Grants for Police Departments 2026: 2,621 Funders

Police funding source review, Grantsights, November 4, 2026: Grantsights checked the COPS Hiring Program page (opens in a new tab), the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) page for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (opens in a new tab), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) page for the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (opens in a new tab), and the statute text of 34 U.S.C. 10152 (opens in a new tab) and 26 U.S.C. 170 (opens in a new tab), against foundation filings that name police groups. Where official sources stop: no federal page says what a K-9 costs to buy, train and feed, or how a department and its foundation should split a capital campaign.

5 Kinds of Police Support Groups and What Funders Back

Grantsights sorted the hand-checked recipients and the largest gifts into 5 rough kinds of group, from city foundations raising $1,000,000 gifts to K-9 clubs living on $500 checks. This table is illustrative, not data: names come from the filings, but each group's budget and pitch differ.

A small-city foundation shouldn't pitch like Atlanta's. Big foundations sell a citywide safety plan. A town of 20,000 sells one concrete thing: a second K-9, cameras for 6 patrol cars, a holiday shopping night for 80 kids.

Grants for Police Departments: What 990-PF Filings Show

Grantsights analysis of 990-PF community grants pulled November 4, 2026 found 2,621 foundations that made 6,053 grants to police foundations, police departments and sheriff's offices, totaling $104,751,069. According to IRS guidance on Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab), private foundations use that return to report their charitable distributions, so each gift below ties back to a filing. Private foundations are a real source for police foundations, but they aren't the main one for departments: city and county budgets pay salaries and cars, and local donors, galas, businesses and federal and state grants fill most of the rest.

The average works out to about $17,300 per grant, and that number misleads. According to the same pull, the median gift was $2,000, a quarter of gifts were $500 or less, three quarters were $7,703 or less, and 4,380 of the 6,053 (72%) were $5,000 or less. Plan a first ask around a few thousand dollars from each local funder.

Foundations get most of the money

Grantsights sorted the 6,053 grants by recipient name on November 4, 2026, roughly, so treat the split as approximate. According to that sort, about 2,936 grants totaling about $81.6 million (median $2,500) went to recipients named as foundations, associations, K-9 groups and other support organizations. About 2,391 grants totaling about $15.7 million (median $1,000) went to departments and sheriff's offices directly, and the rest couldn't be sorted by name. In plain terms, a nonprofit partner pulls in bigger checks.

A big share of the direct department count is one corporate program. The Tractor Supply Company Foundation's filing lists 939 grants labeled "Hometown Heroes donation," each $250 or $500 in tax year 2025, almost all to police departments, with a few to K-9 units and officers' associations. Grantsights couldn't load the company's own page to confirm how the program picks recipients, so this guide describes only what the filing shows.

Atlanta skews the total

According to the Grantsights pull data, about $32.8 million, roughly 31% of the national total, went to the Atlanta Police Foundation from 58 foundations. Georgia's $33,593,923 sits almost entirely in that one city. A department in Macon or Valdosta shouldn't read Georgia as easy money; the median is the better guide.

Not every big gift buys gear. The Laura and John Arnold Foundation gave the recipient filed as the Police Foundation $1,000,000 in 2023 for expert training and technical assistance to law enforcement and city officials, and $853,207 in 2023 to evaluate how police reforms in New Jersey affected officer perceptions and behavior. That's research money, and it won't come to a local foundation.

Mid-size gifts that match a real ask

For example, the Sherwood Foundation gave the City of Omaha Police Foundation $485,732 in 2025 for a drone-as-first-responder program and $300,000 for a threat assessment and real-time operations center. One organization in North Carolina, the High Point Police Foundation, received $500,000 in 2024 from the Douglas S. Witcher Family Foundation for a mobile command center. The Woodward Charitable Trust gave Fort Collins Police Services in Colorado $450,000 in 2024 for general operating support, and the John G. Atkins Foundation gave Oregon's Brookings Police Department $250,000 in 2024 for a new training building.

Police Foundation Grants by State

50 states had 3 or more foundations giving to police groups in the November 4, 2026 pull. California leads on funders; Georgia leads on dollars, for the reason above. This table counts gifts by the state where the recipient sits.

The state samples show how local this money is. In Massachusetts, the Cummings Foundation gave the Medford and Wilmington police departments $35,000 each in 2023, filed under human services. Texas's sample, the Ed Rachal Foundation, gave the Corpus Christi Police Foundation $20,000 in 2023 for an asset purchase. Indiana's sample, the Ball Brothers Foundation, gave the Eaton Police Department $10,000 in 2023 for equipment upgrades and body cameras and the Albany Police Department $5,000 to start a K-9 program. Missouri's sample, the BNSF Railway Foundation, filed civic gifts of $5,000 to $10,000 to the sheriff's offices in Linn, Macon and New Madrid counties.

California's police funders

California's 385 foundations made 757 grants worth $10,647,858, according to the November 4, 2026 pull. About $5 million of that, nearly half, went to the Los Angeles Police Foundation from 55 funders. The free California sample for police groups is the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, whose filing says it takes requests and lists what to send, deadlines, limits and a contact. It gave 14 California police recipients a total of $83,500, all filed as "Program Support" in 2023: $25,000 to Police and Fire The Fallen Heroes in Walnut Creek, $6,000 to the Los Angeles Police Foundation, and $3,000 each to the Burbank and Gardena police foundations.

Elsewhere in the state, the gifts are local. H&H Evergreen Foundation gave the East Palo Alto Police Department $150,000 a year in 2022, 2023 and 2024 for charity and public safety. The Windsong Trust gave the Hollenbeck Police Academy League $200,000 in 2024 for youth education programs. The JW Sefton Foundation gave the San Diego Police Canine Association $25,000 in 2023 for operating expenses.

K-9 Units, Shop with a Cop and Citizens Academy Groups

208 grants from 123 foundations, totaling $2,013,031, named a K-9 or canine program in the November 4, 2026 pull. That's the most common single-purpose ask, and it's the best bet for a small department's first request: one dog has a clear price, a handler and a story.

• K-9 foundations. The Jeanne M. Mithun Foundation gave the St. Paul Police K-9 Foundation $100,000 in 2025, after gifts of $51,482 in 2023 and $51,415 in 2024, all unrestricted. The MECA Wisconsin Police Canine Vest Foundation filed a run of $20,000 "K-9 fund" grants to departments in Oshkosh, Mequon, Tomahawk, Holmen and other Wisconsin towns in 2024 and 2025.
• Departments with a dog. For 4 Paws gave the Mammoth Lakes Police Department in California $31,092 in 2023 for its K-9 unit, and the Mary P. Dolciani Halloran Foundation gave the Sequim Police Department in Washington $25,000 in 2024 for its K-9 program.
• Shop with a Cop. Only 36 grants from 28 foundations named Shop with a Cop or a similar program. The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation gave the Utah Police Civilian Association $9,000 in 2023 for its holiday program for kids, and the Downey Kiwanis Foundation gave the Downey Police Officers' Association $2,500 in 2024 and again in 2025. Foundation filings show few of these gifts, so a holiday drive will likely lean on local businesses, clubs and individual donors too.
• Citizens academy alumni. The Arvest Foundation gave the Hot Springs Village Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association in Arkansas $20,000 in 2024 to set up a new K-9 unit, covering fencing, a vest, vehicle changes and training. The Carleton F. and Ruth T. Davidson Trust gave Ohio's Springfield Citizen Police Academy Alumni $15,000 in 2024.
• Chaplaincies. The Dr. Scholl Foundation gave Chicago's Police Chaplains Ministry $10,000 in 2023 for counseling and pastoral care for officers and their families, and the Waterford Foundation gave the Fresno Police Chaplaincy $80,820 in 2025.

Why the Community List for Police Foundations

Most gifts to police names in a wider November 4, 2026 search carried a community tag, and a smaller share carried no tag or a youth tag. So the community list is where police foundations, K-9 groups and alumni associations should start. A Shop with a Cop or Explorers program with a youth-heavy case may also find funders under youth.

These rows count every community grant on 990-PF returns, according to Grantsights analysis of filings pulled October 29, 2026, not police gifts alone. The free preview on the Grantsights community funder list shows community funders across your state, so read each one's past gifts for public safety, first responders or civic work before you write. Between 22% and 36% of the community funders in these states say they take requests. The community funder list covers every state, and if it doesn't help, you can ask for a refund within 30 days.

What the DOJ Doesn't Tell You About Police Funding

The Department of Justice (DOJ) pages describe 3 federal programs police chiefs ask about most, but they don't spell out that none of them pays a police foundation. Set beside the 990-PF filings, they teach 5 lessons.

1. The COPS Hiring Program pays the government, and this year's round has closed. According to the COPS Hiring Program page, the FY26 COPS Hiring Program (CHP) closed on July 29, 2026. It offered up to $157.5 million, covering up to 75% of entry-level salaries and benefits for 3 years, with a minimum 25% local cost share unless waived and a federal cap of $125,000 per officer over the 3 years. Eligible applicants are law enforcement agencies, local governments, tribes and other public agencies.
2. JAG is a formula, not a contest. The statute at 34 U.S.C. 10152 lets the Attorney General make grants "to States and units of local government" for personnel, equipment, supplies, training and information systems. Under 34 U.S.C. 10156 (opens in a new tab), 60% of each state's allocation goes to the state and 40% to local governments, and a local share under $10,000 moves to the state's pot instead. According to the JAG program page, the FY2026 local solicitation's Grants.gov deadline was November 3, 2026 and its JustGrants deadline is November 6, 2026, as of November 4, 2026. Smaller towns that don't qualify for a direct award should ask their State Administering Agency about pass-through money.
3. A JAG subaward can reach a nonprofit. Section 10152(b) lets a state or local government contract with or subaward to "neighborhood or community-based organizations that are private and nonprofit." That's the only door here for a nonprofit, and the government holds it.
4. Vest money pays half, and the match can't be federal. According to the vest program page at OJP, the program reimburses governments and tribes for up to 50% of the cost of body armor, and its FY2026 application period was open until October 30, 2026, so it had closed when Grantsights checked on November 4, 2026. The statute at 34 U.S.C. 10531 (opens in a new tab) bars using other federal grants for the match. A police foundation's private gift is a natural fit for that other half.
5. A gift to a city can be deductible. Section 170(c)(1) counts a gift to a state or political subdivision as a charitable contribution, but only if it's "made for exclusively public purposes." Many private funders still give only to 501(c)(3) charities and want a separate board watching the money, which is why departments set up foundations.

What federal pages rarely mention is that small departments lose more to the calendar than to the competition. CHP, JAG and the vest program each open once a year, and the pass-through route adds a state step. A foundation with $20,000 in hand can buy a vest or a camera this month.

How a Department Pairs With a Police Foundation

Grantsights checked the purposes on the largest gifts in the November 4, 2026 pull against how departments describe their foundations, and 4 setups stood out.

1. A stand-alone 501(c)(3) police foundation. This is the Atlanta, Los Angeles and Houston model, and the most common name in the data. A board of residents raises money, buys what the chief asks for and reports to donors. Expect audit and staff costs to grow as the gifts do.
2. A fund at a community foundation. The Jack A. Wilson Charitable Trust gave $24,558 in 2024 to the Greater Salina Community Foundation for its Salina Police Department excellence fund, for computer equipment and an employee wellness program. A fund like that skips the cost of a new charity. The community foundation guide explains how such funds work.
3. An officers' association or alumni group with charitable status. Several Shop with a Cop gifts went to police officers' associations, and K-9 gifts went to citizens academy alumni groups. Check that the group is a 501(c)(3) before a funder asks; some associations are labor or social groups, and most foundations won't give to them without extra paperwork.
4. A fiscal sponsor for a new program. A volunteer group starting a K-9 fund can sit under an existing charity while it builds a track record. The fiscal sponsor guide covers the agreement terms.

Write a short memorandum of understanding between the department and the foundation either way. It should say who picks purchases, who owns the equipment, and who thanks donors. Funders see a red flag when a foundation can't say who decides.

Common Mistakes in Police Foundation Grant Requests

These 6 mistakes come up when a police group asks the way it would ask the city council, and each can cost a $2,000 local gift.

• Asking for salaries. A common mistake is asking a private foundation to pay for sworn officers. Only a handful of filed purposes in the pull mention hiring or recruiting, such as the Wasserman Foundation's $120,000 to the Los Angeles Police Foundation in 2023 for housing costs and recruitment. Payroll is what CHP and the city budget are for.
• Big asks to small funders. A $200,000 request to a funder whose largest police gift was $5,000 wastes a year. Read its past gifts first with how to read a 990-PF.
• Leaving out the match. Many groups underestimate how often a private gift unlocks federal money. Name the vest program share or the CHP cost share your gift would help cover.
• Ignoring the other first responders. Many local funders also give to fire and EMS. The guides on volunteer fire departments and EMS and ambulance services show who funds them, and a joint public safety ask can work.
• Skipping the federal detail. The DOJ grants guide walks through registration and the full list of Justice programs, so don't treat this page as the federal manual.
• No outcomes. Funders of school resource and youth work want numbers, and grants for school safety shows what school safety funders ask to see.

A Police Foundation's Funding Calendar

This 12-month plan suits a police foundation or K-9 group in a town of 10,000 to 100,000 people. This table is illustrative, not data: shift it to your city's budget year and federal windows.

The Grantsights grant database lists open federal and state public safety notices, including state pass-through programs that accept small agencies.

Related Guides for Public Safety Groups

The 2,621 foundations behind the $104,751,069 in this pull overlap with funders of other first responders. A team that works alongside deputies in the backcountry should read grants for search and rescue teams, and a department with a crisis or co-responder program can compare funders in grants for mental health programs.

Police Explorers posts and youth camps share funders with grants for youth programs, and a business-backed holiday drive can borrow tactics from corporate grants for nonprofits. Departments that run victim advocates should also read grants for victim services programs. Departments and police foundations that want a defibrillator in every patrol car can compare the small-gift funders in grants for AEDs.

FAQ: Common Questions

Can a police department get grants from private foundations? Yes, but most money goes through a police foundation or another nonprofit partner.

How many foundations give to police foundations and departments? 2,621 in the Grantsights search of 990-PF community grants pulled November 4, 2026.

How big is a typical grant to a police foundation? The median was $2,000, and 72% of gifts were $5,000 or less.

Can a police foundation apply for the COPS Hiring Program or Byrne JAG? No. Those go to agencies and governments; a foundation can help with the match.

Is the FY2026 Bulletproof Vest Partnership still open? No. Its application period ran until October 30, 2026.

Are gifts straight to a police department tax deductible? They can be, if made for exclusively public purposes, under 26 U.S.C. 170(c)(1).

Sources

• COPS Office: COPS Hiring Program (CHP) (opens in a new tab)
• BJA: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (opens in a new tab)
• OJP: Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (opens in a new tab)
• 34 U.S.C. 10152, JAG uses and subawards (U.S. Code, 2024 edition) (opens in a new tab)
• 34 U.S.C. 10156, JAG formula (U.S. Code, 2024 edition) (opens in a new tab)
• 34 U.S.C. 10531, armor vest grants (U.S. Code, 2024 edition) (opens in a new tab)
• 26 U.S.C. 170, charitable contributions (U.S. Code, 2024 edition) (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)