Small Grants
This program provides grants of up to $1,000 to organizations and groups in the greater Forsyth County area of North Carolina. Small Grants are limited to organizations and groups with an annual income of $150,000 or less. The maximum grant available for athletic teams is $500.
What We Value
A strong Small Grant application will demonstrate some, if not all, of the following characteristics:
- Asset-Based Approaches: The Foundation values organizations and requests that utilize asset-based approaches whenever possible. Proposals are stronger when the individuals who are directly impacted by the project support the project and when their skills, gifts, and talents are included in the project’s planning, leadership, development, and implementation.
- Bridging and/or bonding social capital: The Foundation defines social capital as connections among people, based on trust, which enhance cooperation for mutual benefit. The Foundation values projects that encourage people of all races, classes, ages, and interests to join together to work toward the improvement of a community.
- Feasibility: The Foundation prioritizes requests from organizations that are able to demonstrate their ability to successfully implement the project.
- Inclusivity: The Foundation prioritizes requests that are accessible and intentional in how they include under-represented communities.
- Impact, relative to the size of the grant: the Foundation prioritizes requests from organizations that can articulate the impact of the project for which they are seeking funding.
We make occasional grants for equipment, time-limited projects, and special events, although these are a low priority.
The Foundation does not award small grants to support the following:
- Individuals
- Religious activities that serve only the members of a single congregation or promote a particular faith (see our guidelines for grants to religious organizations)
Examples of past grants
- Action4Equity – $1,000 for volunteer training to advance equity in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools
- DENT Creative Reuse Center & Art Laboratory – $500 to support the “Mixed Doubles” creative learning project highlighting diverse viewpoints
- Easton Neighborhood Association – $500 for a cultural immersion community day
- Lights Out Track & Field Club – $500 for youth track scholarships
- NC Cooperative Extension Service (Forsyth County) – $1,000 for the urban farm school
- Next Level Youth Enrichment Program – $800 for a youth coding program
- North Carolina Always – $1,000 for “The Problem of 52” photography project centered around families systemically displaced through reconstruction in the Happy Hills Garden Community
- Scholars for North Carolina’s Future – $830 to support the “Voting Rights Teach-In”
- Triad Restorative Justice – $1,000 for the “Circle Keepers” initiative and $800 for training development on restorative practices
- Triad Cultural Arts – $1,000 for research, design, and production of a mobile exhibit celebrating Winston-Salem’s rich African American history
- Winston-Salem City-Wide Parent Academy – $500 to host parent academy sessions
How to Apply
Small Grant applications are due on the first business day of any month; applicants will receive a decision at the end of the same month.
To apply, visit the Foundation’s new Grant Application Portal and register for an account (please register at least two weeks before the deadline so our staff has time to approve your registration). For more info about creating an account, read our registration instructions.
Do you have a proposal idea you’d like to discuss? We’d like to hear from you! Please contact us at least one week before the application deadline to schedule a conversation.
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