Daily 3 Foundations - 10/30/25

10/30/2025

Here are today’s daily 3 foundations. Laffey-McHugh Foundation, Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, and Fund for Investigative Journalism.

Laffey-McHugh Foundation

Website: https://laffeymchugh.org/

Mission & Purpose: To provide funding to nonprofit organizations that support individuals in reaching their full potential and uplift communities. While historically rooted in Catholic giving, its modern focus is on broad community needs.

Broad Funding Guidelines: Grantmaking is almost exclusively focused on the state of Delaware, with a strong priority on the city of Wilmington. They support 501(c)(3) organizations in areas like Basic Needs, Housing, Education, and Economic Mobility. They have two open grant cycles per year (spring and fall) and require new organizations to have a conversation with staff before submitting an application.

Featured Opportunity: The foundation is a key local funder for capital projects and new initiatives. While they provide program support, they are a critical resource for Delaware nonprofits needing to fund a building renovation, purchase a vehicle, or launch a new pilot program to serve those in need.

Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission

Website: https://www.cityofdeadwood.com/hpc

Mission & Purpose: To encourage and promote the preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of historic properties in South Dakota. This is a government commission, not a private foundation, that is funded by a portion of the gaming revenue in Deadwood.

Broad Funding Guidelines: This funder has two main programs: one for properties inside Deadwood and one for properties outside Deadwood. To be eligible, a property must be listed on (or eligible for) the National Register of Historic Places. Funding is for "brick and mortar" exterior preservation work, such as roof repair, stained-glass restoration, and foundation stabilization.

Featured Opportunity: The "Deadwood Fund" Grant (also called the "Outside-of-Deadwood" grant) is a unique program that uses local gaming revenue to fund historic preservation projects anywhere in the state of South Dakota. This allows a small-town historic church, courthouse, or theater to apply for a matching grant (up to $25,000) to help save their historic structure.

Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ)

Website: https://fij.org/

Mission & Purpose: To support in-depth, non-partisan investigative stories that break new ground and expose wrongdoing in the public and private sectors.

Broad Funding Guidelines: This is a national foundation that gives grants directly to individual freelance journalists, as well as staff reporters and small media outlets. They do not fund organizations, only specific reporting projects. Grants (up to $10,000) are intended to cover out-of-pocket reporting expenses like travel, document fees, and equipment rental. Applications are reviewed 3-4 times per year.

Featured Opportunity: Their Seed Funding grants are a key, lesser-known opportunity. A freelancer who has a promising lead but not yet a full-fledged story can apply for a small grant (up to $2,500) to cover the initial costs of preliminary reporting (like filing public records requests) needed to develop a full investigative proposal.