Foundations fund a variety of public arts and humanities programming across Alabama. Some foundations only fund specific geographic regions. Others fund statewide projects. Most require projects to demonstrate how funds will be used to serve the public. Many encourage organizations to work closely with underserved communities in the state or collaborate with public K-12 institutions. Most foundations have a website with additional funding information. Some require organizations to be invited before applying for funding. Acquiring funding from foundations often requires extensive communication and project development. Most foundations want your organization to demonstrate prior work and funding as evidence of your organization's track record.

Community Foundations

The Community Foundations listed below, not necessarily comprehensive, support programs and projects in education, human services, health, cultural arts, and other civic concerns.

• Black Belt Community Foundation
  • Eligibility: Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, and Wilcox Counties.
  • Provides support to citizens from the Black Belt in community-based art and education programs.
• Central Alabama Community Foundation
  • Eligibility: Autauga, Coffee, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Macon, and Montgomery Counties.
  • Provides grants and scholarships for a variety of interest areas, including arts, community building, education, and historic preservation.
• Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
  • Eligibility: Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Walker Counties.
  • Provides grants that help organizations address community issues and bring transformational change to Greater Birmingham.
• Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville
  • Eligibility: Huntsville and Madison County.
  • Provides grants that help address issues and enrich the community of Greater Huntsville.
• Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama
  • Eligibility: Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Dekalb, Etowah, Randolph, St. Clair, and Talladega Counties.
  • Provides various grants to provide aid to the people of Northeast Alabama through programs centered around the arts, education, health, and housing.
• Community Foundation of South Alabama
  • Eligibility: Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington Counties.
  • Provides grants to organizations that seek to address issues facing South Alabama, giving priority to those organizations that are focused on providing opportunities to youth in underserved communities.
• Community Foundation of West Alabama
  • Eligibility: Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa Counties.
  • Helps to link local donors with local projects to improve the community in a variety of interest areas, including the arts, humanities, youth programs, education, and the environment.
• Daniel Foundation (include a letter of intent)
  • Eligibility: No location-based restrictions.
  • Recognizes that a thriving arts and cultural community contribute immeasurably to the quality of life in Alabama. One of their priorities is community heritage, culture, and historic preservation.
• Walker Area Community Foundation
  • Eligibility: Walker County.
  • Supports organizations in a variety of fields of interest, including the arts, education, the environment, health, and social welfare.
• Wiregrass Foundation
  • Eligibility: Dothan area.
  • Invests in local non-profit organizations and long-term community projects with a focus on civic education, and quality of life.

Company / Corporate Foundations

• Alabama Power
  • Eligibility: No listed location-based restrictions.
  • Supports nonprofits, cities and schools by providing them with the resources they need to expand their ability to serve and address community needs
• Altec/Styslinger Foundation
  • (205) 991-7733
  • Eligibility: Birmingham area.
• Ben May Charitable Trust
  • (228) 822-4366
• Caring Foundation
  • Eligibility: No listed location-based restrictions.
  • Supports Alabama communities through organizations dedicated to education, health, and wellness.
• Energen Foundation
  • (205) 326-2700
• Joy and Bill Harbert Foundation
  • (205) 802-2800
• PNC Foundation
  • Eligibility: Autauga, Baldwin, Dallas, Elmore, Jefferson, Lee, Limestone, Macon, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, and Tuscaloosa Counties.
  • Provides resources to community-based nonprofits focused on early childhood education and economic development in underserved communities.
• Protective Life Foundation
  • Eligibility: Birmingham area.
  • Invests in organizations that work to address a wide range of issues that will improve the quality of life of the community.
• Raymond J. and Kathryn D. Harbert Foundation
  • (205) 987-5605
• Vulcan Materials Company Foundation
  • Eligibility: Birmingham area.
  • Provides grants to support public programs focused on education and environmental stewardship.

Family Foundations

• Comer Foundation
  • (205) 802-2700
• J. K. Lowder Family Foundation
  • Eligibility: Montgomery area.
  • Supports organizations that focus on community development through the arts, education, human services, and youth programs.

Independent Foundations

• Curtis Finlay Foundation
  • (251) 867-7706
  • Eligibility: Escambia County.
• Hearin-Chandler Foundation
  • (251) 694-1957
• Hillcrest Foundation
  • (205) 870-0400
• Hugh Kaul Foundation
  • (205) 326-5382
• Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation
  • Eligibility: Birmingham area.
  • Prioritizes organizations that provide broad community impact through programs that focus on community health and education.
• Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation
  • Eligibility: Birmingham area; Black Belt, particularly Hale and Green Counties.
  • Develops partnerships with nonprofits that focus on the arts, education, the environment, neighborhood revitalization, and positioning strategic community assets.
• Pleiad Foundation
  • Eligibility: Birmingham area.
  • Supports organizations that focus on the arts, higher education, and medical research.
• Robert R. Meyer Foundation
  • (205) 326-5382
• Stephens Foundation
  • (205) 991-6600
  • Eligibility: Birmingham, Alabama.

Alabama Humanities Alliance

The Humanities Alliance supports public humanities projects. Some project types funded have included exhibition design and production; lecture/discussion programs; community forums or town meetings to encourage public debate and discussion; teacher’s seminars, institutes, workshops and more.

Alabama State Council on the Arts

The Council on the Arts Project grants provide support for a wide range of activities including festivals, conferences, workshops, exhibitions and/or the creation and production of art as well as the development of touring activities.

Alabama Tourism Department

The Tourism Department promotes travel and vacation business to Alabama. Use of funds includes brochures (see qualifications; tourism promotes websites or free smartphone apps; and advertising.

Alabama Historical Commission (AHC/SHPO)

The Historical Commission supports improvements to and educational programming at historic sites in Alabama, and monuments to commemorate historical events and places.

National Archives – National Historical Publications & Records Commission

The NHPRC promotes the preservation and use of America’s documentary heritage essential to understanding our democracy, history, and culture. Some upcoming grant deadlines include Access to Historical Records; Major Initiatives; Archives Leadership Institute; Public Engagement with Historical Records; and Publishing Historical Records in Documentary Editions.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

The NEH is an independent promotes excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individuals scholars to strengthen teaching and learning in schools and colleges; facilitate research and original scholarship; provide opportunities for lifelong learning; preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources; and strengthen the institutional base of the humanities.

NEH Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions

The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Division of Preservation and Access has offered Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions for more than a decade. These grants help small and mid-sized cultural heritage institutions such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections. Awards of up to $10,000 support preservation related collection assessments, consultations, purchase of preservation supplies and equipment, training and workshops, and institutional and collaborative disaster and emergency planning. You will also find sample project descriptions, sample narratives, and a list of frequently asked questions.

Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS)

IMLS seeks to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civil engagement. They provide leadership through research, policy development, and grant making. IMLS supports the full range of libraries, including public, academic, research, special and tribal, and the full range of museums including art, history, science and technology, children’s museums, historical societies, tribal museums, planetariums, botanic gardens and zoos.