Brown-Forman Foundation Grants (2026)

Grants Supporting Arts and Culture, Lifelong Learning, and Stronger Communities

The Brown-Forman Foundation provides restricted and unrestricted grants to nonprofit organizations working to strengthen communities through arts and culture, education and lifelong learning, community well-being, environmental stewardship, and alcohol responsibility.

Brown-Forman accepts applications quarterly, with priority given to nonprofit organizations located in its hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The next application deadline is November 1, 2026.

Organization: Brown-Forman Foundation
Support Type: Restricted and unrestricted monetary grants
Geographic Focus: United States, with priority given to Louisville, Kentucky
Next Deadline: November 1, 2026

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Read our Corporate Grants for Nonprofits: Ultimate Guide to learn how corporate funding works.

About the Funder

Brown-Forman is a global spirits and wine company headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. For more than 150 years, the company has invested its time, talent, and financial resources in the communities where its employees live and work.

Through the Brown-Forman Foundation and its corporate community investment programs, the company supports mission-driven organizations that create shared experiences, expand access to opportunity, and improve community well-being.

Although Brown-Forman has a global presence, its open grant criteria give priority to eligible nonprofit organizations located in Louisville.

What This Program Supports

Brown-Forman concentrates its charitable giving in three primary focus areas.

Celebrate Arts & Culture

Brown-Forman supports cultural organizations and institutions that:

• Bring people together through shared artistic and cultural experiences
• Improve quality of life through the arts
• Expand community access to arts and cultural programming
• Strengthen cultural institutions and community identity

Potential applicants may include eligible museums, performing arts organizations, cultural institutions, and community arts programs.

Champion Lifelong Learning

Funding supports organizations that expand access to:

• Education
• Mentorship
• Career pathways
• Workforce preparation
• Personal and professional development
• Lifelong learning opportunities

Brown-Forman is interested in helping individuals of different ages develop the knowledge, relationships, and skills needed to achieve long-term success.

Public K–12 schools are not eligible to apply directly.

Cultivate Community

Brown-Forman supports initiatives that:

• Strengthen community well-being
• Steward shared natural spaces
• Bring residents together
• Respond to identified community needs
• Promote responsible alcohol use

This focus area may include community development, environmental stewardship, public-space initiatives, and programs advancing alcohol responsibility.

Grant Evaluation Framework

Brown-Forman evaluates applications across three broad categories.

Strategic Alignment

Reviewers consider:

• Alignment with one or more Brown-Forman focus areas
• Number and characteristics of people reached
• Geographic scope
• Relevance to Brown-Forman’s community investment priorities

Community Solution

Applications should clearly explain:

• The community need being addressed
• The proposed solution
• How impact will be assessed
• Which organizations or community partners will collaborate on the work
• Why the proposed approach is appropriate for the community

Organizational Capability

Brown-Forman may evaluate:

• Organizational readiness
• Financial condition
• Ability to manage grant funds
• Experience delivering the proposed work
• Plans to sustain the project’s impact

Competitive proposals should provide a clear basis for measuring progress toward stated project goals and outcomes.

Eligible Support Types

Organizations may request:

• Restricted program or project support
• Unrestricted or general operating support
• Monetary charitable grants
• Nonprofit event sponsorships through a separate application

Applicants should select the application that corresponds to the type of support being requested.

Organizations should not submit the same request through both the Foundation grant application and the nonprofit event sponsorship application.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The organization or its fiscal sponsor must have IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
• The organization must qualify as a public charity under Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code
• The organization must operate exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes
• The organization’s mission and proposed outcomes must align with at least one Brown-Forman focus area
• The proposal must be submitted by the applicable quarterly deadline
• The application must provide a sound method for measuring progress toward project goals and outcomes
• The organization must maintain an appropriate nondiscrimination policy

Priority is given to organizations located in Louisville, Kentucky.

Organizations may apply only once during each Brown-Forman fiscal year, which runs from May 1 through April 30.

Geographic Focus

Brown-Forman’s corporate community investment begins in Louisville but extends to other communities where the company operates and where its employees live and work.

Local Community Engagement Committees help identify meaningful giving opportunities in Brown-Forman markets. However, the published grant criteria specifically state that priority is given to organizations located in Louisville.

Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply through this grant program.

Organizations outside Louisville should carefully evaluate their connection to Brown-Forman’s geographic footprint and community investment priorities before applying.

Ineligible Applicants and Requests

Brown-Forman does not accept applications from or for:

• Individuals
• Public K–12 schools
• Group tours
• Athletic teams or leagues
• Foreign organizations
• Churches, synagogues, and other religious organizations
• Organizations that do not qualify as public charities under Section 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2)
• Businesses or other third parties seeking donations on behalf of nonprofit organizations
• Political organizations
• Political campaign activities
• Voter registration drives
• Lobbying, propaganda, or attempts to influence legislation
• Organizations without nondiscrimination policies
• Organizations with a history of unlawful discrimination
• Capital campaigns
• In-kind donations

Donations must be made directly to the eligible nonprofit organization or fiscal sponsor.

Additional Foundation Restrictions

The Brown-Forman Foundation will not consider:

• Past grantees that have not completed required grant agreements, reports, or other documentation
• Requests intended to satisfy the personal pledge of a Brown-Forman or Foundation director, officer, key staff member, or family member
• Requests that would provide an improper personal benefit to a Brown-Forman or Foundation director, officer, key staff member, or family member

Standard recognition, naming, or similar publicity associated with a charitable grant is not treated as a prohibited personal benefit.

Funding Amounts

Brown-Forman does not publish standard minimum or maximum grant amounts.

Award amounts may vary based on:

• Alignment with the company’s focus areas
• Community reach and need
• Geographic relevance
• Proposed outcomes
• Organizational readiness
• Available charitable resources

All requests must be for monetary support. Brown-Forman Corporation and the Brown-Forman Foundation do not accept requests for donated products, services, or other in-kind contributions.

Application Documents

Applicants may be asked to provide:

• A list of organizational officers and board members
• The organization’s adopted nondiscrimination policy
• IRS determination letter confirming 501(c)(3) status
• A completed March 2024 version of IRS Form W-9
• The organization’s most recent IRS Form 990
• Current-year organizational budget
• Detailed program, project, or event budget
• Information about anticipated income and expenses
• Project goals, outcomes, and measurement methods

Applicants should ensure that organizational records and financial documents are current before beginning the application.

Timeline & Review

📅 Next Application Deadline: November 1, 2026
📅 Decision Timeline: Typically 90–120 days following each submission deadline
📅 Brown-Forman Fiscal Year: May 1–April 30
📅 Application Limit: One application per fiscal year

Organizations with time-sensitive projects should account for the 90- to 120-day decision period when selecting an application cycle.

Application / Request Process

Organizations seeking restricted or unrestricted grant funding should complete the Brown-Forman Foundation Grant Application.

Applicants seeking support for a nonprofit event must use the separate Brown-Forman Nonprofit Event Sponsorship Application.

Do not submit the same funding request through both applications.

Before applying, organizations should confirm that:

• They qualify as an eligible 501(c)(3) public charity
• Their work aligns with one or more Brown-Forman focus areas
• Their request is for monetary support
• The request is not connected to a capital campaign
• They have not already applied during the current Brown-Forman fiscal year
• Their proposal includes measurable goals and outcomes
• Their organizational and financial documents are current

Apply for a Foundation Grant:
➡️ https://forms.benevity.org/54d7144b-f2c9-421c-a56d-df00d0e59a67

Grant Guidelines and Additional Information:
➡️ https://www.brown-forman.com/grant-guidelines-and-criteria

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity is a strong fit for organizations that:

• Are eligible 501(c)(3) public charities
• Are located in Louisville or have a meaningful connection to a Brown-Forman community
• Support arts and cultural experiences
• Expand access to education, mentorship, or career pathways
• Strengthen community well-being
• Steward shared natural spaces
• Promote responsible alcohol use
• Can present measurable goals and outcomes
• Have the organizational and financial capacity to manage grant funds
• Are seeking restricted or unrestricted monetary support

Organizations located in Louisville and strongly aligned with one of Brown-Forman’s three focus areas are likely to be the most competitive applicants.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Next Deadline: November 1, 2026
Review Type: Quarterly
Decision Timeline: Approximately 90–120 days
Application Limit: One request per Brown-Forman fiscal year
Fiscal Year: May 1–April 30
Funding Type: Restricted and unrestricted monetary grants
Priority Geography: Louisville, Kentucky
Best Suited For: Established public charities supporting arts and culture, lifelong learning, community well-being, environmental stewardship, or alcohol responsibility
Important Restrictions: No capital campaigns or in-kind requests
Event Support: Separate nonprofit event sponsorship application required