Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle
Rolling — applications accepted year-round
Tracked since
April 2026

From the program guidelines: “LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis.”

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Other requirements

  • _You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's [website](https://www.jgbf.org/education-workforce.html)._
  • Funding concepts presented to JGBF must be endorsed by the organization’s Chief Executive Officer and should be among the organization’s top priorities
  • Postsecondary Grantmaking is statewide

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: What we don't fund
  • Not eligible: Requests outside the state of Kentucky
  • Not eligible: Performing arts
  • Not eligible: Requests from religious organizations for religious purposes (including theological seminaries)
  • Not eligible: Individuals
  • Not eligible: Political entities
  • Not eligible: Fundraising events
  • Not eligible: Individual public or private pre-K through 12 schools
  • Not eligible: JGBF rarely funds projects where it is the sole funder or is expected to provide a significant percentage, more than 30%, of the project budget

Overview

_NOTE:_

  • _A Letter of Interest (LOI) is the first step to submitting an idea and to receiving an invitation to submit a full application._
  • _LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis._ _Typically, LOI submissions receive a response within 2 weeks._
  • _See Letter of Inquiry Deadline above for the cutoff date for LOI submissions to be sure you time your submission appropriately._

Area of Impact: Education & Workforce Readiness

The James Graham Brown Foundation (JGBF) believes that equitable educational attainment and aligned workforce systems will increase economic and social mobility for all citizens of Louisville and Kentucky, improving prosperity of the Commonwealth. JGBF makes education grants within three primary focus areas.

  • [K-12 Grantmaking]()
  • Postsecondary Grantmaking
  • [Place-Based Education Grantmaking]()

Postsecondary Education Grantmaking

JGBF makes grants with the goal of strengthening the quality of educational opportunities and improving outcomes provided by postsecondary institutions in Kentucky. JGBF prioritizes proposals that support efforts to:

  • Emphasize improved outcomes for students of all ages who are low-income, first generation and/or BIPOC
  • Accelerate and improve institutional interventions that increase timely degree completion by narrowing achievement gaps
  • Improve pathways for students to complete college with meaningful degrees and career ready skills
  • Support greater alignment between K-12, postsecondary and workforce systems

Funding

With occasional exceptions, the Foundation does not generally make grants under $250,000.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

  • Funding concepts presented to JGBF must be endorsed by the organization’s Chief Executive Officer and should be among the organization’s top priorities.
  • Postsecondary Grantmaking is statewide.

Ineligibility

  • What we don't fund:
  • Requests outside the state of Kentucky
  • Performing arts
  • Requests from religious organizations for religious purposes (including theological seminaries)
  • Individuals
  • Political entities
  • Fundraising events
  • Individual public or private pre-K through 12 schools
  • JGBF rarely funds projects where it is the sole funder or is expected to provide a significant percentage, more than 30%, of the project budget.

What James Graham Brown Foundation Inc actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2024

Grants in 2024
50
Total given
$14.94M
Median grant
$203K
Range
$450–$1.5M
  • By dollars: Kentucky >99%, District of Columbia <1%, Georgia <1%. Top recipient cities: Louisville, KY; Danville, KY; Washington, DC.
  • 2% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 33% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • Rita June Foundation · Louisville, KY

    Bezos academies louisville

    $1.5M

  • Kentucky Derby Museum · Louisville, KY

    "the greatest race" 2025 film update and lighting enhancement

    $1.02M

  • Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education · Frankfort, KY

    Driving transformational change for student success

    $1M

  • Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises · Berea, KY

    Pathway to opportunities for resilient eky

    $881K

  • Louisville Free Public Library Foundation · Louisville, KY

    Renovate and modernize libraries

    $755K

IRS Form 990-PF, 2024. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Education
  • K-12 schools
  • Workforce development
  • BIPOC

Categories

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