Applications open for Kid Kindness Grant Program (United States)

Deadline: 01-Nov-2026

The Kid Kindness Grant Program supports K–12 students in the United States who want to lead projects that spread kindness and create positive change in their communities. The programme recognizes that children and young people often have unique perspectives on community needs and can develop meaningful solutions through their own ideas and actions. The grants are specifically designed for projects that are conceived and carried out by children or youth groups. Unlike programmes that simply support donations of money or goods, the Kid Kindness Grant Program focuses on projects where students are directly involved in creating and delivering kindness initiatives.

About the Kid Kindness Grant Program

Kid Kindness Grants give young people an opportunity to turn their own ideas into practical community projects. The programme encourages students to identify a need, develop a solution, and take responsibility for implementing the project. Adults may provide support and supervision, but the project must remain student-led. The initiative does not support projects focused on animal welfare or activities that simply involve donating money or goods. Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants must:

- Be students in grades K–12 - Reside in the United States - Apply individually or as part of a group - Ensure that all members of a group meet the eligibility requirements The programme is open to students across the K–12 education system, giving children and teenagers an opportunity to develop community projects appropriate to their interests and local needs. Grant Amounts The maximum grant amount depends on the number of students involved in the project.

- Individual student: Up to $250

- Group of 2–4 students: Up to $500

- Group of 5 or more students: Up to $800 Applicants are encouraged to request only the amount actually needed to complete their project. The organisation may choose to award a lower amount than requested if it determines that a smaller grant is appropriate. What Projects Are Supported? The programme supports projects that directly involve students in spreading kindness to people in their communities.

Eligible projects should be:

- Student-led - Community-focused - Designed to address a genuine need - Planned and implemented by children or youth - Focused on creating positive change - Supported by a realistic budget Students should be able to explain what they want to accomplish and how their project will benefit people in their community. Kid-Driven Projects One of the most important requirements is that projects must be kid-driven from start to finish.

Students should take the lead in:

- Identifying a community need - Developing the project idea - Planning activities - Organising implementation - Carrying out the project - Creating the intended community impact Adults can provide appropriate support and supervision, but they should not take over the project or develop it on behalf of the students. Role of Adults Adults can help students safely and effectively carry out their projects. However, their role should be limited to support and supervision. The core idea, planning, and implementation must come from the participating children or youth group. This ensures that the grant remains focused on empowering young people to use their own ideas and actions to create positive community change. What Projects Are Not Eligible? The programme does not support every type of charitable or community activity.

Projects are not eligible if they:

- Focus on animal welfare - Simply involve donating money - Simply involve donating goods - Are submitted solely to fulfil a required school assignment The programme is designed for genuine student-led projects rather than activities that are primarily donations or mandatory schoolwork. Classroom Application Limit There is a limit on the number of students from the same classroom who can apply. No more than three students per classroom may submit applications. Students and teachers should take this requirement into consideration when multiple students from the same classroom are interested in applying. Application Requirements Applications must be written in the child’s own words. This requirement helps demonstrate that the project and its ideas genuinely belong to the student applicant. Each application must also include a detailed budget. The budget should explain how the requested grant will be used and should focus on expenses that are necessary for completing the proposed project. How to Prepare a Strong Application Students should explain their project clearly and naturally in their own words.

A strong application can describe:

- The community need the student has identified - Why the issue matters - The kindness project they want to create - How they developed the idea - What students will do during the project - Who will benefit - How the project will spread kindness - What the project will cost - Why the requested expenses are necessary Students do not need to use complicated language. The most important thing is to clearly communicate their own idea and demonstrate genuine involvement. Developing a Realistic Budget Applicants are encouraged to request only the amount needed to complete their project. For example, an individual applicant can request up to $250, but does not need to request the full amount if the project can be completed for less. The budget should provide enough detail for the organisation to understand how the requested funding will support the proposed activities. The organisation may reduce the amount awarded if it determines that the full requested amount is not necessary. Project Completion Deadline Approved projects must be completed by June 1 of the following year. Students should therefore create a realistic timeline that allows sufficient time to plan, carry out, and complete their activities. The project should be designed with the completion deadline in mind from the beginning. Project Questionnaire Gran