Grant

Grant

North America

North America

OPEN

OPEN

GRANT · HOW TO WIN THIS

Carolina Career Challenge

Carolina Career Challenge

Up to $500,000; most awards $125,000–$250,000; unrestricted 1-year grants with possible follow-on funding

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2026 cycle is closed; recipients already selected. Watch for a future cycle announcement.

AMOUNT

Up to $500,000; most awards $125,000–$250,000; unrestricted 1-year grants with possible follow-on funding

AMOUNT

Up to $500,000; most awards $125,000–$250,000; unrestricted 1-year grants with possible follow-on funding

DEADLINE

2026 cycle is closed; recipients already selected. Watch for a future cycle announcement.

DEADLINE

2026 cycle is closed; recipients already selected. Watch for a future cycle announcement.

FUNDING TYPE

Grant

CAN YOU GET THIS?

You must be a 501(c)(3) with at least $500,000 in non-governmental contributed revenue, running an active program for grades 7-14 students in NC or SC.

You must be a 501(c)(3) with at least $500,000 in non-governmental contributed revenue, running an active program for grades 7-14 students in NC or SC.

Organizations can be headquartered anywhere, but the project must serve students in North or South Carolina. Collaborations are allowed with one lead applicant, and fiscal sponsors are accepted.

Organizations can be headquartered anywhere, but the project must serve students in North or South Carolina. Collaborations are allowed with one lead applicant, and fiscal sponsors are accepted.

YOUR REAL ODDS

15 organizations were selected from what is described as a competitive multi-million-dollar challenge, with most awards landing between $125,000 and $250,000.

The application period for 2026 is already closed and recipients have been selected. This is a structured challenge, not a rolling grant, so the next cycle would be the next opportunity to apply.

WHAT IT TAKES

  1. Confirm eligibility: 501(c)(3) status, $500K+ non-governmental revenue, active program in NC or SC serving grades 7-14 — 1-2 hours

  2. Prepare detailed project narrative covering leadership, track record, evidence base, and employer co-design elements — 1-2 weeks

  3. Build a line-item budget with cost-per-student metric tied to specific activities and outcomes — 3-5 days

  4. Submit application during the open period (watch for next cycle) — 1 day

WORTH KNOWING

The foundation explicitly wants to scale programs already serving students, not fund ideas from scratch. Applicants who can cite peer-reviewed evidence linking their core activities to postsecondary success or livable wages will score higher on the evidence-base criterion.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

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