Lancaster Thrives Together is a grant from the Lancaster County Community Foundation that funds community benefit organizations working to reduce economic hardship and advance long-term self-sufficiency among Lancaster County, PA residents. The 2026 program focuses on education, upskilling, and job training and placement as strategies to move economically vulnerable residents toward self-sufficiency.

The foundation prioritizes projects demonstrating strong community leadership, systems-level change, and innovative approaches to lasting impact. The total pool is $500,000, with individual grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 and a limit of one application per organization. Eligible applicants are community benefit organizations serving Lancaster County residents, with project activities primarily benefiting residents of the county.

Lancaster Thrives Together - Lancaster County Community Foundation Lancaster Thrives Together THIS GRANT OPPORTUNITY OPENS MARCH 3 The Lancaster County Racial Equity Profile indicates that while many Lancaster County residents enjoy a sense of comfort and prosperity, the poverty rate is 10%. According to UnitedForAlice. org , an additional 27% of people have difficulty affording the increasing cost of living.

With so many people affected by economic hardship, our grant opportunities in 2025 will prioritize upstream solutions addressing these challenges. Building on an impactful grant program introduced in 2025, Lancaster Thrives Together is a $500,000 competitive opportunity for community benefit organizations (CBOs) serving Lancaster County, PA residents.

Organizational grants will range from $10,000-$50,000, with a limit of one application per CBO. In 2026, the program will focus on initiatives centered on education, upskilling, and job training and placemen t—specifically as strategies to move our most economically vulnerable neighbors to long-term self-sufficiency.

Lancaster County’s Equity Profile highlights a persistent education gap as a key driver of the disproportionate challenges faced by underserved communities, which are more likely to experience unemployment and ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) conditions. To address these disparities, we seek career advancement projects demonstrating strong community leadership, systems-level change, and innovation.

Our priority is funding solutions designed for lasting impact rather than short-term fixes. To submit an application, access our online grant portal below. Join the Programs Team for Virtual Office Hours by registering below.

March 18 – 10am: Register Here April 16 – 10am: Register Here Sessions are 90 minutes long, and you can drop in anytime. Eligibility Requirements & Resources Before starting an application for any grant, review our eligibility requirements for funding. You can also access resources to help you meet our requirements.

Get a snapshot of everything you need to know about this grant opportunity, including application questions, evaluation criteria, and more. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Click to expand for answers. ALICE is an acronym that stands for “Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

” According to the United Way of Pennsylvania , it represents the 27% of Lancaster County residents who work but still struggle to survive. ALICE folks earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to comfortably afford basic essentials. What is the Lancaster County Racial Equity Profile?

In 2021, many local funding and social service agencies sponsored the National Equity Atlas, a partnership between PolicyLink and USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute, to complete an equity profile of Lancaster County – the very first county-wide racial equity profile in Pennsylvania. The report contains a wealth of information about our demographics, and how segregation and unequal opportunities persist.

Please read the Lancaster County Equity Profile and consider how your organization might address some of the problems that have been identified in the report. Why is the community foundation focusing on "underserved communities?"

Recognizing that some of our neighbors have historically not been included and represented in many past projects, we are doing our part to ensure future projects create meaningful opportunities for all residents, particularly those who bear the brunt of disproportionate economic prosperity. Does the proposed project need to be new, or can it be an existing project?

Our preference is to fund brand new ideas that will bring systems change for Lancaster County. We will accept concepts that have been tried in other regions and are being brought to Lancaster County for the first time. We will also accept applications for existing projects, if it can be demonstrated that the organization is adapting the project for long-term success in a meaningful way.

Are there specific start dates for projects? By default, grants will have one year duration, beginning September 18. If your organization would need more time to complete the project, please contact us and we will be happy to work with you on a timeline that better suits your project.

How many awards do you anticipate making? This initiative has a budget of $500,000. It’s likely that we will be able to make 15-20 grants.

Funding is a one-time award and not renewable. Will the Community Foundation be looking for letters of support from project partners? No. Rather, we encourage you to describe partnerships in the application itself.

Can project partners be located outside of Lancaster County? Yes. We don’t require that any of the organizations (applicant or partners) be physically headquartered in Lancaster County.

However, the proposed project activities must primarily benefit Lancaster County’s residents. Feel free to reach out to any of these team members with questions. Get news from Lancaster County Community Foundation in your inbox.