Open — 2026 Lesher Foundation CARE Fund; one-time staff well-being grants, applications close November 2, 2026, 7:00 a.m. PT.
California — Lesher Foundation 2026 CARE Fund Nonprofit Staff Well-Being Grants (Up to $10,000)
Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation 2026 CARE Fund offers one-time grants up to $10,000 to eligible Contra Costa County nonprofits serving children and families, education, or arts and culture to strengthen staff well-being. Deadline November 2, 2026 at 7 a.m. PT.
FundingOne-time CARE Fund grant up to $10,000 per eligible nonprofit. The foundation's $200,000 annual CARE Fund is the entire program pool, not the individual grant. The public CARE Fund page does not specify a universal matching requirement.
DeadlineNovember 2, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT). Applications open October 1, 2026; funder expects decisions by early December.
Last verified2026-10-25
Required next actionReview the official Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation CARE Fund guidance. Confirm nonprofit service to Contra Costa County, program focus on children/families, education or arts/culture, underserved community benefit, and first-time CARE funding status or the applicable reapplication waiting period. Prepare staff well-being, team retreat, staff development or leadership wellness activities and a grant budget up to $10,000. Prior Lesher applicants should use existing grantee-login credentials and choose CARE Fund in the Apply section. Submit before November 2, 2026, 7 a.m. Pacific.
Broad Eligibility
Nonprofit organizations serving Contra Costa County, especially lower-income/underserved residents, whose work focuses on children and families, education or arts and culture and that have not previously received CARE funding. The funder specifies waiting periods for previous CARE grantees, excluding 2024/2025 recipients from 2026.
Atlas Analysis
Verified October 25, 2026 from controlling Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation CARE Fund Grants page. One-time max $10,000 per organization; $200,000 is overall annual fund pool. Program funds wellbeing of staff/leaders serving Contra Costa nonprofits, e.g., wellness, retreats, training, coaching and wellness stipends. Applicants must serve Contra Costa, focus on children/families, education or arts/culture and satisfy prior-award restrictions; page describes first-time grantees and two-year waiting periods for past CARE grantees. Public instructions have no stated match percentage. Deadline Nov2, 2026 at unusually early 7 a.m. PT. Portal accessible from funder's own site; previous grantees reuse credentials. This is nonprofit grant financial assistance, not procurement.
Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation 2026 CARE Fund Grants support nonprofit staff and leaders serving Contra Costa County, California. One-time organizational grants help sustain the workers who provide child and family services, education, and arts and cultural programs, especially in underserved and low-income communities.
Funding: Up to $10,000 per eligible nonprofit. The foundation’s $200,000 annual CARE Fund is the program-wide allocation, not an individual award. The funder’s public CARE rules do not specify a mandatory matching-funds percentage.
Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations serving Contra Costa County residents, prioritizing low-income or underserved populations, focused on children and families, education, or arts and culture. The funder lists organizations that have not previously received a CARE Fund grant as eligible. Past awardees face a multi-year reapplication waiting period; organizations funded in 2024 or 2025 are not eligible for the 2026 competition under the published examples. Organizations should verify all grantmaker eligibility conditions in their online application.
Permitted activities: Staff wellness and renewal, team retreats and team-building, professional training and development, leadership coaching, and wellness stipends. This is a grant to strengthen nonprofit teams, not a procurement RFP or funding for individual applicants.
Application deadline: November 2, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time; applications opened October 1. The unusually early morning cutoff requires advance submission. Award decisions are expected in early December 2026.
Apply: Review the foundation’s official CARE Fund guidance and follow its grant application portal. Previous Lesher Foundation applicants should log in using existing credentials and select the CARE Fund under ‘Apply’ rather than creating another organization profile. Prepare the organization’s local service and mission description and a specific staff-wellness project and budget.
Source verificationReferenced source · lesherfoundation.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-25. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
