Annual Competitive Grants
Grant Cycle Opens: 1/8/25
Full Applications Due: 2/7/25
Final Notification: 6/6/25
Annual Competitive Grants
Grant Cycle Opens: 12/1/2025
Letters of Intent Due: 1/7/2026
Letter of Intent Notification: 2/2/2026
Full Applications Due: 3/2/2026
Final Notification: 5/22/2026
Upcoming Information Sessions
Monday, November 24 at 12:00-1:00 PM
Monday, December 1 at 12:00-1:00 PM
- Be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- Be up-to-date with Internal Revenue Service 990 tax form filings and have filed for at least one fiscal year
- Be serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, or Citrus counties
- Be able to apply under the organization’s own tax exempt EIN
- Be in compliance with all requirements of previous funds awarded through Community Foundation Tampa Bay including reporting requirements
Focus Areas For Competitive Grants
High quality adult education, training, and skill building that leads to employment and promotes personal and financial prosperity.
Eligible programs in this focus area may include, but are not limited to:
- Career readiness and employment
- Entrepreneurship
- Career readiness and employment
- Work based learning experiences such as, internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training
- Postsecondary training and education
Supporting a thriving environment that is resilient and sustainable for generations to come.
Eligible programs in this focus area may include, but are not limited to:
- Conservation and recycling
- Environmental education
- Environmental justice
- Environmental resiliency and disaster recovery
- Land preservation
- Protection of natural resources
Access to resources that address an individual’s health and wellbeing including basic needs such as food, shelter, safety, physical, and mental health services. This focus area has three separate categories: basic needs, mental health and trauma services, and health and wellness.
Eligible programs in this focus area may include, but are not limited to:
- Basic Needs:
- Clothing and other essential needs
- Emergency and transitional housing
- Feeding programs
- Safety, security, and legal services
- Transportation assistance
- Mental Health and Trauma Services:
- Mental health services
- Substance misuse rehabilitation
- Trauma informed care
- Health and Wellness:
- Community based medical clinics
- Diagnostic screening such as vision and hearing
- Educational and awareness programs
- Promoting healthy minds and bodies
Access to high-quality, affordable, personalized learning opportunities, from birth through high school.
Eligible programs in this focus area may include, but are not limited to:
- Career exploration
- Child and youth development
- Digital inclusion and digital literacy
- Early literacy programs
- Enrichment programs
- Kindergarten readiness
- Social emotional learning
Vibrant spaces and inclusive programming for residents to enjoy, thrive, engage, and work.
Eligible programs in this focus area may include, but are not limited to:
- Access to arts and culture for those with disabilities
- Arts and culture projects that addresses complex social issues
- Art programming in low-income communities
- Creating community spaces including gardens and parks
- Development of community art
- Facilitating community collaborations and conversations
- Career readiness and employment
- Entrepreneurship
- Financial literacy
- Work based learning experiences such as, internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training
- Postsecondary training and education
- Conservation and recycling
- Environmental education
- Environmental justice
- Environmental resiliency and disaster recovery
- Land preservation
- Protection of natural resources
- Basic Needs:
- Clothing and other essential needs
- Emergency and transitional housing
- Feeding programs
- Safety, security, and legal services
- Transportation assistance
- Mental Health and Trauma Services:
- Mental health services
- Substance misuse rehabilitation
- Trauma informed care
- Health and Wellness:
- Community based medical clinics
- Diagnostic screening such as vision and hearing
- Educational and awareness programs
- Promoting healthy minds and bodies
- Career exploration
- Child and youth development
- Digital inclusion and digital literacy
- Early literacy programs
- Enrichment programs
- Kindergarten readiness
- Social emotional learning
- Access to arts and culture for those with disabilities
- Arts and culture projects that addresses complex social issues
- Art programming in low-income communities
- Creating community spaces including gardens and parks
- Development of community art
- Facilitating community collaborations and conversations
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How Competitive Grants Work
After you submit your LOI, you will be notified by email if you are invited to move to the next step, which is a full application. The full application and all subsequent steps are submitted through the same online grant portal. If your letter of intent is denied, you are welcome to apply during the next appropriate grants cycle.
If awarded, you will then need to complete a grant acceptance agreement, and your grant check will be mailed.
If your full application is denied, you are welcome to apply during the next appropriate grants cycle.
Acknowledgment and Reporting
FAQs
Generally, our competitive grants are not designed to fund: Academic scholarships, annual appeals, capital campaigns, fundraising events, membership contributions, etc., capital funding for building and building renovations, general operating and administrative costs, grants to individuals (rent, utilities, etc.), medical or scientific research, political campaigns or direct lobbying efforts, religious or sectarian purposes.
Nonprofits that receive a competitive grant are required to submit a final report within a year of receiving the grant. The report must include demographic information about those served by the project, measurement metrics and a final budget that details how the grant was spent.
There is no preference given to previous applicants.
Our average competitive grant award ranges from $10,000 to $50,000.
Any nonprofit serving Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando or Citrus counties is eligible to compete for a grant.
View Previous Grants Awarded for examples of proposals that have received funding in the past.
During the last competitive grant cycle about 1 in 7 Letters of Intent (LOIs) received funding. Of those invited to submit a full application, about 1/2 were funded.
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