Our Grants
Scranton Area Community Foundation Grants
Explore all of our available grant opportunities on our Online Grant Management portal
The Scranton Area Community Foundation makes grants to foster good ideas that have the potential to strengthen our community and enrich the lives of the people of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Foundation responds to community needs and opportunities with grants in such diverse fields as health, education, arts, environment, human services, and civic affairs. Organizations that serve the needs of residents in Lackawanna County are encouraged to keep the Foundation informed of their programs and services and to share their ideas about addressing community needs and opportunities.
AVAILABLE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Summer 2026 Grant Cycles
Three funds at the Scranton Area Community Foundation have concurrent grant cycles running from Wednesday, July 1, 2026 until Sunday, August 31, 2026.
The three funds/grant cycles are:
• Sheldon Family Foundation 2026 Grant Cycle
• Steamtown Museum Association Fund 2026 Grant Cycle
• MHA Memorial Shelter/Rescue Fund 2026 Grant Cycle
Each of these funds has its own separate application. All applications must be submitted through the Scranton Area Community Foundation online grant portal at www.safdn.org/grants. No paper applications will be accepted.
Please Note: The Humor Therapy Fund 2026 Grant Cycle will open Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Please stay tuned for more information coming soon.
Sheldon Family Foundation 2026 Grant Cycle
The Sheldon Family Foundation was established at the Scranton Area Community Foundation in 2019, and is intended to enrich the lives of people residing or visiting the counties located in the Endless Mountains region, including Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Sullivan, and Wyoming Counties.
The Sheldon Family Foundation emphasizes the following focus areas:
• Arts
• Natural Resources and Conservation
• Parks and Open Spaces
• Animal Welfare and Protection
• Libraries and Historical Societies
• Child Advocacy
Applications will be accepted from July 1, 2026, until August 31, 2026. Decisions will be announced in the fall of 2026. Grant amounts will be up to $10,000.
Steamtown Museum Association Fund 2026 Grant Cycle
The Scranton Area Community Foundation is now accepting applications for the annual distribution from the Steamtown Museum Association Fund.
Grants can be used for the restoration and preservation of railroad artifacts and related educational projects. $24,880.00 is available for distribution in 2026.
To maximize the number of projects that can be supported, applicants are encouraged to request only the amount needed to achieve their proposed goals.
The Steamtown Museum Association Fund was established in September 2010 by the Steamtown Museum Association to support the restoration and preservation of railroad artifacts and related educational projects.
Applications will be accepted from July 1, 2026, until August 31, 2026. Decisions will be announced in the fall of 2026.
MHA Memorial Shelter/Rescue Fund 2026 Grant Cycle
Established in May 2019 in memory of Mary H. Acker, the MHA Memorial Shelter/Rescue Fund was created to support animal shelters or rescues.
Specifically, the purpose of the fund is to support Pennsylvania animal shelters and/or rescues with a no-kill policy that work to help abused, abandoned, or injured dogs.
Applications will be accepted from July 1, 2026, until August 31, 2026, and will then be reviewed by a committee. Decisions will be made in August. A total of $6,170 is available for funding in 2026.
To maximize the number of projects that can be supported, applicants are encouraged to request only the amount needed to achieve their proposed goals.
Community Support Initiative
Cycle Reopening 4/1/2026; Submissions Reviewed on a Rolling Basis
In place of the traditional Community Needs Grant cycle this year, the Scranton Area Community Foundation (SACF) will use the Community Support Initiative Letter of Inquiry (LOI) process to better understand emerging nonprofit needs and respond more flexibly throughout 2026.
This approach allows SACF to remain responsive to nonprofit needs as they evolve throughout the year rather than limiting funding to a single grant cycle.
Nonprofit organizations across Lackawanna County are navigating a wide range of challenges—from funding uncertainty and rising costs to staffing pressures and increased demand for services.
Through this LOI process, SACF hopes to listen and learn from nonprofit organizations about the challenges they are experiencing and the needs emerging in the communities they serve.
This LOI will serve as the starting point for SACF’s 2026 grantmaking process.
Please Note:
• This LOI is not intended to be a competitive grant application
• Submission of an LOI does not guarantee funding
• Information shared may lead to follow-up conversations, invitations to apply for funding, or other support opportunities
Organizations are encouraged to be candid and specific. Sharing challenges will not disadvantage your organization.
Timeline/Procedure
LOIs open Tuesday, April 1, 2026 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Based on what we learn through submitted LOIs:
• SACF may identify grant opportunities informed by LOI responses
• Some organizations may be contacted for follow-up conversations
• Some organizations may be invited to submit a full application
Who Should Submit an LOI
Lackawanna County 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations of all sizes are encouraged to submit an LOI if they:
• Are experiencing significant organizational changes or financial challenges
• Anticipate meaningful impacts within the next 6–12 months
• Have been affected by federal, state, or other funding reductions, eliminations, delays, or policy changes
• Have not previously submitted a Community Support Initiative LOI
• Would normally apply for Community Needs funding
Please note: If your organization has already submitted a Community Support Initiative LOI, you do not need to submit another LOI at this time.
Critical Needs Grants (up to $5,000)
NOTE: Read the enhanced 2025 Critical Needs Grants updates here.
Critical Needs Grants will be made for emergencies or pressing, unanticipated needs to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Letters of Intent (LOIs) for Critical Needs Grants will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year. These grants are intended to be quickly deployed where and when needed.
Critical Needs grants in 2026 will be used to assist 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in responding to very timely, unbudgeted, and/or unexpected needs within a 6-8 week timeframe from the time of submission.
Eligible requests may now include:
• Emergency operational support during financial crises
• Bridge funding for sudden and unexpected revenue shortfalls
• Budget gaps due to unforeseen reductions in expected funding
• Resources needed to fill in a gap that would otherwise cause an interruption in the delivery of basic necessities or critical programs. This includes, but is not limited to, gaps caused by:
• Health-related incidents
• Natural/Environmental disasters
• Equipment or technical failure
• Emergency infrastructure or property repairs
To ensure that funding is prioritized for the most urgent cases, applicants requesting support for budget shortfalls will be asked to provide documentation of confirmed or enacted funding reductions (e.g., award letters, official notifications, or budget amendments). Support for anticipated shortfalls may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but may not be prioritized.
Critical Needs grant requests will be capped at $5,000.00.
Robert H. Spitz Grants
Applications will be accepted for the Spring 2026 Grant Cycle until Thursday, April 30, 2026.
The Robert H. Spitz Foundation, administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, is pleased to announce the Spring 2026 grant cycle and invites local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to apply for grant funding. The grant application process begins with submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) through the Foundation’s online portal.
LOIs for the Robert H. Spitz Foundation grant cycle are due by Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that support initiatives and programs serving Lackawanna County and Northeastern Pennsylvania residents.
Please note: If the applying organization has received grant funding from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for three consecutive years, it must wait one full year (two grant cycles, 1 Spring and 1 Fall) before applying again.
Spring 2026 priority areas for funding include:
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
Programs that aim to remove economic barriers, mitigate intergenerational poverty, and encourage independence in adults and children through access to safe, affordable housing, transportation, education, training, and other important issues.
Jewish Culture & Cemeteries
Programs/projects that support Jewish culture, heritage, community, and cemeteries.
Deadlines:
– Deadline to submit Letter of Intent (LOI): Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
– Deadline to submit application: Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
Grant Application Process
As part of our ongoing commitment to building the capacity of our nonprofit professionals and to better serve our grant seekers, we have recently simplified our grant application process. Our grant application process is now streamlined through our online grant management portal.
The grant application process begins with submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) through the online portal.
To submit an LOI, you will need to first create an account in our online grant management portal.
All applicants are required to create an account. [Note that your LOI/grant application can be saved as a draft, and when you log on again it’s easy to return to that draft, make edits, and submit the application when you’re ready to do so.
To create your account and begin the grant application process, enter the following information:
A username that is an email address
Your contact information
Your organization’s information, including the EIN/Tax ID number
Contact information for the organization’s Executive Officer
We have provided additional resources, including a written tutorial, to help you with our new grant application process.
To access the written applicant tutorial, visit Applicant Tutorial – Grants.
Please note that the Scranton Area Community Foundation will ONLY accept grant requests through the online portal. No paper or emailed applications will be accepted.
The Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Community Needs Grants and Critical Needs grants are awarded to registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that help to enhance the quality of life in Lackawanna County. Grant applications are evaluated according to specific criteria, including community impact, organizational capability, and project feasibility and sustainability. We will also take into account the challenges nonprofits face in this turbulent time.
If you have any questions about our grant application process, please contact us at 570-347-6203 or grants@safdn.org.