Operating Grants for Nonprofits

Last updated October 24, 2026

Grantable tracks 371 active operating grants for nonprofits in its free grants database, drawn from foundation sources and updated daily. 17 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 210 list an award amount, with a median of $23K.

Grants tracked: 371; from 301 funders
Median award: $23K; middle half $10K–$60K
Total listed funding: $27.2M; across 210 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 7; 24 with a published date

On this page: Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Grace Isabelle McNaught Charitable Trust Grant McNaught G Char · Foundation Not published · Varies _Note: Applications are accepted year-round.	Not published	Varies
IAC Arts Organization Support Grant Indiana Arts Commission · Foundation Not published · Varies The IAC Arts Organization Support Grant provides vital annual operating support to eligible arts organizations in Indiana, helping them fulfill their artistic and administrative missions.	Not published	Varies
IMPACT Grants The Greater New Orleans Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies _NOTE: The Foundation will not accept new applications for IMPACT grants in 2023.	Not published	Varies
Operating Support: Arc Artist Fellowship Grant 4Culture · Foundation Not published · $12K The Arc Artist Fellowship provides $12,000 in unrestricted funding to support artists in King County, Washington, allowing them to address crucial expenses and develop their creative practices.	Not published	$12K
Plus Collective: Basic Operating Grants Foundation for the Carolinas · Foundation Not published · Varies The Plus Collective offers Basic Operating Grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that serve the LGBTQ+ community in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.	Not published	Varies
Baltimore City Community Grants Program: Operating Grants - Housing The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg · Foundation Not published · Varies This program was created to provide support to small nonprofits with an annual operating budget of $500,000 or less that provide direct services to low-income individuals and families in Baltimore City.	Not published	Varies
Charter School Growth Fund - Scale Funding Charter Fund Inc D/B/a Charter School Growth Fund · Foundation Not published · From $750K The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) Scale strategy provides grants and low-interest loans of $750,000+ to high-performing nonprofit public charter school networks growing to serve roughly 1,000+ additional students over 3-5 years…	Not published	From $750K
The Washington Fund Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies While we focus more exclusively on Oregon state impact, we still value our partnerships with Washington State nonprofits and value the incredible work being performed by our past and present partners there. _You can learn more about this…	Not published	Varies
Marillac Mission Fund: Responsive Grants Marillac Mission Fund · Foundation Not published · $5K – $50K The Marillac Mission Fund offers responsive grants primarily for established organizations addressing poverty and vulnerability in the St. Louis area.	Not published	$5K – $50K
CMAB Community Arts Support Grant Program Central Minnesota Arts Board · Foundation Not published · $3K – $10K The CMAB Community Arts Support Grant Program, managed by the Central Minnesota Arts Board, provides vital funding to enhance arts access in Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, and Wright counties.	Not published	$3K – $10K
Core / General Operating Support: Cycle 1 Grant Hutton Foundation · Foundation Not published · $5K – $15K The Hutton Parker Foundation is offering Core/General Operating Support in 2025 to eligible nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara County focused on Health & Human Services and Arts & Culture.	Not published	$5K – $15K
Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants Arts Midwest Incorporated · Foundation Not published · Varies Arts Midwest is now accepting applications for Cultural Sustainability: Equity-Based Operating Grants, a pilot program that offers grants of up to $67,000 to small arts and culture organizations that are rooted in communities of color.	Not published	Varies
Spring Grant Round Anaconda Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · $250 – $2K The Anaconda Community Foundation awards grants in spring to support projects that strengthen the Anaconda community. Since 2007, ACF has awarded over $390,000 to local nonprofits.	Not published	$250 – $2K
Critical Needs List Grant Community Foundation of Tampa Bay Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $250K The Critical Needs List by Community Foundation Tampa Bay addresses urgent, unforeseen needs of nonprofits that threaten their ability to serve the community.	Not published	Up to $250K
WESTAF: Cultural Sustainability Grant Creative West · Foundation Not published · Up to $17K The WESTAF: Cultural Sustainability program, supported by The Wallace Foundation, offers operating grants of up to $17,000 annually to arts organizations led by and serving communities of color.	Not published	Up to $17K
Community Foundation of Merced County Grants Community Foundation of Merced County · Foundation Not published · Varies The Community Foundation of Merced County is dedicated to enhancing local nonprofits and schools through trust-based grantmaking.	Not published	Varies
General Operating Grants Kent Cultural Alliance Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Funding for arts and culture organizations' general operating expenses. For FY 2020, the Board increased funding by 12.5% compared to FY 2019.	Not published	Varies
Impact Grant (Community Impact Fund) United Way of East Tennessee Highlands Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies	Not published	Varies
CFGNH: Responsive General Operating Support Grants The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven · Foundation Not published · Up to $150K The CFGNH Responsive General Operating Support Grants provide flexible funding for nonprofits in the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven's twenty-town region.	Not published	Up to $150K
Foundations of East Chicago: General Operating Grants Foundations of East Chicago Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $13K Foundations of East Chicago offers General Operating Grants to support local nonprofits and agencies improving community quality of life.	Not published	Up to $13K
Volunteer Challenge Grants CVS Foundation · Foundation Not published · $500 – $5K Each year, CVS Health colleagues volunteer thousands of hours at nonprofit organizations in their communities.	Not published	$500 – $5K
Emerging Needs Grants Initiative Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Initiative Foundation's Emerging Needs Grants offer vital support to nonprofits in Central Minnesota facing unexpected challenges.	Not published	Varies
Community Foundation of San Carlos Grant Community Foundation of San Carlos · Foundation Not published · $2K – $15K The Community Foundation of San Carlos, established in 2019, aims to enhance the quality of life in San Carlos through community-driven initiatives.	Not published	$2K – $15K
HCF: General Operating Support Healthy Communities Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies We allocate most of our funding to unrestricted general operating support, allowing us to invest boldly in organizations and community-led efforts that promote an equitable recovery from the pandemic in our service region.	Not published	Varies

Showing 217–240 of 369

About operating support grants

Operating support grants (also called general operating or unrestricted grants) give nonprofits flexible funding they can apply to whatever the organization most needs — salaries, rent, utilities, technology, or building reserves — rather than restricting the money to a single program. This flexibility makes operating support among the most valuable and sought-after funding, because it strengthens the whole organization and helps it adapt. It is generally awarded to established nonprofits a funder already trusts to use the money well.

A long list is the starting point, not the shortlist. Our grant prospecting guide shows how to narrow operating grants for nonprofits down to the funders most likely to say yes, using their giving records.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do operating grants for nonprofits award?

Of the 371 operating grants for nonprofits Grantable lists as of October 24, 2026, 210 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $23K, and the middle half fall between $10K and $60K. The largest is $6M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most operating grants for nonprofits?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg (6), 4Culture (5), Texas Commission On The Arts (5), Tennessee Arts Commission (4), and Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (3). In all, 301 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are operating grants for nonprofits due?

Of 371 grants listed, 7 accept applications on a rolling basis, 24 have a published upcoming deadline, 49 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 291 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site. Among dated deadlines, 50% fall in January–March.

What is an operating support grant?

An operating support grant provides unrestricted or general-purpose funding that a nonprofit can allocate across its core costs — staff, overhead, infrastructure, and mission work — at its own discretion. Because it isn't tied to a single project, it lets organizations cover the real costs of running well, invest in capacity, and weather changes in their funding mix.

Which funders give unrestricted operating support?

Operating support most often comes from private and family foundations, community foundations, and some corporate funders, particularly those that have an established relationship with a grantee and want to support the organization as a whole. Trust-based philanthropy has made multi-year, unrestricted operating grants more common, though many funders still reserve them for organizations with a strong track record.

How is operating support different from project grants?

A project grant restricts funding to a specific program with its own budget, deliverables, and reporting, whereas operating support can be spent flexibly across the organization's general needs. Project grants are easier for new applicants to win because the scope is defined, but operating support is more valuable to the grantee because it covers overhead and lets leadership direct resources where they are needed most.

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