What are the Different Types of Charitable Foundation Grants?

There are multiple types of charitable foundation grants that focus on some of the most dire needs in society. Typically, a charitable foundation earmarks grants for a specific cause that is aligned with its own set of criteria. There are charitable foundation grants focused on education, fighting sickness and promoting health, the environment, abused children, low-income communities, fighting poverty, wildlife conservation, and more.

With certain education grants given by charitable foundations, students receive opportunities they would never have been afforded otherwise. Grant funds can pay for some fundamental items, including books, computers, engineering tools, sports equipment, and art supplies, all of which can lead to a more engaging and comprehensive educational experience. These monies allow students to be involved with meaningful projects that can ultimately change the course of a child's life, especially in low-income areas.

Grants via charitable foundations can also help to rebuild low-income communities in need, even saving some homeowners from foreclosure. Funds may be channeled towards programs such as job training, child care, and transportation in order to teach community residents about becoming self-sufficient. This is especially beneficial in areas where there is little access to government programs, such as welfare offices. Large charitable foundation grants may also be divided up into smaller sums of monies and distributed to individual families on a as-needed basis.

Certain charities are aligned with food distribution companies to deliver money and food to local food banks. Some are specifically designed to meet the hunger needs of children, in which case the funds may be earmarked for school breakfast, school lunch, and summer programs. Families are also taught how to prepare economical and balanced meals. Funds may be used to purchase trucks for local food banks in needy areas to distribute food.

Charitable foundation grants may come from independent non-profit organizations or from within a large for-profit organization that has either created its own non-profit arm or partnered with another foundation. Charities within some companies are known to direct grants towards grooming future entrepreneurs or to meet mere survival needs. Some of the most influential charitable foundations were formed by top corporate executives who are among the richest people in the world. Upon retiring, some of these professionals have been known to devote themselves full time to their non-profit organizations.