The Strategic Initiative Grants support organizations and programs that align with the Foundation’s strategic priorities - economic security, educational success, and healthy lives.

For each priority, they have developed a set of impact targets and strategies that available grant resources can most effectively address. To be sure your work aligns with them, please read more here:

• Economic Security: Economic security for all Rhode Islanders is within reach, if they work together. At the Foundation they believe that all Rhode Island households should be financially stable, and they are working to invest funds and provide resources beyond grantmaking to encourage just that.
• Educational Success: Rhode Island's children will succeed with learning opportunities and learning environments that inspire success. They are working to invest funds and provide resources beyond grantmaking to encourage just that.
• Healthy Lives: Well being - from head to toe - is something everyone deserves. At the Foundation they believe that all Rhode Islanders should have access to better health care at lower costs, and they are working to invest funds and provide resources beyond grantmaking to encourage just that.

The Foundation makes Strategic Initiative Grants for program support, organizational development and capacity building efforts, and advocacy or systems reform initiatives. They provide general operating support to organizations that are central to progress in one or more of the three strategic priorities described above. They rarely commit to multi-year grant awards.

The Foundation funds and would not fund

• Grants are awarded for charitable purposes primarily to nonprofit organizations or on occasion to public entities.
• The Foundation does not fund individuals, event sponsorships, or capital projects.
• Grants will not be made to organizations that owe the Foundation a grant report.

Eligibility Criteria

The Foundation recognizes there are meaningful efforts and entities without a 501(c)(3) IRS designation that align with thefunding priorities. In these cases, they will consider grant applications from groups utilizing a fiscal sponsor that does have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation. As part of their review of applications from organizations that are using a fiscal sponsor they will:

• Assess the financial and organizational health of the sponsor as the potential (legally recognized) grantee.
• Review a signed agreement developed by the two groups outlining the terms and conditions of the sponsorship. Please include this agreement as part of your application.

For more information, visit Rhode Island Foundation.