Grant Overview
The 2026–2027 Season for Sharing program, supported by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com in partnership with Arizona Community Foundation and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, funds eligible Arizona 501(c)(3) charitable programs serving vulnerable populations. This is applicant financial assistance, not procurement.
Applicant Funding and Deadline
Individual requests generally range from $7,500 to $50,000. Repeat applicants are asked to limit requests for an increase to no more than 50% higher than the last Season for Sharing grant received. Applications opened October 14, 2026 at 9 a.m. and close November 13, 2026 at 4 p.m. The current 8-page official guide gives times but does not specify a time zone; applicants should verify the foundation’s portal closing time. No universal matching percentage or statewide pool is stated in the guide.
Eligibility and Geographic Priorities
Applicants must be 501(c)(3) charitable organizations or qualifying fiscally sponsored charitable projects in good IRS standing with financial accountability, with programs serving residents of Arizona. Primary geographic priority is Maricopa and Pinal counties. Applicants must choose only ONE of three program areas: Children & Families, Education & Arts, or Older Adults. Schools, including charter schools, are specifically excluded for this grant cycle despite broad Arizona Community Foundation eligibility language for its other programs.
Allowable Program Activities
Priorities include affordable housing and emergency shelter; food, emergency financial assistance, child welfare and foster supports; workforce and job readiness; domestic violence supports; health navigation and community health center access; early childhood education, school readiness and tutoring; adult literacy; senior nutrition, in-home assistance, and supports for older adults affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Programs should demonstrate benefits to underserved communities and clear measurable outcomes.
Exclusions and Important Guidance
Primarily disease-, disability-, illness-, addiction-specific agencies/programs and organizations whose primary mission is scientific or medical research are ineligible. The grant does not support school applicants, primarily recreational or sports programs, summer camps, individual awards, discriminatory services, or requests exclusively for salary expenses or capital projects. The official PDF contains apparently inconsistent wording: it lists religious organizations/churches as ineligible but also states religious organizations may apply for nonsectarian programs. A religious applicant should confirm interpretation directly with Arizona Community Foundation before investing in an application. The PDF also has an apparent typo in a future committee-date year and legacy reporting dates; do not rely on those inconsistent schedule lines. Other restrictions are in the guide.
Required Application Materials
Register/login through the Arizona Community Foundation grants portal, update the organizational profile, affirm required pre-qualification conditions, and prepare a project title, funding request and project budget, 3,500-character program narrative, population and need statement, recent SFS award disclosure, minimum viable award amount, sustainability and equity descriptions, top funder list and current board members. A midterm and final report may be required; verify current award-specific reporting dates in the portal. Submit through the online portal before 4 p.m. November 13 and confirm receipt.
Controlling Official Documentation
Arizona Community Foundation — 2026–2027 Season for Sharing 8-page Grant Guidelines and Application Questions (PDF). The official Open Grant Cycles listing links to the application portal. Source verified October 27, 2026.