Public Radio Grants

Last updated October 4, 2026

Grantable tracks 23 active public radio grants in its free grants database, drawn from state and foundation sources and updated daily. 10 list an award amount, with a median of $32K.

Grants tracked: 23; from 16 funders
Median award: $32K; middle half $16K–$161K
Total listed funding: $1.5M; across 10 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 1; 1 with a published date

On this page: State Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Illinois Public Radio and Television Illinois Arts Council · State Aug 31, 2027 · $600K – $60M	Aug 31, 2027	$600K – $60M
PRTV Basic Grant - Illinois Public Radio and Television ($43,000) Illinois Arts Council Agency · Foundation Not published · $9K – $43K The PRTV Basic Grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency provides $43,000 to support locally operated public radio and television stations in Illinois.	Not published	$9K – $43K
Radio Engagement Initiatives Grant Pulitzer Center · Foundation Not published · Up to $3K The Pulitzer Center has a bold vision: to be the venue for the world’s most innovative and consequential reporting, with journalism as the key element for mobilizing society through audience engagement strategies.	Not published	Up to $3K
Public Communication & Outreach Program Awards Grant Water Environment Federation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Public Communication & Outreach Program Awards by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) honor members for outstanding achievements in raising public awareness of water-related issues.	Not published	Varies
Park Foundation: Media Grants Park Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Park Foundation Grants: Media support public interest media that raises awareness of critical environmental and social issues.	Not published	Varies
Rail Transit Safety Education Grants Operation Lifesaver Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $20K	Not published	Up to $20K
Public Understanding of Science & Technology Grant - Radio Alfred P Sloan Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Public Understanding of Science & Technology Grant - Radio aims to foster innovative, high-quality programming that enhances public engagement with science and technology.	Not published	Varies
Gilchrist Foundation: Endowment Grant Gilchrist Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Gilchrist Foundation offers endowment grants aimed at supporting pre-selected non-profit organizations that align with its mission in the arts, wildlife conservation, public broadcasting, and disaster relief.	Not published	Varies
New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority — Grant Opportunities New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority · State Not published · Varies Grant opportunities from New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority. Visit the agency website for current listings.	Not published	Varies
CPB: Collaborative Operations and Services Grant Program Corporation for Public Broadcasting · Foundation Not published · Varies Collaborative Operations and Services Grant Program The Corporation for Public Broadcasting ("CPB") has a broad mandate to foster a healthy public media system on behalf of the American people -- one that delivers essential public…	Not published	Varies
Gilchrist Foundation: Project Grant Gilchrist Foundation · Foundation Not published · $5K The Gilchrist Foundation offers project grants to pre-selected non-profit organizations that align with its mission in the arts, wildlife conservation, public broadcasting, and disaster relief, primarily focusing on the Sioux City area.	Not published	$5K
Bridge Fund Emergency Grant Programs Public Media Company · Foundation Not published · Varies Emergency funding for public media organizations	Not published	Varies
Nevada Public Broadcasting Stations (PBS) Grant State of Nevada Department of Education · State Not published · Varies The Nevada Public Broadcasting Stations Grant, funded by the State of Nevada Department of Education, supports nonprofit TV and radio stations in delivering quality educational and cultural programming statewide.	Not published	Varies
GMF General Grants The Greater Montana Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Greater Montana Foundation offers grants to promote communication on vital issues for Montanans, focusing on electronic media.	Not published	Varies
Democracy & the Informed Citizen Program Humanities Tennessee · Foundation Not published · $34K Address critical questions about media access, coverage, and citizens' responsibility to be informed and engage in democratic processes This initiative aimed to encourage public conversations across Tennessee communities (urban and rural…	Not published	$34K
Revolving Public Media Fund (RPMF) Public Media Company · Foundation Rolling · $20K – $30K To spur growth and innovation in public broadcasting through subsidized strategic planning consultancies and in-depth strategic consulting aimed at growth strategies.	Rolling	$20K – $30K
PRTV Operating Grant FY20 - Illinois Public Radio and Television Illinois Arts Council Agency · Foundation Not published · $6K – $600K The PRTV Operating Grant FY20, offered by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, supports non-commercial public radio and television stations in Illinois.	Not published	$6K – $600K
By/With/For Youth: Inspiring Next Gen Public Media Audiences (Next Gen Public Media Accelerator) The Joan Ganz Cooney Center · Foundation Not published · $15K This grant program supports public media stations in creating content by, with, and for tween and teen audiences.	Not published	$15K
Bridge Fund Regular Grants Public Media Company · Foundation Not published · $26M Supporting public media organizations including local news and public broadcasting stations	Not published	$26M
Gilchrist Foundation: Capital Campaign Grant Gilchrist Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $200K The Gilchrist Foundation offers capital campaign grants to pre-selected non-profit organizations, particularly those enhancing arts, wildlife conservation, public broadcasting, and disaster relief.	Not published	Up to $200K
Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation Grant Doree Taylor Charitable Fdn · Foundation Not published · Varies The Doree Taylor Charitable Foundation supports charitable organizations focused on basic provisions for underserved populations, humane care of animals, health care services, public media, and environmental initiatives.	Not published	Varies
PRTV Operating Grant - Illinois Public Radio and Television Illinois Arts Council Agency · Foundation Not published · $4K – $533K The PRTV Operating Grant, offered by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, supports non-commercial public radio and television stations in Illinois.	Not published	$4K – $533K
Greater Montana Foundation: Commercial Grant The Greater Montana Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Greater Montana Foundation offers a Commercial Grant aimed at supporting time-sensitive news and public affairs programming.	Not published	Varies

Showing 1–23 of 23

Public radio grants by the numbers

How deadlines work

Rolling or ongoing: 1 4%
Upcoming date published: 1 4%
Stated cycle, no date yet: 3 13%
No deadline published: 18 78%

Only 1 of these grants publish a date, too few to show a seasonal pattern.

Funders with the most active public radio grants

Gilchrist Foundation 3 active
Illinois Arts Council Agency 3 active
Public Media Company 3 active
The Greater Montana Foundation 2 active

16 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

Source: Grantable's grants database, compiled from funder websites, Grants.gov and state grant portals. Figures cover all 23 active public radio grants (with a deadline today or later, or none published) as of October 4, 2026, and refresh daily. Award amounts are each grant's listed maximum; 2 listed amounts over $10M are left out, since they're usually program-wide totals rather than single awards.

About public radio grants

Public radio grants support station operations, local and national programming, journalism, and community outreach for noncommercial stations. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has historically distributed Community Service Grants to qualifying public radio stations, and foundations like the Knight Foundation fund public media journalism and innovation. State agencies, community foundations, and listener-supported giving round out station funding.

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

Public Radio Grants by state

Browse public radio grants available to organizations in 2 states.

Public Radio Grants in Illinois 1 Public Radio Grants in New Jersey 1

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do public radio grants award?

Of the 23 public radio grants Grantable lists as of October 4, 2026, 10 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $32K, and the middle half fall between $16K and $161K. The largest is $600K. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most public radio grants?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are Gilchrist Foundation (3), Illinois Arts Council Agency (3), Public Media Company (3), and The Greater Montana Foundation (2). In all, 16 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are public radio grants due?

Of 23 grants listed, 1 accept applications on a rolling basis, 1 have a published upcoming deadline, 3 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 18 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site.

What grants are available for public radio?

Public radio stations can seek funding for operations, local and national programming, news and public affairs, equipment, and community outreach. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been the foundational federal source through Community Service Grants for qualifying noncommercial stations, and private foundations and state programs fund journalism, programming, and capacity initiatives.

Who funds public radio stations?

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has been the central federal funder of public radio through Community Service Grants, though stations also rely heavily on listener membership, underwriting, and philanthropy. Foundations such as the Knight Foundation fund public media journalism and innovation, and state agencies and community foundations support local stations.

Which stations are eligible for public radio grants?

Eligibility for the major public media grants generally requires that a station be a noncommercial, educational outlet providing significant public service programming and meeting minimum operational and coverage standards. Because federal public media funding has been in flux, stations should confirm current eligibility and increasingly diversify across foundation, state, and community funding sources.

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