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
Advancing Lives Grant Advia Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $50K The Advancing Lives Grant, offered by the Advia Foundation, supports nonprofit organizations dedicated to making a meaningful impact in their communities.	Not published	Up to $50K
CCCF: Spring Municipal Grants: Operating Support Chaffee County Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies CCCF envisions a resilient Chaffee County where residents, nonprofits, businesses, and governments are thriving, interconnected, and well resourced.	Not published	Varies
United Way R4 Grants: Respond, Recover, Reimagine, and Rebuild United Way of Marshall County Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies United Way R4 grantmaking will address gaps in services and increase capacity of organizations to meet basic needs of Marshall County's most vulnerable individuals and families.	Not published	Varies
Robert B. Daugherty Foundation Grant - General Operating Support Robert B Daugherty Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Robert B. Daugherty Foundation Grant offers general operating support to tax-exempt organizations, focusing on charitable, scientific, cultural, and educational activities.	Not published	Varies
Bamford Foundation Grants The Bamford Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $15K The Bamford Foundation, established in 1990, aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals and strengthen communities in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound region.	Not published	Up to $15K
Chicago Commitment: Culture, Equity, and the Arts Grant John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation · Foundation Not published · $55K – $80K The Chicago Commitment: Culture, Equity, and the Arts Grant aims to foster racial equity and inclusivity in Chicago by investing in diverse organizations that utilize arts and culture as a means of community engagement.	Not published	$55K – $80K
John W. Speas & Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust Grant John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust · Foundation Not published · Varies The John W. Speas & Effie E. Speas Memorial Trust Grant, established in 1943, supports educational, cultural, human services, and health care initiatives in the Greater Kansas City area.	Not published	Varies
Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation Grant Program The Poetry Foundation · Foundation Not published · $10K – $75K The Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation Grant Program, funded by The Poetry Foundation, offers financial support to nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and its territories dedicated to advancing poetry.	Not published	$10K – $75K
Operating Support: Launch Grant- for Emerging Organizations 4Culture · Foundation Not published · $135K – $180K The Operating Support: Launch Grant for Emerging Organizations by 4Culture provides essential funding for new cultural and science organizations in King County.	Not published	$135K – $180K
TCA Texas Arts Create 4 Grant Texas Commission On The Arts · Foundation Not published · $3K The TCA Texas Arts Create 4 Grant aims to strengthen Texas' creative economy by providing multi-year operational support to established arts organizations with budgets exceeding $5 million.	Not published	$3K
Kawabe Memorial Fund Grant Kawabe Memorial Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies The Kawabe Memorial Fund Grant supports nonprofit organizations focused on low-income children, families, and seniors, primarily in the Seattle/King County area.	Not published	Varies
NAMM Foundation Global Grantmaking Program: General Operating Grants Namm Foundation · Foundation Not published · $5K – $25K The NAMM Foundation Global Grantmaking Program offers general operating grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit music organizations that align with its mission of fostering music participation.	Not published	$5K – $25K
Mabel A. Horne Fund Grant Mabel a Horne Fund · Foundation Not published · Varies The Mabel A. Horne Fund Grant, established in 1957, aims to enhance educational, human services, and healthcare for underserved populations.	Not published	Varies
Arts & Cultural Organizations- General Operating Support Grant California Arts Council · Foundation Not published · Up to $30K The Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Support grant program by the California Arts Council provides essential funding to arts and cultural organizations to support their ongoing operations.	Not published	Up to $30K
Eisner Foundation - New York City Grants The Eisner Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $100K – $300K The Eisner Foundation in New York City supports innovative intergenerational programs that address societal challenges.	Not published	$100K – $300K
Vibrant Communities: Health Grant Opportunity Colorado Gives Foundation · Foundation Not published · $5K – $25K The Vibrant Communities: Health Grant Opportunity supports nonprofits in Jefferson County by funding initiatives that promote holistic wellbeing.	Not published	$5K – $25K
New Orleans as Cultural Capital Grant - Level 1 Funding Arts Council of New Orleans · Foundation Not published · Up to $4K The New Orleans as Cultural Capital Grant provides essential operating support to nonprofit arts organizations across various disciplines such as dance, music, and visual arts.	Not published	Up to $4K
The Little Venue That Could Grant Program Indiespace Inc · Foundation Not published · $10K – $20K	Not published	$10K – $20K
General Operating Support (GOS) Grants South Carolina Arts Commission · Foundation Not published · Varies The General Operating Support (GOS) Grants offer three years of unrestricted funding to arts organizations in South Carolina. These grants aim to strengthen organizations that provide ongoing arts experiences and services.	Not published	Varies
Weinberg Foundation & Mayor's Office Small Nonprofits Grant Family League of Baltimore City Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $10K	Not published	Up to $10K
Patagonia Regional Community Fund Arizona Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies For more than four decades, the Arizona Community Foundation has worked in tandem with generous individuals, families, and organizations to address some of the biggest challenges facing our state.	Not published	Varies
General Operating Support for Large Organizations Grant Washington State Arts Commission · Foundation Not published · $6K The General Operating Support for Large Organizations Grant provides two years of funding to arts organizations in Washington State, aiming to cover day-to-day operational costs.	Not published	$6K
SFFI: General Operating Grants Schlecht Family Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Schlecht Family Foundation offers General Operating Grants aimed at transformative support for organizations in Dane County and rural Wisconsin. These grants prioritize capacity building, innovative ideas, and measurable impacts.	Not published	Varies
AFM: Tau Grant (Cycle 1-Access to Healthcare) Allegany Franciscan Ministries Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $20K The AFM: Tau Grants provide unrestricted operating support to nonprofits serving marginalized groups, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and individuals with disabilities.	Not published	Up to $20K

Showing 121–144 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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