Support for programs that enrich the lives of families, children

The Big Lots Foundation, the charitable arm of the national retailer Big Lots, invests in partnerships to improve and enrich the lives of families and children.  

The foundation invites applications in support of programs in the areas of health care, housing, hunger, and education, especially those serving women and children. Proposals in the following categories will be considered:  

Healthcare: Programs that improve health care through research and education, provide preventative education and care, and/or provide affordable critical medical care.

Housing: Programs that prevent families or individuals from losing their homes; provide affordable, stable housing; and/or provide emergency shelter for families and individuals. 

Hunger: Programs that provide nutritious food or meals, offer emergency food assistance, and/or educate families or individuals about the importance of healthy eating. 

Education: Programs that provide a service-learning curriculum aligned with education standards, promote servant leadership through academic and experiential learning, and/or improve classroom learning outcomes through innovation.

To be eligible, applicants must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and be in communities where Big Lots operates stores (across the United States) or distribution centers (Columbus, Ohio; Tremont, Pennsylvania; Durant, Oklahoma; Montgomery, Alabama; Rancho Cucamonga, California), or has its corporate office (Columbus, Ohio). 

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Big Lots Foundation website.