7 Best Marketing Grants for Nonprofits [2026]

Marketing grants give nonprofits funding, advertising credits, or donated services to promote their missions without pulling money from programs. The catch is that programs change fast. Some of the best-known grants closed or restructured in the past year, so an outdated list can cost you weeks of wasted application work.

This guide covers seven marketing grants worth pursuing in 2026, plus the free and discounted tools that stretch whatever budget you have. Every program below was checked and current as of July 2026. If you want context on where to spend grant dollars once you win them, start with the latest nonprofit marketing trends.

1. Wavemaker Grant

Big Sea’s Wavemaker Grant awards $30,000 in donated marketing services to one purpose-driven organization each year. Applications open in the fall. The 2026 cycle has closed, and you can sign up on the grant page to be notified when 2027 applications open.

The grant works like a full agency engagement. Depending on what your organization needs most, that can mean brand and messaging work, website design, fundraising campaigns, donor email automation, or setup and optimization of your Google Ad Grant. Big Sea scopes the work with your team and treats it like any other client project.

The Wavemaker Grant fits organizations with a dedicated marketing person who can collaborate with an agency team. The current cycle prioritizes missions that reduce harm and strengthen support for vulnerable populations. Past recipients include Ibis Reproductive Health’s Free the Pill campaign, the Space Foundation, Champions for Children, and Conner Prairie Museum.

2. Google Ad Grants

Google Ad Grants gives eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits $10,000 per month in free Google Search advertising, up to $120,000 per year. There is no application deadline. The program runs year-round and renews monthly as long as your account stays compliant.

This is the largest ongoing advertising grant available to nonprofits, and for most organizations it should be the first application you file. Your ads appear when people search for topics tied to your mission, which makes it a strong channel for recruiting volunteers, promoting programs, and reaching new donors.

To qualify, you need current 501(c)(3) status, verification through Google for Nonprofits, and a secure website with substantial content about your mission. Staying funded takes ongoing work. Google requires a 5% click-through rate and enforces keyword quality rules, and accounts that slip out of compliance get paused.

Our guide to getting the Google Ad Grant walks through the application step by step. If you already have the grant and it sits underused, which is where most accounts end up, Big Sea offers Google Ad Grant management to keep the full $10,000 working every month.

3. AWS IMAGINE Grant Program

The AWS IMAGINE Grant Program, funded by Amazon Web Services (AWS), offers two prestigious grant opportunities for nonprofit organizations that utilize cloud technologies to positively impact society: the Go Further, Faster award and the Momentum to Modernize award. Each award provides nonprofit organizations with valuable resources and support to enhance their IT capabilities and advance their missions.

The Pathfinder Award

Newer in the AWS grant program is the Pathfinder award, which provides support for groundbreaking, mission-critical projects at the frontier of artificial intelligence (AI) encompassing a wide range of applications, such as generative AI, agentic AI, and autonomous systems. Recipients of the award have access to up to $200,000 of unrestricted financial support, up to $100,000 in AWS promotional credit, project implementation support from the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, access to AWS training and support, and an opportunity for AWS marketing promotion.

Go Further, Faster

For eligible nonprofits that need help with specific cloud-based projects, the Go Further, Faster award offers up to $150,000 in unrestricted funding, $100,000 in AWS promotional credit, technical support, AWS training, and opportunities for marketing promotion. Eligible projects must have the potential to advance big, repeatable solutions in your industry and use or integrate with advanced cloud services, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, or the Internet of Things.

Momentum to Modernize

If you don’t have a specific project in mind but want to enhance your tech capabilities or streamline operations, you can apply for the Momentum to Modernize award. Recipients of this award have access to $50,000 in unrestricted funds, $20,000 in AWS promotional credit, implementation guidance, training and support, and marketing opportunities. Eligible projects can include database migration, net-new application development, application migration and optimization, or infrastructure expansion.

4. The Knight Foundation Marketing Grants

The Knight Foundation funds nonprofits working in journalism, arts and culture, and community development, focused on the 26 US communities where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Its relaunched Knight Cities Challenge is awarding $10 million in grants of up to $200,000 each.

The 2026 Knight Cities Challenge funds community-centered projects that strengthen local news, open paths to economic opportunity, or bring people together through arts and public spaces. The first application round ran April 1 through 30, 2026, and the foundation plans a second cohort as part of a three-year rollout.

If your organization operates in a Knight community, subscribe to the foundation’s updates. Open calls appear throughout the year, and localized grants are often distributed through your community foundation.

5. AWS Nonprofit Credit Program

The AWS Nonprofit Credit Program gives nonprofits with annual operating budgets under $10 million between $1,000 and $5,000 in AWS promotional credits each year, distributed through TechSoup. Smaller organizations receive $1,000, mid-sized organizations $2,000, and larger organizations $5,000.

Credits are valid for 12 months and apply to on-demand cloud services like website hosting, storage, and databases. That makes this less a marketing grant than a way to cover the infrastructure your marketing runs on. A faster, more reliable website helps every campaign you fund elsewhere. Organizations can request one credit grant per fiscal year through TechSoup.

6. NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants

NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants award $2.5 million in unrestricted funding to small nonprofits in the 11 markets with NBC and Telemundo owned stations. The 2026 application window ran March 24 through April 24, and the program has returned every year since 2018.

Eligibility is specific: you must be a 501(c)(3) with total annual expenses between $100,000 and $1 million, and your EIN must be more than a year old. Grants fund work in youth education and empowerment, next generation storytellers, and community engagement. The storytelling category is a natural fit for video and campaign work.

The funds are unrestricted, so winners can put them toward marketing. If you missed the 2026 window, watch localimpactgrants.com early next spring.

7. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Community Grants

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds nonprofits through requests for proposals posted on its website, with focus areas that include US economic mobility and education. It does not offer a standalone marketing grant, but outreach and communications costs can be part of a funded project.

Check the foundation’s open RFP list for opportunities that match your mission, and build audience engagement goals and communications costs into your proposal budget from the start.

Countless grantees have used grants from the Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance their nonprofit marketing and deepen their connections with the communities they serve.

Microsoft ended its nonprofit ad grant in December 2025

Microsoft Advertising shut down its Ads for Social Impact program, which gave nonprofits up to $3,000 per month in ad credits, effective December 2025. It is not accepting new applicants. If you see this program on other grant lists, skip it. Google Ad Grants remains the only major ongoing search advertising grant for nonprofits.

Free Marketing and Discount Programs for Nonprofits

Grants are competitive and most have narrow windows. Discount programs have no deadline, and stacking a few of them can free up thousands of dollars a year for the campaigns themselves. These five are worth setting up now.

1. Google for Nonprofits and the YouTube Nonprofit Program

Google for Nonprofits is free and unlocks the YouTube Nonprofit Program along with Workspace discounts and the Ad Grant application itself. On YouTube, verified nonprofits get donate buttons, fundraiser tools, and Link Anywhere cards that send viewers straight to your donation page.

2. HubSpot for Nonprofits

HubSpot for Nonprofits gives registered nonprofits in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand 40% off Professional and Enterprise products. The discount applies to new customers on annual contracts. HubSpot combines your CRM, email, and marketing automation in one place, which matters when a small team runs it all. Our HubSpot for Nonprofits guide covers the discount and how organizations like yours use the platform.

3. Canva for Nonprofits

Canva for Nonprofits gives eligible 501(c)(3) organizations Canva’s full premium plan free for up to 50 users, including brand kits and AI design tools. Verification runs through TechSoup and usually takes one to three weeks for first-time applicants.

4. Mailchimp Nonprofit Discount

Mailchimp offers verified nonprofits 15% off its base plan. In the US, you apply by adding your EIN to your account, and the discount starts with your second billing cycle. If email is central to your fundraising, compare this against HubSpot before committing. Our guide to email marketing for nonprofits can help you decide.

5. LinkedIn for Nonprofits

LinkedIn for Nonprofits offers up to 50% off hiring, learning, and fundraising products. LinkedIn does not discount its advertising, so budget full price for any paid campaigns there.

Where Can I Find More Information About Marketing Grants for Nonprofits?

Grant databases are the fastest way to find programs specific to your cause and region. GrantWatch, GrantStation, and Candid’s Foundation Directory all let you filter by focus area, and Grants.gov covers federal opportunities.

Winning the grant is step one. Spending it well is where results come from, and that takes a plan built around your audience and your fundraising goals. Big Sea has spent more than 20 years doing nonprofit marketing, from Ad Grant management to full campaigns. Get in touch and we’ll help you put grant dollars to work.

Marketing Grants for Nonprofits FAQs

What is a marketing grant?

A marketing grant is funding, advertising credit, or donated services that a foundation, corporation, or agency gives a nonprofit to promote its mission. Marketing grants pay for things like paid advertising, websites, branding, email programs, and campaign creative that would otherwise come out of program budgets.

What are the best marketing grants for nonprofits to apply for?

Start with Google Ad Grants. It offers $10,000 per month, has no deadline, and most 501(c)(3) organizations qualify. From there, apply for grants that match your situation: the Wavemaker Grant for $30,000 in agency services, the AWS IMAGINE Grant for technology-driven projects, and NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants if you are a small nonprofit in one of its 11 markets.

How do I write a winning marketing grant proposal?

Match the funder’s priorities before you write a word, then build the proposal around a specific, measurable outcome. Strong proposals share a few traits:

• Clear objectives. Name the goal and how you will measure it.
• A concrete budget. Show exactly where grant funds go.
• Evidence. Use data and past results to back your plan.
• Compliance. Follow the funder’s format and deadline exactly.
• A second reader. Have someone outside the project review it before you submit.

Tailor every proposal to the specific grant. Funders can spot a recycled application.

What are common mistakes to avoid when applying for marketing grants?

The most common mistake is applying for grants that don’t match your mission, which wastes your time and signals to funders that you didn’t research them. Other frequent errors include missing deadlines, vague narratives without supporting data, typos, and sending the same generic proposal to every funder.

Can a nonprofit apply for multiple marketing grants at once?

Yes. Nonprofits can hold multiple grants at the same time as long as they meet each program’s eligibility rules. Make sure your team can handle the reporting requirements for every grant you accept before you apply.

Are there marketing grants for arts nonprofits?

Yes. Arts organizations can pursue the Knight Foundation’s arts program, state and local arts council grants, and community foundation funding, many of which allow marketing and audience development costs. Databases like GrantWatch and Grants.gov list current arts opportunities by state.