Targeted Segments
One can search the GrantSelect database as broadly or as tightly as needed by utilizing the various category segments of the database:
- Arts and Humanities
- Biomedical and Health Care
- Children and Youth
- Community and Economic Development
- Education
- Environment/Energy/Agriculture/Animal
- Faith-Based Organizations
- International Programs
- Minority Populations
- Operating Grants
- Research
- Scholarships and Fellowships
Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities organizations promote artistic and cultural excellence and preserve artistic and cultural heritage. Whether on stage, over the airwaves, or in exhibition halls, they ensure that our artistic and cultural past and present continues to be accessible, enjoyed, and preserved. Arts and Humanities recipients may include:
- Libraries, Historical Societies and Landmark Preservation
- Charities in Libraries, Historical Societies and Landmark Preservation operate and support public and specialized libraries, historical societies, historical preservation programs, and historical estates.
- Museums
- Museums include traditional arts, science, technology, and natural history museums, as well as academies and institutes that provide training to practitioners in addition to maintaining collections.
- Performing Arts
- Performing Arts groups include symphonies, orchestras, and other musical groups; ballets and operas; theater groups; arts festivals; and performance halls and cultural centers.
- Public Broadcasting and Media
- Charities in Public Broadcasting and Media operate and support public television and radio stations and networks, as well as providing other independent media and communications services to the public.
Biomedical and Health Care
Biomedical and Health Care includes funding opportunities for medical and nursing research, biomedicine, health care professionals, and organizations providing health care at the community level. Examples of areas covered include clinical and programmatic studies in gerontology and mental health; clinical studies of the cause, detection, and elimination of cancer; health care delivery and maintenance; and studies of infectious and immunologic diseases, including programs researching all areas related to AIDS. Funding sources include the National Institutes of Health agencies and other federal government agencies, professional associations, foundations, and corporations that make health care a giving priority.
Children and Youth
Children and Youth includes funding sources for before- and after-school programs, youth violence prevention, children's health care and health research, nutrition, mentoring initiatives, teen pregnancy prevention, summer recreation, sports, out-of-school educational programs, and so on. Sources for funding include local, state, and federal government agencies, nonprofit organizations, family trusts, and corporate funding programs.
Community and Economic Development
Community and Economic Development funding is intended to strengthen outreach programs for the elderly, cultural programs, programs for the disabled and the economically disadvantaged, religious programs, and social service programs. Funding sources include foundations and nonprofit organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, and corporate giving programs. These programs can include:
- Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Food Distribution
- Charities classified as Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Food Distribution Centers provide hunger relief in communities throughout our country.
- Multipurpose Human Service Organizations
- Multipurpose Human Service Organizations that promote volunteerism and provide a broad range of direct services in the communities they serve, across the nation and around the globe. These organizations include YMCAs, YWCAs, the Red Cross, Volunteers of America, and others.
- Social Services
- Social Services charities provide programs addressing the needs of the disadvantaged, the underemployed, the elderly and disabled, and other specific populations. They also include community centers and settlement houses that provide integrated services for local communities.
Education
Programs to strengthen communities, including outreach programs for the elderly, cultural programs, programs for the disabled and the economically disadvantaged, religious programs, and social service programs. Funding sources include foundations and nonprofit organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, and corporate giving programs. These programs can include:
- Universities, Graduate Schools, and Technological Institutes
- Universities, Graduate Schools, and Technological Institutes are institutions that support research and provide graduate and professional education, in addition to undergraduate coursework that they also make available. This also includes Community Colleges.
- PreK-12, Adult and Alternative Education
- Funding opportunities for PreK-12th grade schools and school districts, including teacher training and curriculum development, mentoring, special programs, technology, and materials; funding opportunities for adult education include literacy training, vocational education, and citizenship training. Funders include nonprofit organizations and foundations, corporate giving programs, and local, state, and federal government agencies.
- Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
- Private Elementary and Secondary Schools are private institutions of learning that provide elementary and secondary education.
- Private Liberal Arts Colleges
- Private Liberal Arts Colleges are private institutions of higher learning that provide liberal arts education.
- Other Education Programs and Services
- Other Education Programs and Services include scholarship and financial aid services, organizations promoting school reform, environmental and other experiential learning programs, and programs supporting teachers, parents, students and schools.
Environment/Energy/Agriculture/Animal
This segment includes grants for conservation programs, environmental protection, research, education and animal control. These programs include:
- Environment
- Environmental programs include brownfields grants, environmental education, research, environmental management, wastewater management, water grants, pollution prevention, and even community recycling programs.
- Energy
- Energy programs include grants supporting education, research, energy efficiency, sustainable or renewable energy, energy sciences, materials sciences, and all types of energy sources.
- Agriculture
- Grants for agriculture support research, education, professional development, agricultural and value-added producers, on-farm research and partnerships, sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, rural development, etc.
- Animal and Wildlife
- Foundations and charities that support animal and pet welfare, wildlife protection and preservation, animal rescue and rehabilitation, spay and neuter programs as well as education and research in this area.
Faith-Based Organizations
Funding to faith-based organizations carrying out religious programs, including education, counseling, special projects, technology, and inservice opportunities. This category also includes programs funded by faith-based groups for non-religious programs, as well as programs available for application without regard to religious affiliation. Sources include foundations, nonprofit organizations, corporate contribution programs, state and local agencies.
International Programs
Programs for international scholars, researchers, and internationally based organizations. Funding is available for both US and non-US individuals and organizations. Opportunities include fellowships, scholarships, research programs, exchange programs, grants for organizations in or working for developing nations, and more. Funders include US and non-US foundations, nonprofit organizations, and corporations with global giving programs; internationally based organizations; US federal programs; and many others. Other examples include:
- Development and Relief Services
- Development and Relief Service charities provide medical care and other human services as well as economic, educational, and agricultural development services to people around the world.
- International Peace, Security, and Affairs
- Charities working for International Peace, Security, and Affairs include cultural and student exchange programs; organizations promoting peace and security; human rights groups; groups promoting improved relations between particular countries; organizations providing foreign policy research and advocacy; and United Nations-related organizations.
- Humanitarian Relief Supplies
- Charities in Humanitarian Relief Supplies specialize in collecting donated medical, food, agriculture, and other supplies and distributing them overseas to those in need.
- Single Country Support Organizations
- Single Country Support Organizations raise funds for organizations in or provide aid to a single foreign country.
Minority Populations
In his book Racial and Ethnic Groups, Richard T. Schaefer, DePaul University, defines a minority group as "A group that experiences a narrowing of opportunities (success, education, wealth, etc.) that is disproportionately low compared to their numbers in the society." Originally designated as Special Populations, this category now encompasses a broader range of targeted populations as applicants or the focus of the funding:
- Racial & Ethnic Minority Populations
- Racial and ethnic minority populations are defined as American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.
- People with Disabilities
- Applies to individuals with a disability as defined by Federal law: "any mental or physical condition that substantially limits an individual's ability to perform one or more major life activities". The following disabilities are recognized under the ADA:
- Physical Disabilities
- Learning Disabilities
- Visual or Hearing Impairments
- Chronic or Temporary Health Problems
- Neurological Impairments
- Communication Disorders
- Psychological Disabilities
- Age
- This group includes individuals who are protected by The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), individuals who are 40 years of age or older. Special attention is focused on the elderly population or individuals over the age of 65. Children can also be understood as a minority group in the terms of children's rights and youth rights.
- Gender
- This subcategory refers to grants that designate either specifically men or males or specifically women or females as the target recipients.
- Risk Status Related to Sex & Gender
- This group includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
- Socioeconomic Status
- This group refers to those individuals designated as poor or with poverty status (as defined by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services).
Operating Grants
Funders who offer grants for general operating support, including support for overhead, staff support, ongoing operations, utilities, and more. Grants support nonprofits, educational programs, arts organizations, museums, outreach services, community development programs, research programs, and many others. Sources include foundations, nonprofit organizations, corporate contributions programs, state and local agencies.
Research
Research includes funders that support projects for undergraduate and graduate students, college faculty, post-doctoral students, and private sector researchers. Types of research programs supported include: the arts; humanities; biomedical and health care; community and economic development; education; children and youth; environmental studies; alternative energy sources; agriculture; scholarships; and fellowships. Types of research funded include: basic/fundamental, applied, creative/discovery, clinical, commercial, directed, developmental, fundamental, investigator-initiated, outcomes-based, professional practice, scholarly/educational, strategic, targeted, and translational. Funding sources include a variety of federal and state agencies, professional associations, foundations, and corporations that make research a giving priority.
Scholarships and Fellowships
Scholarships and Fellowships is financial aid/assistance available to students to pursue undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate studies. Generally, scholarships and fellowships are reserved for students with special qualifications, such as academic, athletic or artistic talent. Awards are also available for students who are interested in particular fields of study, who are members of underrepresented groups, who live in certain areas of the country or who demonstrate financial need. Funders include nonprofit organizations, foundations, corporate giving programs, charitable trusts, colleges and universities, and local and state government agencies.