The EQUUS Foundation window opens July 15

Between July 15 and August 15, public charities submit an initial application. Equine Welfare Grants run $500 to $5,000 and can't exceed 5% of your operating budget, funding the quiet budget-eaters: horse care, feed, farrier, gear. Two conditions to know first: you need a 2026 Guardian Seal of Transparency to receive a 2026 grant, and orgs under $10,000 operating budget are excluded.

DAV's July grant cycle closes at month's end

The DAV Charitable Service Trust runs four cycles a year, opening and closing on the first and last business days of January, April, July and October. So the July window shuts at the end of this month. If you serve veterans, this is the one to move on now.

Google will give you $10,000 a month in free search ads

Google Ad Grants gives a qualifying nonprofit up to $10,000 per month in search ads on Google.com. It's free, it's in-kind, and there's no application deadline. If your real problem is filling programs and being found by the right families, this is the most valuable thing on this page, and most orgs your size have never claimed it.

Good Sports gives brand-new gear, and answers in about two weeks

Approved orgs get up to 8 donations of brand-new equipment over two years. No deadline; they decide 2 to 3 weeks after you submit. Read eligibility first: you must directly serve youth ages 3 to 18, charge a participation fee of $299 or below, and serve youth in high-poverty areas. That fee cap rules out a lot of programs, so check it before you spend the time.

A record year for giving that probably didn't reach you

Giving USA reported American giving hit $617.2 billion in 2025, the first year over $600 billion. Look closer and the growth came from estates: bequests jumped 19.7%, while giving by individuals rose only 4.1%, which is 1.4% after inflation.

So the record was made by wills and big donors, not by the everyday supporters most program orgs actually run on. Those donors are flat. The practical read: two or three real conversations with the people who have given for years will likely beat another push for new names this year.

Your mail budget went wrong on Sunday

USPS mailing-services prices rose about 4.8% on July 12, and the Forever stamp went from 78 to 82 cents. If your fall appeal, season postcard or parent packet was budgeted at the old rate, that line is now wrong. Re-run it before you commit to a drop quantity.

Collect the waiver when they register, not when they arrive

Signatures on the day are why there's a clipboard, a pile, and someone typing it all in on Monday. Attach the waiver to the signup itself and the pile never forms. Costs nothing.

Put together by Grace Bennett

Marketing & Communications, Argenta

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