2025 Application Guidelines

Additional details forthcoming.

Our Guidelines

PBF’s guidelines are an important part of the partnership we seek to achieve with applicants. We offer these guidelines as a way to help organizations determine whether their request is the right fit for our funding priorities, and to offer insight into the application process.

EMPOWERMENT GRANTS

The Empowerment Grant Guidelines document is forthcoming.


PBF's Empowerment Grants provide flexible funding support for two years for programs, projects, or initiatives that align with at least one of our newly revised funding priority areas and demonstrate community enhancement and meaningful impact over the grant term.

Grants will be awarded to eligible organizations in the range of $5,000-$10,000 per year for two years for organizations with operating budgets between $50,000-$1 million per year, and in the range of $10,000-$25,000 per year for two years for organizations with operating budgets between $1 million-$15 million per year.

Application Window: April 1–30 Grant Notification: ~July 31
PBF Review and Assessment: May 1–July 15 Grant Term: August 1, 2025–July 31, 2027


SIGNATURE GRANTS

We are pausing the Signature Grant Program in 2025 to focus on the launch of the Empowerment Grant Program.

Eligibility

Empowerment Grants

Organization’s Operating Budget

$50,000–$1 million

$1 million–$15 million

2025 Budget Allocation

$100,000

$400,000

Grant Range

$5,000–$10,000/year

$10,000–$25,000/year

Grant Term

2 years

2 years

Eligibility

501(c)3 AND 509(a)1 or 509(a)2

2+ operating years

Form 990 / 990-EZ (NO 990-N!)

Not in an active grant

Serves at least one community where there is a Bank branch, or a community contiguous to a branch

501(c)3 AND 509(a)1 or 509(a)2

2+ operating years

Audited/reviewed financial statements

Form 990 / 990-EZ (NO 990-N!)

Not in an active grant

Serves at least one community where there is a Bank branch, or a community contiguous to a branch

Application

Single-stage

Single-stage

Required Documents

Current FY budget

Form 990/990-EZ

Program budget/narrative (expenses + revenues)

Current funders

BOD list w/affiliations

Current FY budget

Audited/reviewed financial statements

Form 990/990-EZ

Program budget/narrative (expenses + revenues)

Current funders

BOD list w/affiliations

 

  • Organizations seeking a grant from PBF must be certified as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code and classified as “not a private foundation” under Section 509(a)1 or 509(a)2. We recommend checking your organization’s status at www.guidestar.org.
  • Applicants must serve or demonstrate impact in at least one community where Provident Bank has a physical presence.
  • Requests will not be accepted from organizations in an active grant term or with outstanding progress reports.

Additional eligibility criteria can be found in the grant guidelines document (forthcoming). Requests that do not meet these requirements will be declined.

Applying in 2025

Organizations applying for an Empowerment Grant will complete a single-stage application with supporting documentation, as detailed in the guidelines document (forthcoming).

All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST).

2025 Empowerment Grant Timeline

Application Opens
Application Due
Notification from PBF
Grant Term
Application OpensApril 1 at 9:00 AM
Application DueApril 30 at 5:00 PM
Notification from PBFJuly 31
Grant TermAugust 1, 2025 – July 31, 2027