Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation National Grants
National Grants Supporting Employment and Leadership Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation National Grants program supports innovative projects that help youth with disabilities develop the leadership and employment skills they need to succeed. MEAF also considers projects that create tools to help employers break down barriers to employment and increase job opportunities for young people with disabilities entering the workforce, including returning veterans with disabilities.
Organization: Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation
Support Type: National grants
Geographic Focus: United States; national-scope projects or model projects with a clear national dissemination and replication plan
About the Funder
The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation supports programs that promote the full inclusion of youth with disabilities in society. Through its national grantmaking, MEAF invests in projects that strengthen leadership, employment readiness, and inclusive workforce opportunities for youth and young veterans with disabilities.
What This Program Supports
MEAF supports projects from 501(c)(3) organizations that:
Develop youth leadership and employment skills
Create tools for employers that help break down barriers and increase employment opportunities
Produce measurable employment outcomes for youth with disabilities
Support U.S. youth with disabilities as the primary beneficiaries
Support young veterans with disabilities transitioning to civilian life
Promote full inclusion of youth with disabilities alongside peers without disabilities
Advance inclusive, competitive employment practices
Include a well-defined evaluation, dissemination, and replication plan
Projects should be national in scope or be model projects with a clear plan for national replication and dissemination.
Eligible Support Types
MEAF National Grants may support:
Innovative employment-readiness projects
Youth leadership development programs
Inclusive workforce development initiatives
Employer tools and resources
Model projects with national replication potential
Projects serving youth with disabilities or young veterans with disabilities
Employment accommodations when part of a larger project
Eligibility & Preferences
Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
MEAF prioritizes projects that:
Present an innovative approach
Lead to measurable employment outcomes
Focus on youth with disabilities from birth through college age, approximately age 26
Support inclusive participation with peers without disabilities
Have national impact or national replication potential
Include clear evaluation and dissemination plans
Ineligible Requests
MEAF does not fund:
Individuals, including scholarships, stipends, fellowships, or personal assistance
Intermediary organizations such as United Way
Organizations serving only a particular ethnic, fraternal, labor, or political constituency
Loans of money for any purpose
Capital campaigns or building funds
Projects focused exclusively on research
Organizations with discriminatory hiring practices
Equipment or devices for individual users, except employment accommodations within a larger project
Organizations engaged exclusively in political activities or lobbying
Locally based activities without national impact
Individual schools or school districts
Sectarian or religious activities for religious purposes
Projects or events that are already completed
Endowment campaigns
Political campaigns or causes
Fundraising events
Projects exclusively benefiting individuals or groups outside the United States
Product donation requests from Mitsubishi Electric companies
MEAF does not broker requests for product donations from Mitsubishi Electric companies and suggests Good360 as a resource for product donation needs.
Funding Amounts
MEAF grants typically range from $10,000 to $100,000 per year.
Grants are generally awarded for one to two years.
MEAF typically awards six to 12 grants each year.
Timeline & Review
📅 Application Opens: July 15 annually
📅 Proposal Deadline: November 1 annually
📅 Funding Decision: March 15
📅 New Project Funding Begins: April 1
For the 2026 cycle, proposals are accepted beginning July 15, 2026 and are due by November 1, 2026, for projects beginning on or after April 1, 2027.
Application / Request Process
MEAF accepts online proposals between July 15 and November 1 each year.
Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate:
501(c)(3) nonprofit status
Alignment with MEAF’s focus on youth with disabilities
A clear employment, leadership, or workforce inclusion strategy
Measurable employment-related outcomes
National scope or a strong replication plan
A defined evaluation, dissemination, and replication approach
Apply / Learn More:
➡️ Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation National Grant Guidelines
New to corporate grant fundraising?
Read our Corporate Grants for Nonprofits: Ultimate Guide to learn how corporate funding works.
Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit
This opportunity is a strong fit for organizations that:
Serve youth with disabilities or young veterans with disabilities
Focus on leadership, employment readiness, or workforce inclusion
Can demonstrate measurable employment outcomes
Have a national program model or strong national replication potential
Promote inclusive, competitive employment
Have experience implementing similar disability inclusion or workforce development programs
MEAF National Grants are best suited for established nonprofits with innovative, scalable approaches to improving employment opportunities and inclusion for youth with disabilities.
Corporate Grants Guide Notes
Review Type: Annual competitive grant cycle
Typical Lead Time: Apply between July 15 and November 1 for funding beginning the following April
Best Suited For: National nonprofits and scalable model programs focused on employment, leadership, and inclusion for youth with disabilities
