Grant and Funding Programs Offered by The Funders Network (TFN)

The Funders Network (TFN) is a mission‑driven 501(c)(3) that convenes more than 130 national, regional and community foundations, public charities and local governments across the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to help grantmakers leverage their resources to build communities and regions that are sustainable, prosperous, healthy and just. TFN does this by coordinating funder education, facilitating collaborative initiatives and administering several grantmaking programs that channel philanthropic and public dollars into community‑driven projects.

TFN’s portfolio is organized around issue‑focused work on climate and environment, disaster preparedness and equitable recovery, equity, inclusive economies, transportation and mobility, and urban water. It also supports place‑based collaboratives such as Smart Growth California and regional funder groups in Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley. Across these themes, TFN emphasizes racial equity and the leadership of frontline and historically marginalized communities.

The best‑known TFN‑managed program is Partners for Places, a North American matching grant fund created with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. This program provides competitive awards, typically between $45,000 and $150,000, to partnerships between local governments, frontline community groups and place‑based foundations. Grants support planning and implementation of urban sustainability and green stormwater infrastructure projects, with a strong focus on racial equity and benefits for low‑income neighborhoods. Since 2012, Partners for Places has awarded more than $12 million, leveraging over $25 million in total investments and supporting hundreds of projects documented in its online Idea Bank.

Within this umbrella, TFN has launched dedicated streams such as the Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative, which provides matching grants to help communities align major public infrastructure investments with job creation, workforce development and equitable contracting in underserved areas. Another major initiative, the Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency and Emergency Partnership (PPREP), offers a structured cohort for Midwestern community foundations that includes learning convenings, technical assistance and access to grant resources for disaster preparedness and recovery projects.

TFN works primarily with institutional funders: private and community foundations, grantmaking public charities, local governments and other philanthropy‑serving organizations. Through them, TFN’s grant programs benefit a wide range of communities, especially frontline, low‑wealth and racially marginalized populations facing climate risk, environmental injustice, economic exclusion or disaster impacts. Example projects include climate action planning, urban agriculture and food access, green schoolyards, green infrastructure in vulnerable neighborhoods, resilience hubs, equitable transit‑oriented development and community‑led climate justice visions.

Beyond direct funding, TFN runs working groups and collaboratives such as GREEN (Green, Renewable, Efficient, Equitable, Now) and Inclusive Economies, which host webinars, listservs, in‑person meetings and annual convenings. It also offers the PLACES Fellowship, an equity‑centered leadership program for grantmakers. Through publications, research collaborations with partners like the Urban Institute and Federal Reserve Banks, and ongoing peer learning, TFN helps funders refine their strategies, embed racial equity in their grantmaking practices, and coordinate efforts for greater collective impact.