How to Apply

At this time, the American Cities Program is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Will result in expanded opportunity for city residents, with a particular emphasis on the city’s low-income residents.
• Engage the community in a real and meaningful way.
• Have potential for long-term sustainability or community impact.
• Have potential for scalability or translation to other neighborhoods, communities or cities.

We generally do not fund:

• Single-site initiatives outside of Fresno, Memphis and New Orleans.
• Research, convening or knowledge exchange that is not focused on places or for urban practitioners.

The Arts & Culture Program accepts proposals by invitation only. We are not currently accepting unsolicited proposals. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page. Specific questions can be directed to [email protected].

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Position creative practices (e.g., arts, cultural strategy and design) as central elements of inclusive and sustainable development, planning and justice-focused initiatives.
• Harness creative practices to advance resident (including youth) agency, social cohesion, narrative control and collective action for self-determination and racial justice.
• Support the leadership, resilience and wellbeing of community and creative practitioners working to advance equity and justice.
• Apply an asset-based and equity-centered approach when working in communities impacted by systemic inequities.
• Advance cross-sectoral practices and principles that enable a robust ecosystem of partners and practitioners to thrive and realize systems change

We do not fund:

• Capital and facility renovation projects.
• Scholarships, pre-K, K-12 and university campus projects.
• Artists fellowships, residencies or training.
• Arts education, access and community outreach activities.
• Film productions, festivals and public art projects.
• Playgrounds, parks and community gardens.
• Activities that are not aligned with the Arts & Culture Program strategy or The Kresge Foundation’s mission in America’s cities.

Creative Placemaking and Design initiatives may be eligible for funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional information on funding opportunities for Creative Placemaking projects and initiatives can be found through the Creative Placemaking Public Resources Guide.

At this time, the Detroit Program is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Engage neighborhood residents and meaningfully reflect the community in organizational leadership and implementation of project activities.
• Align with one or more of the Detroit Program Focus Areas.
• Show an understanding of and address the ways in which racial inequities have impacted the city.
• Work toward a broad, equitable and sustainable revitalization in the city’s neighborhoods.
• Complement and/or connect to networks of collaborators engaged in similar work, or who are working in the same geographic area.

We do not fund:

• Projects or programs located outside of the city of Detroit unless the effort provides a compelling circumstance that is mutually beneficial to the city’s progress.
• Startup enterprises, whether nonprofit or for profit.
• K-12 scholarships for individuals or families.
• Capital campaigns.

At this time, the Education Program is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Support research, policy advocacy, evaluation, technology, partnerships and direct services.
• Support technological or practice enhancements that decrease costs for and improve effectiveness of institutions seeking to improve student success.
• Include networks of institutions (not individual colleges).
• Represent the potential for broad scalability or replicability to lead to systemic changes or long-term sustainability.
• Offer opportunities to work in our foundation focus cities of Detroit, Memphis or New Orleans, or cities within our Education Program focus states of California, Florida, Michigan and Texas.
• Support work in other large cities or statewide initiatives.
• Support work in South Africa, the only country where our foundation makes grants outside of the U.S.

We do not fund:

• Capital projects.
• Early childhood or K-12 programs.
• Programs at individual colleges or universities.
• Projects at organizations with budgets of less than $1 million a year.
• Projects outside the U.S. or South Africa.
• Scholarships.

At this time, the Environment Program is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Enable people and institutions to work together to address the climate crisis, with an eye toward innovation, problem-solving and informed risk-taking.
• Explicitly address racial equity.
• Focus on outcomes.
• Have a tangible impact on policy and practice.
• Work across sectors and disciplines.
• Promote integrated, system-based initiatives.
• Engage and promote the leadership of historically underserved people and communities.
• Closely align with our strategies and have strong potential to bring about positive change.
• Are based and serve populations in the U.S.

We do not fund:

• Environmental education programs or the development of curricula.
• The construction or renovation of facilities or individual renewable-energy installations.
• The acquisition of land, other property or conservation easements for land-conservation purposes.
• The design and planning of environmentally responsible buildings.
• Primary scientific research.
• Research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Projects that are local in scope without clear replication potential.
• Projects outside the U.S.

The Environment Program engages with nonprofits and others active on climate resilience issues and makes every effort to be aware of ongoing and emerging initiatives.

At this time, the Health Program is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Adopt an explicit equity lens.
• Represent genuine community priorities.
• Build community leadership and power.
• Facilitate cross-sector partnerships and connections to achieve the community’s vision of health.
• Link practitioners to objective evidence and science.
• Promote community or population health.
• Direct resources to upstream solutions.
• Promote access to opportunities that can improve health.
• Employ effective communication strategies.
• Evaluate and disseminate the impact of health initiatives, programs and investments.

We rarely fund:

• Projects that are primarily focused on direct health or social services.
• Health education, promotion or counseling programs.
• Research projects.
• Organizations with annual budgets of less than $250,000, except when invited or when specified during a formal request-for-proposal process.
• Construction or renovation of facilities, including the acquisition of medical equipment.
• Projects whose total cost is less than $100,000, except when invited or when specified during a formal request-for-proposal process.

At this time, the Human Services Program is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.

As we evaluate proposals, we look for efforts that:

• Focus on advancing and accelerating social and economic mobility.
• Offer innovative and effective approaches that can provide lessons for the field.
• Have a clear strategic vision and are able to articulate what works and why.
• Have shared and adaptive leadership.
• Recognize that racial equity is essential to social and economic mobility and have an explicit focus on dismantling barriers standing in its way.
• Are intensely person-centered in their approach and utilize best practices (brain science informed, two-generation, whole-family, trauma-informed approaches, etc.).
• Are outcome-focused and data-driven.
• Measure organizational and programmatic efforts against the Human Service Value Curve.
• Are committed to person-centered, co-created and power-sharing systems that address structural barriers through policy solutions; are positioned to inform and influence communities of practice; and build the public will for supportive public policies.

We do not fund:

• Capital requests.
• Individuals.
• Organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.
• Organizations that require membership in certain religions or advance a particular religious faith. (Faith-based organizations may be eligible if they welcome and serve all members of the community regardless of religious belief.)
• Programs operated to benefit for-profit organizations.

At this time, the Social Investment Practice is not accepting unsolicited proposals. We invite applications for specific efforts. When we have open calls for proposals, you can find them on the Current Funding Opportunities page.