Deadline September 4: Council on Foundations Offers Up to $65,000 for Community Bridge-Building

The Council on Foundations has launched the Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator, a new grant opportunity designed to help U.S. community foundations deepen their capacity to bring people together across social and political divides. The program pairs direct funding, including a $20,000 planning grant and up to $45,000 in follow-on support, with expert coaching and a structured peer learning agenda, giving foundations both the resources and the skills to design local strategies for working across differences. Selected organizations commit staff time to a bimonthly peer learning circle and at least one additional capacity-building program, such as the Council's Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort. Applications are due September 4, 2026, and are open to U.S. community foundations, with preference given to Council members and organizations planning for long-term engagement. The accelerator reflects a growing recognition among funders that bridging divides requires sustained investment, positioning it as a valuable resource for NCDD's network of practitioners and philanthropic partners.

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Community foundations occupy a distinct position in American civic life, trusted by residents across the political spectrum and often positioned to convene people who might not otherwise sit at the same table. The Council on Foundations is investing in that potential through its new Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator, a grant program built to help these foundations turn local trust into structured, lasting strategies for bridging differences in their communities. Applications are due September 4, 2026, and the program is open to U.S. community foundations, with preference given to Council members and organizations prepared for sustained engagement beyond the grant period itself.

Rather than offering funding alone, the accelerator combines a $20,000 planning grant, with the possibility of $45,000 in additional implementation funding, with wrap-around coaching and a structured learning agenda. Selected foundations begin their participation in November 2026 and commit staff to a virtual peer learning circle meeting every other month, alongside at least one additional capacity-building opportunity such as the Council's Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort or Building Cultures of Dialogue workshops. This combination of resources is intended to help foundations move from identifying a need for cross-difference work to building the internal skills and community strategy required to sustain it.
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For NCDD's network, the accelerator represents a model worth watching: a national philanthropic association channeling significant funding directly into local bridge-building capacity, rather than treating dialogue work as a one-time project. It offers a concrete example of how funders can support the kind of sustained, skill-building infrastructure that dialogue and deliberation practitioners have long argued is necessary for lasting community impact. Community foundations interested in applying, or in learning how the program defines "working across differences," can find full eligibility requirements and the application at https://cof.org/community-foundations-working-across-differences-accelerator.