Chamber Funding Opportunities - May 2023

There are many opportunities for chambers, chamber foundations and community partners to seek funding from government sources and the philanthropic sector. For federal opportunities, grants.gov is a comprehensive list of federal grants. Your state may have a similar website, so we encourage you to find and bookmark that site for future opportunities.

For philanthropic opportunities, grant seekers can sign up for a free account with OpenGrants to search for information about foundations and grant opportunities. Candid’s Philanthropy News Digest includes a section of published RFPs and notices of awards that is regularly updated and allows users to sign up for RFP alerts.

The best funding opportunities come from organizations with whom you already have a relationships, but it’s helpful to be aware of additional grants and awards. Here are a few that might be of interest:

• Funding for Resilient Transportation: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established the PROTECT Formula and Discretionary Grant programs to plan for and strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events and other natural disasters through formula and competitive discretionary grants. Governments of all levels are eligible to apply, so work with your local authorities if there are particular projects of interest to the business community. Applications are due August 18, 2023.
• Rural Business Development: The Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program is accepting applications through June 26, 2023. This program helps individuals and businesses start, expand or improve rural cooperatives and other mutually-owned businesses through Cooperative Development Centers.
• Rural Broadband Support: The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide broadband services in rural, economically-challenged communities where the service does not exist. Applications will be accepted through June 20, 2023.
• Microsoft Grants for Nonprofits: Microsoft Tech for Social Impact provides technology to help nonprofits achieve their mission. Microsoft offers grants and discounts for products and services to eligible nonprofits, including products like Azure, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft 365.

We will post regularly as new opportunities become available. If you are looking for additional information about starting or expanding your chamber foundation, visit ACCE’s learning management system to explore relevant courses and content.