Fall Funding Cycle

Fall Funding Cycle is sponsored by Thunderbirds Charities. Thunderbirds Charities accepts grant proposals to assist children and families, help people in need, and improve the quality of life in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.

Apply for a Grant | Thunderbirds Charities Below is all of the information anyone would need to understand how to apply for a grant from Thunderbirds Charities. Please make sure you read all of the grant guidelines as well as explore the frequently asked questions before you start your grant application process to make sure your application meets all of the requirements for consideration.

Your time and resources are valuable and we want to make sure your application is eligible for funding. THUNDERBIRDS CHARITIES 2026 FALL CYCLE IS NOW OPEN. PLEASE CLICK “APPLY HERE” TO ACCESS ONLINE APPLICATION.

THE ONLINE APPLICATION WILL CLOSE PROMPTLY ON SEPTEMBER 1ST AT 5 PM MST. THANK YOU ! Before you get started, please review Grant Requirements below and Frequently Asked Questions .

Thunderbirds Charities only accepts grant proposals submitted through its website. To submit a proposal, you will need an email address and your organization’s IRS Tax ID number. You also must be able to attach all required materials.

This means that you must have the documents stored electronically and accessible to upload. If you are new to our application process, we strongly encourage you to read the entire page of requirements before opening your initial online grant application form. GRANT REQUIREMENTS: The items below are required for all requests.

Narratives required in the proposal include (but not limited to): Organization’s History and Mission Brief description of current projects/programs and your contributions to our community. The demographic of target population, the number of individuals served, and geographic area served Summarize the Purpose of the Request Please provide three sentences or less that are a summary of the specific request.

Please provide in a narrative format the description of the project/program for which you are seeking funding: What problem, need, or opportunity does your project address in our community? What is your proposed solution to this problem or need and how do you plan to implement? Why is this work important and the impact it aims to achieve?

The population and geographic area you intend to serve, how they will benefit, and the number of individuals that will be served. A timetable for the program, along with the methods you will use to measure success or failure and how the project will be sustained going forward. An overview of other local organizations offering similar services, how your program differs and the steps you take to avoid duplicating existing services.

Supplemental Materials required in the proposal include (but not limited to): The organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination letter. NOTE: Using a “second party” 501(c)(3) status is not permitted. The organization’s IRS Form 990/990-EZ for the most recently completed fiscal year*.

Note: IRS Form 990/990-EZ returns older than 15 months from the date of application will be rejected.

See the charts below regarding dates of 990/990-EZ submission, as it relates to 15 months: 2026 Fall Funding Grant Cycle Based on application due date of September 1, 2026 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION’S FISCAL YEAR March 31st March 2026 June 30th June 2025 September 30th September 2025 December 31st December 2025 2027 Spring Funding Grant Cycle Based on application due date of March 1, 2027 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION’S FISCAL YEAR March 31st March 2026 June 30th June 2026 September 30th September 2026 December 31st December 2025 *A fiscal year covers a 12-month period over which a business does its accounting, for tax filing, and for other accounting purposes.

Financial Statements for the TWO most recently completed fiscal years. The financials may be audited, reviewed, compiled, or internally generated financial statements for the most recently completed fiscal year and the fiscal year immediately prior. Note: Financial statements covering periods older than 15 months and 27 months, respectively, from the application date will be rejected.

Each financial statement must include: statement of financial position (or equivalent), statement of activities (or equivalent), appropriate footnotes, and accountant’s reports, if applicable.

2026 Fall Funding Grant Cycle Based on application due date of September 1, 2026 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION’S FISCAL YEAR FISCAL YEAR IMMEDIATELY PRIOR March 31st March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025 June 30th June 30, 2025 June 30, 2024 September 30th September 30, 2025 September 30, 2024 December 31st December 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 2027 Spring Funding Grant Cycle Based on application due date of March 1, 2027 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION’S FISCAL YEAR FISCAL YEAR IMMEDIATELY PRIOR March 31st March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025 June 30th June 30, 2026 June 30, 2025 September 30th September 30, 2026 September 30, 2025 December 31st December 31, 2025 December 31, 2024 Annual operating budget for the current or projected fiscal year with comparable columns for the most recent completed previous year’s budget versus the actual.

For an example organizational budget format, please CLICK HERE . Projected budget for the specific project/program for which you are requesting funding for, with a column designating where requested funding would be applied, as well as the organization’s corresponding fiscal year budget. For an example project budget format, please CLICK HERE .

A list of any funds raised to date and from whom, for the program/project for which you are requesting funding ($5,000 and above). Please be sure to include the dollar amount per donor. Please try to keep to one page.

List of Corporate Donations A complete list of corporations and foundations that have given to the organization in the previous fiscal year and how much each has given ($5,000 and above). Please be sure to include the dollar amount per donor. Please try to keep to one page.

List of Board of Directors A list of the Board of Directors of the organization. Please include the primary business or professional affiliation of each. Please try to keep to one page.

Thunderbirds Charities FALL 2026-SPRING 2027 Grant Guidelines Download Thunderbirds Charities accepts proposals on or before the due date, and appreciates those organizations that submit prior to the deadline.

APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS : APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE : APPLICANT NOTIFIED OF FUNDING DECISIONS : APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS : APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE : APPLICANT NOTIFIED OF FUNDING DECISIONS : All materials must be received via the Thunderbirds Charities online portal no later than 5:00 p. m. MST on the day of the deadline.

Please note, Thunderbirds Charities fiscal year is June 1 thru May 31 and a charity may apply once within our fiscal year. THUNDERBIRDS CHARITIES 2026 FALL CYCLE IS NOW OPEN. PLEASE CLICK “APPLY HERE” TO ACCESS ONLINE APPLICATION.

THE ONLINE APPLICATION WILL CLOSE PROMPTLY ON SEPTEMBER 1ST AT 5 PM MST. THANK YOU !