BSK: Non-BSK Funding Opportunities List –March to May deadlines

We will always promote our Best Starts funding opportunities here on the blog and our website. But we’re also posting a monthly blog series, highlighting funding opportunities from other agencies and organizations that support groups that promote the health and well-being of our babies, children, and young people

APPLY NOW - 2026 HSBTP Application Open

The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is pleased to release a noncompetitive application process for the HSBTP, with allocations from DCHS and King County Metro (Metro). Through this application process, these departments are making available access to discounted bus tickets – up to $444,440 in allocation value ($4,444,400 in face value). The HSBTP provides subsidized bus tickets to eligible human service agencies serving persons who are experiencing homelessness and/or have low income. Agencies awarded an allocation pay approximately 10 percent of the value of the tickets, with King County Metro covering the remaining 90 percent of the ticket value. Please review the 2026 Human Services Bus Ticket Program before completing an application

Application Process - This year there will be no formal Request for Proposal (RFP), but instead a noncompetitive open application process.  After December 1, 2025, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis each month through September 1, 2026. Approved Agencies will receive a Letter of Agreement for a term state date of their award letter, through December 31, 2026.

Dept of Commerce: funding to expand homeowner opportunities Apply by March 16, 2026

Commerce’s Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) is now accepting applications from organizations, lenders and tribes to assist people disproportionally experiencing wealth disparities with buying homes and building generational wealth. Funding will support expanding affordable homeownership opportunities. Pre-proposal conference Feb 11 &12th.

2026 Social Justice Fund Seed Grant for new organizing groups – Due Thu March 19th

Seed grants provide small unrestricted funds for grassroots groups developing their community organizing work who do not yet meet all of SJF’s community organizing framework and would not be eligible for our regular grants. If your organization or project is less than three years old, has never been funded by SJF, and is currently doing or planning community organizing work, then you are eligible! ‍ ‍Learn more and apply: 2026 Seed Grant - Social Justice Fund NW

VSHSL Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Mini Grants due Friday, March 20 @ 4 p.m

Apply now at this link! VSHSL Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Mini Grants aim to strengthen the capacity and improve performance of programs, services, and processes within small to mid-size organizations with an active VSHSL contract providing human services in King County. For more details, please visit the grant website here, or contact Emily Mirra at emirra@kingcounty.gov.

The Frontline Funding Collaborative HEAL Capacity Grant Program – Round 1 Due Thu Apr 30

 These HEAL capacity grants are intended to support community organizations whose capacity building efforts are aligned with, and will advance the goals of the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act. Nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) community-based organizations (and organizations that they fiscally sponsor) throughout Washington State who work with overburdened and vulnerable communities are encouraged to apply for these unique capacity grants. Amount and number of grant awards: eighteen (18) capacity grants in the amount of $20,000 each. Want to learn more about the HEAL capacity grant program or the Frontline Funding Collaborative? Get in touch! Front and Centered - healfund@frontandcentered.org Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) - glenda@asiapacificculturalcenter.org Latino Community Fund of Washington State (LCF) - lcfgrant@latinocommunityfund.org Na’ah Illahee Fund - janine@naahillahee.org Washington State Coalition of African Community Leaders (WSCACL) - yalonda@wscacl.org

Early Learning Facilities: Supporting materials available now for upcoming 2027-29 grants for public school districts and tribal compact schools Applications will open April 1

Commerce plans to open the next Early Learning Facilities (ELF) funding round for public school districts and tribal compact schools on April 1. These funds can reimburse eligible costs for facility expansion of new early learning slots. To support those preparing for the application process, these key documents are now available on the Early Learning Facilities website. The application will become available April 1, and will close at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on May 30. Information about webinars and office hours can be found in the email attached above! Questions? Please contact EarlyLearningFacilities@Commerce.wa.gov

(VSHSL) Vets Engaged Apply byMonday, April 20, 2026

Submit applications via Agiloft! The Vets Engaged grant supports the convening of community-building events and networks that increase social connection for veterans and military servicemembers, and their families, in King County. This grant is open to for-profit and nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, and governmental agencies serving communities in King County. For more details, visit the Department of Community & Human Services’ Open Funding webpage, or contact Miran Kim at mirkim@kingcounty.gov.

(VSHSL) Short-Term Engagement Projects Apply byMonday, April 20

Submit applications via Agiloft! These Short-Term Engagement Projects grants support short-term community-building events and activities that provide social engagement opportunities for seniors, communities of color, immigrant communities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, and other communities who may experience social isolation or financial barriers to social connection. Organizations may request up to $10,000 in funding. The total funding available is $93,000. For more details, visit the Department of Community & Human Services’ Open Funding webpage, or contact Katie Mahoney at kmahoney@kingcounty.gov.

BSK: Prenatal to Five Innovation Fund RFP – apply by May 15!

P-5 Innovation Funds aim to build up the power of Community-led Innovation to meet the emergent needs of families in King County. King County seeks community leaders to design, develop, test, and build the potential of innovative Anti-racist approaches (e.g. policies,programs, products, media, places, and services) so that ALL babies and children in King County grow up to be happy, healthy, safe, and thriving.   Attend our Information Sessions + Community Building and Idea Sharing: We strongly encourage anyone interested in applying to attend our information session to learn more.  Round 3: March 17, 2026, 1:00pm – 2:30pm (In-Person & Virtual) Register and access meeting details for the information sessions within the full RFP document.

Medic One Foundation Community AED Grants

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply now at this link! Medic One Foundation offers a limited number of grants for the purchase of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be placed in public areas such as local government facilities, community centers, playfields, parks, and law enforcement vehicles within King and Snohomish counties. Priority will be given and grants awarded based upon demonstrated financial need, population served, location, and potential impact. Organizations must be a nonprofit or public entity. For more details, please visit the grant website here, or contact Medic One Foundation at info@mediconefoundation.org or 425-625-2137

Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grants

VA grant funding is now open to community-based organizations helping prevent Veteran suicide locally. Congress has authorized $174 million to be appropriated to carry out the SSG Fox SPGP, a three-year community-based grant program that provides resources to community organizations serving certain Veterans and their families across the country. Organizations can apply for grants worth up to $750,000 and may apply to renew awards from year to year throughout the length of the program.

Youth Sports GrantsApplications are accepted on a rolling basis

All Kids Play provides funding to families and communities who lack the resources to pay for youth sports. Grants are available to qualifying families with kids in grade K-12 and not-for-profit community-based recreational sports organizations in low-income areas on a need and first-come, first served basis as funds are available. Individual grants can be used for registration, equipment and other associated fees for sports classes, recreational leagues, and travel sports. For more details, please visit the grant website here, or if you have questions, please email info@allkidsplay.org. Apply now at this link.

Commerce Clean Energy Federal Grants Assistance

If your organization (non-profit, local government, businesses, and other groups eligible to receive Federal Funds) is looking to apply for Federal funding, please check out Commerce’s Federal Funds Grant Writing Assistance Program. This program is to support both preparation and submission of Federal Grant Applications, specifically ones focused on clean energy. You are invited to complete this Program Design Survey and share your thoughts on how the Federal Funds Grant Writing Assistance Program (FFGWAP) would be most useful to you. The survey should take 7-10 minutes to complete: survey. For more information, please reach out to Sarah Vorpahl (Commerce’s Policy and Program Alignment Manager in the Energy Division) at sarah.vorpahl@commerce.wa.gov

Horizons Foundation of Washington Grants‍ ‍Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply now at this link.

Horizons is a private family foundation whose primary purpose is to address social and environmental concerns in Washington State. They award grants to non-profits in three areas: the environment, social services, and arts and culture. Grants are awarded from as low as $1,000 and up, and grants to applicants in the Arts and Direct Emergency Services categories are typically capped at $5,000. For more details, please visit the grant website here, or if you have questions, please email horizonsfoundation1@gmail.com.

Inatai Foundation Connecting, celebrating, and building power together

Funding opportunity for community events that connect, celebrate, and build power together. Range - $2,500 - $5K. Applications Due – At least 60 days before and up to 1 year before a planned event. Inatai Foundation – Sponsorship Grants

Solidaire: Supporting Racial, Gender and Climate Justice

Solidaire’s members move money to the frontlines of social change movements in order to fund urgent needs, support bold and innovative ideas that others may not fund, and help build long-term infrastructure for the movement.

King County: Best Starts For Kids Programs and opportunities including Open Funding Opportunities

The funding calendar shares upcoming funding opportunities beginning in January of 2022 and staggered throughout the year. Please note that we will continually update this calendar as we implement Best Starts for Kids 2.0. We encourage everyone to subscribe to our newsletter and blog to receive notices whenever we post a new funding opportunity.

Social Justice Fund NW Grant Opportunities

Social Justice Fund NW provides essential resources to organizations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming to strengthen grassroots efforts in the broad-based movement for progressive, systemic social change. Our funding prioritizes organizations that use a community organizing (see below) approach to make lasting change from the bottom up.

Department of Community and Human Services: Funding Opportunities‍ ‍

This page serves as a resource to agencies and individuals contracting with DCHS. There are links to required contract compliance forms, useful information about the contracting process and contact information for staff who can provide technical assistance.