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Current opportunities

The Community Foundation supports the work of nonprofits through grants to organizations directly from our donors and competitive grantmaking in Bedford, Cambria, Indiana, and Somerset counties.

Early Childhood Care and Education: application opens March 15; deadline to apply is April 15; for Cambria and Somerset counties.

Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator: application opens February 1; deadline to apply is May 1; for Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties.

Spring 2024 Grant Round: applications now under review; grants announced in mid-April.

Click on the grantee portal below to learn more about these grant opportunities, to log in to your applicant dashboard, or to create a username and password. If this is your first visit, CLICK HERE to open a PDF of tips for how to use our online application system.

Grant FAQs

If you received a grant from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies prior to June 2020 (Spring or Fall grant rounds, the Early Childhood Education Fund, or the Community Initiatives Fund), OR if you received a grant from the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund at any time, please CLICK HERE to fill out a Final Grant Report. After you register or log-in, you will need to click on "APPLY" and then enter this access code to fill out this report: CFA$Report.

If you received a grant from the Community Foundation (other than a COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund grant) after June 2020, you will receive an email on how to access your final grant report via your dashboard in our application system. (In that system, below your application, you will see the final grant report form listed. Click on the blue “Edit” link to the right of the form to access the form. You can save the form as often as you need but remember to submit by the due date.)

CLICK HERE for a link to helpful tips and guidelines about the online system. If you have any additional questions, reach out to CFA Grants Administrator George Bivens at gbivens@cfalleghenies.org

All applicants can periodically check their dashboard within the application system to verify the status of their request. Declinations as well as grant award winners will be notified of the results via email. The email will be sent to the email address of the person who was listed as the contact person in the grant application.

The following are eligible for Community Foundation grants: nonprofit organizations that serve Bedford, Cambria, Somerset, and/or Indiana counties with evidence of IRS designation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; governmental entities; volunteer fire companies with a 501(c)(4) status; and organizations that the IRS has determined to be tax-exempt, such as a church.

Projects and expenses that will not be funded by the Community Foundation:

  • Debt
  • Activities that occurred prior to the beginning date of the grant
  • Individuals
  • Religious organizations for religious purposes
  • Government entities for basic services
  • Projects that discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any veteran status.
  • Indirect costs, general overhead expenses, and administrative costs particularly for large educational institutions and/or research institutions.

The Community Foundation publicizes grants and grant stories through media relations, social media, publications, and our website. We find this helps bring communities together on common interests and activities. We encourage you to also share success stories and photos so we can create additional partnerships to help make the Alleghenies an even more enjoyable place to live. Please CLICK HERE for guidelines to help you publicize your program.

CFA's Nonprofit Resource Library provides access to a database of more than 17 million grant opportunities. We have certified staff available to help you navigate the database and find resources to help your organization grow and thrive. CLICK HERE to find out more. 

You can also reach out to CFA Program Associate, Emily Wood to schedule a visit: ewood@cfalleghenies.org or 814-208-8448.

CLICK HERE for a list of our grantees from the Spring 2023 Grant round.

CLICK HERE for a list of our grantees from the Fall 2023 Grant round.

CLICK HERE to see the full list of grants distributed from all of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies’ funds during FY 2023.

Applications will be screened for eligibility and completeness by Community Foundation staff. Applications that may fit the criteria for other funding sources that we are aware of may be forwarded to those funders for consideration. Our Distribution Committee will evaluate eligible applications and will forward grant recommendations to our Board of Directors for final approval.

The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies’ Distribution Committee awards grants twice annually. These grants have a maximum of $7,500, but are typically in the range of $500 to $5,000.

The Community Foundation provides charitable service administration for the Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund and the Pitcairn-Crabbe Foundation.

CLICK HERE for information about the Penelec Sustainable Energy Fund.

CLICK HERE for information about the Pitcairn-Crabbe Foundation.

Grants for the Arts

The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies is excited to announce that we are the new Pennsylvania Partner in the Arts for Region 12, serving Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties. As the Region 12 PPA, CFA will work with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to administer the Creative Sector Flex Fund Program and the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. These programs will enable Region 12 and the PCA to reach a wider audience by increasing access to funds for the organizations and artists across the state, thereby increasing statewide audience exposure to arts activities. Click the program names below for specific details about these grant opportunities

Please contact Emily Wood, Program Associate, at ewood@cfalleghenies.org with any questions about the Region 12’s partnership with the PCA, the Creative Sector Flex Fund, and the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program.

Grants for the Arts

This new grant program for the 2023-2024 fiscal year is designed to address the changing needs of dynamic PA arts organizations with average annual revenue between $10,000 - $200,000. This grant program incorporates the current needs of the field by offering grantees the flexibility to use $5,000 grants in ways that ensure the most significant impact for their organizations and communities. Eligible uses of grant funds include but are not limited to operating or programming expenditures. Previously known as Entry to Program Stream and Program Stream

To learn more about the Creative Sector Flex Fund, click here.

Creative Sector Flex Fund Application

Application opens: 2024 TBA

Application due date: 2024 TBA

Link to apply for Creative Sector Flex Fund

Guidelines for the Creative Sector Flex Fund 

 

We encourage you to contact Emily Wood at ewood@cfalleghenies.org or 814-208-8448 with questions about eligibility, the application, or required documents. 

For current PPA Entry to Program and Program Stream Grantees:

Please know that your organization's 2022-2023 Entry to Program Stream or Program Stream grant will not be impacted by this change. We thank you for the value and impact that your art organization provides to the communities that you serve, and we encourage you to explore the guidelines for the Creative Sector Flex Fund, as you may find that this program is a great fit for your organization and programs.

This program is designed to pair access to existing small business consulting services with financial resources of $2,000 for creative entrepreneurs who aspire to start their own for-profit business or who operate an existing for-profit micro business.

To learn more about the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, click here. 

Application opens February 1, 2024.

Application due date May 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

Link to apply for the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, use access code: CEAP24

Guidelines for the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program

CEA Program Checklist

CEA Referral Form

See our Referral Partners:

Terry Anderson: Saint Francis University, Small Business Development Center                 Email: tanderson@francis.edu

Tim Bates: Saint Vincent College, Small Business Development Center   Email: tim.bates@stvincent.edu                                                                                                             Phone: (724) 537-4572

Jeff Boldizar: Saint Francis University, Small Business Development Center  Email: jboldizar@francis.edu

Blake Fleegle: Johnstown Area Regional Industries (JARI), Startup Alleghenies                        Email: BFleegle@jari.com                                                                                                            Phone: (814) 254-4023

Jen Marsh: Bedford County Development Association                                                            Email: jmarsh@bcda.org                                                                                                                Phone: (814) 623-4816

Lyz Marshall: Wukich Center for Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Seton Hill University    Email: marshall@setonhill.edu                                                                                                      Phone (724) 830-1049                      

Matt RecknerStartup Alleghenies                                                                                              Email: startupsomerset@startupalleghenies.com                                                                      Phone: (814) 283-4495   

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