The U.S. Bank Foundation’s five-year, $75 million Opportunity Fund will support organizations expanding equitable access in low- to moderate-income communities. This includes helping communities of color, women, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities.
The U.S. Bank Foundation created the Opportunity Fund to support four key categories and core objectives:
Help build more inclusive systems, standards and capital and economic growth for diverse entrepreneurs
Expand inclusive access to affordable housing and affordable housing capital
Expand and provide equitable access to homeownership programs, such as housing counseling, down payment assistance and more
Improve economic growth, sustainability and quality of life through digital infrastructure, including broadband access, technical entrepreneurship and job creation
The Opportunity Fund is open to nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations doing work in the following states:
Organizations may submit Letters of Interest (LOIs) for consideration; organizations must subsequently receive an invitation to submit a full application. The Foundation will support organizations that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion strategies to deliver community impact.
The Foundation will support both single- and multi-year requests. Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $500,000 annually, accounting for organization size and scale and product and program reach. We encourage innovative approaches to meet defined objectives.
The Opportunity Fund requires that grantees submit year-end reports so that the Foundation may evaluate their success in achieving the desired outcomes.
We consider the following funding request types:
Organizations currently receiving local market funding are also allowed to apply for Opportunity Fund grants. LOIs must be submitted by November 10 and may be for one location or region, multiple regions within a state or multiple regions and states.
LOIs must be submitted through the link on this page. Only one LOI and subsequent application per organization will be accepted for this targeted initiative. Deadlines are as follows:
The U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund grant program will not provide funding for:
The Foundation receives funding requests that exceed our grant program budget. Therefore, we must decline support to worthy organizations and programs. In order to expand community engagement, we may decline applicants that we have previously supported. Support should not be expected to continue in perpetuity, and declination does not reflect a negative appraisal of the organization or the value of its programs and service.
All decisions of the Foundation are final and there will be no appeal process.
U.S. Bank has long supported organizations that address systemic and racial inequities. Opportunity Fund grants will support the commitments U.S. Bank has made to increase small business lending, mortgage lending and community development lending and investments across the country, including U.S. Bank Access Commitment®. Learn more about Access Commitment® and how it fits into our DEI strategy at the bank.
If your organization is not eligible for the Opportunity Fund grant per the regulations above, our Community Possible grant program offers grants to organizations that focus on:
Equal Housing Lender
