United States: A Community Thrives – Let’s Make Change, Together!

Deadline: 30-Jun-21

Community Thrives is inviting applications from eligible applicants for its grant program. A Community Thrives is a grantmaking and crowdfunding program from the USA TODAY NETWORK, which includes USA TODAY and Gannett’s hundreds of local media brands.

The initiative is part of the Gannett Foundation and supports nonprofit organizations with projects focused on community building. Since 2017, the program has helped to distribute more than $12.2 million from donations and grants across the nation.

A Community Thrives offers a way to get your neighbors, friends, family, and peers excited to support your community-building ideas, and most importantly, a chance at +$2,000,000 in grants to get them off the ground and running.

Funding Information

There are three types of grants in the A Community Thrives program.

National Project Grants can be awarded to any applicant accepted to the challenge after the organization meets the fundraising minimum. Grants will range from $25,000 to $100,000.
Local Operating Grants can be awarded to any applicant that serves a local Gannett market, accepted to the challenge, after the organization meets the fundraising minimum. Minimum grants will be $2,500.
Fundraising Grants will be awarded based on fundraising success. A total of $200,000 will be awarded during the Fundraising phase of the Campaign to those qualifying organizations that raise the most funds or activate the most unique donors.

Eligibility Criteria

The ACT Challenge is only open to legal entities:
- incorporated or organized within the 50 United States, Guam, or the District of Columbia,
- with valid Employer Identification Numbers (“EINs”) and physical mailing addresses,
- located in the U.S., Guam. or District of Columbia and support domestic projects only, and
- that have and will maintain tax-exempt status under sections 501(c)(3), and 509(a)(1,2) of the Internal Revenue Code throughout the ACT Challenge.
Municipalities (for example, departments of park and recreation, schools) are also eligible to apply. If you are an individual submitting an entry and agreeing to these Official Rules on behalf of a legal entity, you represent and warrant that:
- you are an authorized representative of such entity and able to legally bind such entity or that you have permission from such entity to submit an entry on its behalf and
- have read, and hereby agree to, these Official Rules on behalf of such entity.
All entries made in connection with the ACT Challenge are governed by these Official Rules and are subject to verification of eligibility before a grant is awarded.