Capacity Building Grants

The Capacity Building Grant program, initiated by the Rhode Island Foundation, offers funding and technical assistance to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. This program aims to address critical community priorities identified through extensive public engagement and research. By focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, the grant supports various activities, including strategic planning and operational improvements, enhancing the capacity of organizations to better serve their communities.

The Capacity Building Grant program provides funding and/or technical assistance to support the needs of organizations and programs that respond to one or more of the Foundation's community priorities, and related focus areas.
The outcome is an evolved mission and Five-Year Action Plan that is informed by the people we serve.
Through deep engagement and discussion with the public, collaboration with our partners, research, and data analysis, we identified six community priorities that are essential for a thriving Rhode Island. These priorities were consistently voiced by the community we serve and will guide the Rhode Island Foundation’s efforts in the years ahead.
The Capacity Building Grant program is one of our three core grant programs and primarily provides funding and/or technical assistance to support the needs of organizations and programs that respond to one or more of the community priorities, and related focus areas in the Foundation's Five-Year Action Plan.
At the center of each community priority is a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA), ensuring that our efforts address systemic inequities and support thriving communities.
How this Program Works?
Grants for this program are offered twice annually. There is a two-stage process with a simple pre-application followed by completion of a full application if there is a funding opportunity that may be a good match for the applicant’s proposal.  Organizations are eligible to be awarded one Capacity Building grant per year.
The program will follow the same timeline as our Community Priorities grant program.

Eligibility

Capacity Building Grants are awarded to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations based in Rhode Island.Capacity Building grants may support activities such as:strategic planningbusiness planningfeasibility studiesfund development planningmarketing and communications planningplanning for reorganizationstreamlining operations or servicespartnerships and mergersfinancial management planning or systems adoptiontransition or succession planningboard planning and strengtheningdiversity, equity, inclusion, and access training, assessment, and planning, which can center on organizational culture and/or the equity focus of an organization’s work and relationship with the communities they ser