Beginning in 2023, the Rhode Island Foundation spent more than a year conducting a careful assessment of our work and engaging deeply with Rhode Islanders from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The outcome is an evolved mission and Five-Year Action Plan that is informed by the people we serve.
Through deep engagement and discussion with the public, collaboration with our partners, research, and data analysis, we identified six community priorities that are essential for a thriving Rhode Island. These priorities were consistently voiced by the community we serve and will guide the Rhode Island Foundation’s efforts in the years ahead.
The Capacity Building Grant program is one of our three core grant programs and primarily provides funding and/or technical assistance to support the needs of organizations and programs that respond to one or more of the community priorities, and related focus areas in the Foundation's Five-Year Action Plan.
At the center of each community priority is a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA), ensuring that our efforts address systemic inequities and support thriving communities.
Wondering if you should apply for a Capacity Building grant? Here are some things to consider.
Grants for this program are offered twice annually. There is a two-stage process with a simple pre-application followed by completion of a full application if there is a funding opportunity that may be a good match for the applicant’s proposal.
The program will follow the same timeline as our Community Priorities grant program. You can access the timeline for 2025 grant cycles and important dates here.
Capacity Building Grants are awarded to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations based in Rhode Island.
Capacity Building grants may support activities such as:
- strategic planning
- business planning
- feasibility studies
- fund development planning
- marketing and communications planning
- planning for reorganization
- streamlining operations or services
- partnerships and mergers
- financial management planning or systems adoption
- transition or succession planning
- board planning and strengthening
- diversity, equity, inclusion, and access training, assessment, and planning, which can center on organizational culture and/or the equity focus of an organization’s work and relationship with the communities they serve.
Capacity Building grant requests may be up to $15,000.
Proposals are evaluated based in large part on how the work of the organization responds to community priorities and related focus areas, clear explanation of need, readiness to start and complete the proposed project, and the clarity of expected outcomes.
Application process
Prepare your application
Grants for this program are offered twice a year. To ensure greater equity and improve access and the ease of applying for a grant, we will have a two-stage process starting with a simple pre-application followed by completion of a full application if there is a funding opportunity that may be a good match for the applicant’s proposal. Organizations are eligible to be awarded one Capacity Building grant per year.
Pre-application
Interested organizations must complete a brief pre-application.
- The pre-application will open on January 17, 2025 (Round 1) and August 1, 2025 (Round 2).
- Submissions will be reviewed as received on a rolling basis.
- After review – which may include an in-person conversation – you will be notified by email if you advance to the second stage to complete a full application. Applicants will also be notified of denials in a timely manner.
- The pre-application may be previewed by clicking here.
The Capacity Building Grant pre-application will be available on the Foundation's online grant portal on January 17, 2025.
Full Application
If there is a potential funding opportunity that may be a good match for the pre-applicant’s proposal, they will proceed to the full application stage.
- If your proposal advances, you will receive an email link to submit a full application.
- The application package consists of a narrative with details about the work the grant funding would support, expected outcomes, and a budget.
- Organizations advancing after the pre-application stage can access, complete, and submit a full application here.
- Notifications will be made in June and December annually.
Grant awards
Grantees may be asked about the progress of their project and to submit a final report describing the success of the project compared to its original goals.
From time to time, the Foundation team may organize meetings of grantees to share experiences, lessons learned, and ways we might be able to improve our processes and partnerships with grantees.