ENF Community Investments Program - Freedom Grants

ENF Community Investments Program - Freedom Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Elks National Foundation Inc
Amount: US $1,000
Last Updated: September 03, 2025

Summary

The ENF Community Investments Program - Freedom Grants will award $1,000 grants to 1,000 Lodges for projects focused on veterans and active-duty military families in 2025-26. Eligible projects must address five key areas: employment, homelessness, current military members and their families, health, and educational support. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of life for service members and their families, ensuring that local needs are met through community-driven efforts.

Overview

NOTE: Applications reviewed and approved on a rolling basis until all 1,000 awards are made. Who We Are Elks Lodges bring so much more to their communities than just a building, golf course or pool. They are places where neighbors come together, families share meals, and children grow up. Elks invest in their communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, meet the needs of today's veterans, and improve the quality of life. Elks in Alexandria, Va., hold a soup kitchen at the Lodge each weekday at lunch, serving 30 people, many of whom are veterans. Wheeling, W.Va., Elks Lodge hosts local youth once a week for a wholesome meal. They also provide homework help and invite community leaders to speak at the meals. Elks in Lockport, N.Y., provide an annual weeklong summer camp tailored to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Our Mission To inculcate the principles of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love and Fidelity; to recognize a belief in God; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its Members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate good fellowship; to perpetuate itself as a fraternal organization, and to provide for its government, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States of America will serve the people and communities through benevolent programs, demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share. ENF Community Investments Program - Freedom Grants In 2025-26, the ENVSC will award $1,000 Freedom Grants to 1,000 Lodges for qualifying projects. We are excited that even more Lodges will now have access to grant funds specifically to serve our nation’s veterans and/or active-duty military members and their families. Projects must focus on one of these five areas: employmenthomelessness and housingcurrent military members and their familieshealtheducational support These are broad categories and are intended as a guide for identifying local needs.

Eligibility

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

Ineligibility

No more than 10% of the budget can be dedicated to administrative or publicity expenses, including t-shirts. Budget cannot include cash prizes.Grants may not be used to serve Lodge members.Receipts from meals served at Lodges must reflect they were provided at cost and can’t include alcohol.