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
Nonprofit Growth & Sustainability Grants: General Operating Grants Evanston Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $25K The Evanston Community Foundation offers Nonprofit Growth & Sustainability Grants to support general operating costs for nonprofits in Evanston.	Not published	Up to $25K
Cloudsplitter Unrestricted Support Grants Cloudsplitter Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $5K The Cloudsplitter Foundation offers Unrestricted Support Grants, aimed at covering the operating costs of not-for-profits rather than specific projects.	Not published	Up to $5K
TCA Texas Arts Creates 5 Grant Texas Commission On The Arts · Foundation Not published · $3K The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) offers the TCA Texas Arts Creates 5 Grant to advance Texas's creative economy.	Not published	$3K
Sustaining Impact Grant - First-Time Applicants Fund for the Arts Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to US $500,000 The Fund for the Arts' Sustaining Impact Grant supports first-time applicants by providing general operating support to arts organizations that align with community priorities in Greater Louisville.	Not published	Up to US $500,000
Arts Organizations: General Operating Support Grants Delaware Division of the Arts · Foundation Not published · Varies The Delaware Division of the Arts provides General Operating Support Grants to nonprofit organizations focused on the promotion and teaching of the arts.	Not published	Varies
Greene County Cultural Fund Greene County Council on the Arts · Foundation Not published · Varies Provide general operating or programmatic support to nonprofit organizations that offer enriching arts and cultural services and programs of benefit to the residents of Greene County.	Not published	Varies
County Executive's Community Support Grants Program Anne Arundel County · Foundation Not published · $15K – $50K The County Executive's Community Support Grants Program in Anne Arundel County aims to enhance the effectiveness of non-profit organizations by funding operating costs and essential equipment purchases.	Not published	$15K – $50K
Goodnow Fund Grants The Goodnow Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies The Goodnow Fund is a family foundation that provides approximately $1.5 million in grants annually to nonprofit organizations.	Not published	Varies
FY26 Nonprofit Federal Resilience (NFR) Grant Program Montgomery County Government · Foundation Not published · $25K – $300K Nonprofit Federal Resilience (NFR) Grant Program On Tuesday November 18, 2025, the County Council unanimously passed Resolution 20-979 that appropriated $1.5 million for the FY26 Nonprofit Federal Resilience Grant Program.	Not published	$25K – $300K
Arts and Culture Nonprofits: Organizational Support Grant Program (OSP) City of San Diego · State Not published · $5K The Arts and Culture Nonprofits: Organizational Support Grant Program (OSP) by the City of San Diego provides vital funding to tax-exempt, nonprofit arts organizations.	Not published	$5K
Responsive Program Support Grants The Valley Community Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies _Note: Applicants are expected to update or complete their giveGreater.org profile by March 19, 2025, 5:00 p.m, week after the Responsive Grant application deadline._ Support for Greater New Haven Programming for Multi-regional and…	Not published	Varies
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation: General Operating Support The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies _NOTE: When you first set up an account, you’ll be asked to share a brief summary of your idea. Proposed ideas must have a direct impact within the state of Arkansas and align with AR Equity 2025.	Not published	Varies
England Family Foundation Grant England Family Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The England Family Foundation Grant aims to amplify local solutions for inclusive prosperity in Washington, DC.	Not published	Varies
Linford & Mildred White Charitable Fund Grant White Linford & Mildred Fdn · Foundation Not published · Varies The Linford & Mildred White Charitable Fund Grant, established in 1956, aims to support quality educational, human services, and health care programs for underserved populations in Waterbury, Connecticut.	Not published	Varies
Renewable Grants Reisenbach Philanthropies Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Reisenbach Philanthropies offers Renewable Grants as part of their three-program grantmaking portfolio.	Not published	Varies
Call for Proposals for Community-Based Archives The Andrew W Mellon Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Mellon Foundation invites community-based archives in the United States and its territories to submit applications for general operating support.	Not published	Varies
WCF: Institutional Support Grants Watertown Community Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies WCF’s Institutional Support Grants are designed to help institutions central to the Watertown community by providing funds to maintain critical programming, staff, and cover operating costs.	Not published	Varies
State Policy Advocacy Grants Alliance for Early Success FKA Birth to Five Policy Alliance · Foundation Not published · Varies The Alliance for Early Success provides grants to state early childhood policy organizations as unconditional, general operating grants (core operating support).	Not published	Varies
General Support Grants (DC Legal Services Grants Program) The District of Columbia Bar Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The DC Bar Foundation, a leading funder of legal aid in Washington, D.C., has been providing General Support Grants since 1978 to enhance access to justice for low-income residents.	Not published	Varies
Arts & Entertainment (A&E) Districts - Operating Support Grant Maryland Department of Commerce · State Not published · Varies Annual operating grants support activities, programs, and projects in A&E Districts throughout Maryland. Appointed management entities for designated A&E Districts may apply for MSAC operating support funds to support district priorities.	Not published	Varies
Community Arts Development (CAD) Grants Carroll County Arts Council Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Bolstering and expanding arts programming opportunities in the community to strengthen established arts organizations and assist non-arts organizations with arts-related programming.	Not published	Varies
Dogwood Health Trust: Investing in Community Supports for Older Adults Grant Dogwood Health Trust · Foundation Not published · $50K – $150K The Dogwood Health Trust provides grant support aimed at enhancing the health and wellbeing of older adults (60+) in Western North Carolina.	Not published	$50K – $150K
CFDC: Community Grants Dekalb County Community Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies _NOTE: While submissions are accepted at any time, grants are awarded quarterly.	Not published	Varies
Joe C Davis Operational Grant Joe C Davis Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Joe C Davis Operational Grant provides unrestricted operational support to nonprofits in the Nashville area that demonstrate strong leadership and positive outcomes.	Not published	Varies

Showing 289–312 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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