Three funding tiers will help organizations address immediate needs, advance strategic initiatives, and pursue transformative investments.
The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County (CFBMC) is launching a multi-tiered grant funding initiative to support 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.
“By offering a tiered approach, this initiative is structured to balance immediate community needs with longer-term opportunities for transformational change,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Tina Peterson. “We are continually inspired by the organizations that create meaningful impact in Monroe County. Through this new effort, CFBMC seeks to strengthen and expand the capacity of local organizations while investing in bold, transformational solutions that will shape the future of our community.”
Funding will be available to a range of eligible organizations, including nonprofit organizations, schools, post-secondary institutions, early care and education providers, 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 for Capacity and Organizational Sustainability
Rapid Response Grants for Capacity and Organizational Sustainability are intended to help organizations quickly strengthen operations, improve sustainability, and respond to increased demand or growth opportunities. The goal of this competitive funding tier is to prioritize responsiveness and flexibility—to help organizations build capacity, improve sustainability, and enhance the services they provide to our community.
Examples of potential grant uses include technology upgrades, equipment or vehicle purchases, facility improvements, staffing support, and other operational investments. Up to $500,000 in funding is available for this tier, with individual grants ranging from $20,000 to $75,000. Grant applications for this tier will be reviewed in two rounds: the first-round deadline is July 10, and the second-round deadline is August 10. Organizations will be notified of award decisions in early August for the first round and early September for the second round.
Rapid Response Capacity and Organizational Sustainability Grant guidelines and application instructions are available online at https://cfbmc.org/grant-guidelines-tier-1-rapid-response-grants-for-capacity-organizational-sustainability/.
Tier 2: Strategic Impact Grants
Tier 2 will launch this fall to support larger grant requests in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $100,000. Strategic Impact Grants are expected to be more comprehensive in their design and implementation, with longer performance periods to deliver upon programmatic priorities.
These grants are intended to support strategic, outcome-driven initiatives positioned for sustained community impact. Priority will be given to innovative projects, transformative solutions to critical community issues, and cross-organizational and/or cross-sector collaborations to increase impact and effectiveness. Up to $750,000 in funding is available for this tier. Since the intent of the first two grant tiers does not overlap, applicants can apply for funding in either or both tiers.
For specific questions about eligibility and application procedures for Tiers 1 and 2, please email info@cfbmc.org.
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.
About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:
The Community Foundation connects donors and resources to catalyze solutions that strengthen Monroe County through grantmaking, leadership, and strategic partnerships to drive both immediate and long-term impact. Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation has granted $52 million to more than 600 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $59 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources to address our community’s most pressing challenges and seize its most compelling opportunities.