Community Grantmaking (Community Grant Program)
The Community Grantmaking Program from the Central New York Community Foundation funds innovative, high-impact projects that advance science, research, and community well-being in Onondaga, Cortland, and Madison counties.
Funder: Central New York Community Foundation
Due Dates: February 27, 2026 (Spring 2026) | August 28, 2026 (Fall 2026) | February 19, 2027 (Spring 2027) | August 20, 2027 (Fall 2027)
Funding Amounts: Typical awards range from $10,000 to $150,000; most grants are for one year, with limited multi-year options.
Summary: Funds innovative projects that improve quality of life in Onondaga, Cortland, and Madison counties across diverse focus areas.
Key Information: Required pre-application meeting with staff before applying; new portal registration needed even for returning applicants.
Description
The Community Grantmaking program is the flagship funding initiative of the Central New York Community Foundation, designed to support nonprofit and public sector organizations serving Onondaga, Cortland, and Madison counties. The program seeks to fund innovative projects that address arts and culture, civic engagement, education, health, human services, and environmental concerns, with a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and measurable community impact. Both programmatic and capital requests are considered, and each grant round has specific priority focus areas to help applicants align their proposals with current funding interests.
