Cisco Foundation Grants 2026: Up to $100,000 for Eligible NGOs

Cisco Foundation Grants 2026 provide eligible nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations with opportunities to request up to US$100,000 for innovative, technology-enabled projects serving underserved communities. Applications are accepted year-round through a Letter of Inquiry process.

The Cisco Foundation Grants 2026 programme provides funding opportunities for nonprofit organizations and nongovernmental organizations developing innovative solutions to significant social challenges. Through its Global Impact Cash Grant Program, Cisco seeks organizations using technology to expand the reach and efficiency of services for communities in need.

The programme is particularly relevant to established NGOs and nonprofit organizations with national or multinational operations that can demonstrate a strong connection to Cisco’s social impact priorities. First-time grant recipients can request up to US$100,000, while successful proposals are expected to demonstrate measurable impact, innovation, scalability and long-term sustainability.

Unlike programmes with a single annual deadline, Cisco accepts applications year-round, beginning with an eligibility assessment and Letter of Inquiry before an organization may be invited to submit a full proposal.

The Cisco Global Impact Cash Grant Program is designed to identify, incubate and support innovative early-stage solutions addressing significant social problems.

Cisco’s funding approach focuses on projects serving economically underserved populations and making innovative use of technology. Eligible programmes must align with at least one of Cisco’s four priority social investment sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

This area supports efforts that provide essential assistance to communities experiencing crisis. Examples include food, housing, secure connectivity and disaster relief.

Education

Cisco supports initiatives designed to improve educational engagement, strengthen skills, promote subject mastery and expand the ability of students, teachers and schools to succeed.

Economic Empowerment

This sector focuses on skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship and access to financial products and services.

Climate Resilience

Cisco invests in projects supporting an inclusive and resilient climate future, including education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection and clean-energy solutions.

The programme also recognizes environmental sustainability initiatives connected to education, crisis response and economic empowerment.

Tasks

For organizations applying for Cisco Foundation funding, the primary responsibility is to develop and present a well-defined project that demonstrates how Cisco support could produce measurable and scalable social impact.

A strong proposal should explain the social challenge being addressed, identify the underserved population that will benefit and demonstrate why the proposed intervention is innovative.

Applicants should also be prepared to:

Develop a clearly defined programme with measurable outcomes.
Explain how technology will improve service delivery, reach or efficiency.
Demonstrate that the programme addresses a significant unmet need.
Establish SMART performance metrics.
Explain how the project can be replicated or scaled.
Demonstrate organizational leadership and implementation capacity.
Provide appropriate information about the programme budget and population served.
Maintain performance tracking through Cisco’s online grant platform if funding is awarded.

Funded organizations must also enter into a written grant agreement and participate in performance measurement throughout the grant period.

Qualifications

Organizational and Programmatic Requirements

Cisco’s Global Impact Cash Grants are intended for eligible nonprofit organizations and NGOs with national or multinational operations.

Organizations based in the United States must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) and classified as public charities.

Organizations outside the United States must provide information and documentation that allows Cisco to determine whether they are equivalent to a U.S. public charity.

The programme also requires funded programmes to serve an audience consisting of more than 65 percent economically underserved people, relative to the average standards of the target geography.

Applicants must focus on one or more of Cisco’s four priority areas: crisis response, education, economic empowerment and climate resilience.

Cisco also states that organizational overhead should generally not exceed 25 percent, although exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis for organizations that are exceptionally aligned with Cisco’s criteria and can justify their overhead.

Funding Limit

The maximum request for a first-time grant recipient is US$100,000.

This makes the programme particularly relevant to organizations developing early-stage projects that have the potential to grow beyond the initial Cisco-supported intervention.

Additional Information

What Cisco Does Not Fund

Organizations should carefully examine the exclusions before investing time in an application.

Cisco does not generally support general operating expenses unrelated to a specific programme, individual applicants, research programmes, membership activities or programmes promoting a single cultural, racial, religious or political viewpoint.

Other exclusions include hospitals and hospital operating costs, healthcare programmes focused on improving physical or mental health, scholarships and school-related activities, conferences, seminars, workshops, festivals, sporting events, fundraising events, capital building funds and grant-making organizations.

Cisco also generally does not fund computer hardware or software purchases. Equipment may be considered only where the resources are used in a strategically innovative way that significantly extends their impact and where more cost-effective alternatives, such as in-kind donations, are unavailable.

What Cisco Looks For

The Foundation evaluates proposals based on several important factors.

The project should address a critical social challenge with an unmet need, while clearly defining the problem and the population affected.

Applicants should include SMART metrics that allow the organization and Cisco to measure progress and assess results.

The programme must serve an appropriately high proportion of economically underserved people and should make an innovative use of information and communications technology.

Cisco also places importance on whether a project can be replicated, scaled and sustained beyond the initial grant.

Strong organizational leadership is another consideration. Applicants should demonstrate leadership qualities including vision, execution capability, relevant expertise, ethical practice, external relationships and a credible track record.

Application Process

The Cisco Foundation uses a three-step application process for nonprofit grant proposals.

Step 1: Determine Eligibility

Applicants should first use the Cisco Grants and Cash Donations portal to complete the Eligibility Quiz for NPOs/NGOs.

Only projects that fit Cisco’s mission, strategic approach and grant objectives are encouraged to proceed.

Step 2: Submit a Letter of Inquiry

Organizations that successfully complete the eligibility assessment can submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through the same online portal.

The LOI requests information about the organization, proposed programme, target population and budget.

Cisco notes that submitting an LOI does not guarantee an invitation to submit a full proposal. Review may take up to one business quarter, or approximately three months.

Step 3: Submit a Full Proposal

Organizations whose LOIs demonstrate strong alignment may be invited to submit a full grant proposal.

A full proposal decision can also take up to one business quarter after submission.

Cisco emphasizes that an invitation to submit a full proposal does not guarantee funding, and all grants remain subject to Cisco and Cisco Foundation discretion.

Conclusion

The Cisco Foundation Grants 2026 programme is an important funding avenue for eligible NGOs and nonprofit organizations developing innovative solutions in crisis response, education, economic empowerment or climate resilience.

With first-time applicants able to request up to US$100,000 and applications accepted throughout the year, organizations do not need to wait for a single annual funding window. However, eligibility alone does not guarantee support. The strongest applications are expected to demonstrate a significant unmet need, meaningful technology use, measurable outcomes, underserved beneficiaries, strong leadership and the potential for scalable and sustainable impact.

Organizations considering this opportunity should carefully review Cisco’s eligibility requirements and grant policies before submitting an Eligibility Quiz and developing their Letter of Inquiry.

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