Grants & Resources
Support for Nonprofits Strengthening Central Indiana
Strengthening the nonprofit ecosystem is a key part of CICF’s Pathways to a Stronger Central Indiana. This page brings together grant opportunities offered through the entities and funds within the CICF Collaborative as well as resources developed by CICF and its partners.
Grants From Across the CICF Collaborative
Open | Closes Dec 31, 2025
The Minde Browning Fund provides professional development grants to staff serving in any eligible Marion County library. Application should be submitted at least 60 days before the proposed event. 2025 Application Open Dates: Jan 1-Dec 31, 2025
Open | Closes Jan 23, 2026
The Indianapolis Foundation is pleased to announce The Capacity Lab, a funding opportunity designed to strengthen and support organizations advancing entrepreneurship and community impact, particularly those that are grassroots and BIPOC-serving in the Indianapolis entrepreneurial support ecosystem. 2025/2026 Application Open Dates: Dec 10, 2025-Jan 23, 2025
Closed
Media Center Enhancement Grants are for high school libraries to improve collections, technology, and access to resources for high school students.
Closed
The Women’s Fund annual grant round is open to any organization serving Central Indiana women and/or girls. Additional grant opportunities may also be available. 2025 Application Open Dates: Apr 1-Apr 30, 2025
Closed
Central Indiana Senior Fund is a donor-advised fund of Central Indiana Community Foundation. It financially supports programs and services that promote quality living for older adults ages 55+ in central Indiana (Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, and Shelby Counties). 2025 Application Open Dates: Mar 31-May 7, 2025
Closed
This invite-only grant provides one nonprofit organization with three-years of unrestricted operating support. Funding is intended to strengthen the organization’s long-term capacity to address system-level challenges aligned with HCCF’s strategic priorities. This is an invitation-only grant and does not accept unsolicited applications.
Closed
The Thomas P. and Sondra D. Sheehan Charitable Foundation Medical Assistance Grant is dedicated to providing medical assistance to families who are in financial need of support. The Sheehan Charitable Foundation encourages the development of children and seeks to remove financial barriers by providing assistance for durable medical equipment needs, occupational and physical therapeutic services, and short-term treatments which improve a child’s quality of life.
Closed
The annual HCCF competitive grant round is designed around trust-based philanthropy and awards unrestricted organizational support that will help nonprofits realize their missions and better serve their constituents. 2025 Application Open Dates: Jul 15-Aug 29 2025
Closed
Indianapolis nonprofits can request funding through our grant process to drive meaningful change and help shape Indianapolis into a thriving, welcoming community. 2025 Application Open Dates: Jul 15-Aug 30, 2025
Closed
The Library Fund was established by a donor to support projects and activities that increase literacy, information literacy and information access for Marion County residents. 2025 Application Open Dates: Jul 31-Sep 5, 2025
Closed
The Crosser Family Foundation, a fund of Hamilton County Community Foundation, is dedicated to enhancing the lives of youth and families in Hamilton County. By partnering with innovative nonprofit organizations, the Crosser Family Foundation strives to cultivate a strong and engaged community. This is an invitation-only grant opportunity.
Closed
The mission of the Indianapolis Immigrant Legal Services Fund is to provide equitable access to legal support and representation to immigrant Hoosiers in Marion County. 2025 Application Open Dates: Sept 1-Oct 1, 2025
Closed
The Elevation Grant Program (previously known as the Violent Crime Prevention Grant Program) is a partnership between The City of Indianapolis and The Indianapolis Foundation. The program set out to invest $45 million in neighborhoods over three years (2022, 2023, and 2024) to address the root causes of violent crime in Indianapolis through a comprehensive approach, including neighborhood empowerment and community building.
2025 Application Open Dates: Sept 22-Oct 3, 2025
Closed
The Summer Youth Program Fund (SYPF) supports high-quality, safe, and positive experiences for Marion County children and teens ages 4-24 at little to no cost to families. 2025 Application Open Dates: Aug 18-Oct 17, 2025
Closed
The Indiana Climate and Democracy Catalyst Fund consists of local, state, and national funders who are committed to catalyzing movement building at the intersection of climate, democracy, and environmental justice in Indiana. 2025 Application Open Dates: Jan 1-Dec 18, 2025
December 4, 2025
A new year is right around the corner. As many nonprofits celebrate big successes from Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns, 2026 could be a splash of cold water. Here’s why...
December 4, 2025
As the last days of 2025 approach, you’re likely preparing to send a final appeal to your donors. This is one of the most important fundraising moments of the year—and an ideal opportunity to remind supporters that their generosity can sustain both today’s work and your organization’s long-term stability, including through your endowment or reserve fund at a CICF Collaborative entity...
December 4, 2025
As your donors gear up for the giving season, it’s more important than ever to stay in front of them with clear, simple messages about how they can support both your annual campaigns and your long-term reserves—especially with major charitable deduction changes taking effect in 2026.
December 2, 2025
Increasingly, Central Indiana nonprofits we’ve spoken to want to shore up the sustainability of their organization beyond a boost to fundraising efforts. A corporate partnership is a great, mutually beneficial strategy for exactly that—and it can lead to more than funding.
To learn more about the Why and How of these partnerships, we spoke with Jasmin French, CICF Board Chair and Senior Director, Global Ethics and Compliance at Cummins Inc.
November 14, 2025
The year is winding down! As you look ahead to the next few weeks, consider that now is a key moment for Central Indiana nonprofits to double down on fundraising efforts. Although overall giving among affluent households has increased over the past decade, the number of those households making donations has declined. This means that fewer donors are shouldering the burden of philanthropy, and for nonprofits in our community, proactive outreach has never been more critical.
November 14, 2025
The year is winding down! As you look ahead to the next few weeks, consider that now is a key moment for Central Indiana nonprofits to double down on fundraising efforts. Although overall giving among affluent households has increased over the past decade, the number of those households making donations has declined. This means that fewer donors are shouldering the burden of philanthropy, and for nonprofits in our community, proactive outreach has never been more critical.
November 14, 2025
Nonprofits serving Central Indiana families are working tirelessly to meet growing demand. Whether acute challenges from time to time are triggered by a political stalemate, a natural disaster, or broader economic factors, the community foundation stands beside you. We know that nonprofits are on the front lines of every crisis, and we want to share a few strategies to help you sustain and grow the support your organization needs during this and other periods of uncertainty.
November 10, 2025
The 2025 Survey of Food Assistance Need in Central Indiana is a detailed look at how households across our nine counties are experiencing hunger. The major takeaway from this year’s survey: hunger is a region-wide struggle. Hunger does not stop at the county line, and neither should our response. People live, work, learn, worship, and seek services across county boundaries every day. The data show that food insecurity exists in rural, suburban, and urban communities. It is not an “Indianapolis issue” or a “small town issue.” It is a regional issue that touches every part of Central Indiana. Whether you are a food provider, school, library, health system, employer, faith community, arts organization, or neighborhood group, there are ways you can help.
November 4, 2025
A good board can go a long way in establishing a more effective nonprofit. The right members can expand your reach, inform good decisions, and maintain continuity through leadership transitions. In my work with nonprofits in Central Indiana, I see two primary engines that must be maintained to move nonprofit boards forward: recruitment and retention.
October 17, 2025
At CICF Collaborative, we recognize that legacy and planned gifts are essential for building long-term sustainability and impact for nonprofits. This article offers practical strategies for integrating legacy giving into regular communications, donor conversations, and storytelling, making it a natural option for supporters who want to ensure your organization thrives for generations. Our team is available to help nonprofits strengthen both annual and legacy giving, including guidance on leveraging more complex assets to maximize lasting impact.