The Community Foundation’s 2026-2027 multi-tiered grant funding initiative supports the growth, resilience, and long-term vitality of Monroe County. Through these multi-tiered investments, CFBMC seeks to position our community to advance efforts that support meaningful progress toward enhancing quality of life, attracting and retaining younger adults and families, increasing livability, and advancing community priorities in Monroe County.
Funding is available to a range of eligible organizations, including nonprofit organizations, schools, post-secondary institutions, local governmental entities, and religious organizations. In select cases, mission-aligned for-profit entities may also be considered if they can effectively address a charitable community need.
Tier 1: Rapid Response Grants
Tier 1 Rapid Response Grant applications were reviewed in two rounds in August and September 2026, and 19 organizations were awarded Tier 1 Rapid Response Grants to build capacity, improve sustainability, and enhance services for our community.
Tier 2: Strategic Impact Grants
Tier 2 is designed to support significant programmatic work that addresses important community needs and opportunities and produces meaningful, sustained benefits for Monroe County residents with grants from $50,000 to $100,000.
Strategic Impact Grants are intended for established programs, expansion or enhancement of existing work, new initiatives, collaborative efforts, or other clearly defined programmatic strategies.
Grant applications for Tier 2 closed on October 29, 2026. Stay tuned for award announcements in December 2026 and January 2027.
Tier 3: Transformative Community Investment Grants
Tier 3 grants will support bold, catalytic, and collaborative projects through grants of up to $500,000 each. Transformative Community Investment Grants are positioned to support high-impact opportunities such as housing, workforce development, economic mobility, talent attraction and retention, community health, entrepreneurship, innovation, or other efforts that strengthen community competitiveness.
Approximately $2 million in funding will be available in this tier. In late 2026, CFBMC will work closely with a small number of organizations to develop concept papers. Organizations with the most promising concepts will then be invited to develop full implementation proposals.