projects that address one or more goals for Transforming the Creative Economy initiative.
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- Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists
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Part of our Transforming the Creative Economy initiative, this grant supports access to performing arts education, training, and apprenticeship and/or internship opportunities for underserved youth in the Sacramento region.
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- The Lab Capacity Building Program
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Building a strong nonprofit sector for the our region’s future means investing in strong nonprofit leadership today, so The Lab Capacity Building Program brings together Executive Directors and emerging leaders from local nonprofits to innovate and problem-solve. This program is part of our effort to Expand Philanthropy and the Social Economy.
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- Building Equitable Communities Grants
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Through these grants, the Foundation aims to build community capacity and support eligible nonprofit organizations that are strengthening the capital area, responding to emerging opportunities, and adapting to better serve the long-term resilience of the greater Sacramento region.
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ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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- Social Venture Partners Fast Pitch
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The SVP Sacramento Fast Pitch is a two-month training and mentoring program for innovative nonprofits effecting change in education in the Greater Sacramento area, culminating in the Fast Pitch Competition and Showcase.
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- APIs Rise Fund
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The APIs RISE Fund, comprised of API (Asian and/or Pacific Islander) philanthropists and community leaders, aims to build and strengthen the next generation of API leadership for the Sacramento region.
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- Benson Fund for Senior Services in Placer County
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The James & Virginia Benson Memorial Fund for the Elderly of Placer County assists organizations in Placer County with a focus on providing assistance and services to seniors.
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- Inspire Giving Fund
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From the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, awardees receive up to $10,000 cash in addition to in-kind services through Inspire Giving, the endowment fund of Project Inspire.
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- Whitney Pinkerton Fund
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The purpose of the Whitney/Pinkerton Fund is to award grants of up to $750 for the purpose of adding books to the libraries' general or special collections.
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- Gloria Burt Sacramento Region Arts Fellowship
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Artists are investing their talents in the Sacramento region every day. They are developing original work, provoking thought, bridging communities, inspiring connections to commerce and telling our stories for future generations. The Gloria Burt Sacramento Region Arts Fellowship is investing in these artists.
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- Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association Charitable Fund
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The Sacramento Valley Veterinary Medical Association (SVVMA) Charitable Fund supports programs operated by small nonprofits, veterinarians, and veterinary students to improve the welfare of both domestic and wild animals as important links to culture and ecology.
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- Del Paso Heights Neighborhood Fund
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The Del Paso Heights Neighborhood Fund was created from a Foundation fundholder's desire to support impactful organizations providing critical services in Sacramento's Del Paso Heights neighborhood.
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- Yolo Air Quality Education Grant
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The Yolo Air Quality Education Grant was established in 2022 with the goal of improving air quality by engaging Yolo County children in programs that drive behavior change through education, infrastructure improvements, or other methods.
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- Davis Arts & Culture Grant
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The Davis Arts & Culture Grant is a one-time grant program, funded by the City of Davis with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The goal of the grant is to stabilize the City’s nonprofit arts & culture sector, which saw a significant negative economic impact due to the pandemic. The grant will therefore take the form of unrestricted general operating support, with the intention of providing financial relief to eligible nonprofits, to help them on the path back to financial sustainability. As part of this grant program, the Yolo Community Foundation will also provide non-financial capacity building support (e.g., training programs) that serves the same objective. More information about the capacity building programming will be available once the grants are allocated.
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APPLYING FOR FOUNDATION GRANTS
Throughout the year, the Foundation launches competitive grant opportunities to fund the worthy work of local nonprofits. For the most current information for each granting programs, view our Grants Calendar and sign up for the Grants Registry.