Search Through Grants for Fire Departments in the U.S.

AgWest Farm Credit

AgWest Farm Credit is an agricultural lending cooperative with more than a century of experience serving farmers, ranchers, timber harvesters, and aquatic producers throughout the West. 

Rural Community Grants

AgWest Farm Credit is committed to improving the economic and social well-being of rural communities.

We are looking for creative and collaborative approaches to address challenges and provide opportunities to people who live in rural communities. This program provides grants to non-profit organizations for projects that improve rural communities within Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. This includes efforts such as building or improving facilities; purchasing necessary equipment to facilitate a local program; and funding capital improvements which enhance a community’s infrastructure, viability and/or prosperity.

Examples of rural community grant projects

• Fire engine for rural fire department
• Multi-purpose community building
• Improving community park facilities
• Computers for a community center’s educational classes

Grant amounts

Maximum grant request is $5000. Due to growing demand, the average amount awarded is between $500 and $2,500. An organization may only be awarded grant funds once per calendar year.

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of The Auto Club Group Foundation is to work on behalf of our members and the communities we serve to create lasting solutions, inspire learning and provide funding in the areas of traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy.

Our History

In 1902, nine motor clubs across the country joined together to form the American Automobile Association (AAA) to protect the rights and interests of automobile users and promote better highway and traffic safety. Today, The Auto Club Group Foundation continues to support those interests by investing in traffic safety, driver education and financial literacy initiatives. The Auto Club Group Foundation which is a private Foundation, represents 14 states and 2 U.S territories, and is an integral part of AAA's evolution and success.

How We Work

Our approach to grant funding comes from a very basic principle which is to have an understanding of the goals and objectives of local communities. Our relationships, which have developed from years of community service, allow us to offer support in a more impactful and meaningful way.

The Auto Club Group Foundation, which is a private foundation, is funded by our sponsoring organization, AAA – The Auto Club Group. We award grants to organizations and initiatives that enhance our mission in the areas of Traffic Safety, Driver Education and Financial Literacy throughout our 14 U.S. states and two U.S. territories.

Priority Areas

Traffic Safety

The Auto Club Group Foundation is dedicated to supporting traffic safety programs and initiatives that make our roadways safer for all users. The ACG Foundation strives to be responsive to emerging traffic safety issues by considering grant applications that are forward thinking and address new technology.

Financial Literacy

The Auto Club Group Foundation supports financial literacy programming in grades K – 12, empowering students with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions.

Driver Education 

The Auto Club Group Foundation wants to ensure everyone has access to quality driver education by supporting scholarships and programming needs in underserved communities.

About Us

Brothers Helping Brothers was started in early 2014, when Nick Magoteaux’s co-worker/firefighting brother, Art Springer, was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus. Originally, Nick started a line of t-shirts to raise money for his medical expenses. Unfortunately, Art passed away from complications of the H1N1 virus on January 23, 2014. The decision was made to continue the t-shirt campaign to raise money for Art’s daughter, Mollie. Through various efforts, Nick and his brothers from the Phillipsburg Fire Department (Phillipsburg, OH) and The Red Knights Ohio Chapter 16, raised over $20,000 for Mollie.

One of Art’s passions was making sure his brothers at the Phillipburg Fire Department had the proper tools, even if it was at his own expense. Many other fire departments out there today are without the necessary tools and lifesaving equipment and do not have the funds needed to buy them. This started the passion to create Brothers Helping Brothers.

We want to build the Brothers Helping Brothers brand, by raising funds to provide vital tools and equipment to small and/or rural fire departments in need. Brothers Helping Brothers became a 501c3 non-profit organization on July 1st, 2014. Since being founded they have given out fourteen grants and are working on many more. Brothers Helping Brothers is also researching to find out what tools and equipment are most needed in the fire and EMS service, in hopes to raise awareness of what departments desperately need.

Backing Safety Initiative

The Backing Safety Initiative Grant is for one Wireless Back Up Camera for Fire/EMS Apparatus.

About Us

Brothers Helping Brothers was started in early 2014, when Nick Magoteaux’s co-worker/firefighting brother, Art Springer, was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus. Originally, Nick started a line of t-shirts to raise money for his medical expenses. Unfortunately, Art passed away from complications of the H1N1 virus on January 23, 2014. The decision was made to continue the t-shirt campaign to raise money for Art’s daughter, Mollie. Through various efforts, Nick and his brothers from the Phillipsburg Fire Department (Phillipsburg, OH) and The Red Knights Ohio Chapter 16, raised over $20,000 for Mollie.

One of Art’s passions was making sure his brothers at the Phillipburg Fire Department had the proper tools, even if it was at his own expense. Many other fire departments out there today are without the necessary tools and lifesaving equipment and do not have the funds needed to buy them. This started the passion to create Brothers Helping Brothers.

We want to build the Brothers Helping Brothers brand, by raising funds to provide vital tools and equipment to small and/or rural fire departments in need. Brothers Helping Brothers became a 501c3 non-profit organization on July 1st, 2014. Since being founded they have given out fourteen grants and are working on many more. Brothers Helping Brothers is also researching to find out what tools and equipment are most needed in the fire and EMS service, in hopes to raise awareness of what departments desperately need.

At CSX we are committed to serving our customers day in and day out and providing local communities with what they need, when they need it. And, we are proud of what we do.

This is why we are proud to extend our commitment to service, from our customers to our communities and our country, by serving those who serve. Many of the communities we touch have high concentrations of military families, and we have deep connections to and gratitude for the first responders in and around all of the areas in which we operate.

CSX Community Service Grants 

CSX Community Service Grants assist organizations that make a strong, quantifiable impact on their greater communities. Applications are accepted online throughout the year. Every effort will be made to respond to applications within 30–45 days.

Charitable Investments

CSX is proud to support people and organizations that in turn honor those who serve our communities. We offer monetary and in-kind resources to nonprofit organizations advocating for the betterment of our nation’s military members or community first responders, and have additional resources available to support other community efforts.

In Kind Donations

Intermodal Transportation Services

Intermodal transportation services provide applicable organizations with intermodal equipment and rail service throughout the CSX rail network, and afford these organizations an opportunity to reduce or eliminate their transportation spending.

Ideally, intermodal moves work best when freight is moving 500 miles or more. However, the in-kind moves program requires only that freight have an origin and destination within a combined 250 miles’ distance to a CSX intermodal facility.

CSX’s door-to-door product is an ideal solution for the in-kind moves program, as our trained team will pick up your freight at its origin and transport it to a terminal to be placed on an intermodal train. Then, we will pick up your freight at the destination terminal and deliver it directly to its endpoint. The door-to-door network provides service across the Eastern United States with its large nationwide network and trucking capability.

CSX will also work with you to determine the type of equipment that is an ideal fit to transport your freight. CSX has a large fleet of rail-owned containers, as well as an expansive network of channel partners that can provide equipment to fit your needs.

Railroad Equipment and Materials

CSX occasionally donates materials, supplies and used railroad equipment based on availability. The online in-kind application can be used to request the donation of railroad-related items, including retired rail cars when available. Please note that rail, rail ties and spikes are not available for donation or purchase. Applicants will be contacted if the requested item becomes available within 90 days of their online submittal. At that time, arrangements will be made to transfer possession of the requested item. All applicants will be asked to re-submit their application at a later date if the requested item does not become available within the 90-day period.

CSX is proud to support people and organizations that in turn honor those who serve our communities. We offer monetary and in-kind resources to nonprofit organizations advocating for the betterment of our nation’s military members or community first responders, and have additional resources available to support other community efforts.

Pride in Service Grants

Pride in Service grants are intended to serve those who serve, and will be available to organizations that honor and support national and local heroes – veterans, active military and first responders.

Grant submissions must fit into one of the following focus areas:

• Safety
• Mental, Social, and Emotional Health
• Bridging Community Divides
• Workforce Development
• Financial Assistance & Food Insecurity

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power. 

Through Entergy’s Micro Grants Program, we accept requests for up to $1,000 in all program areas:

• arts and culture;
• community improvement/enrichment;
• economic development,
• education/literacy,
• environment and
• healthy families. 

Focus Areas

Entergy’s Open Grants Program focuses on improving communities as a whole. We look for giving opportunities in the areas of arts and culture, education and workforce development, poverty solutions and social services, healthy families, and community improvement.

Arts and Culture

The arts are expressions of ourselves – our heritage, feelings and ideas. To cultivate that, we support a diverse range of locally based visual arts, theater, dance and music institutions. Our long-term goal is to increase the access to contemporary art for a wider public, including children and the financially disadvantaged.

Community Improvement/EnrichmentEntergy supports community-based projects that focus community enrichment and improvement. A few examples include civic affairs, blighted housing improvements, and neighborhood safety. By giving to communities in this way, we actually help them become more self-sufficient.Healthy FamiliesChildren need a good start to grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults. With that in mind, we give to programs that have a direct impact on children educationally and emotionally. We’re also interested in family programs, like those that better prepare parents to balance the demands of work and home. The amount and nature of an organization’s request will determine which type of grant the organization would need to apply for.In considering requests for grants, priority is placed on programs in specific counties/parishes. 

Background

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools was established by Harbor Freight Tools owner and founder Eric Smidt and is a program of The Smidt Foundation.

High school students with access to high quality skilled trades education have pathways to graduation, opportunity, good jobs and a workforce our country needs. With a deep respect for the dignity of these fields and for the intelligence and creativity of people who work with their hands, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools aims to drive increased understanding, support and investment in skilled trades education in U.S. public schools.

Learn more about the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence – which awards $1.5 million in cash prizes to 25 outstanding U.S. public high school skilled trades teachers and their programs each year – and about Harbor Freight Tools for Schools research and grantmaking on their website. 

Harbor Freight Tools is a major supporter of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program provides grant funds to County departments, public agencies, and to non-profit community organizations for one-time community, social, environmental, educational, cultural or recreational needs.

Funding Areas

To be eligible, non-profit entities must provide services in one or more of the following areas:

• educational/recreational projects for children and/or adults
• local business and tourism promotional activities
• arts and cultural programs
• environmental awareness programs or projects, including maintaining and increasing open space holdings
• public safety programs including fire protection projects
• health and social service initiatives and programs

Public agencies may apply to fund programs and projects that benefit the community and enhance the region’s quality of life.

A higher priority shall be given to requests for capital projects and/or one time expenses.

Scrap Metal Recycling

SA Recycling is a full-service ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycler and processor. Recognized as an industry leader in metal recycling, we operate over 70 recycling facilities conveniently located throughout California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

SA Recycling is committed to environmental sustainability. We recognize the importance of protecting our planet’s natural resources. With the support of our customers, recycling reduces the need for mining, lowers production costs for metal manufacturers and helps deliver quality metal products throughout the world. This is all part of our strategic approach to intelligent resource management and re-use.

How can we spread the word of recycling in your neighborhood?

SA Recycling is committed to being a vital part of all the communities in which our facilities are located. From providing local jobs to sponsoring community-based programs that help to ensure the health and well-being of our employees and the surrounding neighborhoods, we know that our work to improve and sustain the environment starts with our own backyard. In addition, we actively support local law enforcement, fire departments and various non-profit humanitarian groups. As our mission statement confirms, SA Recycling strives to improve the quality of life for our employees and their families, and the communities we serve.

 SA Recycling proudly supports organizations through community service and monetary donations. 

For information on how SA Recycling can show support for your organization, please contact us.

CHS and the CHS Foundation award grants to projects that develop the next generation of ag leaders, improve ag safety and build vibrant rural communities. 

CHS Community Investment

Creating a strong future for rural America.

At CHS, we recognize we wouldn’t have success without our rural communities. For us, giving back is essential to our business. 

The CHS Foundation supports education and leadership development in rural America through funding of adult education and leadership programs. CHS gives priority to innovative and collaborative approaches to address emerging issues and opportunities in rural communities. 

CHS Seeds for Stewardship

The CHS Seeds for Stewardship program matches cooperative contributions for projects in rural communities. In 2024, more than 200 local communities benefited from matching grants.

How often can I apply?

• Each member cooperative can receive up to $10,000 in matching funds annually.
• Each CHS ag retail business unit can receive up to $7,500 in matching funds annually.
• A minimum matching contribution of $1,000 and maximum of $10,000 will be considered.
• Member cooperatives are eligible to receive up to two grants per year. For instance, a cooperative might choose to designate $5,000 to a local FFA chapter and $5,000 to assist a local fire department.
• Member cooperatives with multiple locations are only eligible to receive up to two grants per year on behalf of the entire organization, regardless of how many locations they have.

The principal area of program interest is the quality of life in rural Delaware County and contiguously surrounding rural counties in New York State. Rarely selective exceptions to these geographic restrictions are considered by the Board of Directors on an individual basis.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors which meets twice a year, spring and fall, to consider and act upon qualified grant requests. Actions of the Foundation are based on a majority vote of the Board. Learn more about the Board and staff of the foundation.

Other grants have benefited health care, substance abuse, violence prevention, day care, primary and secondary schools, reading and writing programs, early childhood programs, school based scholarships, environmental groups, planning, economic development, community and Main Street revitalization, towns, counties, local share of state and local grants, churches, youth ministries, law enforcement, fire departments, public libraries, forestry, American Chestnut, agricultural preservation and development, performing and visual arts, local historic sites, preservation and museums, hiking trails, sports camps, music festivals and native American culture and history.

Spark Good: Strengthening Community 

Small actions can lead to big impact, and Spark Good is the force multiplier.

Walmart Spark Good brings together all of Walmart and Sam’s Club’s community giving programs under one brand and puts customers and associates in the driver’s seat, making it easier to give to the causes they care most about.

Spark Good includes programs like local grants, round up, registry, space tool and associate giving and volunteerism.

Local Grants

Walmart believes that strengthening local communities creates value for business as well as society. That’s why we empower each Walmart store, Sam’s Club and distribution center to strengthen and support local communities through local donations, fundraising outside of facilities and participation in corporate cause-marketing campaigns.

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award Spark Good Local Grants ranging from $250 to $5000. Spark Good local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services, and community clean-up projects. 

COCO (a Colorado-based nonprofit) started the Action, Implementation and Mitigation (AIM) Program to accelerate fire adaptation concepts and reduce the risk from wildfire across the U.S. by increasing capacity and on-the-ground work. Since its inception in 2018, we have supported over 90 organizations. COCO hopes to increase community resilience, restore fire-adapted ecosystems and create safer conditions for residents and firefighters. This funding opportunity is open to organizations working to advance wildfire risk reduction.

The AIM grant is available for a wide variety of capacity-building activities, including personnel, planning efforts, and wildfire risk reduction work on non-federal lands.

COCO funds organizations across the country with a focus on programs and projects that increase communities’ ability to overcome barriers to successful community wildfire mitigation, multiply the efforts, achieve quantifiable outcomes, support equitable and inclusive community wildfire mitigation programs across the fence, and support place-based solutions.

COCO will be looking to fund a variety of different types of projects across the country. Applicants must demonstrate how their proposal fits into the larger community wildfire strategy, including coordination with federal partners on nearby public lands. Applicants must contribute a 100% match (cash or in-kind match is eligible).  Award funding may range from $10,000 – $75,000. Grants are contracted for a period of one year.

Community Grants

LCRA supports local communities in its service area with grants of up to $50,000 through the Community Grants program. Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply, as well as city and county entities and special districts. The grants are awarded twice a year for capital improvement projects. Grant projects must improve the value of a capital asset by building, renovating or purchasing equipment, and must benefit an entire community. 

The program was established in 1995 to provide funds to rural, economically challenged communities that have difficulty fundraising for their needed projects. LCRA Community Grants support economic diversification in local communities; contribute to the health, safety and development of a community; or improve the quality or quantity of services essential for the development of viable communities and economic growth.

Grant application requirements

LCRA awards up to $50,000 for capital improvement projects that benefit an entire community. To celebrate the program’s 30th anniversary, LCRA also will award an additional grant of up to $100,000 in each of the July 2025 and January 2026 grant cycles.

Applicants requesting more than $5,000 in grant funding must supply matching funds of at least 20% of the total project cost. Proposals must include plans, detailed budget, financials, vendor quotes or estimates, and IRS determination documentation.

See more FAQs.

Idaho and Montana Grant Program

The Steele-Reese Foundation is a charitable trust committed to supporting rural communities and the tax-exempt entities that serve them in Idaho, Montana, in the Native nations that share the geography, and in Appalachian Kentucky. Since its inception, the Foundation has maintained a focus on the unique challenges of rural living and on helping people build healthy, successful, and sustainable communities.

We support Rural Education, Rural Human/Social Services, Rural Conservation and Preservation, Rural Health, and Rural Arts and Humanities projects. Applications from organizations operating outside of the Foundation's regional or programming areas are not eligible for funding. Please check back periodically for the latest updates about the Foundation's priorities and application policies.

Idaho and Montana Grant Program

In its Idaho and Montana Grant Program, The Steele-Reese Foundation makes grants only to federally tax-exempt entities for work in rural Idaho and Montana communities, and in Native nations with whom we share this geography. 

Program Areas

Rural Education

In both the Appalachian Kentucky and Idaho and Montana Grant Programs, the Foundation focuses on early childhood to Grade 12 education programming. Examples include funding for supplemental programs in early childhood education settings; elementary, middle, and high school programs that improve outcomes for students; support of literacy programs and out-of-school-time services; and charter schools and other model school programs that provide quality educational options for students and families. We also provide assistance to small public libraries. The Foundation does not accept applications to directly fund higher education, though we will consider early childhood to Grade 12 programs operated by colleges or universities or state or local education districts.

The Foundation considers education projects that demonstrate a comprehensive level of engagement with participants that result in clear and measurable outcomes. We are not able to fund those projects with single or limited interactions with students or those whose primary outcome is to raise awareness or introduce a concept. We are unable to support summer camps.

The Foundation also supports a small college scholarship program only for graduates of high schools in Lemhi and Custer Counties, Idaho.

Rural Human/Social Services 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers programs in support of low-income and under-represented populations, including elders, homeless individuals, people living with disabilities, young children, disadvantaged or disconnected older youth, young people or adults involved in the criminal justice system, and survivors of abuse or domestic violence. Programming within this area also includes support to local libraries, fire-protection services, and local food banks.

Rural Conservation and Preservation 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers land, water, and wildlife conservation; historic preservation and restoration projects; and ecosystem protection programs. All conservation or environmental programs must be locally focused on rural communities or landscapes.

National organizations are eligible for support only if all Steele-Reese Foundation funds will be employed directly in projects located in the geographical areas served by the Foundation and if the coordinating entity can demonstrate substantial connections to the people and organizations in these areas.

Rural Health 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers services in preventive health programs; medical clinics; small hospitals; EMS and ambulance units; family-planning programs, and hospices. The Foundation is not able to support major equipment purchases for rural medical facilities.

Rural Arts and Humanities 

In the Idaho and Montana Grant Program, the Foundation considers local arts programs, and the broader support of creative arts activities and efforts to maintain the rich histories of the Foundation’s funding geographies. 

Capital Improvements and Campaigns

In all program areas, the Foundation makes a limited number of grants for capital improvements, fixtures, and remodeling, retrofitting, and building new structures. In projects involving the building of a new facility or other large-scale capital endeavors, we typically make these grants only during the closing phases when a substantial portion of the required funds are already in hand. 

Funding

The minimum grant awarded by the Foundation is $5,000. We rarely make grants of up to $50,000 for a single year or make multi-year grants.

Program overview

The Unifour Foundation was created when the Hickory Merchants Association sold its local credit reporting company to a national company, enabling the creation of the Unifour Foundation in 1999, which is one of 51 endowments that make up the Catawba Valley Community Foundation. The Unifour Foundation promotes general welfare among citizens in the four counties that comprise the Unifour area:

• Alexander,
• Burke,
• Caldwell, and
• Catawba.

A grants committee representing former members of the Hickory Merchants Association and other community leaders reviews applications and makes selections for grant funding.

Since 1991, the Unifour Foundation has awarded more than $3 million in grants. Grants have generally ranged between $5,000 and $10,000. 

2024 Grantmaking

Funds are available to meet area needs including education, human services, basic needs, arts, historic preservation, health, recreation, youth development and animal welfare with a preference for applications focused on Unifour's areas of focus: 

• Grants that address Unifour priority areas of early childhood education, substance use disorders and mental health.
• Grants that address a strong community need such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, or educational needs and learning deficits.

As a family foundation in Pittsburgh, PA, our philanthropic traditions are well rooted in our continued support of organizations that foster transformative programs which best serve the local community as a whole in the areas of arts and culture, education, environmental, health and medical, human services, and religion.

Even though the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation encompasses many broad areas of concern, or categories, there is no one area deemed more important than the next. Nevertheless, the Foundation has found it beneficial underwriting grants that are tangible in nature or serve a higher number of individuals within the community and surrounding areas. The Foundation continually aids organizations that are endlessly striving to serve the community in various ways such as improving social conditions, expanding education, and working to better the environment.

Category Definitions

The Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation’s Board of Directors has designated several areas of concern comprised of specific intentions.

• Arts/Culture: Performing arts, humanities, media and communications, multipurpose museums, public broadcasting, and historical preservations.
• Education: Promotional programs for elementary, secondary and vocational systems, colleges/universities, graduate programs, adult and multipurpose libraries.
• Environmental: Support of natural resources, beautification programs, pollution control, environmental education, and horticultural/botanical programs.
• Health/Medical: Rural health care, crisis intervention, special programs in health centers, and prevention/treatment of specific diseases.
• Human Services: Youth development and recreation, disaster relief, employment training/ placement, multipurpose agencies, and abuse prevention.
• Religion: The theological education and ecumenical programs as well as the mission of many churches, synagogues, and religious charities.
• Miscellaneous: Because every grant cannot be included into a category, the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation permits grants for animal welfare, community development, sports, camps, fire and police departments and economic development as miscellaneous grants.  

Entergy’s Open Grants Program focuses on improving communities as a whole. We look for giving opportunities in the areas of arts and culture, education and workforce development, poverty solutions and social services, healthy families, and community improvement.

Arts and Culture

The arts are expressions of ourselves – our heritage, feelings and ideas. To cultivate that, we support a diverse range of locally based visual arts, theater, dance and music institutions. Our long-term goal is to increase the access to contemporary art for a wider public, including children and the financially disadvantaged.

Community Improvement/Enrichment

Entergy supports community-based projects that focus community enrichment and improvement. A few examples include civic affairs, blighted housing improvements, and neighborhood safety. By giving to communities in this way, we actually help them become more self-sufficient.

Healthy Families

Children need a good start to grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults. With that in mind, we give to programs that have a direct impact on children educationally and emotionally. We’re also interested in family programs, like those that better prepare parents to balance the demands of work and home.

The amount and nature of an organization’s request will determine which type of grant the organization would need to apply for.

About Cary Women's Giving Network

The Cary Women's Giving Network is a giving circle of the North Carolina Community Foundation. The Giving Network leverages the power of collective giving through a local network that supports the community in a purposeful way. The Network supports charitable organizations serving women, children and families in the Cary community.

The Giving Network is designed to maximize women’s leadership in philanthropy by engaging and educating its membership and increasing charitable contributions.

Cary Women’s Giving Network

Cary Women’s Giving Network members use a collaborative decision-making process to provide grants to local 501(c)3 charitable organizations that have a strong impact on critical and/or emerging needs in the Town of Cary. 

Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. 

Community Ties Giving Program

As part of the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants help us achieve our mission by providing small and medium-sized grants within our priority cause areas to local organizations spread widely across Union Pacific's footprint.

Funding Priorities & Objectives

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today.

As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

Safety

In order for communities to thrive, all residents must feel safe. Just as the safety of our employees and community members is paramount to how we operate, Union Pacific is committed to helping communities prevent and prepare for incidents and emergencies, and helping residents get home safely at the end of each day. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to: 

• Encourage safe behaviors and prevent incidents through education and awareness, particularly projects which focus on rail, driver, bike, and pedestrian safety, and ensure outreach efforts reach underserved populations.
• Eliminate risks and improve safe and equitable access to community spaces through infrastructure improvements, such as signage, proper lighting, and public trail improvements.
• Prepare and equip residents and emergency responders* to effectively respond to incidents and emergencies if or when they occur.
  • *Union Pacific supports publicly funded emergency responders through a variety of corporate programs; only independent nonprofit, 501(c)(3) emergency response organizations, such as volunteer departments, are eligible for funding through this grant program
• Prevent crime and violent incidents and support survivors of domestic violence through efforts that address the root causes of these issues and seek to mitigate their occurrence.
• Build the capacity of safety-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Workforce Development

For more than 160 years, Union Pacific has helped stimulate economic growth in cities and towns throughout the nation by training and providing employment to millions of workers. More than ever, we are committed to helping underrepresented residents in our communities achieve family-supporting careers like those offered by Union Pacific. As such, we prioritize funding for programs that seek to:

• Put youth on the right track by creating awareness of and pathways toward employment opportunities; building foundational skills, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); establishing necessary technical skills and life skills; and providing mentorship and positive role models for the future.
• Raise awareness of, educate and prepare young adults for middle skills jobs like those Union Pacific offers, for instance through community colleges, vocational and career training programs, workforce readiness initiatives, and programs that assist with job placement and/or on-the-job experience.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas relevant to Union Pacific operations such as welding, electrical work, machine operations, and civil and electrical engineering are given priority.
• "Up-skill" the existing workforce by providing training and resources that enable them to reach the next level of their career.
  • Programs that develop proficiency in areas of relevance to Union Pacific operations are given priority.
• Resolve barriers to employment such as transportation, childcare, acquiring necessary equipment for work, and second chance employment programs.
• Build the capacity of workforce development-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Community Vitality

Union Pacific Railroad is committed to establishing vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities for employees, customers and residents to work, visit and call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for economic development and opportunity more than 160 years ago, we maintain this tradition by cultivating unique cultural and recreational experiences and equipping community members with opportunities to live healthy, vital lives. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Create, sustain or expand artistic and cultural experiences offered to a broad and diverse audience (e.g., museums, theaters, zoos, cultural and local heritage, visual and performing arts, etc.)
• Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment (e.g., parks, libraries, senior centers, recreation centers, learning centers, etc.).
• Revive neighborhoods and main street areas, especially in historically underinvested neighborhoods, to improve livability, promote commerce and attract more residents, businesses and visitors to town.
• Ensure residents’ basic needs are met and barriers are overcome (e.g., safe shelter and homelessness prevention, hunger relief, mental health and community health needs, etc.).
• Offer youth development and educational opportunities to ensure young people can thrive into healthy and productive community members (e.g., mentoring, leadership development, tutoring, services for youth in foster care, etc.).
• Build the capacity of community vitality-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience. 

Environmental Sustainability

The future of our business, communities and planet depends on bold, collective action to reduce and slow the impacts of climate change while building a more sustainable economy for the next generation. Union Pacific is taking deliberate steps to reduce our environmental impact and helping our partners improve their own. Extending this commitment to our community investments, we seek to support leading environmental nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance the health of our environment. As such, we prioritize funding for projects and programs that seek to:

• Preserve and restore nature, including programs focused on natural habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
• Protect and enhance water, soil and air quality through innovative and proactive solutions such as water conservation, carbon sequestration and emission reduction programs.
• Reduce waste through initiatives focused on promoting recycling and circularity throughout the community, including recycling and composting programs and other efforts that reduce waste.
• Develop environmental stewards through youth programs focused on fostering environmental appreciation, responsibility, and leadership.
• Advance a sustainable economy by helping communities accelerate their transition to environmental jobs and renewable energy, as well as helping nonprofits and small businesses build their own capacity to operate more sustainably.
• Promote environmental justice through initiatives that ensure access to clean air, water, and land and protect underserved populations from disproportionate and adverse environmental effects.
• Build the capacity of sustainability-focused organizations to integrate practices that improve upon the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of the organization. This can take the form of internal capacity building or the creation/expansion of culturally relevant programming and services that seek to impact a broad and diverse audience.

North Carolina Community Foundation’s Community Grantmaking Program funds the work of charitable organizations that serve 67 counties within our statewide affiliate network. The Wake County Community Foundation joins more than 650 community foundations in transforming our nation and our neighborhoods through the power of philanthropy.

The Wake County Community Foundation is:

• A growing family of charitable funds. 
• A resource for area nonprofits.
• A source of grants for worthy local causes.
• A resource for donors.

Grants

The Wake County Community Foundation is also entrusted with grantmaking from the Friends of BOMA Charitable Endowment to support charitable uses in Wake and Durham Counties to strengthen and support the local community, the family, education, and to organizations serving the needs of veterans, active military personnel and their families. Grants typically range from $500 to $1,500.

ConocoPhillips Charitable Investments: Water and Biodiversity Stewardship

As one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies based on production and proved reserves, ConocoPhillips prides itself on being a great neighbor and a responsible citizen in the communities where we live and work. We recognize that the most effective Charitable Investments are achieved by entering into strategic relationships with organizations that serve the needs of the community and help the company meet its business objectives. We encourage collaborative problem-solving to allocate our Charitable Investments appropriately to achieve performance objectives. 

Water & Biodiversity Stewardship

ConocoPhillips looks for opportunities to improve conservation and restoration of marine and terrestrial ecosystems through our own activities and in collaboration with others. We work with strategic partners to invest in voluntary projects that contribute to the management of areas of national or international conservation significance. This includes partnering with communities and institutions to advance conservation efforts, practices, and build skills essential to slowing and ultimately reversing species decline. This deep commitment to species and habitat conservation is important to our operations and is integrated into the planning, exploration, development and production over the life of our assets.

Proposals that align with this cause area are evaluated based on the following:

• Does this proposal help support one or more of the long-term goals below:
• Conserving habitats with high biodiversity value
• Increasing water availability
• Increasing the scientific understanding of water and biodiversity conservation
• Identifying and supporting new, innovative tools, technologies and practices focused on water conservation, quality, recovery, and re-use
• Increasing public and key influencers’ awareness of the importance of freshwater resource management and biodiversity
• Tracking ConocoPhillips employee and community engagement to support conservation and water clean-up efforts
• What are the program goals and objectives? How will key metrics, outputs and outcomes be measured and tracked?
• How innovative or influential is this program?
• Does this program include collaboration with other NGO’s, universities, governments/policy makers, and/or key stakeholders?
• What is the proximity of this program to ConocoPhillips areas of operation?
• Are there opportunities for ConocoPhillips employee and/or community engagement (e.g. volunteering)?

International Paper Signature Causes

Our global community engagement efforts focus on addressing four critical community needs:

Education

The future of our communities depends on the children, and therefore, we support strategic partners that focus on helping children succeed via a comprehensive approach to education. Literacy, particularly from birth through 3rd grade, is our primary focus because reading skills form the foundation for all childhood learning.

Hunger

We work with food banks and other agencies to address hunger and food security for children, families and seniors. These organizations provide meals, access to healthy foods and other programs in the communities where our employees live and work.

Health & Wellness

We engage our employees and work with agencies to promote healthy living habits and achieve measurable improvements in health and wellness.

Disaster Relief

We partner with agencies to help communities prepare for and to recover from natural disasters, and we use our Employee Relief Fund to support our affected colleagues.

Limited Foundation funds are available in the following areas:

Critical Community Needs

Support is also available for other critical needs in the communities where our employees live and work. International Paper personnel at our facilities are in the best position to know local needs and are tasked with ensuring that donations are allocated based on the most critical needs. A project or program does not necessarily need to benefit the community at large, but it should impact an underserved sector of the population or serve a critical need.

Significant Environmental Needs

At International Paper, our entire business depends upon the sustainability of forests. We will continue to lead the world in responsible forest stewardship to ensure healthy and productive forest ecosystems for generations to come. We continue to improve our environmental footprint and promote the long-term sustainability of natural capital. The Company and the IP Foundation will bolster this commitment by supporting organizations working on forest, water, air and responsible sourcing issues.

Employee Involvement

We endorse employees’ community involvement efforts by considering applications from charitable organizations supported by our employees.