The Community Foundation welcomes grant and scholarship applications from local organizations, teachers, and students in our community.

Most grant and scholarship applications must be submitted online using our online application portals. Please contact us with any questions and for support in accessing the system, creating your account, and applying for awards.

For upcoming deadlines and dollars available, please review our Dates & Dollars sheet.

More details about available grants and scholarships may be found by reviewing the Guidelines & Funds for Nonprofit Organizations document, on the Competitive Grants and Scholarships pages, and by contacting the Noah Wood, the Community Foundation's Director of Grants at 828-859-5314. If you have any questions or difficulties accessing the applications, please feel free to contact our office.

Letter of Intent (for organizations)

Before submitting a grant application, please complete a brief Letter of Intent form to confirm that your organization is eligible to apply for grants and that your project meets the criteria for one or more of our available grantmaking funds. (Not required for Slater grants or scholarships)

Grant Application (for organizations)

Eligible organizations may follow the Grants Portal link below to apply for all grant funds available through our competitive grantmaking process. Access our Account Setup Guide for more details about creating and managing your account, including links to help guides and video tutorials.

We recommend that you review the Guidelines & Funds for Nonprofit Organizations document to become more familiar with our available grantmaking programs before completing your application. (Note: Organizations new to the Foundation should contact us regarding grant eligibility as a first step. We have a committee review process to evaluate newly formed nonprofits or organizations that don’t have a grantmaking history with the Foundation.)

Scholarship Applications (for students)

Visit our Scholarships Page for the most current scholarship applications and information.

Slater Excellence in Teaching Awards Application (for teachers)

Polk County and Landrum public school classroom teachers may use online Slater application to apply for Slater Excellent in Teaching Awards. To apply, eligible teachers must first create an account in our Grants Portal, following the instructions in our Account Setup Guide.

The 2025 application deadline is Thursday, January 9 by 5:00 pm. Access the application for more details.

Other Grants & Scholarships

Please contact us for application information about other grants and scholarships not listed here. 

Additional Application Hints and Requirements:

• Deadlines: The deadlines published on our Dates & Dollars sheet are the last possible dates to submit applications. Applications may be submitted as soon as they are available.

• General Application Requirements: Please answer every question. Incomplete applications that do not follow all instructions shall not be considered for funding.  All application sections must be submitted by the deadline.

• Application Certification: If you wish, you may schedule an appointment well in advance of the deadline with Noah Wood, our Director of Grants.  During your appointed time, you may ask that your application be reviewed and certified as complete.  The Director of Grants does not have the authority to certify that incoming applications comply with all Foundation policies and IRS mandates.  Because any error will prevent this application from being considered, we recommend that you take advantage of this opportunity to have your application reviewed.