For nearly 50 years, our Fundholders’ generous contributions have enabled us to shape Miami’s brilliant future through grantmaking. We work with various entities – donors who endowed Funds and partners like the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney and the National LGBTQ Task Force – who make these grant programs possible. Through their philanthropy, we have granted $350 million to enhance quality of life for all Miamians. Scroll through this page to see our programs. Click here for a one-page summary sheet of the 2020 Grant Programs Schedule so you can see and save the information about each program and deadline.
Community Grants
Community Grants is the Foundation’s signature program through which we honor more than 100 donors who created permanently endowed funds, entrusting us to support issues that mattered to them. Thanks to their generosity, the Foundation awards more than $1 million each year through the program. The grants provide support to organizations and initiatives that improve local quality of life in three focus areas: Opportunity – enabling residents who face barriers to the development of their abilities and talents to achieve their potential; Resiliency – strengthening Greater Miami’s ability to adapt to our unique environmental, growth and socio-economic challenges; and Creativity – harnessing the power of arts and culture to build community. Click here to see the 2019 grantees.
We are currently accepting pre-proposal applications for the 2020 Community Grants Program. Selected applicants will next be invited to submit a full proposal. Pre-proposal applications are due online by Friday, February 14th at 4 p.m.
Use the bolded links below to review program details and apply:
- Download the 2020 Message to Greater Miami’s Nonprofit Community
- Download the 2020 Community Grants Program Pre-Proposal Guidelines
- Download the 2020 Inclusion of People with Diverse Abilities Focus Area Summary
- Watch the 2020 Community Grants webinar
- Download the online application portal user guide
- Access the online portal to apply for a grant
Office Hours
All organizations planning to submit an application are highly encouraged to register for a 30-minute phone meeting with Foundation staff to learn more about the funding opportunity, answer questions and discuss priorities such as program development and evaluation. Click here to schedule via Calendly. Mobile office hours are available on February 5th (Center for Social Change) and February 10th (Accelerate South Dade).
For questions, please contact Chelsea Clark, programs associate.
MIAMI WATERKEEPER, 2019 COMMUNITY GRANTS RECIPIENT
State Attorney’s Denise Moon Memorial Fund
Denise Moon grants allow us to help nonprofits assist victims of crime, reduce crime in communities and provide alternatives to criminal activity through job training, educational attainment and other efforts. These grant awards are made possible thanks to a partnership with the Miami-Dade Office of the State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit.
The proposal deadline for the 2019 State Attorney’s Denise Moon Memorial Fund has passed. Learn more about the fund by downloading the 2019 program guideline.
For questions, please contact Alex Rosales, programs associate.
RJT FOUNDATION, 2019 DENISE MOON MEMORIAL GRANTS RECIPIENT
LGBTQ Community Fund
The LGBTQ Community Fund is a unique partnership between The Miami Foundation and the National LGBTQ Task Force to improve quality of life for LGBTQ residents in Greater Miami and strengthen organizations seeking to make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ people.
The deadline for the LGBTQ Community Fund Grants Program has passed. Download the 2019 program guidelines to learn more.
For questions about this grant program, contact Valerie Crum, senior programs associate.
MAVEN LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE, 2018 LGBTQ COMMUNITY FUND GRANT RECIPIENT
State Attorney’s Fund for a Safer and Healthier Community
The State Attorney’s Fund for a Safer and Healthier Community strives to create a safer and healthier community for the residents of Miami-Dade County by supporting efforts that effectively curtail substance abuse and impaired driving as well as programs that assist survivors of human trafficking who require substance abuse treatment and counseling.
The deadline for the 2019 Safer and Healthier Community Fund grants program has passed. Download the 2019 program guidelines to learn more.
Please direct questions to Valerie Crum, senior programs associate.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMI BRIDGE
Pérez CreARTE Grants
The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation aims to develop South Florida as a world-class urban center. A thriving arts community makes Greater Miami a vibrant, connected and culturally engaging place to live.
From more than 200 applicants, the Pérez CreARTE Grants Program chose to invest $2 million into 23 Miami-Dade organizations with three focus areas: expanding access to the arts, providing spaces for creation and supporting top talent through residencies and fellowships. Learn more about this program.
For questions about this grant program, contact Lindsey Linzer, senior director of programs and grants administration.
GUITARS OVER GUNS, 2019 PÉREZ CreARTE GRANTS PROGRAM RECIPIENT
Miami-Dade Counts 2020 Grant Program
A collaborative of local and national funders have launched Miami-Dade Counts 2020, an outreach campaign to support census participation. Miami-Dade Counts 2020 has awarded $475,000 for efforts that encourage full participation in the 2020 Census in Miami-Dade County. Grants were awarded to nonprofit and governmental organizations in Miami-Dade County with thoughtful, culturally sensitive, innovative strategies for reaching communities that have historically low rates of participation in the Census.
Partners include the Allegany Franciscan Ministries, the Census Equity Fund, The Children’s Trust, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, Health Foundation of South Florida, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, State Voices, Stearns Weaver Miller, The Miami Foundation, the United Way of Miami-Dade, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation and Commissioner Eileen Higgins District 5.
The deadline for the Miami-Dade Counts 2020 grant program has passed. Download the 2019 program guidelines to learn more.
For questions, please contact Lindsey Linzer, senior director of programs and grants administration.
CENSUS VOLUNTEERS
Public Space Challenge
The Public Space Challenge is an ideas contest open to Miamians who want to create, improve or activate their local public spaces. This year, we asked residents to reimagine the way we move around our community.
The Miami Foundation, together with our partners, is investing nearly $250,000 in 12 winning ideas. Special thanks to Target for their generous support in helping to fund these ideas.
You can check out the winning ideas at PublicSpaceChallenge.org.
For questions about this grant program, contact Chelsea Clark, programs associate.
OPA-LOCKA LIGHT DISTRICT, 2019 PUBLIC SPACE CHALLENGE WINNER
If you received an award through a Foundation Grant Program, visit our Grant Reports page to learn how to submit your required reports.
If you’re a Knight Arts Challenge winner, visit our winners page for details on receiving and managing your grant with us.