Trust for Civic Life: Civic Experiment Grant

The Civic Experiment Grant by the Trust for Civic Life supports innovative, community-driven projects aimed at enhancing civic engagement. It focuses on rural areas, empowering local leaders to tackle challenges collaboratively. Grants up to $25,000 are available for organizations that are non-partisan and primarily serve rural communities, emphasizing inclusivity and sustainable impact. The next nomination period begins in early 2026, following a closed cycle for 2025. This initiative fosters long-term civic infrastructure and community resilience.

NOTE:  Starting in 2026, we are shifting from a time-bound nomination period for our Civic Hubs grant cycle to an open referral process. This allows to us to keep learning about unique and overlooked examples of civic life in rural America, while deepening the impact and coordination of our Civic Hub grantees..
Trust Overview
The Trust for Civic Life is a cross-ideological team of philanthropy and private sector funders making critical investments in the communities that will define the future of the country.
The Trust runs two grantmaking cycles every year:

• Civic Hub Grants and Civic Experiment Grants.

Through a community-led nomination process, local leaders help us identify and direct resources where they are needed most.
Civic Experiment Grant grants are for individuals and small organizations leading experimental new programs that get their community actively participating in shaping a community vision, identifying challenges, and working together to solve them.
Civic Experiment grant funding goes toward specific programs.
What we look for
The Trust for Civic Life funds a wide range of non-partisan entrepreneurs, programs, organizations and innovative digital leaders who play a key role in their local and regional civic ecosystems. Selection is informed by these key characteristics:
Embedded in Community: Lives within the communities they serve.Rural Focus: Focuses on rural communities specifically in the Black Belt, Central Appalachia, Tribal Lands, Southwest Border, and communities in transition in the rural U.S.Community-Led Action: Leads or supports community members to identify problems and work toward solutions.Inclusive: Brings together the voices, views, experiences, and participation of the entire community.Community Champions: Identifies and celebrates the solutions, innovations, and programs doing great work.Bridge Builders: Builds and strengthens community networks by regranting, connecting people to resources, supporting new ideas, leveraging digital tools, and working across sectors.Long Lasting: Focuses on programs that create long-lasting civic infrastructure and a thriving community that all residents feel welcome to participate in.

Eligibility

Your nominee must meet the following eligibility requirements:The majority of the group’s programs and organizational budget are focused on rural communities, with an emphasis on these priority regions:Black Belt (rural communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, north Florida, and South Carolina)
Central Appalachia (rural communities in eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, southern Ohio, western North Carolina, and western Virginia)
Southwestern Border (rural communities within 40 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas)
Tribal Lands (serving rural communities in federally recognized Tribal Nations)
Rural Communities in Transition (areas experiencing significant economic or demographic transition)A 501c3 non-profit, business association, business with charitable activities, CDA, CDC, CDFI, cooperative, community college, community foundation, family foundation, fiscally sponsored project/organization, health foundation, local or tribal government
Non-partisan and non-political.The Trust cannot support organizations operating as or sharing staff with a (501(c)(4), (c)(5), or (c)(6) organization. This includes advocacy and policy-focused organizations.Must be formally affiliated with, and applying through, a legally registered entity that can receive unrestricted grant funding.

Ineligibility

The Trust for Civic Life does not support:Organizations that bring residents together to discuss problems without developing a plan for action
Solutions from outside or from an exclusive set of the community
Organizations that drive political participation ranging from petitions, advocacy, voter turnout, elections, etc.
Organizations that supports only efforts available for a small or exclusive subset of the community
Organizations that operate in a broad geography
Short-lived one-off projects that are highly dependent on individuals
Organizations focused on one theme, sector, or services such as animal welfare, direct services (food pantries, social services, health services, etc.), scholarships, etc.