EMERGING ERIE
FUND GRANTS
The Emerging Erie Fund Grant supports innovative and ambitious projects investing in Erie’s people and places as part of their goal to create a community where all can thrive, today and tomorrow. Grant amounts will be announced annually – see The Emerging Erie Fund website for a list of previous grants with amounts.
Project Categories:
The categories below outline our priority project areas. Applications that fit either criteria or both are welcome to apply.
People:
- Creating pathways to living wage jobs
Places:
- Investing in safer, healthier neighborhoods and public spaces
Eligibility
Criteria
Applicants must be Erie County 501 (c)3 organizations.
Application
Process
Log onto The Erie Community Foundation’s grants portal, GoApply, to access this application, which is publicly accessible. Prior approval and pre-application meetings are not required.
Applicants selected as finalists will be invited to present to members of the Emerging Erie Fund in early summer. The recipient will be notified and invited to a late summer grant reception to publicly announce and celebrate the grant.
FAQs
What types of projects will be funded? What do you mean by “people and places”?
Innovative projects that support Erie’s people and places will be funded. Prior examples include:
- Erie City Moms’ Home Ownership for Mothers in Erie (H.O.M.E) program (2024): this program will help mothers in Erie County to build credit, save for a home, and learn how to buy a house.
- Our West Bayfront’s 811 West 7th Street Project (2023): This community build project in Erie’s historic West Bayfront neighborhood is renovating a long-vacant property to create a home that, in partnership with the community land trust, will offer an accessible route to homeownership for Erie residents.
- Erie Center for Arts and Technology’s Construction Trades Program (2022): this program connects Erie County residents to job training for in-demand, skilled labor. Student work included renovations of blighted properties on Erie’s east side.
Will you distribute multiple grants annually?
The Emerging Erie Fund is committed to making bold investments in local nonprofit organizations, so our current policy is to issue one grant each year through our annual program.
Can I apply for multi-year funding?
No.