AWS Imagine Grant Resources & FAQs

We are in the process of expanding the grant program globally, but currently the program is only available to customers headquartered in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Please check back soon for updates.

Organizations with active 501(c) status or equivalent that are registered in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand but serve beneficiaries outside of these geographies are eligible to apply.

Yes. Organizations who have applied and not been awarded an AWS Imagine Grant are welcome to apply again.

In general, we recommend that organizations wait a period of one calendar year or one cycle before reapplying to the AWS Imagine Grant, with the exception of projects that are clearly and sufficiently different in nature, scope or stage than the previous submission. Winners are welcome to reapply to the same or a different category than their initial award, given that the applications should be clearly and sufficiently different in nature, scope or stage than the previous submission.

No. Each organization may only submit one application per award cycle.

No. At the time of Round One application, please select which category best fits your organizational goals.

The number of grantees in each award category varies each year depending on several factors, such as the number and quality of applications, and budget availability. The AWS IMAGINE Grant is one of many resources available to help you achieve your technology goals and we are committed to supporting you as much as possible.

No. The use of AWS is not a requirement to apply for an AWS Imagine Grant. As the award package includes AWS-specific resources, the AWS Imagine Grant is best suited for organizations who do plan to incorporate AWS technology into their project design.

We accept proposals once annually. Timeline for the 2025-2026 grant cycle is as follows:

• Guidelines and instructions available: March 26, 2025
• Round One applications accepted: April 14 - June 2, 2025
• Round One result notifications: by July 9, 2025
• Round Two applications accepted (by invitation only): August 4— September 17, 2025
• Awards announced and distributed: December 2025
• Grant term begins: January 1, 2026

We seek to fund a diverse set of projects that leverage cloud technology for mission impact across the nonprofit sector. All mission and cause areas are welcome, excluding ineligible organizations listed above.

• The next application cycle will open in March 2025, at which time Round One application instructions will be available for download. The Round One application portal will open in April 2025, which you can access through the AWS Imagine Grant main page.
• We will extend Round Two applications by invitation only, based on the evaluation of Round One applications. Organizations who are invited to the Round Two will be provided instructions to submit full proposals for either the Momentum to Modernize, Go Further, Faster, or the Pathfinder award categories. Organizations may only submit one project for the category selected. Full proposal instructions will be provided to Round Two applicants only at the time of notification.

AWS will judge proposals based on factors that include:

• Innovative and unique nature of the project
• Impact on mission-critical goals
• Clearly defined outcomes
• Succinctly defined milestones
• Detailing and applicability of AWS services within the project scope
• Viability of proposed sustainability plan
• Comprehensiveness of applicant’s proposal and information requested
• Submission of proposal in correct format and within program deadlines

AWS has a multitude of self-service resources and training resources. If you need support in defining your project scope or writing this application, fill out this form on the AWS nonprofits page and an AWS representative will reach out within 1-2 business days. Please prepare a high-level project outline so our colleagues can connect you to the right resources.

While only registered 501(c) nonprofits (and U.K. & Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand equivalent) are eligible to apply for the AWS Imagine Grant, many winning projects do utilize the support of a MSP/technology partner in implementation. For specific questions, please email us or reach out to your AWS account manager.

The AWS Education Equity Initiative accepts applications from nonprofits, governments, socially-minded EdTechs, and corporate social responsibility teams seeking to build digital learning solutions for underserved and underrepresented communities.