Last updated: October 27, 2026 

Non-federal funding is more important to community health centers than it was two years ago, and the numbers tell the story. Federal health center funding is essentially flat and authorized only through December 2026. Medicaid coverage losses are beginning to increase the volume of uninsured patients. The gap between the two has to close somewhere. 

Foundation, regional, and corporate funders won’t replace Section 330 dollars, and no one should plan as though they will. But they do two things federal grants generally cannot. They fund flexibly—community programming, capacity building, pilot work, equipment—where federal awards come tightly restricted. And they move on their own timelines, which means opportunity exists in months when no federal competition is open.

Related resources: For federal opportunities, see our Federal Grants blog. Rural Health Transformation Program dollars are federally sourced but distributed by states through competitive processes that function much like foundation funding—those are tracked separately on our Rural Health Transformation Program blog.

How to use this page: Check the “Last updated” date above. Deadlines shift and funders occasionally change priorities or pause intake; always confirm against the funder’s own materials before building an application timeline. 

Current Non-Federal Grant Opportunities for FQHC & Community Health Providers

This page tracks current opportunities relevant to health centers and safety net providers, organized by whether the funder gives nationally or within a defined region. Deadlines and priorities change, so confirm against the funder’s own materials before building an application timeline. 

National Funders

These funders accept applications without geographic restriction. 

Project DASH: 2027 Food as Medicine Impact Grant Application

Deadline: November 30, 2026

Description: Through Project DASH, food banks, pantries, healthcare institutions, and other social impact organizations use DoorDash’s logistics platform to deliver food and other essentials from their pickup sites (or partner pickup sites) directly to participants. We encourage current Project DASH partners and organizations that plan to partner with Project DASH to apply for funds to support projects that achieve one of the following goals:

  • Scale an existing Food as Medicine program to drive greater impact (e.g., reach more patients, add a new referral partner, expand into a new region)
  • Pilot a new Food as Medicine program (e.g., a new produce prescription partnership, a new medically tailored groceries initiative)
  • Add a home delivery component to an existing Food as Medicine program (e.g., increase participation by offering home delivery)

Award size per recipient: Up to $15,000 per organization

Eligibility: Open to 501(c)(3) organizations, including community organizations and healthcare institutions, currently running or planning to launch a Food as Medicine program with a home delivery component. Preference is given to organizations that currently partner with Project DASH; new organizations may also apply. Organizations that have previously received Project DASH Impact Grants are still eligible to apply.

United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund

Deadline: None

Grant amount: Varies

Target population: Underserved communities facing oral health disparities

Description: The United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund supports nonprofits serving community healthcare needs across the United States, with some emphasis on Pennsylvania. Funding focuses on three areas: workforce development in oral health, dental care for uninsured and underinsured populations, and diversity and inclusion initiatives including oral health equity

Regional Funders

These funders restrict eligibility to defined states or regions. Check the geography first. 

Community Challenge Priority Group Grant

Due Date: May 31, 2027 (app start date: 7/27/26)

Description: The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking applications for the Grants for Veterans’ Services – Community Challenge Priority Group Grants program. This solicitation is open to non-profit organizations registered with the Indiana Secretary of State. Eligible organizations will apply for grant funds that directly support one or more of the three priority groups of the Indiana Community Challenge (ICC) to prevent suicide among the Indiana Veteran Community. The grant amounts will be between $1,000 and $20,000, depending on each applicant’s need for funds, the availability of funding, and the volume of eligible applicants.

Eligibility: 501(c) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations registered with the Indiana Secretary of State that provide veterans’ services described in IC 10-17-13.5-4(a). Applicants must be able to use grant funds within the grant year and be free of liabilities to the state of Indiana. 

Award Amount: $1,000 to $20,000

The Duke Endowment – Health Care Program Grants (North Carolina and South Carolina)

Description: The Duke Endowment Health Care Program Grants are focused on priority organizations in North Carolina and South Carolina, including nonprofit hospitals, academic health centers, Area Health Education Centers, select organizations in counties without an eligible hospital, and nonprofit inpatient facilities. Competitive proposals align with the program’s funding priorities, which include improving access to care for vulnerable populations, advancing maternal and infant health, strengthening mental health services with an emphasis on pediatric care, expanding oral health access, supporting population health, and building the health care workforce. Applicants whose pre-applications align with current priorities may be invited to submit a full application in the same cycle. Pre-applications are set to open 6 weeks before the full application deadline.  

Due Date: Pre-application deadline: November 15, 2026, full application deadline (if invited): December 15, 2026.

Award Amount/Ceiling: Unspecified amount

Louisiana Department of Health H.E.R.O. Fund (Round 3)

Deadline: November 19, 2026, 5:00 p.m. CST

Amount: Varies; awarded competitively based on the project’s impact on high-demand health care occupations

Eligibility: Applications must include at least one health care education or training program and one health care industry partner operating in Louisiana, such as a provider, facility, or health care-related organization. Applicants must provide a dollar-for-dollar match in cash and/or in-kind contributions.

Description: The Louisiana Department of Health’s Health Care Employment Reinvestment Opportunity (H.E.R.O.) Fund provides matching grants to grow the state’s health care workforce in nursing, allied health, and other high-demand occupations. Funds can be used to:

  • Expand training capacity and enrollment in high-demand health care programs
  • Improve program completion and certification or licensure pass rates
  • Offer student incentives such as stipends or tuition forgiveness
  • Encourage health care professionals to practice in Louisiana, especially in underserved areas
  • Expand internships, apprenticeships, dual enrollment, and career pathway programs
  • Reduce financial and other barriers to health care careers

Health center fit: Louisiana FQHCs and community health centers can apply as the industry partner alongside a local nursing or allied health program to build a pipeline of clinical staff for underserved areas.

Learn more about the H.E.R.O. Fund

Cancer Screening and Early Detection (Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas)

Deadline: December 8, 2026

Amount: Up to $1,500,000 for new projects and up to $2,500,000 for expansion projects; maximum duration of 5 years

Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Clinical services must be delivered to Texas residents only.

Description: The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) funds projects that target the cancers causing the greatest burden in a community. Projects must focus on cancers with nationally recommended screening methods and use evidence-based interventions to screen for them.

Health center fit: A strong fit for Texas FQHCs and community health centers looking to launch or scale colorectal, breast, cervical, or lung cancer screening programs for their patients.

Learn more about CPRIT funding opportunities

Foundation & Corporate Funders

PENN Entertainment Foundation

Deadline: January 1, 2027

Amount: Unspecified (median award is about $5,000)

Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in communities where PENN Entertainment operates or has a business interest. These currently include Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.

Description: The PENN Entertainment Foundation supports the broad needs of residents in its communities. Grants generally fall into six categories: community development, education, human services, cultural affairs and diversity, health (local health and medical-related programs), and veteran and military support.

Health center fit: Health centers in PENN’s 20 states can apply for smaller grants that support local health programs, services for seniors and disadvantaged populations, or veteran health initiatives.

Before You Apply

Non-federal funders behave differently from federal agencies, and applications that succeed federally often fail here for predictable reasons. 

  • Check geography first. More than half the opportunities on this page are geographically bounded. This is the fastest disqualifier and the cheapest one to check. 
  • Read the funder, not just the notice. Foundations fund relationships and fit more than federal agencies do. Reviewing a funder’s recent grantee list tells you more about your odds than the eligibility criteria will. 
  • Match the ask to the funder’s range. Requesting $150,000 from a foundation whose typical award is $20,000 signals you didn’t do the reading. 
  • Use rolling deadlines strategically. Several funders on this page, including TD Bank and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, accept applications on a rolling basis. Rolling opportunities are useful between fixed federal cycles, but confirm that the funder is currently accepting unsolicited applications, and check its next review date, before investing staff time. 
  • Pursue what federal money won’t cover. Capacity building, equipment, facility work, pilot programs, and community programming are where non-federal dollars are worth the most, precisely because restricted federal awards leave those gaps.

How VMG Health Can Help

Non-federal funding is more fragmented than federal funding; there is no Grants.gov for foundations, priorities shift without notice, and fit matters as much as merit. Finding the right funder is often harder than writing the proposal. 

Our grant writing services team provides full-cycle support for healthcare organizations, from identifying which funders align with your programs through developing competitive proposals. For health centers thinking about how grant funding fits a broader revenue strategy, our community health optimization and FQHC development team works on those decisions. 

If you are trying to decide which of these opportunities fits your organization, reach out to our team and we can talk it through.