Lehigh Valley Community Foundation Grants

Catalytic capacity-building funding for nonprofits hit hardest by changes in public (government) funding and policy. It pays for tools, strategies, programs and partnerships that remove barriers to real programmatic or strategy change, not day-to-day costs. Applicants may request $20,000 to $40,000. The 2026-27 cycle plans to give larger grants to a select set of organizations. Grant categories: Purpose and Impact; Financial Sustainability; Strategic Response; Operational Efficiency/Effectiveness; DEIB; Other. Notification March 2027; payment April 2027. Eligible applicants: Organization serves residents in Lehigh and/or Northampton counties.; Organization recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.; Organizations under fiscal sponsors are encouraged to apply.; Coalitions are welcome to apply (single submission for group/coalition work).; The fund will not consider requests for general operating dollars.; Grant requests must be in the range of $20,000 - $40,000.; The gaps this grant responds to must be created by a loss/decrease in state and federal funding, and/or by a shift in federal or state policy; the funding loss must be public or governmental funding, not loss of private funding.; Priority is given to nonprofits that show at least one of these focuses: planning and action that responds to critical community needs; planning for sustainability in the face of funding gaps or policy changes; bolstering essential programs and services critical during this moment; strengthening collective capacity to meet the needs of individuals, organizations and/or systems; innovating to respond to emerging or growing community needs; prioritizing access or advancement of resources for marginalized and underrepresented communities.; Evaluation priorities: organizations most impacted by public/governmental funding and policy shifts; projects/strategies that let organizations adapt now and build toward solutions as the external context keeps shifting; catalytic funding that removes barriers to real programmatic or strategy change.; Evaluation criteria: Identification of Funding/Policy Change Impact (a clear impact from loss of a federal, state or local funding stream and/or from a federal, state or local policy change).; Evaluation criteria: Responsiveness to Need (identifies a critical current or emerging need AND proposes a project/strategy that directly addresses it).; Evaluation criteria: Catalyst for Future Change/Impact (identifies the change/impact catalyzed by the project/strategy and how the funding will remove barriers to implementation).; Evaluation criteria: Intentionality and Strategic Alignment (project/strategy results from thoughtful, strategic, inclusive decision making and is informed by and accountable to those most impacted).; Evaluation criteria: Organizational Readiness (structures, systems, resources, relationships and capacity to carry out the project/strategy effectively).; Evaluation criteria: Clarity of Plan (a clear, feasible plan with a realistic timeline that includes the right people).; Evaluation criteria: Evaluation and Learning (a clear plan to measure success and capture learning from planning and implementation).. Geography served: Lehigh County, PA; Northampton County, PA. Deadline: Application Closes – November 23rd, 2026.