Introducing the ACF Flexible Microgrants Program
What began as an emergency response in 2020 has grown into something much more.
The Athens County Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the Flexible Microgrants Program—a streamlined funding opportunity shaped by five years of listening, learning, and evolving alongside our community. Designed to be responsive and accessible, this program offers gap-filling grants of up to $3,000 per organization per year, available when and where they are needed most.
An evolution of our previous Response and Capacity Building Grants, this new iteration offers expanded flexibility to meet a wide range of organizational needs, including:
- Bridging funding gaps left by other sources
- Responding to unexpected opportunities or challenges
- Covering essential operational costs such as rent, staff salaries, or wellness resources
- Supporting projects that foster community engagement, build a sense of belonging, and increase visibility for historically marginalized groups
- And more
Aligned with our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, the Flexible Microgrants Program reflects ACF’s deep commitment to expanding capacity and enabling participation across Athens County’s nonprofit sector.
Proposal Review Schedule
Proposals are reviewed quarterly:
- Q2 Deadline: June 15, 2025 Decisions by July 10
- Q3 Deadline: September 15, 2025 Decisions by October 10
- Q4: Closed — please apply through the Fall Cycle
For questions about this opportunity, please contact Shayne Lopez at shayne@athensfoundation.org.
Articles by Category
Stories of Collaboration and Belonging
Annual Business Meeting
The Athens County Foundation (ACF) invites you to our Annual Business Meeting on January 29, 2026. This event is our opportunity to reflect on the business achievements and milestones accomplished during Fiscal Year 2025 and share our plans for the year ahead.
Click on 01 for more information and to RSVP
Tax Law Update
We want to share with you this useful article from Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio which includes a summary of IRS rules, sample written acknowledgments, and helpful links.
Click on 02 for Pro Bono article
Civic Experiment Grant
Civic Experiments are local projects introducing new, sometimes unexpected or informal, civic opportunities in our communities. Civic Experiment grants are small (5,000-$15,000), 1-year programmatic grants. All Civic Experiments must be conducted in Athens County. Portal is open now-January 30
Click on 03 for more information
Strengths + Strengths
Strengths+Strengths is a special initiative designed to provide nonprofit organizations throughout Athens County with access to professional resources, expert insights, and leading best practices. The goal is to help those who do good do even better. Join us February 11 at noon at the Athens Public Library for the nonprofit Leaders Lunch
Click on 04 for more information
