Approximately 77% of our funding is focused on capacity building.
A median grant payment of $100K focused on strengthening organizations and ensuring sustained positive impact.
Committed to true partnership and long term collaboration, the average grantee has been in our portfolio for 7 years.
Funding Priorities
Our grants support nonprofit organizations that provide educational and employment opportunities that help advance the self-sufficiency of underserved youth and their families. These investments elevate the operational, programmatic, financial, and organizational effectiveness of our nonprofit partners to help ensure the sustained advancement of their missions.
College Access & Success
College Access & Success
Support for programs that help students graduate from high school, prepare for and enroll in college, and secure a post-secondary degree.
Career Pathways
Career Pathways
Education, training, work-experience, or job placement programs that lead to rewarding and sustainable careers.
Family Strengthening
Family Strengthening
Programs that work simultaneously with parents and children to promote healthy parenting and build resilient, stable families.
Community Focus
Since building long-term, trusting relationships with our nonprofit partners and understanding the communities where they operate is so important to us, our funding is focused on the three areas where the majority of our family members and staff live.
Washington, DC
LA + Orange County, CA
Western MA
Scaling Program Infrastructure
STEM Advantage received a $600,000 investment over three years from The Ceres Foundation to scale our program, advance equity through education and employment, and address the racial wealth gap. We mentor, prepare, and inspire women and underserved communities to pursue STEM careers with the vision of building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive skilled workforce. As an all-volunteer group of STEM professionals, we did not have the resources or capacity to grow. We needed a dedicated program team to demonstrate sustainability and scalability to investors. This catalytic gift from Ceres is transformative and enables us to invest in two new positions that will help expand the program (from 175 scholars in its 2022 cohort to 250-300 in 2025). With this critical staff, we will also be able to maintain our high-touch, high-impact comprehensive program model, build best-in-class mentorship and internship programs, and develop strategic partnerships.
Providing Catalytic Investments
Ceres Foundation has been a true partner to The Care Center for more than two decades. Their early investment was instrumental to our nationally recognized college preparation program for pregnant and parenting teens. Building on that success, Ceres supported the launch of Bard Microcollege Holyoke, the nation’s first college for young mothers and women with low incomes, and their $1 million endowment gift is now helping sustain the Microcollege for future generations. Through its most recent multi year grant we are strengthening our organization in critical ways: extending our reach, advancing academic excellence, expanding resources for our students, and investing in our staff and technology. This partnership goes well beyond funding. Ceres brings grantees together to exchange ideas and learn from one another. Their leadership in developing research-backed indicators of student thriving has given us a valuable framework for assessing outcomes, refining our evaluation, and thinking more strategically about our impact. We're deeply grateful for their steadfast belief in The Care Center and the women we serve.
Grant Application Process
We proudly invest in strong leaders and support organizations that range from small grassroots efforts to more established programs. We invite you to learn more about grant eligibility, application requirements, and the review process.
Learn More About Applying