Field Notes · Grants issue

Grants you can apply for this fall

Every grant below was checked on the funder's own website on September 25, 2026. We left out anything closed, anything by invitation only, and anything whose dates we could not confirm at the source. What is left is money a small community nonprofit can actually go after this fall.

Each one says who it is for, how much, when it closes, and what to have ready, so you can tell in a minute whether it is worth your afternoon.

The calendar

Oct 5	PA environmental education grants open
Oct 8, 2 PM ET	Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation portal opens (first 600 applications only)
Oct 31, 11:59 PM CT	The Lawrence Foundation closes
Nov 10, 4 PM ET	Farm Credit East food access grant closes
Nov 10, 11:59 PM ET	Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation closes
Nov 13	IMLS Inspire Grants for Small Museums close, and so do PA environmental education grants
Nov 30	Walmart Spark Good Local Grants close
Dec 11, 11:59 PM PT	KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant closes
Dec 15	AgWest rural community grants close for 2026
Rolling	Bob Woodruff Foundation, The Pollination Project, USDA Community Facilities, Meadows Foundation (TX), El Pomar Foundation (CO)

Open now

Walmart Spark Good Local Grants: $250 to $5,000

For: 501(c)(3) public charities in any state that serve the same area as the Walmart store, Sam's Club or distribution center they apply to. A church qualifies only for a project that "benefits the community at large," such as a food pantry or clothing closet.
Closes: November 30, 2026. No time is given, so do not leave it to that evening.
Have ready: a Spark Good account at walmart.com/nonprofits, verified by Deed, the outside partner Walmart uses to confirm who you are. Verification is not instant, so start it this week. You apply to a store, not to Walmart, so pick the one your families actually use. If you are approved, finish payment setup within 21 days or the grant is withdrawn.
Walmart's grant page

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation: usually $1,000 to $20,000

For: US nonprofits. Recent grants include skills training, programs for seniors and people with disabilities, and community-based organizations.
Closes: November 10, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern. Decisions by the end of May 2027.
The size rule that helps small groups: you cannot ask for more than $20,000, or more than a quarter of your average income over the last three years, whichever is lower.
Have ready: a letter of request of no more than three pages as a PDF, your latest 990, an itemized program budget and your IRS determination letter. It is a full request, not a letter of inquiry. If you applied last round, sit this one out.
Dreyfus application guidelines

The Lawrence Foundation: typically $5,000 to $10,000

For: 501(c)(3) public charities, or fiscally sponsored groups, working in the environment, human services or disaster relief. No geographic limit. The foundation says it does not usually fund churches, religious schools, gardening programs, recreation programs, or computers and software.
Closes: October 31, 2026, 11:59 PM Central.
Have ready: the short online application. No letter of inquiry. Grants can be general operating or program support. The odds are long: the foundation says it receives 1,000 to 1,500 applications a cycle and makes about 20 grants.
Lawrence Foundation application

Bob Woodruff Foundation: veteran and military family services

For: nonprofits in any state that serve veterans, service members and their families with housing, food, jobs or physical and mental healthcare.
The screen: at least 70 percent of spending on programs, a filed 990 or 990-EZ for each of the past two years, gross receipts over $50,000 in each of those years, and an audited or certified financial statement. If you miss any one of these, save the time.
Amount: not published.
Closes: rolling. Applications are reviewed year-round.
Have ready: the financials above. The foundation also takes an optional short proposal first and replies in about two months, which is a cheap way to find out whether a full application is worth it.
Bob Woodruff Foundation criteria

The Pollination Project: up to $500

For: the smallest groups. Your annual budget must be under $50,000 and the project's total cost under $10,000. Informal groups can apply. Projects cannot proselytize or require the people served to take part in faith practices.
Closes: rolling. An application complete before the last day of a month is reviewed the following month, with a decision at the end of that month.
Have ready: a short description of one project and what it will cost. This is a good first grant for a volunteer-run group that has never applied for one.
Pollination Project seed grants

USDA Community Facilities: grants and loans for rural buildings and equipment

For: community-based nonprofits in rural areas of 20,000 residents or fewer, buying, building or improving an essential facility or its equipment: a community center, child care center, food pantry, community kitchen, fire truck.
Amount: a share of the project cost rather than a fixed figure. The grant share runs from 15 to 75 percent, highest for towns of 5,000 or fewer with low median income, so plan to raise the rest.
Closes: rolling. USDA lists the application window as open, October 1 through September 30.
Have ready: a real capital project. It does not pay operating costs. Your first step is a call to the USDA Rural Development office in your state, and preparation can take weeks to months.
USDA Community Facilities program

IMLS Inspire Grants for Small Museums: $5,000 to $75,000

For: small museums of any discipline, including science centers, nature centers and aviation museums, that meet the Institute of Museum and Library Services' museum eligibility rules. Rural and remote museums are named as welcome. If you do not run a museum, skip this one.
Closes: November 13, 2026.
Money and match: requests of $5,000 to $25,000 need no cost share. Requests of $25,001 to $75,000 need a one-to-one non-federal match. Projects run one to three years.
Have ready: a Grants.gov registration and the FY2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity, which sets the eligibility rules. IMLS program officers take counseling calls before you apply.
IMLS Inspire Grants for Small Museums

KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant: $750

For: any US organization whose garden program serves at least 15 young people aged 0 to 18 in an under-resourced community, and that received less than $5,000 in grants for the garden in 2026. Organizations that received any KidsGardening grant in 2025 or 2026 cannot apply.
Closes: December 11, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific.
Have ready: current photos of your garden site, which are required. Five winners also receive a container garden package.
KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant

Open now, in certain states

AgWest Farm Credit Rural Community Grants: up to $5,000 (rural AK, AZ, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA)

For: nonprofits in rural parts of those states, for a facility, equipment or infrastructure project. The average award is $500 to $2,500.
Closes: December 15, 2026 for this year. Requests are reviewed monthly.
Have ready: a letter of support from a current AgWest employee or customer, and proof you have already raised some money for the project, because a project with nothing raised is not eligible. It does not pay operating costs, travel or events.
AgWest rural community grants

Farm Credit East Food Access Infrastructure Grant: up to $50,000 (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT)

For: food banks, food pantries, food hubs and other nonprofit food distribution organizations, for storage, logistics, distribution capacity or real estate. Vehicles, processing equipment and operating costs are excluded.
Closes: November 10, 2026, 4 PM Eastern.
Farm Credit East food access grant

The Meadows Foundation (Texas)

For: 501(c)(3) public charities whose work benefits Texans, in health and mental health, human services, education, the environment and more. You do not have to be based in Texas.
Closes: rolling. The board meets in January, April, June, September and November, and a proposal takes four to five months, so apply well before you need the money. One proposal every 12 months.
Have ready: the full online application. No letter of intent. It does not fund fundraising events or annual drives. Staff run monthly information sessions.
Meadows Foundation, how to apply

El Pomar Foundation (Colorado)

For: 501(c)(3)s, or groups with a 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, whose programs happen in Colorado, in health, human services and civic work. It does not fund religious organizations for religious programs, camps, travel or conferences.
Closes: rolling. Trustees meet four to six times a year, and a complete application has to arrive at least 10 weeks before a meeting.
El Pomar, apply

Opening soon

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation: average $25,000 to $35,000. Opens October 8, 2 PM Eastern

For: public safety organizations, military and veteran organizations and other nonprofits, for lifesaving equipment, prevention education, disaster relief or military support. It will not reimburse equipment you already bought. Requests over $50,000 are denied.
The catch: the portal takes the first 600 submitted applications and then closes, and it usually fills fast. Have everything ready before 2 PM Eastern on October 8.
Have ready: your organization's history, an itemized vendor quote dated within the last three months if you are asking for equipment or supplies, current financials (a balance sheet or profit and loss from the last month, a current budget, or last year's audit or 990), and a W-9. Fire and EMS departments also need an equipment inventory. One request per organization, and past recipients wait three years.
Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation portal

Pennsylvania DEP Environmental Education Grants: up to $65,000 (PA). Opens October 5

For: incorporated nonprofits, conservation and education organizations, schools and conservation districts in Pennsylvania, teaching about land use, air, water and watersheds, or climate.
Money: Seed grants up to $5,000, Grow grants from $5,001 to $30,000, Impact grants from $30,001 to $65,000. Paid as reimbursement. Every level needs some match, and Grow and Impact need at least 20 percent plus partners.
Closes: November 13, 2026. DEP holds a webinar on October 13 at noon.
Have ready: a Keystone Login, a project narrative, a scope of work, a detailed budget and letters of commitment from partners.
PA DEP environmental education grants

Before you apply to any of these

Keep your IRS determination letter, latest 990, a program budget and a W-9 in one place where they apply, then follow each grant's own Have ready list, because these funders ask for different things.

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