Knight Cities Challenge

Up to $200,000 per project; one-time grant disbursed in fall 2026 for the current cohort

Runs annually; the last cycle closed April 30, 2026. Sign up on the Knight Foundation site for updates on the 2027 round.

AMOUNT

Up to $200,000 per project; one-time grant disbursed in fall 2026 for the current cohort

AMOUNT

Up to $200,000 per project; one-time grant disbursed in fall 2026 for the current cohort

DEADLINE

Runs annually; the last cycle closed April 30, 2026. Sign up on the Knight Foundation site for updates on the 2027 round.

DEADLINE

Runs annually; the last cycle closed April 30, 2026. Sign up on the Knight Foundation site for updates on the 2027 round.

FUNDING TYPE

Grant

CAN YOU GET THIS?

Open to nearly anyone, but your project must happen in one of 26 specific Knight communities.

Nonprofits, for-profits, individuals, universities, and governments are all eligible. The project must focus on local news/information, economic opportunity, or arts/culture/community, and must be completable within one year.

YOUR REAL ODDS

Roughly 25+ grants share a $5 million pool, meaning competition across 26 communities is real.

Up to $200,000 per project, with $5 million total available this cycle. There is no per-community quota, so strong ideas from any of the 26 cities compete against each other across the full portfolio.

WHAT IT TAKES

Confirm your project is in a Knight community and fits one investment area — 1–2 hours
Prepare project overview, impact plan, team info, timeline, and budget using Knight's required template — 1–2 days
Submit one application via Submittable — 1–2 hours

WORTH KNOWING

National organizations can apply but must have a named local partner in the community and detail that support in the application — lining up a credible local partner before applying strengthens your case.

Apply on the funder’s site →

Freed Fellowship

$500 grant monthly; winners also eligible for a $2,500 year-end grant.

Any US small business owner can apply for a $500 monthly grant with no equity or repayment required.

Texas Job Creators Quest Grant

$100,000 total pool distributed across ~30 recipients; individual awards have ranged from $1,500 to $10,000.

Texas-based small businesses led by underrepresented founders with $100K–$3M in annual revenue can apply for this grant.

BELLE Capital USA Grant

Grant amount varies; no specific figures disclosed.

Early-stage startups in tech, health, or cleantech with at least one female founder or female C-suite executive.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

$50B+ in available capital across grants, VC funds, CDFIs, and accelerators. Filter by your industry, stage, and region, and see everything you qualify for.

Explore the funding database →

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