Broward County is home to over 5,000 registered nonprofits, making it one of the most active nonprofit communities in Florida. But when it comes to finding grants, many Broward organizations default to searching Grants.gov for federal opportunities and stop there — missing out on a rich ecosystem of local and state funding that's often easier to access and less competitive.
This guide covers the full landscape of grant funding available to Broward County nonprofits, from county government programs and community foundations to federal pass-through dollars that flow through local agencies.
Broward County Government Grants
The Broward County government funds nonprofits through several departments and programs. Here's where to look:
Human Services Department
The Human Services Department is Broward County's primary funder for social service nonprofits. Key programs include:
- Community Partnerships Division — Grants for organizations providing housing assistance, homelessness services, HIV/AIDS services, and reentry programs
- Elderly and Veterans Services — Funding for senior centers, meals programs, transportation for elderly residents, and veteran support services
- Family Success Division — Grants for early childhood programs, family support services, and youth development
These grants typically range from $25,000 to $200,000 and are awarded through competitive RFP (Request for Proposals) processes. Application windows usually open in early spring for funding that begins in October (aligned with the county's fiscal year).
Cultural Division
Broward County's Cultural Division administers grants for arts and cultural organizations through programs including:
- General Operating Support — Multi-year operating grants for established cultural organizations
- Cultural Advancement Program — Project-based grants for arts programming
- Challenge America/Cultural Equity Grants — Targeted funding for underserved communities and emerging organizations
Broward's Cultural Division is one of the larger county-level arts funders in Florida. If your nonprofit has an arts or cultural component — even if it's not your primary mission — it's worth exploring whether your programming qualifies.
Children's Services Council of Broward County
The Children's Services Council is a special taxing district dedicated to funding children's programs. They're a significant funder in Broward, distributing over $60 million annually for:
- Early childhood education and school readiness
- Youth development and after-school programs
- Family strengthening and parent support
- Child mental health and behavioral services
- Juvenile justice prevention
This is one of the most important funders in Broward that many nonprofits overlook. The Children's Services Council operates independently from the county government and has its own application process and timeline. If your nonprofit serves children or families, check their website regularly for funding opportunities.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) — Broward
Federal CDBG funds flow through Broward County's Housing and Community Development Division. These grants fund:
- Housing rehabilitation
- Public facility improvements
- Economic development
- Public services (capped at 15% of the county's CDBG allocation)
Nonprofits can apply for public services funding or partner with the county on infrastructure projects. The application window typically opens in January, with awards made by summer.
Community Foundation of Broward
The Community Foundation of Broward is the county's primary community foundation and a cornerstone funder for local nonprofits. Their programs include:
Competitive Grants
The foundation runs several competitive grant cycles throughout the year, focused on areas like:
- Education — Programs that improve educational outcomes for Broward students
- Health and Human Services — Healthcare access, food security, and social services
- Environment — Environmental conservation and education
- Arts and Culture — Cultural programming and arts education
- Community Development — Affordable housing, economic mobility, and civic engagement
Typical awards range from $5,000 to $50,000. The application process is straightforward compared to federal grants, and the foundation's staff are accessible and helpful during the process.
Donor-Advised Fund Grants
The Community Foundation manages over 400 donor-advised funds. While you can't apply directly for DAF grants, building relationships with the foundation can lead to DAF holders discovering your organization. Attending foundation events and keeping your Guidestar/Candid profile current helps.
Nonprofit Resource Center
The foundation also runs a Nonprofit Resource Center that provides training, capacity building, and networking opportunities. Even if you're not applying for a Community Foundation grant, their workshops on grant writing, board development, and financial management are worth attending.
United Way of Broward County
United Way of Broward funds nonprofits focused on education, financial stability, and health. Their funding model has shifted in recent years from direct grants to "impact partnerships" — longer-term investments in organizations that can demonstrate measurable outcomes.
Key focus areas: - Education — School readiness, youth academic achievement, and college/career preparation - Financial Stability — Job training, asset building, and housing stability - Health — Access to healthcare, mental health services, and substance abuse prevention
United Way typically issues RFPs for multi-year funding cycles. If you're selected as an impact partner, the funding is more reliable than typical annual grants, but the reporting and outcome measurement requirements are correspondingly higher.
Other Local Funders in Broward County
Beyond the major institutions, several other funders are active in Broward:
Jim Moran Foundation
The Jim Moran Foundation is one of South Florida's largest private foundations, based in Fort Lauderdale. They fund education, social services, and quality of life programs in Broward County and beyond. Grants can be substantial — $50,000 to $500,000 or more for significant programs.
Salah Foundation
The Salah Foundation funds health, education, and social services in Broward County, with a particular focus on serving immigrant and refugee communities.
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation
For nonprofits focused on children's health, the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation provides grants and partnerships for pediatric health programs in Broward.
Health Foundation of South Florida
The Health Foundation of South Florida serves Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. Their focus is on health equity, access to care, and addressing social determinants of health.
Funding Arts Broward (FAB!)
FAB! is a grassroots grantmaking organization that provides small grants ($500–$2,500) to individual artists and small arts organizations in Broward. The amounts are modest, but the process is simple and the grants can seed new projects.
If keeping track of all these sources sounds overwhelming, that's because it is. This is where GrantLens comes in — it aggregates grants from county government programs, community foundations, state agencies, and federal sources into a single search, so you can filter by your focus area, county, and eligibility instead of checking a dozen websites individually.
Federal Pass-Through Funding in Broward
Several federal programs flow through local agencies in Broward, creating additional opportunities:
Head Start and Early Head Start
Federal funds administered through local Head Start grantees. If you're a childcare or early education nonprofit, you may be able to subcontract with the local grantee.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
CareerSource Broward administers WIOA funds for workforce development. Nonprofits providing job training, placement, and career services can partner with CareerSource to access these funds.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
The Broward County Ryan White Part A program is one of the largest in the country. Nonprofits providing HIV/AIDS services can apply through the county's competitive process.
Continuum of Care (CoC) — Homelessness
The Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership administers HUD Continuum of Care funds for homelessness services. This includes funding for emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing, and homelessness prevention.
Building a Broward County Grant Strategy
Here's a practical framework for approaching grant funding in Broward:
1. Map your funding mix
Most successful Broward nonprofits draw from multiple sources. A healthy funding mix might look like:
| Source | Percentage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Government grants | 30–40% | County programs, federal pass-throughs, state grants |
| Foundation grants | 20–30% | Community Foundation of Broward, private foundations |
| United Way / Federated funds | 10–15% | Impact partnerships |
| Earned revenue | 10–20% | Program fees, consulting, events |
| Individual donations | 15–25% | Annual fund, major gifts |
2. Prioritize local relationships
Broward's funding community is relationship-driven. Attend Community Foundation events, introduce yourself to program officers at the Children's Services Council, and participate in Nonprofit Resource Center workshops. These relationships matter more for local grants than for federal programs.
3. Start small and build credibility
If you're a newer nonprofit, start with smaller grants from the Community Foundation or FAB! and build a track record. Local funders talk to each other, and a successful $10,000 grant with strong reporting can lead to recommendations for larger opportunities.
4. Track deadlines systematically
With a dozen potential funders, deadline tracking becomes critical. At minimum, maintain a spreadsheet with funder names, programs, typical deadlines, and application requirements. Better yet, use a tool like GrantLens that tracks deadlines automatically and sends alerts as grants approach their close dates.
5. Don't overlook capacity building
Several Broward funders — including the Community Foundation, United Way, and Children's Services Council — offer capacity building grants or technical assistance in addition to program funding. These investments in your organization's infrastructure (board training, financial systems, evaluation tools) make you a stronger applicant for larger grants down the line.
Common Mistakes Broward Nonprofits Make
Only searching Grants.gov: Federal grants represent just one slice of available funding. Broward's local funders collectively distribute hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and the competition is often less intense.
Applying for everything: Grant writing takes time. Focus on opportunities where your mission and capacity genuinely align with the funder's priorities. A well-crafted application for one aligned grant beats three rushed applications for marginally relevant ones.
Ignoring the Children's Services Council: If you serve children or families and aren't engaging with CSC Broward, you're leaving money on the table. They're one of the largest and most active funders in the county.
Waiting until you need money: Grant cycles are predictable. Build relationships with funders and prepare your materials before application windows open. Rushing to find grants when your budget is already strained leads to weaker applications and missed deadlines.
Wrapping Up
Broward County's funding ecosystem is deeper than most nonprofits realize. Between county government programs, the Community Foundation, Children's Services Council, United Way, and a handful of active private foundations, there are opportunities year-round across virtually every mission area.
The key is knowing where to look and staying organized. Start with the three or four funders most aligned with your mission, build relationships, and expand from there. If you want to search across all of these sources — plus state and federal grants — in one place, GrantLens aggregates Broward County funding alongside other South Florida grant sources. It's free to start searching.