In 2026, Dogwood will have open grant opportunities for Stronger Organizations, Organizational Capacity Building and Collaboration & Innovation, and Digital Opportunities. Other funding opportunities may be announced when they become available. Please keep an eye on our grantmaking page on dht.org, follow us on social media, and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.
As a private foundation, we are limited in some aspects of funding. Generally, we do not fund:
Faith-based 501(c)(3) organizations that are strategically aligned with Dogwood are eligible to apply. This means they must a) serve Western North Carolina; b) advance Dogwood’s strategic priorities of housing, education, economic opportunity and/or health & wellness; and c) demonstrate a commitment to serve, engage with and reflect the voices and lived experiences of disinvested and disconnected people and communities. Faith-based organizations must have a 501(c)(3) determination letter from the IRS to be eligible. Dogwood is unable to support activities that include or require religious instruction, worship, proselytization, or other inherently religious activities.
Yes. Organizations can apply for Stronger Organizations (typically funded through general operating support), Organizational Capacity Building, Collaboration & Innovation and/or Digital Opportunities grant opportunities in 2026 as long as there is alignment with eligibility requirements. In general, Dogwood does not fund more than 25% of an organization’s total annual operating budget. Applying to more than one grant opportunity does not guarantee an award.
Each opportunity serves a distinct purpose:
If an organization receives (or has received) a Stronger Organizations grant, it may still apply for a separate Organizational Capacity Building grant. However, the capacity building application must be clearly defined, focused on a specific internal need and aligned with eligible capacity building categories. It should also make a strong case for how the additional investment would build on prior support and lead to measurable improvement in organizational health or effectiveness. If you are applying for a Digital Opportunities grant, please ensure that this investment would advance a goal that is distinct from any of your other Dogwood grants. Please carefully review the grant opportunity descriptions and eligibility requirements. Dogwood takes into consideration prior grant support and current funding capacity in its decisions.
In general, Dogwood will only accept one application per grant opportunity per organizational tax ID. Applications from fiscal sponsorship organizations and universities are exceptions to this rule. Fiscal sponsorship organizations may apply for their organization and on behalf of other organizations. Universities are asked to work with their foundation relations, development office or office of sponsored programs to coordinate applications and identify priorities for your organization.
Grant applicants are asked to identify the requested amount in the application and make a case for the amount in their responses. The amount granted will be determined through review and conversations with Dogwood’s Community Investment team members. Please know that in general, Dogwood does not fund more than 25% of an organization’s total annual operating budget. Therefore, to be eligible, your annual operating budget should be at least four times the size of the minimum amount in the grant range.
Yes. Organizations with an active Dogwood grant may apply for a new opportunity. Applications will be reviewed with consideration given to any current, active grant(s). However, organizations may not hold more than one active grant under the same grant opportunity concurrently. For example, an organization cannot receive two capacity-building grants at the same time.
While we understand applicants’ interest in speaking directly with our Community Investment Team members before applying, we receive more inquiries than we’re able to accommodate. If your application moves forward for further review, our team members will be available for discussions at that time. We do offer live webinars prior to each grant opportunity to provide further information and answer questions. The webinars will be recorded and posted on our website afterwards. We encourage you to stay connected by subscribing to our newsletter for updates on webinars, upcoming funding opportunities and organizational news: dht.org/subscribe/
Applicants will receive an automated electronic confirmation after the application is submitted that will include a projected decision timeframe and a description of the expected next steps. If you do not receive an automatic confirmation after you submit, please email [email protected] to check your application status.
Applicants who are invited to progress to the next round will participate in a virtual or in-person conversation with Dogwood.
Dogwood recognizes that general operating support is a powerful form of capacity building. Most grants awarded through the Stronger Organizations grant opportunity are in the form of general operating support, providing flexible funding that organizations can use to strengthen their operations, adapt to challenges, and invest in strategic priorities. While not all Stronger Organizations grants are structured as general operating support, this opportunity is designed to support the overall health, effectiveness and stability of organizations.
General operating support can be used at the discretion of the organization. This may include strengthening infrastructure or internal systems, as well as other needs such as building cash reserves, hiring staff, making capital improvements, or expanding a program. It is intended to give organizations the flexibility to use funds where they are most needed.
Organizational Capacity Building grants, by contrast, are designed for specific, time-bound efforts to improve internal systems or organizational infrastructure. These grants are not intended to fund programs or direct services. Instead, they support targeted investments that help organizations operate more effectively and sustainably.
Currently, Capacity Building Grants can be used for:
If your organization receives a Stronger Organizations grant, particularly in the form of general operating support, and later applies for an Organizational Capacity Building grant, the proposal must clearly identify a distinct and specific area of internal development. It should also explain why this additional investment is needed beyond what was supported through the general operating support grant and describe the expected impact. This helps ensure that capacity building funds are used to address targeted needs that are not already being resourced through flexible funding.
All grantees will participate in a reporting process that emphasizes reflection, learning and relationship-building.
Through this process, we are especially interested in learning how the investment has contributed to each organization’s stability, growth and overall effectiveness. We want to understand the outcomes of the funding, including what changed, what was strengthened and how those changes are helping the organization better serve its mission and community.
Dogwood staff will provide guidance and support throughout the reporting process to ensure it is useful and grounded in shared learning.
Grantees may also be expected to participate in evaluation activities, such as interviews or focus groups conducted by an external evaluator. These efforts are part of Dogwood’s commitment to understanding and improving how we support organizational health and impact across the region.
Stronger Organizations
Reporting processes for Stronger Organizations include:
For Stronger Organizations grants, there is an initial conversation with Dogwood staff within the first 30 to 90 days after completing the pre-grant reflection. This conversation helps ensure a shared understanding of the organization’s goals and the intended use of flexible support.
Organizational Capacity Building
Reporting processes for Capacity Building include:
Grantees, in their application, will suggest key activities and success indicators in relationship to their grant. The key activities and success indicators may be refined collaboratively with Dogwood staff during the grant review process.
No. Each grant agreement covers only the duration of the specific award, and there is no guarantee of future funding. While Dogwood maintains strong relationships with grantee partners and stays engaged throughout the grant period, future support depends on many factors, including evolving needs in the region, alignment with Dogwood’s strategies, and available resources. The need in Western North Carolina is significant, and funding decisions are made with careful consideration of impact and community context.
A fiscal sponsor is an established organization that agrees to receive and manage grant funds on behalf of a sponsored group or initiative that does not have its own tax-exempt status.
A fiscal sponsor organization can submit an application for itself and submit separate applications for sponsored projects. Applications for sponsored projects must be submitted with the fiscal sponsor as the applicant.
If your organization is applying as a fiscal sponsor, please complete the designated section(s) of the application. All organizational and financial documents should be submitted for the fiscal sponsor, not the sponsored group. Additionally, please include the MOU between the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored group as an attachment to the application.
If the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored group plan to collaborate on completing the application, the sponsor may upload the appropriate documentation while the group or initiative completes the narrative sections as long as this reflects your shared expectations and arrangement. You may use the “Manage Applicants” feature in the portal to add individuals from both the fiscal sponsor and the sponsored group as collaborators on the application.
Please know that, as a practice, Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total budget over any four-year period, including that of a fiscal sponsor organization.
In general, Dogwood will only accept one application per grant opportunity per organizational tax ID. Please work with your foundation relations, development office or office of sponsored programs to identify priorities for your organization. For the Collaboration & Innovation opportunity, an organization can be the Hub applicant for only one application but can be named as a partner in applications from other Hub applicants.
How can I learn more about the open grant opportunities and the application process? Dogwood will host an informational webinar on April 14, 2026. Registration information for this webinar is available on the grantmaking page. A recording will be available afterwards.
Dogwood will host an informational webinar on April 14, 2026. Registration information for this webinar is available on the grantmaking page. A recording will be available afterwards.
This grant opportunity is open to emerging or well-established collaboratives only – a group of organizations that have a history of working closely together to achieve shared goals. Organizations are discouraged from creating new collaborations strictly as a means of pursuing this grant opportunity. A single organization – the Hub Applicant – will apply on behalf of the collaborative. Hub Applicants may be 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities; government, quasi and non-governmental organizations; faith-based organizations; or K-12 schools, colleges and universities.
Yes, but an organization may only be a lead – the Hub Applicant – on only one LOI. Partners should keep in mind that this is a competitive process, and partners named in multiple LOIs will be competing with themselves. This also means that an organization that is currently a Hub from the 2025 grant cycle cannot be a Hub again for the 2026 cycle. However, they can be part of another Hub’s collaborative.
The Hub organization administers all grant funds including managing the administrative and logistical coordination of the collaborative. Funds should be allocated among the collaborative partners in a thoughtful way that maximizes collaboration, aligns with program implementation, and accelerates the impacts for WNC communities.
This grant opportunity requires collaboration among at least two participating organizations. There is no maximum. This means that, at a minimum, a collaboration could be a Hub and one additional partner. The collaborative should include the partners that are essential to achieve the purpose of the collaborative.
Grant funds may be used broadly to support the work of the collaborative, including both logistical and operational costs necessary to support the effort, as well as program activities. For example, this may include funds to support staff salaries; consultants to support with facilitation, meeting planning and design, learning and evaluation, coordination of meeting planning; training and conference attendance to support collaboration; travel to visit model sites; program operations; stipends/honorariums for community members/advisors informing work.
Both emerging and well-established collaboratives need to demonstrate their shared history. Emerging collaborations need to have evidence of close partnership prior to the release of this open grant opportunity, even if that work is still in process. Established collaborations must demonstrate the impact/progress of existing collaborative work and how a potential investment by Dogwood enables the collaboration to test/explore innovation and amplify/accelerate impact.
Yes, but Dogwood will not fund more than 25% of any organization’s total annual operating budget.
The Hub organization administers all grant funds, including managing the administrative and logistical coordination of the collaborative. Funds should be allocated among the collaborative partners in a thoughtful way that maximizes collaboration, aligns with program implementation, and accelerates impacts for communities in WNC.
As part of the application, please propose a budget reflecting, at minimum, distribution of administrative funding and collaborative funding according to the defined roles and the work outlined in the application. It is ultimately up to your collaboration to define “collaborative work,” and reflect that definition in the budget that you attach to the application.
While our team will stay close to our partners selected for these investments, there is no guarantee/commitment for future investments.
All grants require a written final report. For multi-year grants, there will be annual reports and check-ins to discuss progress to date. Dogwood will provide appropriate templates to assist grantees in preparing necessary reports. The Hub organization will be responsible for grant reporting.
Grantees must submit their final written report within 30 days after the end of the grant period. The Hub organization is responsible for submitting final reports and ensuring that this deadline is met.
Launched in 2025, Dogwood’s Digital Opportunities Initiative focuses on making high-speed internet more available, affordable, and useful for everyone in Western North Carolina. In 2026, we are sustaining and expanding momentum by supporting programs, projects, and skill development that ensure residents can safely and effectively use technology in their daily lives. This includes efforts to reduce the digital divide, increase access to affordable internet, distribute devices and technology, provide digital skills training and support, expand access to health, education, employment, and housing resources through technology, and strengthen regional digital navigation capacity.
Digital access is increasingly required for education, employment, healthcare, housing resources, and economic mobility. As technology evolves, including the growth of AI and online service delivery, communities without reliable access, digital skills, and safety supports risk falling further behind. Dogwood’s Digital Opportunities Initiative helps ensure Western North Carolina can participate fully and equitably in the modern economy and service landscape.
Eligible applicants include: 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charities, fiscal sponsorship organizations, government and governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and K-12 schools, colleges and universities.
Yes. Both new grant-seeking organizations and current Digital Opportunities Initiative grantees are encouraged to apply.
This opportunity supports programs, projects, and skill development that reduce the digital divide and help people access and use the internet meaningfully. Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to:
Pathway 1 provides one-year program grants of $20,000 to support organizations integrating digital navigation into existing programs and missions. Grantees will participate in the WNC Digital Navigator Network, including learning events and training designed to equip staff with practical strategies to help clients overcome barriers to meaningful internet access and use.
No. Pathway 1 is by invitation only in 2026. However, organizations that believe they align with the goals of the WNC Digital Navigator Network may contact the Digital Opportunities team to express interest. Invitations are based on regional needs, alignment with initiative priorities, and capacity to participate in training and network activities. Submitting an inquiry does not guarantee an invitation.
Pathway 1 funding may be used to:
Pathway 2 supports projects and programs that sustain or expand digital opportunities in Western North Carolina. Grants range from $20,000 to $500,000 total for 1-2 years (minimum $20,000 per year; maximum $250,000 per year).
Pathway 2 is intended for organizations and collaborations that are ready to sustain, scale, or expand digital opportunity efforts. This may include:
Pathway 2 uses a two-stage process due to anticipated demand.
The two-stage approach helps manage anticipated high application volume while allowing the Digital Opportunities team to provide thoughtful feedback and support to all applicants.
A Letter of Intent is a preliminary application document (Pathway 2 only) that outlines your proposed project, intended impact, organizational capacity, and budget. Selected LOI applicants advance to submit a full application.
Yes. Pathway 2 grantees will participate in the WNC Digital Navigator Network, which includes learning events and training designed to equip organizations with practical strategies to help clients overcome barriers to internet access and meaningful use.
Organizations may not receive funding through both pathways for the same scope of work. However, an organization may submit an LOI for Pathway 2 and may also be considered for Pathway 1 if invited and aligned with that pathway’s purpose (as long as the work is distinct).
Digital navigation is personalized support that helps individuals identify and overcome barriers to accessing and meaningfully using the internet and technology. Digital navigators help people use technology to accomplish important life goals, such as finding employment, accessing healthcare, managing finances, or connecting with their community. By participating in the WNC Digital Navigator Network, grantees will be able to refer (“navigate”) people to other resources in the region, if the service needed is not one offered by their organization.
Meaningful use refers to using the internet and technology effectively to accomplish important life goals, such as finding employment, accessing healthcare, managing finances, managing housing or education needs, or connecting with community. It goes beyond basic connectivity to ensure people can accomplish what matters to them.
The WNC Digital Navigator Network is a community of practice where Digital Opportunities grantees participate in peer learning, training, and networking to strengthen digital access and skills throughout the region. Members share best practices, learn from each other, and coordinate efforts to support digital equity in Western North Carolina.
The digital divide is the gap between individuals and communities with reliable access to high-speed internet and technology versus those without such access. This gap affects access to essential services, economic opportunities, education, and civic participation.
Yes. There will be two webinars:
If you have questions after reviewing the available materials, please contact Jeremiah Robinson at [email protected]
Dogwood uses an online portal to manage our active grants with current partners and the application processes for new grants.
Last year, we transitioned to a new “Applicant and Grantee Portal” for applications and reporting. All grantseekers will use this portal for 2026 grant opportunities.
The new portal simplified the application process for 2025 Grant Opportunities and beyond. Applicants and grantees can now use a single login to manage all applications and grants with any funder that uses Blackbaud Grantmaking, including Dogwood. If you already use Blackbaud products like Raiser’s Edge, you will not need to create a new login. The portal consolidates all applications from funders using Blackbaud Grantmaking into one location, providing a streamlined experience for applicants to manage applications, requirements, reports and invite additional users to collaborate more easily.
Yes, all applicants must have a Blackbaud ID to access the new portal. If you already use a Blackbaud product, you can use your existing Blackbaud ID and password.
You will be prompted to create an account when you start an application. Alternatively, you can sign up by visiting https://bbgm-apply.yourcausegrants.com/apply/applications and follow the instructions to create a Blackbaud ID. If you already have a Blackbaud ID from another Blackbaud product, you may use that to login.
You can reset your password through the Blackbaud login page. If you have trouble, contact our Grantmaking Operations Team at [email protected].
Yes. When creating an application, you can invite additional people from your organization to complete and collaborate on forms by clicking the “Manage applicants” button.
Bookmark https://bbgm-apply.yourcausegrants.com/apply/applications for easy access to your applications and requirement forms.
You will receive an automated email notification once you submit your application. Dogwood will send further email notifications as decisions have been made, and sometimes during the review process. Please note that the status you see on the portal is not updated by Dogwood and does not reflect where your application is in the review process.
The legacy portal (https://www.grantrequest.com/AccountManager.aspx?sid=6065) was used for applications through 2024 and reporting through mid-2025. The site will remain active until Blackbaud decommissions it sometime in 2026. This will allow grantees time to download past applications and reports if they wish. You can request help by emailing [email protected].
Add [email protected] to your email’s safe senders list to ensure you receive all portal-related communications.
If you encounter any issues, contact our Grantmaking Operations Team at [email protected] for assistance.
