Small Grants

Small Grants are available to organizations and groups with annual incomes of $150,000 or less to support a range of projects and services. While we make occasional grants for equipment, time-limited projects, and special events, these are a lower priority.

The Foundation does not award Small Grants to support the following:

• Individuals
• Religious activities that serve only the members of a single congregation or promote a particular faith

• For-profit entities or collaborations that would benefit for-profit entities

• Start-up or operational expenses (such as legal fees to establish a nonprofit, office space, or other ongoing operational costs)

• Projects that will have concluded by the time a funding decision is issued (see key dates above)
• Projects that do not serve Forsyth County, North Carolina

Due to limited funding and the intention to support a diverse range of program areas and organizations, the Foundation may not be able to support the same programs or organizations year after year.

• Action4Equity – $1,000 for volunteer training to advance equity in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools  
• DENT Creative Reuse Center & Art Laboratory – $500 to support the “Mixed Doubles” creative learning project highlighting diverse viewpoints  
• Easton Neighborhood Association – $500 for a cultural immersion community day
• Lights Out Track & Field Club – $500 for youth track scholarships
• NC Cooperative Extension Service (Forsyth County) – $1,000 for the urban farm school
• Next Level Youth Enrichment Program – $800 for a youth coding program
• North Carolina Always – $1,000 for “The Problem of 52” photography project centered around families systemically displaced through reconstruction in the Happy Hills Garden Community  
• Scholars for North Carolina’s Future – $830 to support the “Voting Rights Teach-In”
• Triad Restorative Justice – $1,000 for the “Circle Keepers” initiative and $800 for training development on restorative practices  
• Triad Cultural Arts – $1,000 for research, design, and production of a mobile exhibit celebrating Winston-Salem’s rich African American history
• Winston-Salem City-Wide Parent Academy – $500 to host parent academy sessions

Yes, please see the document below.

Yes, if you have a proposal idea you’d like to discuss, we’d like to hear from you! You're not required to meet with our staff before applying, but many groups find it helpful to discuss their idea with our team. To schedule a conversation, contact us (below) at least one week before the application deadline. Note: we cannot guarantee a meeting close to the deadline due to increased call volume.

We fund faith-based organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques) when the organization is providing a social service, as long as it doesn’t serve only the members of a single congregation or promote a particular religious doctrine. Read more in the document below.

If your organization is based outside of Forsyth County but serves a wide geographic area that includes Forsyth County, the Foundation will consider a grant for the portion of the project that impacts Forsyth County. If you are based outside of Forsyth County and you also don't serve Forsyth County, you are not eligible to apply for funding.

While final grant decisions rest with our volunteer governing boards, our staff serve as dedicated liaisons for each funding opportunity.