Operating Grants for Nonprofits

Last updated October 24, 2026

Grantable tracks 371 active operating grants for nonprofits in its free grants database, drawn from state and 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: State Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Organization Operations Grant Maine Arts Commission · Foundation Not published · Up to $8K The Organization Operations Grant, offered by the Maine Arts Commission, provides essential support for 501(c)(3) arts organizations in Maine with annual budgets exceeding $25,000.	Not published	Up to $8K
Operating Grants Arts Commission Grants · State Not published · $750K – $3M Operating Grants aim to help nonprofit arts organizations maintain financial stability, build organizational capacity, improve artist programs, and distribute their programs throughout the community.	Not published	$750K – $3M
Louetta M. Cowden Foundation Grant Louetta M Cowden Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Louetta M. Cowden Foundation, established in 1964, aims to enhance educational, cultural, human services, and health care initiatives in Kansas City, Missouri.	Not published	Varies
Impact 100 Redwood Circle Impact Grant Sonoma County Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · $100K The Impact 100 Redwood Circle Impact Grant provides $100,000 to nonprofits in the Health/Community Betterment area, awarded each fall.	Not published	$100K
RAF Better Communities Grants: Spring Focus Areas Rochester Area Foundation · Foundation Not published · $10K – $20K The RAF Better Communities Grants provide vital funding to nonprofits in the Rochester, MN area, focusing on youth, education, and vibrant community development.	Not published	$10K – $20K
Sustained Support Midstream Grant 4Culture · Foundation Not published · Varies The Sustained Support Midstream Grant provides crucial operational funding for arts organizations and Local Arts Agencies in King County.	Not published	Varies
Northern Lowcountry Grants: Giving Back to Berkeley County Fund Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $10K The Northern Lowcountry Grants: Giving Back to Berkeley County Fund, established in 2008 by the Coastal Community Foundation, aims to enhance the quality of life for residents in Berkeley County, South Carolina.	Not published	Up to $10K
Brown Foundation Grant The Brown Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Brown Foundation Grant aims to empower organizations that strengthen the Houston community through selective grantmaking.	Not published	Varies
Core/General Operating Support: Cycle II Grant Hutton Foundation · Foundation Not published · $5K – $15K The Hutton Parker Foundation's Core/General Operating Support program is designed to enhance the capacity and sustainability of nonprofit organizations in Santa Barbara County.	Not published	$5K – $15K
Flexible Support Grant: Tier 1 Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council · Foundation Not published · Up to $5K The Flexible Support Grant: Tier 1, provided by the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, offers grants up to $5,000 to support arts organizations with an operating budget of $0 - $74,999.	Not published	Up to $5K
Alliance Healthcare Foundation Mission Support Grants Alliance Healthcare Foundation · Foundation Not published · $25K – $100K Annual, largely unrestricted/general-operating grants from the Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to nonprofit organizations advancing health and wellness for the most vulnerable — the poor, working poor, children, and homeless — in San…	Not published	$25K – $100K
R.S. Gernon Trust Grant R S Gernon Trust · Foundation Not published · Varies The R.S. Gernon Trust Grant, established in 1975, supports educational, health care, and human services for underserved populations in Norwich, Connecticut. Grants are typically awarded for one year, with potential for multi-year support.	Not published	Varies
MDHCD: Operating Assistance Grant Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development · Foundation Not published · Up to $50K The MDHCD Operating Assistance Grant supports Maryland's local governments and nonprofits in their community revitalization and economic development initiatives.	Not published	Up to $50K
Walter S. & Evan C. Jones Testamentary Trust Grant WS & Ec Jones Testamentary Trust · Foundation Not published · Varies The Walter S. & Evan C. Jones Testamentary Trust Grant provides essential support for educational and medical initiatives in Lyon, Coffey, and Osage counties, Kansas.	Not published	Varies
TCA Texas Arts Create 2 Grant Texas Commission On The Arts · Foundation Not published · $3K The TCA Texas Arts Create 2 Grant, offered by the Texas Commission on the Arts, aims to support Established Minority Arts Organizations with budgets exceeding $50,000.	Not published	$3K
Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Grant The Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation provides financial support to non-profit organizations in Cleveland, focusing on creativity, fiscal responsibility, and dynamic leadership.	Not published	Varies
TCA Texas Arts Create 3 Grant Texas Commission On The Arts · Foundation Not published · $3K The Texas Arts Create 3 Grant, offered by the Texas Commission on the Arts, aims to bolster Texas's creative economy by supporting established arts organizations with budgets between $1 million and $5 million.	Not published	$3K
Madison County Community Foundation: Emergency Grants Madison County Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Madison County Community Foundation offers Emergency Grants to support nonprofits facing unexpected expenses that hinder their missions. These grants are available year-round, with applications submitted via email.	Not published	Varies
State-Local Partners (SLP) Grant Program California Arts Council · Foundation Not published · Up to $75K The State-Local Partners (SLP) Grant Program offers essential operating support and technical assistance to county-designated local arts agencies in California.	Not published	Up to $75K
Dorothy B. Crooker Steves Foundation Grant Dorothy B. Crooker Steves Foundation · Foundation Not published · $3K – $8K The Dorothy B. Crooker Steves Foundation Grant, established in 1998, supports charitable purposes. It offers funding for programs, general operating costs, and scholarships, with average grant sizes ranging from $2,500 to $7,500.	Not published	$3K – $8K
Youngstown Foundation: Operational Grants Youngstown Fdn General · Foundation Not published · Varies Established in 1918, The Youngstown Foundation is a place of connection, where generosity and community action meet to create powerful improvements on the quality of life.	Not published	Varies
Immediate Response Action Fund (IRAF) Womens Way · Foundation Rolling · Varies Rapid response funding designed to meet urgent and unanticipated needs of community organizations that cannot be served through traditional twice-yearly grant cycles.	Rolling	Varies
Itasca Area Community Response Fund United Way of 1000 Lakes · Foundation Rolling · Varies Provides rapid relief to organizations addressing: As of June 2020, the fund had raised over $171,000 through donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. First Round Awards (August 2020): $42,750	Rolling	Varies
Augusta City Arts Grants- Combined General Operating & Projects Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc DBA Destination Augusta · Foundation Not published · Up to $7K The Augusta City Arts Grants program supports the cultural vibrancy of the Augusta-Richmond County community by providing funding for arts organizations.	Not published	Up to $7K

Showing 265–288 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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