Verizon Foundation Giving and Grants

Verizon Foundation Giving and Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Verizon Foundation
Last Updated: October 07, 2025

Summary

The Verizon Foundation provides grants focused on Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection, and Human Prosperity, emphasizing projects that support diverse communities. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) public charities and K-12 schools, with grant applications by invitation only. Key requirements include compliance with applicable laws and usage of funds for community benefit. The foundation does not fund individuals, political causes, or organizations with overlapping missions with public agencies. Detailed guidelines are available for grant applications.

Overview

Note: Grant applications are by invitation only. You can contact your local community relations manager (search managers here) to see whether you are eligible to apply or learn other ways to get involved in your community. Giving and Grants Our funding priorities are aligned around Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection and Human Prosperity. New applications are by invitation only. Verizon and the Verizon Foundation do not respond to unsolicited inquiries for funding. Verizon and the Verizon Foundation are inclusive Neither Verizon or the Verizon Foundation discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, religion, national or ethnic origin or physical disability. As a company with a highly diverse workforce serving an equally diverse set of customers, Verizon through its Foundation, supports a wide range of programs through direct and matching grants that benefit diverse communities, including without limitation minorities, veterans, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender and others. Verizon and the Verizon Foundation each expect its grant recipients to comply with all applicable laws, including those governing tax-exempt status and non-discrimination laws. All organizations must: Not duplicate or significantly overlap the work of public agencies on the federal, state or local level.Keep books available for regular independent outside audit and make the results available to all potential contributors.Comply with applicable laws regarding registration and reporting.Observe the highest standards of business conduct in its relationships with the public.Use the funding for initiatives that will benefit the broader community. Guidelines If you are eligible to apply, your grant application to either Verizon or the Verizon Foundation for consideration should abide by the following guidelines: At least 85% of the total grant funds should be composed of direct costs (costs that are directly attributable to the project.) Accordingly, indirect (or “overhead”) costs should be no more than 15% of the total grant funds. Grants with indirect costs greater than 15% will require a business justification to be considered for funding.  Grants with IT-infrastructure related costs (such as computer hardware, software, data or networks) that total more than 20 percent of the grant’s total direct costs should provide an explanation detailing the use of the IT assets and whether cellular connectivity is involved. For education grants, Verizon and Verizon Foundation funding is intended to support projects that promote digital skills development for students and teachers in grades K-12. This includes, for example, summer or afterschool programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), teacher professional development, and research on technology-infused pedagogy. Schools and districts that apply for grants from Verizon and are eligible for the Education Rate (E-Rate) program may not use grant funding to purchase technology hardware (computers, netbooks, laptops, routers), devices (tablets, phones), data or Internet service and access, unless approved by Verizon compliance.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible organizations501(c)(3) Public Charities: To be considered for an invitation, an organization must be:Classified by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and further classified as a public charity under section 509(a)(1)-509(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as follows:Section 509(a)(1) - Organizations described in section 170(b)(1)(A) clauses (i) – (vi):170(b)(1)(A)(i) – Churches or an association of churches.170(b)(1)(A)(ii) – Schools170(b)(1)(A)(iii) – Hospitals or medical research organizations170(b)(1)(A)(iv) – Organizations which operate for the benefit of colleges or universities and are owned or operated by a governmental unit170(b)(1)(A)(v) – Governmental units170(b)(1)(A)(vi) – Organizations which receive a substantial part of their support from a governmental unit or the general public.Section 509(a)(2)Organizations that normally receive no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes.Section 509(a)(3)Type I, II, or III functionally integrated – Organizations operated solely for the benefit of and in conjunction with organizations described in the previous seven items. K-12 Schools:To be considered for an invitation, a school must be classified as not-for profit elementary or secondary school (public or private) and registered with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Ineligibility

Verizon and the Verizon Foundation may refuse funding for any of the following:IndividualsPrivate charity or foundationOrganizations not exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and not eligible for tax-deductible supportPolitical causes, candidates, organizations or campaignsOrganizations whose primary purpose is to influence legislationEndowmentsSports events that lack a charitable purposePerforming arts toursTrade association membershipsOrganizations that have received a grant from Verizon or the Verizon Foundation within the past three consecutive years – organizations may reapply after a one-year hiatusOrganizations where the founder of the charitable organization is an employee or retired employee of VerizonOrganizations where a member of a Verizon employee’s or retired employee’s family or someone who shares a close personal relationship with an employee or retired employee will receive any direct or indirect financial benefit as a result of the Verizon Foundation grantOrganizations where a member of a Verizon employee’s or retired employee’s family or someone who shares a close personal relationship with an employee or retired employee is a founder or employeeNeither Verizon nor the Verizon Foundation provides cash grants intended to pay for Verizon products or services.