2026 Community Grant Awards
Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities
The GBU Foundation Community Awards Program invites foundation donors and GBU members to actively participate in selection of award recipients. Your sponsorship selection highlights your support of community-based nonprofits throughout the Community Grant Awards process.
Make a difference in your own community as a Community Grant Awards sponsor.
Corporate Sponsored Community Grants
You're invited to sponsor a 501(c)(3) charity in your community for a Community Grant Award and a chance to be a finalist in the popular voting, with the potential to receive up to $10,000. The charity of your choice will receive a grant, under your name, of up to $2,000, depending on your sponsorship level, in addition to the awards nomination. You’ll also receive a GBU Foundation Community Grant Awards Marketing Toolkit to inspire your clients, promote your nominated charity, and invite others to vote for the Community Grant Awards.
Please review the sponsorship opportunities below, along with the 2026 Corporate Sponsorships packet. Once you decide what sponsorship level you are interested in, please click the "Become a Sponsor" button below and we will be in touch. If you have any questions, please email kenneth.elliott@gbu.org or call 412-336-3246.
The deadline for a qualifying sponsorship to nominate a charity for a named grant and the opportunity to compete for a Community Grant Award is
December 17, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.
All sponsorships received after December 5 will receive all sponsorship benefits through the public voting campaign (February 2026) and Community Awards Night and follow-up (April 2026).
$5,000 Leadership Sponsorship
- Nominate a qualifying charity as a finalist in the Community Grant Awards
- $2,000 grant presented to nominated charity
- Community Grant Awards Marketing Toolkit
- Logo: Website, The Reporter, GBU billboard; Mention: Social media
- Event: Program ad, special recognition and 4 event tickets
$2,500 Mission Sponsorship
- Nominate a qualifying charity as a finalist in the Community Grant Awards
- $1,000 grant presented to nominated charity
- Community Grant Awards Marketing Toolkit
- Logo: Website, The Reporter, GBU billboard; Mention: Social media
- Event: Program ad, special recognition and 2 event tickets
$1,000 Impact Sponsorship
- Nominate a qualifying charity as a finalist in the Community Grant Awards
- $500 grant presented to nominated charity
- Community Grant Awards Marketing Toolkit
- Logo: Website, The Reporter, GBU billboard; Mention: Social media
- Event: Program ad, special recognition and 2 event tickets
$500 Engagement Sponsorship
- Logo: Website; Mentions: The Reporter, social media, GBU billboard, event program
- Event: Special recognition and 2 event tickets
$250 Changemaker Sponsorship
• Name mention: Website, The Reporter, event program
Sponsored Community Grants and Finalist Requirements
- When you sponsor a 501(c)(3) charity through the GBU Foundation’s Community Grant Award program, your selected organization will receive a named grant—$500, $1,000, or $2,000—based on your sponsorship level. In addition, eligible sponsored organizations have the opportunity to compete for a Community Grant Award of up to $10,000 through the public voting process. The deadline to make a sponsorship eligible for a named grant and opportunity to compete for a Community Grant Award is December 5, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.
- Please note that sponsored nomination or selection does not guarantee eligibility or inclusion as a finalist.
- All nominations and applications are reviewed by the GBU Foundation for eligibility. If a nominated charity is found ineligible, the Foundation will work with the sponsor to identify an alternate organization. An alternate organization must be identified by December 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, to have the opportunity to qualify for consideration as a finalist.
- To qualify for finalist consideration, the nominated organization must:
- Meet all GBU Foundation Community Grant Award eligibility guidelines; and
- Submit a completed application by January 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Eligible sponsored organizations that do not complete the required application process will remain eligible for the named grant under your sponsorship, but they will not be included as finalists in the public voting process.
- Eligibility and finalist determinations made by the GBU Foundation are final.
- Full eligibility guidelines are available at https://inside.gbu.org/cga-nominations
