The Community Grants 2023 Grants Cycle is open from Monday, January 23 until Friday, March 10 for proposals. Learn more and apply here!
The Miami Foundation is grateful to invest in a stronger, more equitable Greater Miami every year through our Community Grants program. A permanent resource for Greater Miami, Community Grants is made possible by generous donors who trust the Foundation to address our community’s most pressing needs and greatest opportunities. Meet the 2022 Community Grants partners here.
We’re listening to community and making major shifts to Community Grants 2023!
Guided by community input, our programs constantly grow and evolve to serve residents throughout Greater Miami. In 2023, we continue to partner with a network of philanthropists, strengthening our dedication to trust–based philanthropy by unlocking steady funding for community champions. Special thanks to The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation and Miami-Dade County for their deep partnership in this upcoming cycle!
The Miami Foundation strengthens its commitment to trust-based philanthropy and the advancement of equity in Miami by implementing major shifts in the 2023 grant cycle, including:
- Investing in mission-building general operating support.
- Moving from annual investments to two-year bi-annual cycles.
- Reducing our two-phase proposal process to one phase.
We invite you to review the program materials to learn more about the Foundation’s signature annual community investment program. We welcome your feedback and outreach to learn more.
Sign up for our Community Grants 101 virtual info session scheduled for Feb. 2, 2023 at 1 p.m. here.
The 2023 program guidelines and FAQ [coming soon] share everything you need to know about Community Grants and how to apply. Applications open January 23 and must be submitted here by March 10th, 2023 at 11:59pm.
Sign up for our Community Grants 101 virtual info session scheduled for Thursday, February 2 at 1:00 p.m.
Community Advisors will review full proposals to ensure rich perspectives from people with personal and professional experiences related to each funding category. Grant review and ratings will be made in consultation with the advisors, ensuring that multiple considerations are made for final selections. This year we have elevated our Community Advisor involvement in the program in an effort to deepen the selection process and ensure that Community Grants investments remain community driven.
Our 2023 Community Advisors will be announced soon! Learn more about the role of Community Advisors here.
Access your submitted materials at any time through the Submittable platform.
WHAT WE FUND
In 2022, we invested over $2.5 million across the six categories below.
- Access to Health and Wellness | Improve health outcomes by connecting people to quality health resources and education, reducing health disparities, or tackling contributing social determinants of health.
- Economic Stability | Improve residents’ ability to meet local affordability challenges by helping them secure affordable, stable housing, recover from financial crisis, or increase earning potential.
- Inclusion of People with Diverse Abilities | Expand opportunities for people with disabilities to lead purposeful, productive lives and be increasingly integrated into all aspects of community life. See our summary of this funding category here. This category is made possible by the Sofia Isabel Soto Fund for Inclusion of People with Diverse Abilities, in loving memory of Sofia Isabel, the daughter of The Miami Foundation’s former President and CEO, Javier Alberto Soto.
- Inspiring Arts and Culture | Apply the power of arts and culture to strengthen community. This category will catalyze work that champions the diversity of our community, expands access to arts and culture experiences for residents, or increases opportunities for artistic expression.
- Sustainable Environment | Develop a healthier, more resilient community by promoting action on the restoration of Biscayne Bay, protecting our most vulnerable from the effects of extreme heat, or expanding awareness and action on the climate crisis and its local effects. See our summary of this funding category here.
- Thriving Youth and Families | Expand opportunities for youth to excel from early childhood to young adulthood through high-quality education, personal development, and work to ensure their safety and stability. This may also include support for adult caregivers so the whole family can thrive and work to advance youth development through the arts.
What we prioritize
Our priorities align with our values that we hope to model together with our nonprofit partners. Our priorities also guide proposal review, so we encourage you to review this section as you consider a proposal.
- Advance equity of marginalized individuals and communities: We exclusively support work with communities facing marginalization to tackle disparities around race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and other lines of difference.
- Focus on progress: We support work guided by clear goals for the growth of individuals and communities. All partners will have strong potential to create timely, impactful opportunities for individuals and communities to advance and thrive.
- Build solutions: We prioritize work that pursues long-lasting change for individuals and communities. Organizations should identify the underlying barrier(s) or challenge(s) they will address so that individuals can pursue their greatest potential. Strong approaches will strive to improve individuals’ current lives while also preparing them for the long-term.
- Collaborate with community: We prioritize organizations with leadership that represents the communities they serve, as well as organizations that intentionally gather community feedback to guide their work. We believe authentic community relationships and resident leadership are essential for effective work.
- Sustainability: We support high-quality, viable work while also investing in what each organization needs to be strong and healthy. We will look for proposals that reflect how the organization will use awarded funds to power progress while strengthening capacity and expertise.
Eligibility & Use of Funds
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants are nonprofits with an active 501(c)(3) status as a public charity or projects with an established fiscal sponsor that has this status. Government entities and tax-exempt organizations are also eligible. The proposed work must primarily serve Miami-Dade County residents. If you have a current grant through any Foundation program, you must be in compliance with that grant to apply.
Grant Size: The maximum grant award is $30,000.
Types of Funding: Nonprofits can select from two funding options. All grants are considered general funding to be used at the nonprofit’s discretion to support the proposed goals.
- Program Support: Funds to support a particular program or initiative that you propose to start, sustain or grow. Proposed goals should focus on that program’s activities and outcomes.
- Mission-Building Support: Funds to advance organization-wide work and goals that drive your mission, rather than a specific program. Mission-building partners seek to become stronger community resources. These funds are often used for more general expenses, which may include operations or infrastructure to support organizational success. Proposed goals should focus on organization-wide activities and outcomes.
How to apply
Community Grants is a two-stage program: an initial Idea Stage and a Full Proposal Stage for invited applicants based on review of the submitted applications. The Foundation engages proposal review committees to guide grant selection to ensure rich perspectives from people with personal and professional experiences related to each funding category. Grant decisions for the 2022 program were shared in early June. The 2023 program is anticipated to open in January 2023.
Connect with us
Please contact Vicky Checo, Program Manager, at vcheco@miamifoundation.org with any questions.