Hardship Grants

Last updated October 25, 2026

Grantable tracks 1,192 active hardship grants in its free grants database, drawn from foundation sources and updated daily. 41 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 467 list an award amount, with a median of $2,500.

Grants tracked: 1,192; from 900 funders
Median award: $2,500; middle half $1,000–$10K
Total listed funding: $27.8M; across 467 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 286; 24 with a published date

On this page: Foundation · Updated daily

Find the hardship grants matched to your org

Free, no account to start — Grantable's AI ranks all 1,188 on mission, geography, and award size in a few minutes.

Start finding grants

Sort

Type

State

Amount

Eligibility

Include closed grants

Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Begin Again Foundation Pediatric Fund Begin Again Foundation · Foundation Rolling · $1K The Begin Again Pediatric Fund provides financial support to children and families facing the overwhelming challenges of sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and toxic shock syndrome (TSS).	Rolling	$1K
Emergency Relief Grants - Frontline Care Workers Relief Program SEIU Education and Support Fund · Foundation Not published · $500 The Frontline Care Workers Relief Program provides one-time emergency financial relief to healthcare workers who have suffered unexpected hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.	Not published	$500
The Thomas P. and Sondra D. Sheehan Charitable Foundation Grant Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Thomas P. and Sondra D. Sheehan Charitable Foundation provides essential medical assistance to financially challenged families, focusing on children in need.	Not published	Varies
Signal 13 Financial Hardship Grants Frank J Battaglia Signal 13 Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Foundation provides financial hardship grants to assist police officers and their families during difficult times. Documented examples include support provided to the Lovette family following a family tragedy.	Not published	Varies
Samantha Remington Angel Heart Foundation Medical Grant The Samantha Remington Angel Heart Foundation · Foundation Rolling · Varies The Samantha Remington Angel Heart Foundation provides financial support to families facing serious medical hardships. This is a rolling grant program with no fixed deadline.	Rolling	Varies
Grants to Spinal Cord Injury Survivors Travis Roy Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $1K – $10K Award Examples (from 2007-2008 distributions): The foundation was established in 1997 after Travis Roy, a Boston University freshman hockey player, suffered a spinal cord injury 11 seconds into his first collegiate game in 1995.	Not published	$1K – $10K
Becky Love Foundation Therapy Grant Becky Love Foundation · Foundation Rolling · Varies	Rolling	Varies
B Strong B Rich Fund Grant Berks County Community Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The B Strong B Rich Fund offers financial support for Berks County residents under 30 years old who are dealing with cancer-related expenses not covered by insurance.	Not published	Varies
BK Emergency Fund Burger King Foundation Inc · Foundation Rolling · Varies The Foundation's internal emergency grant program providing immediate financial assistance to Burger King employees experiencing unexpected hardship.	Rolling	Varies
Ida V. Holland Educational Scholarship Grant San Antonio Area Foundation · Foundation Not published · $2K The Ida V. Holland Educational Scholarship, offered by the San Antonio Area Foundation, supports full-time students pursuing various degrees. Eligible candidates must be Bexar County residents facing financial challenges.	Not published	$2K
TFEC Student Emergency Assistance Fund Grant The Foundation for Enhancing Communities · Foundation Not published · Up to $2K The TFEC Student Emergency Assistance Fund provides crucial financial support for students facing unexpected hardships that threaten their continuation in post-secondary education.	Not published	Up to $2K
Disaster Relief Grants Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $1K Provide financial assistance to Alpha Gamma Delta sisters who experience natural disasters or similar emergency situations.	Not published	$1K
Rental Assistance Program Community in Action · Foundation Not published · Varies Comprehensive service programs for households with a solvable gap. These programs usually combine financial assistance for rent and utilities with an aggressive action plan for activities that household members design with a case manager.	Not published	Varies
Helping Hands Grant Friends of NCVMA Foundation Inc · Foundation Rolling · Up to $500 The Helping Hands Fund allows NCVMA-member veterinarians to offer financial assistance to clients in need so more pets can enjoy a full life with their families.	Rolling	Up to $500
GRACE Fund (Giving Relief And Care for Employees) Self Regional Healthcare Foundation · Foundation Rolling · Up to $1K A crisis-based emergency financial assistance program established to help Self Regional Healthcare team members who suffer a catastrophic situation.	Rolling	Up to $1K
HFC Caregiver Respite Program - In-Home Respite Grant Hilarity for Charity Inc · Foundation Not published · 100 hours of professional in-home care Cover the cost of professional, in-home care so caregivers can take time for themselves while ensuring quality care for their loved one with dementia. Eligibility Requirements - Must answer YES to ALL:	Not published	100 hours of professional in-home care
Parent Support Fund Black Emotional and Mental Health Collec · Foundation Not published · Varies The Parent Support Fund provides direct monetary support to Black and marginalized parents who are living with mental health conditions or supporting children living with mental health conditions.	Not published	Varies
United Way Of The Bluegrass: Basic Needs Grant - Local United Way of the Bluegrass Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies _NOTE: The Fund will support two separate Grants: the Single-County (or “Local”) Basic Needs Grant and the Multi-County (or “Regional”) Basic Needs Grant._ United Way of the Bluegrass (UWBG) is committed to fighting for the education…	Not published	Varies
Peyronie's Disease Fund Grant Healthwell Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $6K The Peyronie's Disease Fund, managed by the HealthWell Foundation, aims to alleviate financial burdens for underinsured patients suffering from Peyronie's disease.	Not published	Up to $6K
Compassion Cars Program Bird of Pray Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies Provides safe, reliable transportation to economically vulnerable families and individuals referred by partner agencies.	Not published	Varies
Casting Society Cares Grant Entertainment Community Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies Casting Society Cares offers Emergency Financial Assistance to performing arts and entertainment professionals facing unexpected critical needs.	Not published	Varies
Epilepsy Awareness Day at Disneyland Travel Assistance Danny Did Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $2K The Danny Did Foundation reimburses travel costs for families who want to attend the Epilepsy Education Expo and Epilepsy Awareness Day at Disneyland (EADDL).	Not published	Up to $2K
SJICF: Emergency Response Fund San Juan Island Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies _NOTE: Please call the SJICF office BEFORE submitting a funding request._ The San Juan Island Community Foundation is a grantmaking nonprofit organization dedicated to the San Juan Island community.	Not published	Varies
Lotus Scholarship Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Lotus Scholarship program supports academically outstanding students with financial hardship.	Not published	Varies

Showing 25–48 of 1,188

About hardship grants

Hardship and emergency grants provide immediate financial relief during crises — job loss, medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other unexpected setbacks. Government programs, community foundations, and organizations like the Salvation Army and Modest Needs offer grants to help individuals and families stabilize during difficult times.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do hardship grants award?

Of the 1,192 hardship grants Grantable lists as of October 25, 2026, 467 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $2,500, and the middle half fall between $1,000 and $10K. The largest is $4.5M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most hardship grants?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are Healthwell Foundation (17), Entertainment Community Fund (13), Community in Action (8), Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Inc (7), and Begin Again Foundation (6). In all, 900 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are hardship grants due?

Of 1,192 grants listed, 286 accept applications on a rolling basis, 24 have a published upcoming deadline, 323 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 559 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site. Among dated deadlines, 63% fall in October–December.

How quickly can I get emergency grant funding?

Emergency assistance timelines vary. Government programs like TANF and LIHEAP may take 1-4 weeks. Organizations like the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities can sometimes provide same-week help. Modest Needs processes applications within 2-4 weeks. Employer emergency funds and GoFundMe-style platforms can be faster. Always apply to multiple sources simultaneously.

What types of emergencies qualify for hardship grants?

Common qualifying situations include job loss, medical emergencies, domestic violence, natural disasters, house fires, sudden disability, and death of a family breadwinner. Each program defines eligibility differently. FEMA covers declared disasters, while organizations like Modest Needs help with temporary financial crises that could become permanent without intervention.

Where should I start looking for emergency assistance?

Contact 211 (call or text) for your local area's emergency assistance programs. Your state's Department of Social Services handles TANF and emergency aid. Local community action agencies coordinate multiple assistance programs. Churches, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and St. Vincent de Paul societies offer direct emergency help.

Get a shortlist of hardship grants built for your organization

Tell Grantable's AI about your nonprofit and it ranks these grants on mission, geography, and award fit — then emails you a personalized shortlist with the reasoning for each. Free, no account to start.

Find my grants — emailed to me

Your AI grants department