GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
NOTE: The Tower Foundation will not be accepting applications for its Strengthening Partner Capacity portfolio in 2026. We will be offering short-term general operating grants as a continuation of our Federal Crisis Response – General Operating grants from last year.
The Tower Foundation offers opportunities to apply for funding through our three portfolios: Programs & Services, Strengthening Partner Capacity, and Community Change. The Foundation considers grant requests that align with its Mission, Focus Areas, and Geographic Focus. Please read the guidelines below for important information on eligibility, deadlines, and instructions.
Community Change grantmaking will be accepting inquiries on a rolling basis. Please contact a Program Officer to start a conversation about a possible Community Change request.
1. Review Grant Guidelines for Portfolios
NOTE: The Tower Foundation will not be accepting applications for its Strengthening Partner Capacity portfolio in 2026. We will be offering short-term general operating grants as a continuation of our Federal Crisis Response – General Operating grants from last year.
For information on eligibility, deadlines, and instructions, download the 2026 grant guidelines for the portfolio you wish to review.
| Programs and Services Guidelines – 2026 | PDF (3 Pages) | Download |
| Community Change Guidelines – 2026 | PDF (4 Pages) | Download |
| Short-Term General Operating Grants – 2026 | PDF (3 Pages) | Download |
| Community Experts Fund RFP – 2026 | Coming in late spring 2026! |
2. Target a Grant Cycle
NOTE: The Tower Foundation will not be accepting applications for its Strengthening Partner Capacity portfolio in 2026. We will be offering short-term general operating grants as a continuation of our Federal Crisis Response – General Operating grants from last year.
For most grant cycles, our approach is highly collaborative and designed to facilitate faster decision timelines (generally four months or less).
2026 PROGRAMS & SERVICES
GRANT APPLICATION TIMELINE
| Preliminary Grant Requests Due | Fri, March 27 |
| Clarification Calls (if needed) | Apr 27 – May 8 |
| Full Proposal Invitations Sent | Fri, May 15 |
| Collaborative Proposal Review | May 18 – June 19 |
| Decision Notification | Fri, July 10 |
2026 COMMUNITY EXPERTS FUND
GRANT APPLICATION TIMELINE
| Application Deadline | TBD |
| Decision Notification (Tentative): | TBD |
2026 SHORT-TERM GENERAL OPERATING
GRANT APPLICATION TIMELINE
| SPRING CYCLE | FALL CYCLE | |
| Application Deadline | Fri., February 13 | Friday, September 25 |
| Decision Notification (Tentative): | Friday, March 27 | Friday, November 6 |
3. Read Application Resources
NOTE: The Tower Foundation will not be accepting applications for its Strengthening Partner Capacity portfolio in 2026. We will be offering short-term general operating grants as a continuation of our Federal Crisis Response – General Operating grants from last year.
The following application previews provide an overview of the application process for each portfolio. For more details, and to get started on your preliminary application, login to the online grants portal.
| Programs & Services Application Preview (2026) | Download Word (6 pages) | Download PDF (6 pages) |
| Community Change Application Preview (2026) | Download Word (6 pages) | Download PDF (6 pages) |
| Short-Term General Operating Grants Application Preview (2026) |
Download Word (5 Pages) | Download PDF (5 Pages) |
| Short-Term General Operating Grants Scoring Rubric |
Download PDF (1 Page) |
No additional resources for Community Experts Fund. (Application preview included in RFP.)
FINAL CHECKLIST
NOTE: The Tower Foundation will not be accepting applications for its Strengthening Partner Capacity portfolio in 2026. We will be offering short-term general operating grants as a continuation of our Federal Crisis Response – General Operating grants from last year.
- Read Grant Guidelines for Portfolio
- Select a Grant Cycle
- Review Application Resources
- Submit Online Application through the Grants Portal
Questions?
If you would like to discuss a potential grant application, we invite you to contact a Program Officer by email or phone call. Find contact information within our Staff Directory or click here to schedule a call.