Last verified October 21, 2026 · How we verify
Grants for nonprofits in Rhode Island
As of October 2026, a Rhode Island nonprofit can be matched against 3 Rhode Island programs your nonprofit can apply for (3 of them set aside for nonprofits only), plus national and federal grants open to nonprofits, scored in your report.
Most of these grants never run an ad. The hard part was never qualifying. It was finding out the grant existed before the window closed. That is the part we fixed.
Rhode Island nonprofit grants by the numbers
- Who funds them
- 3 funders: Rhode Island Energy Foundation (PPL Corporation) (1), Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) (1), The Champlin Foundation (1).
- Award size
- Awards around $20K.
- Timing
- None open right now. 3 between cycles; Champlin Foundation Capital Grants lists its next window as “Cycle One opens December 15, 2026”.
- What they fund
- Arts & Creative (1); 2 open to any industry.
3 Rhode Island grants your nonprofit can apply for, worth knowing by name
Every program here is available to nonprofits in Rhode Island. Each lists nonprofits among its eligible applicants. The “Built for” column says whether a program is set aside for nonprofits only or open to nonprofits and other organizations. Each names its funder and links to the official page.
| Program | Amount | Status | Built for | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhode Island Energy Foundation Empowering Communities Grants Rhode Island Energy Foundation (PPL Corporation) Verified Oct 21, 2026 | $2,500 to $20,000 (average about $5,000) | Between cycles Usually opens around February 2027, based on past rounds | Nonprofit organizations only | Official page ↗ |
Champlin Foundation Capital Grants The Champlin Foundation Verified Oct 18, 2026 | Not stated (capital projects) | Opens Dec 15, 2026 | Nonprofit organizations only | Official page ↗ |
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Project Grants for Organizations Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA) Verified Oct 19, 2026 | Not stated | Opens February 2027 | Nonprofit organizations only | Official page ↗ |
We track 1 more Rhode Island program your nonprofit can apply for that is not open, dated or verified closely enough to name here yet. The quiz still checks your organization against it.
Multi-state programs that include Rhode Island
Each of these covers more than three states, so we list them here instead of counting them as Rhode Island programs.
- Closes in 4 daysNortheast SARE Farming Community Grant ProgramNortheast SARECovers 12 states (plus DC), including RINonprofits and small businesses · Typically $250,000 to $500,000 per project; approximately $1,500,000 allocated this cycle · Closes Oct 26, 2026 · Official page ↗
- Nuestra Herencia Grant ProgramLatinos in Heritage ConservationCovers 48 states (plus DC), including RINonprofit organizations only · $5,000 to $100,000 per project · Opens Nov 4, 2026 · Official page ↗
- Northeast Dairy Farm Improvement and Modernization GrantNortheast Dairy Business Innovation Center (Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets)Open in 11 states, including RINonprofits and small businesses · Amount not stated · Reopens, date not announced yet · Official page ↗
Looking beyond Rhode Island? See grants for nonprofits nationwide. New to this? Read the guide: How to Write a Nonprofit Grant Application: A 2026 Guide.
Rhode Island nonprofit grants, program by program
Rhode Island Energy Foundation Empowering Communities Grants: $2,500 to $20,000 (average about $5,000), usually opens around February 2027, based on past rounds
Run by Rhode Island Energy Foundation (PPL Corporation). Nonprofit organizations only. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 21, 2026. Official page ↗
Champlin Foundation Capital Grants (The Champlin Foundation): Not stated (capital projects), next window Cycle One opens December 15, 2026
Nonprofit organizations only. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 18, 2026. Official page ↗
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Project Grants for Organizations: Not stated, next window Feb 1, 2027
Run by Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA). Nonprofit organizations only. Verified against the funder's own page Oct 19, 2026. Official page ↗
More small business grant lists
- Grants for fire departments and EMS
- Grants for churches and faith-based nonprofits
- Youth Sports grants for nonprofits
- Grants for women-owned businesses
- Grants for veteran-owned businesses
- Grants for minority-owned businesses
- Agriculture grants
- Technology grants
- Healthcare grants
- Virginia grants
- New Mexico grants
- Rhode Island grants
Straight answers
Do I pay these back? How current is this list?
No. Grants are not loans. Each row shows the date we last checked it against the funder's own page. How we verify.
Are these grants only for Rhode Island nonprofits?
The programs above are available to nonprofits in Rhode Island. The “Built for” column on each row tells you which is which, so you are never applying for something you are not eligible for.
Some of these say "between cycles." What do I do right now?
Get ready before the window opens. Champlin Foundation Capital Grants lists its next window as “Cycle One opens December 15, 2026”; Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Project Grants for Organizations as “~Feb 1, 2027 (stated on page: 'Opens: Feb. 1. Deadline: April 1')”. The organizations who win are the ones whose applications are ready the week a window opens, not the ones who find out it existed the week it closed.
Somewhere in Rhode Island, a nonprofit qualifies for one of these right now and doesn't know it.
This page can't read your organization. The 3-minute quiz can. It matches your mission, state, and structure against every grant your nonprofit can apply for and shows you where you stand.