Community Foundation of Westmoreland County

Funding Opportunities

Hope Garden opened in 2015 thanks in part to a $6,500 grant from CFWC to the Sonward free after-school program in New Kensington.
Hope Garden opened in 2015 thanks in part to a $6,500 grant from CFWC to the Sonward free after-school program in New Kensington.

The mission of The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County’s grantmaking is to strengthen communities, promote change and address overlapping community issues. CFWC has worked with partner organizations to create special funding initiatives to respond to some of our region’s most pressing needs.

To qualify for grant support, your nonprofit organization must be located within Westmoreland County or demonstrate service to Westmoreland County residents. The Foundation only makes grants to nonprofits designated by the IRS as 501(c)(3) organizations (including churches) or to public entities such as towns, public schools or state agencies. All others must utilize a fiscal agent. We cannot grant to individuals.

Our funding opportunities primarily fall into three categories:

In 2025, the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County reviewed our grantmaking strategy to better align with the needs of our community and nonprofit organizations. We considered best practices in grantmaking and our grant requests over time, conducted focus groups with nonprofit organizations, held one on one conversations with nonprofit CEOs and surveyed the sector.   As a result of this work, CFWC is launching a revised grantmaking strategy in 2026 that better meets the needs of nonprofits as well as increases CFWC's impact.  

What is changing?

  • Community Grants: Each year we will offer the opportunity to apply for funding up to $15,000 to respond to urgent needs and opportunities.
  • Impact Grants-  Every other year, we will offer the opportunity to apply for operating grants between $50,000 - $75,000.
  • Every other year, we will offer the opportunity to apply for capacity building support via individual grants and/or cohorts.  More to come!

What is staying the same?

  • We will direct the majority of our foundation-directed grantmaking towards organizations supporting basic needs of individuals living in poverty and the revitalization of communities with a high rate of poverty. 
  • We will offer grants up to $15,000 to support projects and/or emergency needs.
  • We will continue to issue an annual RFP for the Greensburg Foundation Fund.
  • ALL organizations are invited to participate in our WestCo Nonprofit Network opportunities and capacity-building projects. 

What about donor advised funds?

Donor-advised funds will continue distributing grants in alignment with their fundholders’ charitable priorities.

Why are we updating our strategy?

As a community foundation, we periodically adapt our grantmaking to meet the evolving needs of our community.  We continue to support vulnerable populations, but how we do so may change over time.