Apple Grants for Nonprofits: Improve Funding for Your Nonprofit Through Apple's Grant Programs

To ensure your volunteer programs and nonprofit employees properly benefit your community, your nonprofit organization needs to have proper funding. While fundraisers can help collect a good number of donations from your support network, it's important to seek other sources of funding as well -- such as grant funding. Connecting with the right grant foundations can help you secure substantial gift donations that help you run your organization for years.

Significantly, receiving grants from a single grant company can also increase your chances of getting grants from other foundations. It's the classic domino effect -- once a grant maker learns you've been receiving financial support from noteworthy groups, they're more inclined to offer you their own support.

One company you definitely want to notice you is Apple. Known primarily as a developer of products like the Apple iPad and iPhone, Apple has been donating millions of dollars to initiatives dealing in education, healthcare, criminal justice, technology, and the environment. Becoming the recipient of one of Apple's grants can certainly benefit your members, while being noticed by a high-profile company like Apple will also cause other grant makers to take notice of your group and provide additional financial capital.

Let's take a closer look at the types of groups financially supported by Apple and how much money Apple has been donating over the years. We'll also offer some resources for finding grant applications in general that will help support your charity and show how PayBee can help you get noticed by large grant makers.

More than Just an iPad Developer: Understanding Apple's Grants for Nonprofits

Apple grants are distributed to community organizations through a variety of programs and initiatives. For instance, as of mid-2023, Apple has distributed over $200 million to education, economic growth, and criminal justice groups through its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. Half of this money is given out via philanthropy grants while the remaining half are provided through equity investments.

While Apple doesn't disclose how all this funding will be shared, it does tend to donate to high-profile groups. For example, one recipient of its funding is My Brother's Keeper Alliance, one of the Obama Foundation's programs. Other recipients include criminal-justice organizations like the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Defy Ventures. This group uses Apple's financial support to help educate incarcerated people both in prison and as they are released. Colleges and universities also receive some funding, although technology and career-development centers tend to receive higher priority.

Then there's Strengthen Local Communities (SLC). This grant program funds local organizations specifically where members of the Apple team work and volunteer their hours at local nonprofits and charities. Recipients of these grants include minority-led groups that focus on environmental justice and help train future leaders. 

Recent events can affect the level of support Apple provides through grants. For example, following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, Apple announced it would double its support of racial-equity nonprofit groups. Many recipients help promote Apple's own focus on technology -- for instance, after receiving support from Apple, Propel Center used the grant to help Black college students and faculty build innovative technology projects, like a sustainable farm within a shipping container.     

How Apple Supports Education and Community-Based Nonprofit Companies

Apple partners with many educators, colleges, and learning institutions -- providing not only grant support but also its technological expertise.

The Global Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Equity Innovation Hub, for instance, is an educational initiative launched by both Apple and California State University, Northridge. Designed to target first-generation students throughout the U.S., the hub seeks to connect Hispanic serving educational institutions with learning resources and thought leaders, giving them the tools they need to help students become professionals in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields.

Naturally, this requires substantial monetary support from its supporters, but Apple is going a step further by also providing its technology to build both physical and virtual learning spaces. In addition, Apple provides experts to help design hub resources -- including whole-family programming and student outreach to keep learners and their families connected to colleges and encourage future student enrollment.

Apple joined an even broader partnership in the Onramp Initiative, which combines the resources of not only Apple but also Boise State University, the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, and the College of Western Idaho. Their shared goal is to help both immigrants and refugees gain more English language skills and form closer bonds with American communities. To that end, Apple's Community Education Initiatives team has been supporting multiple educational programs to further English language learning among students with varying educational levels and access to technology.

Funding for Technical Innovation

As a leader in technological innovation, Apple products and devices have been benefiting the nonprofit sector for a long time. Apple grants have been known to supply huge amounts of nonprofit technology to different charities. For instance, one Apple technology grant helps advance nonprofit causes by simply providing $25,000 worth of any Apple products or devices your group might need. This could be Macs, iPads, or iPhones, in sufficient quantities to improve volunteer and staff communication.     

Some Apple products and technological innovations provide a lot of help in fundraising. For instance, Apple Pay is a mobile payment service that lets people pay securely via apps, online, or in-person. This provides donors with a safe and easy way to contribute via an app or website. Apple will not charge fees or commissions on these transactions, making it an excellent and preferred means of donating to a charity program. This method is so popular that many fundraising platforms, including PayBee, accept Apple Pay.

More Help, Support, and Partnerships

Beyond their grant programs, Apple provides other types of support and resources for nonprofits and charities. Apple employees volunteer their time to various charities and nonprofits through Apple's Global Volunteer Program. Apple's Employee Giving Program also matches every dollar an Apple employee donates and also makes a monetary contribution for every hour they volunteer their time to an organization.

These volunteer efforts extend beyond the U.S. -- for instance, in Cork, Ireland, Apple employees regularly help maintain the gardens at Field of Dreams, a horticultural site run by Down Syndrome Ireland, a charity that provides support for people with Down Syndrome and their families. In other parts of the world, Apple supports food banks through its Strengthen Local Communities grant program while Apple employees work directly with nonprofits and charities to provide food and shelter to those who need it.

Apple also formerly partners with numerous organizations, including Destination: Home, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, and the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) to address the housing crisis in California and prevent people from experiencing homelessness. It has supplied funding to help build thousands of units of new housing and support programs to provide aid to first-time home buyers.

Using Grant Databases to Apply for Help

Grant databases are an excellent place to start searching for nonprofit grants that can benefit your team. While not all large grant providers will advertise their support in databases, applying for several high-profile grants is a great way to gain recognition for your nonprofit. From there, your work could catch the attention of other larger grant providers and earn you substantial and possibly regular support.

To look for good grants that can support your nonprofit, first go to an online directory like the Foundation Directory. This directory will provide you with detailed information on both grants and grant makers. You'll also be able to make detailed searches based on geography, subject area, grant maker type etc., which will improve your chances of finding a grant that fits your nonprofit's mission.

Once you find some good prospects, continue narrowing your search. Research the grant maker to see if their mission aligns with your own. See if they're interested in serving the same population(s) that you are. Delve into their history and see what other groups received grants from these funders. Were they located near your area? The better your organization matches with the grant's criteria, the better shot you have at securing funding.

One thing you'll definitely want to have is 501(c)(3) status. This is a federal tax exemption status claimed by many public charities and foundations. Most foundations tend to give to grants with 501(c)(3) status. If you're starting a new nonprofit, you'll definitely want to look into 501(c)(3) status and file the necessary paperwork.

If you choose not to have federal tax exemption status for any reason, you may want to work with another 501(c)(3) status nonprofit and ask for grants and tax-deductible donations under the nonprofit's exempt status. This arrangement is known as a fiscal sponsorship. 

When preparing your grant proposal, be sure to read the grant application instructions carefully and follow all regulations. Be concise and clear when outlining the problem(s) your nonprofit is addressing and the plan(s) you have for addressing them. Stay organized, remain on topic, and proofread your application carefully before submitting. If necessary, you could contact and hire a professional grant writer who can present your argument clearly to a grant maker, increasing your chances for funding. 

FAQs

What types of projects do Apple grants typically fund?

Apple grants have funded a wide variety of projects, including food banks, educational programs, housing projects, and racial justice programs. In addition, Apple employees regularly volunteer their time to nonprofits and charities in different parts of the world, contributing manpower and other resources to nonprofit initiatives. 

How can nonprofits ensure their grant application stands out?

When applying for a grant, be concise, clear, and organized while laying out your mission and your reason(s) for applying for funding. Read through the application guidelines and grant information carefully and make sure to follow all instructions to the letter. Provide all the information the grant maker requests, particularly information on the problem(s) you're addressing and your plan(s) for serving your target community. If it's in your budget, contact a professional grant writer who can craft a carefully written, well-reasoned argument for why you should receive grant money. 

Can international nonprofits apply for Apple grants?

As a global company, Apple regularly supports nonprofits in different countries. This support is delivered through grants, Apple employee volunteerism, and other financial support. In late 2022, Apple's Employee Giving Program raised over $880 million dollars for nearly 44,000 different organizations around the world. Nonprofits that Apple has supported are located in places as diverse as Ireland, Africa, Australia, and China.  

What are the reporting and accountability requirements for grant recipients?

Since 2006, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires recipients of federal grants share their name, the amount of the grant received, the funding agency, and their location, as well as other information, on USASpending.gov. In addition, prime recipients of the grant (the "prime awardee") must file progress reports with the FFATA Sub-award Reporting System. Recipients of sub-grants must submit their data to the prime awardee.

Progress reports include information on expenses that were paid with the federal grant money. Prime awardees must also provide data on the progress of their project and its impact on their community as well as compliance information to show recipients are following federal regulations. Grant agencies can then use this information to judge how effective they are at impacting the community.

Recipients of private grants must also provide reports on their expenses and progress to the private foundation they received the grant from. The foundation can then submit this information to the IRS. If the grant recipient(s) fail to submit these reports, the grant will be treated as a taxable expenditure by the grantor.

Moving Forward

Nonprofit funding opportunities have been steadily growing as new and established businesses seek to launch community-supporting initiatives and provide monetary support to notable charity and nonprofit programs. As such, community organizations need to look beyond the usual donations it receives from its support network and seek out grants that can provide more substantial support for its projects. 

Apple is just one of the many grant makers you can find that can provides nonprofit organizations and charities with the monetary support they need. This company donates millions of dollars every year to charities around the world through its grants and matching donation programs. In addition, its multiple initiatives support charities by providing volunteer support through the efforts of Apple employees as well as technical expertise in setting up projects and programs for housing development, education, racial justice and more. Apple technology also helps charities share their cause through online tools, while their apps assist in hosting successful fundraising events.

To get on Apple's radar, it's important that your own nonprofit's programs, projects, and fundraising events stand out. PayBee can help with this. Our own user-friendly software and intuitive fundraising platform enables you to create multiple eye-catching fundraising campaigns that you can promote across social media platforms. Not only do our tools make it easier for your current support network to contribute to your cause, you'll also be able to expand your donor pool to include additional generous funding agenices, like grant makers.

To see if PayBee has what your nonprofit or charity needs, sign up for a free demo of our system. We'll let you participate in a mock online auction that conveys all the excitement of an in-person auction to a wider virtual audience. You'll also gain access to our team of experts who can connect you with professional auctioneers, event planners, and promoters to make audiences sit up and take notice of your events. We're ready to help you today, so be sure to sign up for a free demo today!

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