Grant Application

Capacity Building & General Operating Support

Request for Proposals

Overview

Cone Health Foundation recognizes that strong organizations are critical to advancing community health and equity. This funding opportunity is intended to strengthen the sustainability, stability, and effectiveness of community-based organizations. By investing in internal capacity, this grant aims to help organizations sustain and expand their impact in addressing health inequities at the systems and community levels. This new funding opportunity from Cone Health Foundation offers either capacity building or general operating support for strategically aligned community-based organizations serving the Greensboro area.

  • The capacity building support focuses on building stronger organizations by strengthening internal operations and organizational infrastructure.
  • The general operating support provides unrestricted funding to support the overall strength, stability, and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations by supporting their operations.

This one-time unrestricted funding opportunity is intended for organizations already doing impactful work in our community. Grants will typically range from $10,000 to $25,000, and proposed projects may span 12 to 24 months depending on the scope and timeline of the work.

As we anticipate a high volume of requests, not all applicants will receive a grant, and award amounts may vary from the amount requested. The application deadline is July 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM.

What is Considered Capacity Building?

Capacity building activities are those that strengthen an organization’s ability to carry out their mission. Often, capacity building efforts are focused on internal operations, systems, and processes.

Examples of capacity building efforts include:

  • Board and staff development
  • Brand, messaging, and communications strategy (organization-centric)
  • Developing partnerships and collaborative frameworks
  • Evaluation, research, and learning efforts
  • Improving internal operations, including financial, human resources, or technology
  • Strategic planning and organizational goal setting
  • Strengthening advocacy and policy efforts

What is Considered General Operating Support?

General operating support (GOS) is funding that a nonprofit or fiscally-sponsored organization can use to support their mission and ongoing operations rather than for one specific program or project. GOS helps cover the organization’s day-to-day needs.

Examples of capacity building efforts include:

  • Administrative expenses
  • Existing staff salaries and benefits
  • Insurance and accounting
  • Program delivery costs across the organization
  • Rent or utilities
  • Technology and software

What This Funding Does Not Support

  • This grant does not fund new staff positions.
  • This grant opportunity is not intended to support mutual aid activities, including the direct distribution of emergency financial assistance or emergency relief to individuals or families. This includes:
    • Cash assistance
    • Gift cards
    • Rental assistance
    • Other forms of direct aid intended to address immediate individual needs
  • Organizations without an established presence in, or a demonstrated track record of serving, the Greensboro community.

Eligibility

Cone Health Foundation will support Greensboro-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and organizations with a fiscal sponsor that are advancing one of our priority social drivers of health below. Organizations with an operating budget of $500,000 or less are eligible to apply.

To ensure sustainable and diversified funding streams, our grants are limited to 25% of an organization’s total annual budget. Organizations must be in good standing financially and operationally.

Priority will be given to organizations that closely align with our targeted focus areas:

  • Healthy food: collaborative strategies that strengthen food systems infrastructure and policy to improve access for underserved populations, as well as initiatives that provide access to healthy, affordable, quality, and culturally relevant food.
  • Education: school readiness and educational access, persistence, and quality from prenatal through 3rd grade, and in post-secondary education.
  • Safe and healthy housing: healthy home repairs, habitability interventions, and tenant stability efforts such as eviction prevention and rent-reporting programs.
  • Economic mobility: including workforce pathways leading to living wage employment.
  • Access to health care: physical, financial, cultural, and linguistic access, as well as system navigation, timeliness, and continuity of care.

Particular consideration will be given to those organizations serving the following target populations across priority areas:

  • Black communities
  • Hispanic/Latino communities
  • LGBTQ communities
  • Low-income families with a child, a senior, or an adult with a disability
  • Refugees, asylees, and immigrants
  • Veterans, individuals experiencing homelessness, former foster youth
  • Note: Organizations serving other racial and ethnic groups are also invited to apply for grants

Timeline

RFP Release: June 9, 2026
Application Deadline: July 31, 2026 by 5:00 PM
Proposal Review Period: August–September 2026
Award Notifications: October 2026
Grant Period Begins: January 2027

Submission Instructions

You can access the grant application here.

While all applications must be submitted through the link above, click here to see a PDF of the full application.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the designated application portal by July 31, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Late, incomplete, or ineligible applications will not be reviewed.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please reach out to Luke Wallace, Finance and Grants Manger, foundation@conehealth.com.