Grants Process

Grant Application Notice

The Discretionary Grants cycle opens Monday, November 10th and closes Monday, December 22nd.

Application

If you experience any issues accessing the grant application, please contact us using the form below.

Statement of Identity

1889 Foundation serves as a community leader and funder of initiatives that improve the health of people and communities in Cambria and Somerset Counties.

The 1889 Foundation defines “health” broadly as complete physical, mental, and social well-being. We embrace the population health model, recognizing that health is shaped by the conditions in which people live. Our mission goes beyond improving health—we aim to improve lives.

We provide strong, forward-thinking leadership to ensure the Foundation remains financially sustainable, strategically focused, and operationally effective. By stewarding our resources wisely and building meaningful partnerships, we work to create measurable, systems-level improvements in community health.

We invest in bold, innovative initiatives that deliver measurable impact, and we seek to leverage our funding to attract additional resources to the region. We prioritize collaborative, multi-organizational efforts and welcome both Foundation-prioritized and applicant-designed proposals. All initiatives must be grounded in strong evidence and clear logic, with defined outcomes and accountability.

While we do not provide ongoing operating support, we fund the development and early implementation of promising new approaches with potential for lasting change. Through interactive outcomes-based grantmaking, capacity building, and strategic partnerships, we strive to help nonprofits become more effective and resilient. We also act as a convener, fostering stronger, more coordinated systems to meet community needs.

Grants Philosophy & Timeline

1889 Foundation’s grantmaking is designed to advance our mission of improving health and wellness across Cambria and Somerset Counties. We do this through two funding pathways:

Strategic Grants Cycle

This is the Foundation’s invited applicant cycle for organizations whose work closely aligns with the Foundation’s mission and strategic funding priorities. Organizations are identified annually by the Foundation Board based on opportunities for meaningful community impact, collaboration and systems change, potential to leverage additional public or private funding, and readiness to implement proposed initiatives.

Strategic Grants emphasize upstream and prevention-focused approaches that address underlying health factors, strengthen community systems, and create measurable, lasting improvements in community health and wellness.

Formal invitations to apply, along with an online application link, will be distributed in late August/early September, with applications due the 4th Monday in October. Applications will be reviewed by the Grants Committee in November and presented for Board approval in December, with awards issued before year-end

Discretionary Grants Cycle

This cycle is open to all eligible 501C3 organizations and provides an opportunity to request support for community-based programs and projects that are consistent with the Foundation’s mission and contribute to the health and wellness of residents in Cambria and Somerset Counties. The on-line application opens on the second Monday in November and closes on the fourth Monday in December. Grant awards announced and distributed in late March.

Grants Guidelines

Eligibility

Eligibility:

  • The Foundation supports U.S. charitable organizations classified as tax exempt under IRS Section 501c3.
  • The Foundation may consider applications in which an intermediary arrangement has been made between a registered 501c3 charity and an organization that is not a qualified applicant; however, there must be a direct affiliation of mandate and purpose.
  • Organizations must demonstrate strong leadership and a committed board, financial transparency and solvency, effective management, and the capacity to carry out the proposed initiative.
  • Must align with 1889 Foundation’s mission and Strategic Priorities.
  • Programs must primarily benefit the residents of Cambria and Somerset Counties.
  • Programs must demonstrate a provision for measurement and evaluation and a realistic plan for ongoing financial viability.

Applications should:

  • Address an urgent or emerging community need of strategic importance.
  • Complement or enhance existing initiatives.
  • Develop and implement innovative or evidence-based strategies that address critical gaps in health, wellness, and prevention services for underserved communities.
  • Foster cooperation, sharing, and strategic partnerships among organizations to minimize duplication of services.
  • Strengthen socioeconomic outcomes and enhance collective impact on community health and wellness. 
  • Expand individual and community capacity through health education, while enhancing access to vital health-related services such as transportation, screenings, and wellness programs.
  • Have the ability to implement the proposed project successfully.
  • Have a history of effective project management and fiscal responsibility.

Applications will be considered more favorably if the applicant can demonstrate how partial support from the Foundation will enable the applicant to leverage additional funding or in-kind contributions.

The Foundation Does Not Fund:

  • Loans, debt retirement or operational deficits
  • Routine, ongoing operational expenses (e.g., general overhead, staff salaries not tied to a specific project, rent, utilities, etc.)
  • Facility maintenance or deferred maintenance projects, including but not limited to HVAC replacement, roof repairs, or general building upkeep
  • Emergency, crisis, or short-term gap funding
  • Endowments or revolving funds that act as such
  • Requests from individuals for their personal benefit
  • Requests from individuals not authorized to act on behalf of a qualified tax-exempt organization
  • Funds intended for redistribution at the discretion of the applicant
  • Activities intended to influence legislation or elections
  • Projects whose primary purpose is religious instruction or benefit to members of a faith-based community
  • Organizations that discriminate against race, ethnicity, sex, creed or religion
  • Feasibility studies or research-only projects
  • Organizations operating outside the United States
  • For-profit organizations

Additional Considerations:

  • Multi-year grants will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Grant size is determined in accordance with the Foundation’s spending policy.
  • Limited project-related operational costs that are necessary for successful implementation may be considered when clearly tied to the proposed project

Grant Application Notice

The Discretionary Grants cycle is open Monday, November 9th and will close on Monday, December 28th.

Application

If you experience any issues accessing the grant application, please contact us using this form.

1889 Foundation is not a traditional grantmaking organization. Most of our grantees are identified through our work with selected stakeholders and organizations on strategic initiatives and special projects that are closely related to our mission. As a result, we are able to organize our efforts, maximize our funding, and address issues from various approaches with appropriate timing to optimize systemic and sustainable outcomes.

The Foundation’s resources are targeted to ambitious, innovative organizations that achieve meaningful impacts. Our success as a foundation depends on the success of our partners. We have high expectations both for us as a funder as well as for organizations we fund. Applicants should be committed to using the Foundation’s funding to accomplish transformational change to improve our community. Grants are viewed as successful when there is a measurable return on investment.

889 Foundation only supports U.S. non-profit organizations classified as tax-exempt under the IRS.

Please note that the following kinds of requests are NOT considered:

  • For funds to be distributed to beneficiaries of the organization’s choosing
  • For funds that will ultimately be passed through to other organizations
  • For sectarian or religious organizations whose principal activity is for the primary benefit of their own members or adherents
  • For loans, debt retirement or operational deficits
  • For institutions that, in policy or practice, unfairly discriminate against race, ethnic origin, sex, creed or religion
  • For propagandizing or for influencing legislation and elections
  • From an individual for their personal benefit
  • From individuals unauthorized to act on behalf of a qualified tax-exempt organization
  • For-profit organizations
  • For normal ongoing operations, including existing staff, or for the continuation of existing projects
  • For continuation of programs previously financed from other external sources
  • For organizations organized and operating outside any U.S. state or territory
  • For urgent needs, emergency funding or gap funding
  • For endowments or revolving funds that act as such

1889 Foundation has established collaborative partnerships with other granting agencies to assist us in fulfilling our mission. Partnering organizations include the United Way of the Laurel Highlands, Center of Population Health, and Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance. If your project or program falls within one of these existing partnerships, we encourage you to apply directly to these granting agencies rather than directly to 1889 Foundation.

  • Letters of Inquiry are reviewed and considered at three meetings a year: August, November, and February.
  • 1889 Foundation does not accept unsolicited letters of inquiry or grant proposals.
  • We value your time. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to review 1889 Foundation’s grants philosophy, statement of identity, eligibility, and About Us page.
  • If, based on the letter of inquiry, the project appears to match our funding criteria and priorities, the applicant may be asked to provide additional information.
  • Review of the LOI and a request for additional information does not mean funding will be approved.
  • Due to the volume of requests we receive, all letters of inquiry will only be accepted through the Foundation’s online portal using the LOI form. Requests in any other format i.e., emailed or mailed, etc. will not be reviewed.

All Letters of Inquiry must demonstrate a clear tie to the Foundation’s mission and should align with the following priority areas:

Advance health in our region: 1889 Foundation is a “health” foundation that embraces the World Health Organization’s definition of health as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Moreover, we recognize that a person’s health is strongly influenced by the social, economic and environmental context within which they live, work and go to school. Given this broad understanding of what health is and how health is created, 1889 Foundation views its purpose as “improving lives”.

Improve systems to achieve region-wide impact: In order to achieve population-level impacts, the Foundation intervenes at a systems-level rather than simply supporting individual programs. In particular, the Foundation seeks to create stronger systems throughout the region, where organizations align their approaches and operate from a holistic perspective.

Foster effective and innovative organizations: The Foundation believes that meaningful improvements in population health will require organizations throughout the region to be more strategic and innovative in their programming, and to incorporate strategies that have proven effective in other settings. Our grantmaking and community leadership work will be structured in a way to encourage innovation, learning and adoption of best/proven practices.

Grant Application Notice

Our Grant Application is being updated and will be accessible at a later date to be determined. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Submit Letter of Inquiry

Scroll to Top