The Peace Development Fund (PDF) was founded in 1981 when a small group of donor activists came together with a common vision of funding social justice and peace through a public foundation.

The organization invites applications for its Community Organizing Grants (COG) program. All partners deeply embody each of the fund’s four pillars of community organizing. Funds may have additional strategic priorities depending on their stated purpose or analysis of the current social, political, and economic moment. The four pillars include:

Shift Power: Your organization brings people together to take coordinated action that changes institutional practices. The institution could be a government, hospital, corporation, school, or any powerful group that is causing inequity. You should be led by a base that is most impacted by the systemic issue the group is organizing around.

Build a Movement: Your organization takes meaningful action to expand membership without compromising your vision. You build capacity and leadership within your organization and among your local ally organizations. PDF believes organizational sustainability is key to building a movement, too. Your organization may have specific infrastructure or practices of care that ensure your people are around for the long haul.

Dismantle Oppression: Your organization challenges institutional structures that result in unequal experiences for certain people. You have an array of loving internal practices or policies that work to end racism, classism, ageism, sexism, ableism, and all other harmful power dynamics within your organization.

Create New Structures: Your organization practices new ways of doing things that are liberating, equitable, democratic, and sustainable. You have a clear understanding of how your new structures break away from old systems of oppression. Your vision is unafraid of fundamentally transforming political, social, and/or economic systems.

Applicants can apply to one of the three funds under the COG umbrella:

Braiding New Worlds Fund: This fund is for youth-led and youth-focused organizing. Groups should actively challenge “adultism” and have young people in positions of consequence within the organization. This year the fund is interested in applications from youth-led organizations working on economic justice, housing, immigration, climate, healing justice, and technology. The average grant in this category is $3,000.

Western Mass Transformation Fund: This fund is for community organizing groups in western Massachusetts. Organizations applying to this fund should be based and work in the counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, or Hampden. The average grant in this category is $4,000.

Seeding the Movement Fund: This fund is for any community organizing group in the United States, Mexico, or Haiti. This year, PDF is particularly interested in organizations that build the movement for justice. Applicants should be actively expanding and cultivating their base of active members or are a movement support organization that trains and sustains movement leaders. The average grant in this category is $7,000.

Applicants must be tax-exempt as defined by section 501(c)(3) or use a U.S.-based fiscal sponsor, have budgets of $250,000 or under, and be in the United States, Haiti, or Mexico.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Peace Development Fund website.

Deadline: January 31, 2026

The New Earth Foundation aims to fund innovative projects that enhance life on our planet and brighten the future, furthering peace.

The grants from NEF support a wide variety of projects in many fields of endeavor, including but not limited to environmental initiatives that are working to help eliminate pollution and save the planet’s ecosystems, community efforts that create models of social sustainability, educational innovations that prepare youth to become the socially responsible leaders of the future, and strategies that offer economic improvement and opportunities. NEF particularly appreciates projects that are replicable so excellent ideas and work can multiply and benefit many.

The foundation prioritizes smaller, newer 501(c)(3) organizations, so the gift can make a more significant contribution to the work of the recipient organization.

Candidates must be tax-exempt as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service.

Letters of inquiry are due February 1, 2026, and selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application by March 2026.

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and previously supported projects, see the New Earth Foundation website.

Deadline: February 1, 2026 (Letters of Inquiry)

An international grantmaker based in Portugal, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation aims to promote the development of individuals and organizations, through art, science, education, and charity, for a more equitable and sustainable society.

The foundation invites nominations for the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, a €1 million ($1.15 million) prize that helps accelerate proven, impactful climate action that benefits people and the planet.

The prize recognizes extraordinary leadership and proven achievements in sustainable development and providing resources to help sustain and scale winners’ vital work—and by showcasing exemplary approaches that address critical issues of today to encourage wider learning, collaboration, and adoption across the global climate community.

Winners are selected by an independent jury chaired by Angela Merkel of internationally recognized experts in climate science and earth systems, climate justice and human rights, innovation and technology, and diplomacy, governance and politics through a rigorous process including open nominations. Winners are chosen for their proven achievements and inspirational leadership, as well as their potential for wider transformative impact, and relevance to the most pressing challenges posed by climate change to people and the planet.

Any individual, organization, or group of people and organizations making a significant contribution to tackling climate change for people and the planet is eligible. Nominations must come from a third party; self-nominations are not permitted.

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and information about previous winners, see the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation website.

Deadline: January 30, 2026

The William T. Grant Foundation invites applications for its Research Grants on Reducing Inequality program, which supports research to build, test, or increase understanding of programs, policies, or practices that reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of people ages 5-25 in the United States, along dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth), language minority status, or immigrant origins.

Through the program, grants of up to $600,000 for up to three years will be awarded in support of descriptive studies that describe, explore, or explain how programs, practices, or policies reduce inequality and intervention studies that provide causal evidence on the effectiveness of programs or policies for reducing inequality.

The foundation invites studies from a range of disciplines, fields, and methods and encourages investigations into various youth-serving systems, including justice, housing, child welfare, mental health, and education. Applications for research grants on reducing inequality must identify a specific inequality in youth outcomes, make a convincing case for the dimension(s) of inequality the study will address, and articulate how findings from your research will help build, test, or increase understanding of a program, policy, or practice to reduce the specific inequality that you have identified.

Applicants must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to be eligible.

Letters of inquiry are due January 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. ET, and upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and descriptions of previously funded projects, see the William T. Grant Foundation website.

Deadline: January 7, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET (Letters of Inquiry)

The Karma for Cara Foundation (K4C) was established by 21-year-old Cara Becker and her family while she was being treated for leukemia. Today, the foundation provides teens inspiration and financial support to take their ideas and burgeoning projects to the next, increasingly impactful level.

The foundation invites applications for its micro-grant program, which will award grants of up to $1,000 to students 18 years of age and under to complete service projects in their communities.

To be eligible, students must be 18 years or younger, and projects must serve communities in the United States.

If applying on behalf of an entire class or student group, the foundation requests that applicants designate a maximum of three student leaders as the project’s main points of contact.

For compete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Karma for Cara website.

Deadline: January 1, 2026

Compact26 will take place over the course of three days, March 16-18, 2026 in Chicago, IL, and feature a wide variety of engaging, interactive sessions focused on civic engagement, community-engaged research, civic- and service-learning, institutional change, university-community partnerships and more.

Early bird registration ends January 15!

Conference Sessions will be presented on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to study abroad, teaching and learning, inclusive practices, research and experiential learning. We invite you to expand your intercultural learning alongside colleagues invested in this crucial work by sharing knowledge, experiences, questions and conversations.

Additionally WISE 2026 is also offering two pre-conference workshops.

Dates: February 19-21, 2026

Location: Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC

Visit the conference webpage for workshop descriptions and additional conference information.

An early registration discount is offered until December 17.

The report concludes that four years after the height of the pandemic, there is widespread use of evidence-based and people-powered student supports–such as high-intensity tutoring, mentoring, student success coaching, postsecondary transition coaching, and wraparound supports–in public schools across the United States. But, public school principals indicate that continued growth in these interventions is needed to meet the scale of student needs.

Read more.

In this edition, we are focusing on how afterschool programs are promoting artificial intelligence (AI) literacy. Afterschool programs across the nation are working to ensure our youth of today are prepared for both the workforce of tomorrow and to be STEM-literate, engaged citizens. This includes becoming aware and educated about the role of AI in our present and future lives. With much momentum propelling investments in AI, including the Presidential AI Challenge and the national AI Action Plan, afterschool programs must be included as indispensable partners for investment.

Read more.

Deadline is on a rolling basis for 2025.

Learn more.

Deadline to apply is January 15, 2026.

Learn more.

The Shapiro Administration has invested $3.5 million in funding for STWP to develop and expand career pathways for underserved populations via partnerships between schools, employers, organizations, or associations for pre-apprenticeship and job training pathways for students.

Learn more.

The Knowles Teaching Fellowship is a four-year program that supports early-career, high school mathematics and science teachers in their efforts to develop teaching expertise and lead from the classroom.

The application for the 2026 Teaching Fellowship is now open for window 4.

Initial application deadline is January 6, 2026.

Learn more.

Among the key findings:

• Continued instability defines young Americans’ lives, with only 13% saying the country is headed in the right direction and many indicators pointing to widespread financial, emotional, and social strain.
• AI is amplifying uncertainty about the future of work, with young adults expecting fewer opportunities, greater threats to job security, and diminished meaning in their careers.
• Trust in institutions continues to erode, with colleges and immigrants standing out as rare sources of strength, while the mainstream media and political parties are viewed more as threats than assets.
• Social trust is unraveling, as many young Americans avoid political conversations, fear judgment for sharing their views, and doubt that people with opposing perspectives want what’s best for the country.
• Vaccine confidence shows clear fault lines, with strong trust in safety far from universal, misconceptions still present, and wide differences by race and political affiliation.
• Young Americans rate President Trump and both major political parties poorly, offering overwhelmingly negative descriptions of Democrats and Republicans alike — and while Democrats lead for 2026, that support stems more from caution than genuine enthusiasm.
• Most young Americans reject political violence, but a meaningful minority express conditional tolerance, driven less by ideology and more by financial strain, institutional distrust, and social alienation.

Read more.

As visitors explore five thematic sections — Declaring Independence, The American Revolution, Creating the U.S. Constitution, Ratifying the Constitution, and Drafting the Bill of Rights — they’ll encounter artifacts that illuminate the founding era. From Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Elizabeth Drinker’s wartime diary to a rare first official printing of the Constitution, America’s Founding reveals how a bold experiment in self-government was launched.

Learn more.

The changes mean that anyone, with any business activity, will have to pay BIRT starting in January 2026. This includes part time Uber drivers. These gig workers will now have to file a BIRT tax return for their business activities.

The briefing is provided by the Philadelphia Department of Commerce and the Philadelphia Dept of revenue. At the briefing, the City will provide information about how those with business activities can get FREE help with the filing of BIRT returns.

In addition to making sure that members of your team attend this important briefing, we encourage you to share information about this briefing with your clients.

Register here.

Informational flyer.

STEAM Innovations is a fully funded (free!), 8-week virtual exchange program focused on the following topics:

• STEAM discovery
• career planning
• community engagement
• language learning & practice
• entrepreneurship

The program fosters global understanding and equips participants with critical skills, a global perspective, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

“Beyond the modules and workshops, I gained valuable insights about collaboration, empathy, and the power of collective learning. Each member of our pod contributed something unique that made this journey both inspiring and enriching,” STEAM Innovations Participant, fall 2025.

Click here to learn more and share the program with those who might be interested.

Applications are currently being accepted – apply today!

Priority deadline: January 19, 2026 | Final admissions deadline: February 15, 2026

Presentation proposals will address:

• Practices and initiatives that support the success of all learners in K-12, higher education, or community settings. These may include institutional, instructional, or co-curricular/community strategies.
• Plans and strategies to address challenges in supporting the success of all learners.

Proposals will be accepted through Monday, February 2, 2026, and the program presentations will be selected by the end of February. Please feel free to share this information with others who may be interested. We hope you will join us in making a meaningful impact!

Link to submit proposals.

Questions may be directed to conference chair, Peggy Kerr at rosario.p@gmercyu.edu.

This is open to all girls, ages 6-18. They can be experienced flag players or never have played before. We are also asking about transportation and will try and make a few buses/vans around the city available if needed.

Register here.

Informational flyer.

Read the articles.