Knight Cities Challenge –
The application period is closed.

You can submit your application via Submittable during the month of April 2026. We encourage you to be prepared with a project plan and proposed budget that shows how you will make your idea a reality. We’re looking for projects both big and small, with funding up to $200,000 per project. Projects should demonstrate measurable, local impact. Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET.

You’ll submit one application with brief answers on the following aspects of your project: overview, impact, team and partners, plan and timeline and budget. Preview application questions here.

Your project must take place in one or more of the 26 Knight communities:

• Aberdeen, SD
• Akron, OH
• Biloxi / Gulfport, MS
• Boulder, CO
• Bradenton, FL
• Charlotte, NC
• Columbia, SC
• Columbus, GA
• Detroit, MI
• Duluth, MN
• Fort Wayne, IN
• Gary, IN
• Grand Forks, ND
• Lexington, KY
• Long Beach, CA
• Macon, GA
• Miami / Miami-Dade County, FL
• Milledgeville, GA
• Myrtle Beach / Conway, SC
• West Palm Beach / Palm Beach County, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• San Jose, CA
• St. Paul, MN
• State College, PA
• Tallahassee, FL
• Wichita, KS

Your project must focus on at least one of Knight’s three investment areas: strengthening local news and information, creating pathways for economic opportunity or cultivating connection through arts, culture and the places that bring people together. See here for more information about these categories.

If your project relates to more than one investment area, you must select the primary one in your application.

No, but the project must be carried out in a Knight community and primarily serve its residents. National organizations applying for Challenge funds must work with a partner organization in the community to implement the project. National organizations must detail support from the local organization within their application.

Yes.

No, the Challenge is open to nonprofits, for-profits, individuals, universities, governments or anyone with a great idea that will advance one or more of Knight’s three investment areas.

Some organizations or individuals may require a fiscal sponsor or an intermediary. If your project advances, we’ll work out the details as it develops into a grant.

No, Knight does not need to be the sole funder of the proposed project. Additional funding is welcome. The grant is intended to help seed new ideas or support projects in their early stages.

No, you do not need to raise matching funds to qualify for a Knight Cities Challenge grant.

Each project will be evaluated on an individual basis using Knight’s evaluation criteria. See “What do you need to know about my project, and how will it be evaluated?” for more information.

In your application, please describe what you are proposing to do; why it makes sense for your community; your plan to complete the project within one year; your proposed budget and any committed non-Knight Foundation funding and their sources (including potential matching funds, though not a requirement); how the project will create local impact and engage the community; and who will execute the project, including their relevant experience and expertise. Preview and download our required budget template here.

We are not accepting supporting documents, photos, videos or other media assets.

In the application process, finalists will be scored against five criteria: community impact, viability, engagement, capacity and learning potential.

Preview and download our required budget template here. Because this template is available to all applicants, you will not be able to edit it directly. In Google Sheets, select File > Download to save a copy. Complete the second tab of the spreadsheet labeled “Year 1” as fully as you can, and upload your budget when you submit your application in Submittable.

Knight Foundation uses this standard template for all grants. For now, complete only the “Proposed” column. If your proposal advances to a final grant with Knight Foundation staff, you will fill out the remaining sections, including the grant number. The grant period should begin in fall 2026, when Knight Cities Challenge funds are disbursed.

Knight Foundation’s leadership team approves the final projects, though applications are reviewed by Knight Foundation staff representing our investment areas.

We also use AI tools to enhance efficiency and explore application insights, while maintaining human oversight, judgment and accountability throughout the process. More information about how Knight Foundation uses AI is available here.

Each recipient may receive up to $200,000, with the specific amount to be determined by Knight Foundation. There is $5 million available in this first cycle of the Challenge.

Proposals in all 26 communities can apply for up to $200,000. There is no set number of recipients per community — Knight will select the most promising ideas across the portfolio.

Within 12 months of funding disbursement.

You may submit one idea, either as an individual or on behalf of your organization. While you are limited to one application as the lead applicant, you may collaborate on other projects submitted by different partners. Each individual or organization may receive funding for only one project.

For large institutions such as universities or city governments, schools or departments are considered separate entities. Each entity may request up to $200,000 for their proposal.

Yes. Applicants who have not previously received Knight funding are especially encouraged to apply, but prior funding does not affect eligibility for the Knight Cities Challenge. We are looking for innovative ideas that address community needs in new ways.

You’ll receive a decision on your application by the end of August 2026.

Recipients of the Challenge will be announced in Fall 2026.

We receive a large number of applications and are unable to provide specific feedback on each one.

See more here on this topic. Internal Revenue Service regulations on private foundations define some items Knight Foundation can and cannot fund. Knight cannot fund:

• Support for or opposition to political candidates for public office, including contributions or other support that would constitute political campaign intervention.
• Grants earmarked for lobbying or political campaign activity, which can trigger private foundation excise tax rules.

Proposals for topics including capital projects, public spaces and regranting are eligible, as long as they meet the goals and criteria of the Challenge.

If you have questions about KCC that are not answered in this FAQ or our recorded webinar, please email kcc@kf.org.

After close of business ET on Thursday, April 30, we will no longer respond to new inquiries. We cannot accept late applications by email, and all applications must be submitted through Submittable by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 30.