$50,000 Stanley 1913 Creators Fund

Stanley 1913, the American drinkware brand, runs an annual grant for the early-stage nonprofits it calls Creators, Builders and Inventors. Each cycle awards up to $50,000 USD to between five and eight organisations, with no rules attached on how the money is spent. Since 2023 the fund has backed 23 nonprofits across 8 countries, working on causes from food security and water access to mental health and climate policy.

What you get:

• Up to $50,000 USD as a single-year grant, with the final amount at Stanley 1913's discretion
• No spending restrictions. Stanley 1913 runs a trust-based model and sets no rules on how the funding is used
• Progress updates are encouraged but not required
• Between five and eight organisations are funded each cycle, so the odds are unusually good for a grant of this size
• Amplification of the organisation's story and progress through the Stanley 1913 brand

What you'll do:

• Nominate one leader from your organisation as the Creator, who may or may not be the person submitting the application
• Answer six questions of up to 1,000 characters each on your mission, what the grant would let you accomplish in 2027, the Creator's story, how the work is original, how you have proved the idea, and how you prioritise inclusion
• Give your operating budget band, projected revenues and expenses, primary focus area, and up to three countries where the work will happen
• Upload nonprofit documentation and your most recent annual report
• Take part in a conversation with Stanley 1913 Creators Fund representatives if you reach the leading group

Key dates:

• Applications close Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 11:59pm PST
• All applicants notified of their status by November 2026
• Final decisions and awards made in November 2026

More information:

• Stanley 1913 publishes the full programme guidelines as a PDF, including the complete list of ineligible applicant types
• A preview of all 29 application questions is published as a separate PDF, so the whole application can be drafted offline before the portal is opened
• Applications are submitted through Blackbaud's YourCause GrantsConnect portal, which requires creating a free applicant account first
• Programme questions go to stanleycreatorsfund@stanley1913.com, answered within five working days. Stanley 1913 does not give status updates on individual applications

• Applicants must be organisations. Individuals are explicitly listed as ineligible.
• United States applicants must be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or operate with a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) eligible to receive corporate funding.
• Applicants based outside the United States must hold and document legal nonprofit or charitable status recognised in their own country, and operate with strong governance by local standards.
• Operating history of less than 10 years.
• Annual operating income between $200,000 USD and $2,000,000 USD.
• Willingness to partner with the Stanley 1913 brand and other stakeholders to amplify the awardee's story and progress.
• Alignment with the Stanley 1913 Creators Fund objectives, and with Stanley 1913's values and standards including its commitment to inclusion.
• Also ineligible: government agencies and political advocacy organisations, educational entities such as schools and colleges, religious institutions including houses of worship and affiliated organisations, and any organisation that does not comply with applicable United States or international law.
• Documents to upload: United States applicants provide an IRS determination letter, a W-9 and their most recent Form 990. International applicants provide legal documentation of nonprofit status. All applicants provide their most recent annual report.
• Registered nonprofit organisations, not individuals. The fund is aimed at emerging social entrepreneurs and the organisations they lead, working on causes such as climate change, food security, housing security, and equity and justice.