Opportunity Overview
The James A. & Faith Knight Foundation is accepting 2026 grant applications from January 31 through September 30, 2026. The Foundation focuses its giving in Jackson and Washtenaw Counties, Michigan, and supports qualifying nonprofit organizations through general operating support as well as project/program support.
Funding Priorities
The Foundation expressly prioritizes general operating support, along with programs supporting women and girls and animals and the natural world. General operating support is described as unrestricted funding that organizations may use where most appropriate to sustain mission, impact, and growth. For women and girls, stated priorities include economic self-sufficiency, public policy and advocacy, and human rights and equality.
Eligibility and Restrictions
Applicants must be charitable nonprofit organizations with sound financial management, developed governance practices, clarity of mission, and attention to gender, diversity, and outcomes. The Foundation does not fund annual appeal campaigns, religious activities, political campaigns, or individuals. Its giving is focused on Jackson and Washtenaw Counties.
Deadline and Submission
The 2026 application window closes September 30, 2026. The current controlling Foundation materials do not publish an exact closing clock time or time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Applications are submitted through the AAACF NonProfit Portal after organization registration. The Foundation also states that applicants with limited online access may use its sample application as a template and mail three copies for consideration.
Application Requirements
The Foundation’s currently linked sample application requests organization legal name and address, mission and goals, annual budget, executive director and board chair information, request type, amount requested, total project cost, prior Knight Foundation support, organizational goals, target population, program evaluation and outcomes, unrestricted cash/investment information, and applicant certification. Project/program requests additionally require a grant summary, outcome and services narrative, sustainability strategy, project revenue and expense budget, budget narrative, pending grants and potential funders. General operating requests ask about strategic and succession plans, Form 990 filing, and the current fiscal-year budget.
Match, Cost Share, and Procurement
No universal mandatory match or cost-share requirement is stated in the current public guidelines or linked sample application. Project applicants are asked to identify additional funding sources and pending grants, but Atlas does not treat that as a mandatory match. The public materials do not state an equipment rule, vendor procurement procedure, or applicant cap, and no funding maximum is published.
Atlas Strategic Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 72/100. This is a legitimate flexible-funding pathway for qualifying Jackson or Washtenaw County health, human-service, or education nonprofits when the organization’s mission and proposed use fit the Foundation’s priorities.
N9+ Fit Score: 25/100, conditional applicant-led. Unrestricted general operating support can be flexible, but the Foundation does not expressly establish telehealth, diagnostic-device, medical-equipment, or vendor-cost allowability. No Nonagon N9+ expense should be positioned without applicant-specific fit and Foundation confirmation where needed.
Direct-vendor path: Dr. Miltie, LLC is not established as an eligible direct applicant because the program is designed for nonprofit organizations.
Verification Notes
No solicitation number is published. Exact deadline time/time zone, award maximum, equipment treatment, and procurement rules are not stated in the current public materials and will not be invented.
Verified sources: Application Guidelines and Funding Priorities.