Name: Foundation QB
Price range: $

CORE Grants provide flexible funding to established nonprofit organizations, improving quality of life across Southern Arizona. These grants give organizations the freedom to use funds where they are needed most—whether responding to emerging issues, strengthening salaries and benefits, investing in technology and infrastructure, or building communications and fundraising capacity—all in service of stronger, healthier, and more resilient organizations. CORE Grants are rooted in mutual trust and the belief that organizations understand their own needs and are best positioned to determine how resources can support their work and the communities they serve.

CORE Grant Applicant Information Session

Why CORE?
For nine years, CORE has been a cornerstone of CFSA’s competitive grantmaking, providing flexible funding to established mid-sized nonprofits across Southern Arizona. CORE recognizes the essential role these organizations play in our communities and gives nonprofit leaders the flexibility to invest resources where they can best strengthen their organizations, missions, and communities.CORE also creates a unique opportunity for additional investment: organizations selected as finalists through our community review process are shared with CFSA Donor Collaborators, who may choose to contribute their own charitable dollars and amplify the funding available to CORE grantees.

CORE Values
CORE Grants are scored according to a rubric representative of the following CORE values:

Community: Organizations understand the communities they serve and the role they play within them. They are responsive to changing community needs, build meaningful relationships and collaborations, and foster an organizational culture that is welcoming and supportive of both staff and community.
Organizational Governance and Sustainability: Organizations demonstrate thoughtful governance and a commitment to long-term sustainability. Boards provide meaningful strategic oversight and guidance, while staff and volunteers contribute effectively to the organization’s mission. Organizations demonstrate sound financial stewardship, sustainable and diversified revenue strategies, and leadership equipped to move the organization forward.
Results: Organizations evaluate their work in ways that are meaningful to their mission and use what they learn to strengthen their work. They collect and use data, evaluation findings, and other forms of learning to inform decision-making, adapt their approaches, and better serve their communities.
Effectiveness: Organizations can clearly articulate the value and impact of their work and how it responds to gaps or unmet needs within the communities they serve. They can articulate the value and impact of their work, recognize the challenges facing their organization, and thoughtfully consider how resources can strengthen their ability to advance their mission.

Important Dates

November 2, 2026 - Application Open
November 30, 2026 - Application Due (5:00pm Arizona time)
November 2026 - March 2027 - Applications Reviewed
March 2027 - Award Notifications
April 2027 - Grants Funded

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in good standing or apply through a qualifying fiscal sponsor and must have operated in Southern Arizona for at least two years.
If applying with a fiscal sponsor, the fiscal sponsor must be 501(c)3 in good standing.
Organizations serving as fiscal sponsors may submit more than one application. Applications must represent distinct projects with separate leadership, budgets, and community impact. CFSA may choose to fund no more than one sponsored project from a single fiscal sponsor.
Applicants must have an established governing board, or, if fiscally sponsored, a leadership structure appropriate to their organization.
Applicants must be based in Southern Arizona or have an established Southern Arizona operation that meets the affiliate criteria below. For purposes of this grant, Southern Arizona includes counties south of the Gila River, including Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yuma, and portions of Pinal County.
Applicants must be current in all reporting to CFSA.
Applicants must have current annual operating expenses between $100,000 and $2 million.
Grants are generally not made to individuals, for-profit organizations, government entities, capital fund drives, agency endowments, debt reduction, individual schools, religious organizations for sectarian purposes, or sports teams

What if I am affiliated with a national or statewide organization?

Organizations affiliated with a statewide or national entity may be eligible for CORE if they maintain an established operation in Southern Arizona. We recognize that organizational structures vary, and national or statewide affiliation alone does not determine eligibility.

To qualify, your Southern Arizona operation must:

Have annual operating expenses between $100,000 and $2 million, separate and identifiable from the expenses of the broader statewide or national organization;
Have an established presence in Southern Arizona, including at least one locally based staff member;
Have meaningful local leadership or governance demonstrated by at least one locally based board member; and
Demonstrate an established presence and community relationships in Southern Arizona.

Applicants must provide a separate operating budget for their Southern Arizona work. A program or service area of a larger organization that does not have a distinct Southern Arizona operating structure will not be eligible.

General Grant Guidelines

CORE grant requests may range from $15,000 to $30,000.
CORE grants are awarded for a one-year grant period.
Awards made by CFSA’s various grant committees support organizations that comply with applicable federal and state laws and do not discriminate in employment practices, volunteer opportunities, or delivery of programs and services based on race, religion, gender, or gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), gender expression, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, familial status, socioeconomic status (economic circumstances), color, creed, sex (including pregnancy), phases of parenthood, national origin, marital status, veteran status (past, current, or prospective service in the armed forces), genetic information, physical characteristics or appearance, mental or physical disability, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Grant Applications: AI tools can be helpful in drafting and refining grant applications, and CFSA welcomes their thoughtful use. Applicants remain responsible for reviewing all content to ensure it is accurate, complete, and authentically reflects their organization's work and voice. Applicants should also take care not to share confidential or sensitive information when using AI tools.

Important Information for CORE Grants

What are the CORE grant range amounts?

CORE Grants range from $15,000 to $30,000.

What can CORE Grant funding be used for?

CORE Grants provide unrestricted, flexible funding to support your organization as a whole, rather than funding a specific program or project. In the application, you will be asked to enter “general support” as the program name.

Organizations may use CORE funding where it is most needed to advance their mission. This might include supporting programs and services, salaries and benefits, technology or infrastructure, fundraising and communications, or other organizational needs.

You are welcome to share how you anticipate using the funds in your application, particularly where it helps explain the difference the grant could make for your organization, but you are not required to provide a specific spending plan for the grant.

Is the amount request factored into the scoring of the application?

No. The amount requested is not part of the application score. We encourage you to apply for the amount, within the $15,000–$30,000 range, that best reflects your organization’s needs.

What if my organization has been funded by CORE grants for 3 consecutive years?

Organizations are no longer required to sit out a year after receiving CORE funding for three consecutive years. If your organization meets the current eligibility criteria, you are welcome to apply.

Can we apply for a CORE Grant and apply for other grant opportunities at CFSA as well?

Yes. Organizations may apply for any CFSA grant opportunities for which they are eligible.

What if I am affiliated with a national or statewide organization?

Have annual operating expenses between $100,000 and $2 million, separate and identifiable from the expenses of the broader statewide or national organization;
Have an established presence in Southern Arizona, including at least one locally based staff member;
Have meaningful local leadership or governance demonstrated by at least one locally based board member; and
Demonstrate an established presence and community relationships in Southern Arizona.

Applicants must be able to provide a separate operating budget for their Southern Arizona work. A program or service area of a larger organization that does not have a distinct Southern Arizona operating structure will not be eligible.

Why would we include the optional video in the CORE application if it’s not part of the funding review process?

The optional video gives CFSA and our Donor Collaborators another way to learn about your organization. Videos are not shared with community reviewers and are not considered in the application scoring process. They may be shared with Donor Collaborators, who have the opportunity to provide additional charitable dollars to CORE grantees.

If an organization has diverse programs/services that contribute to an overall mission, can each program/service apply, or just the overall organization?

No. CORE applications are submitted by the organization as a whole, rather than by individual programs or services. Each organization may submit only one CORE application.

Should we only focus on the communities we serve in Southern Arizona, or are communities and collaborations in other regions relevant as well?

You are welcome to describe broader collaborations or impact when they are relevant to your organization’s work. However, CORE Grants are focused on Southern Arizona, so we encourage you to emphasize your organization’s work, relationships, and impact within Southern Arizona.

What does “fiscally sponsored” mean?

Fiscal sponsorship is an arrangement in which an eligible nonprofit organization provides fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative support to a charitable project or organization that does not have its own 501(c)(3) status. Fiscal sponsorship is often used by newer organizations while they develop their own organizational infrastructure or pursue tax-exempt status.

If we have a fiscal sponsor, should we answer the questions on staff and board for our fiscal sponsor, or for our own organization?

Please answer application questions based on the organization or project seeking CORE funding, rather than the fiscal sponsor. If your organization does not have a formal governing board because it is fiscally sponsored, describe the leadership structure that provides oversight and guidance for your work.

We are a fiscal sponsor with sponsored projects located and working in Southern Arizona. Can we apply on their behalf, or must the fiscal sponsor also be located in Southern Arizona?

The fiscal sponsor does not need to be located in Southern Arizona. However, the sponsored organization or project seeking funding must be based in and doing charitable work in Southern Arizona and must meet all other CORE eligibility requirements.

The sponsored organization or project should submit the application with the fiscal sponsor identified as its fiscal sponsor; the fiscal sponsor should not apply on the project’s behalf.

A fiscal sponsor may sponsor more than one CORE applicant, provided each application represents a distinct project with separate leadership, budgets, and community impact. CFSA may choose to fund no more than one sponsored project from a single fiscal sponsor.

How do I know whether CORE or Corazón is the right grant opportunity for my organization?

CORE and Corazón provide complementary funding opportunities for established nonprofit organizations of different sizes.

CORE is for organizations with current annual operating expenses between $100,000 and $2 million.
Corazón is for organizations with current annual operating expenses above $2 million.

Eligibility is based on your organization’s current annual operating expenses, rather than solely on the expenses reported on your most recently filed Form 990. If your current annual expenses differ significantly from your most recent Form 990, the application provides space for you to explain that change.

Organizations should apply for the grant opportunity that corresponds with their current annual operating expenses.

How does CFSA determine whether my organization falls within CORE’s $100,000–$2 million eligibility range?

CORE eligibility is based on your organization’s current annual operating expenses. We will also review your most recently filed Form 990 or 990-EZ and your current annual operating budget.

If your current annual expenses differ significantly from those reported on your most recent Form 990, you will have an opportunity in the application to explain the change.

What if our current annual expenses are significantly different from the expenses reported on our most recent Form 990?

That’s okay. We recognize that an organization’s budget may change between 990 filings. Please provide your current annual expenses and current approved operating budget and use the Budget Change Explanation in the application to briefly explain any significant difference from your most recently filed Form 990.

This is especially important if the expenses reported on your most recent Form 990 fall below $100,000 or above $2 million.

What financial documents do we need to submit?

Applicants must submit their most recently filed Form 990 or 990-EZ and their most recently approved annual operating budget. We cannot accept a 990-N/postcard in place of a Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Your operating budget should show a full year of budgeted revenue and expenses. Audited financial statements, bank statements, and account statements cannot be substituted for the operating budget.

For statewide or national organizations, the operating budget submitted must be for the Southern Arizona operation applying for funding.

What kind of evaluation is CFSA looking for?

Evaluation can take different forms depending on an organization’s mission and work. We are interested in understanding how you assess your work, what you have learned, and how you use what you learn to strengthen your organization and better serve your community.

CORE does not require one particular type of evaluation or data. The application invites you to share an evaluation that is meaningful to your organization and describe what you learned from it and how that learning informs your work.

What are CFSA's thoughts on using AI on a grant application?

AI tools can be helpful in drafting and refining grant applications, and CFSA welcomes their thoughtful use. Applicants remain responsible for reviewing all content to ensure it is accurate, complete, and authentically reflects their organization's work and voice. Applicants should also take care not to share confidential or sensitive information when using AI tools.

How to Apply

Apply

All applicants must create an account in our grant portal before applying.

To view a tutorial video on how to submit an application using this platform, please click here.

Questions?
Please contact the Community Impact Team at CFSA at 520-770-0800 & community@cfsaz.org for questions regarding this process.

Previous CORE Grant Recipients

2026 Grant Recipients

2025 Grant Recipients

2024 Grant Recipients

2023 Grant Recipients

2022 Grant Recipients

2021 Grant Recipients

2020 Grant Recipients

2019 Grant Recipients

2017 Grant Recipients

Generous Support

CORE Grants are made possible through the generosity of our CORE Donor Collaborators, along with donors who support CFSA’s Field of Interest and Unrestricted Funds. An extra thanks to the Connie Hillman Family Foundation for their matching support!

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CORE Grants

Important Dates

Eligibility Criteria

What if I am affiliated with a national or statewide organization?

General Grant Guidelines

Important Information for CORE Grants

How to Apply

Previous CORE Grant Recipients

Generous Support