Meta is opening applications for its 2026 Data Center Community Action Grants program, extending funding to seven communities that recently became home to new data centers: Aiken, South Carolina; Bowling Green, Ohio; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Jeffersonville, Indiana; Montgomery, Alabama; Richland Parish, Louisiana; and Rosemount, Minnesota.
The program has been running since 2011, funneling direct funding to schools, nonprofits, and community organizations in towns where Meta builds infrastructure. So far, the company has distributed over $74 million across data center communities globally, with $24 million specifically through this grants program. The money tends to flow toward three areas: STEAM education, workforce development, and community-building projects that use technology as a tool.
What the funding actually does
Northern Illinois University used a 2025 grant to expand summer engineering camps for middle and high schoolers. Sixty-five students completed coursework on sensors; forty finished courses in data and AI. The grant also helped launch the STEAM Studio, which runs afterschool programs and college prep for students considering tech careers. "Meta's investments have already made a significant impact on our community and will continue to for years to come," said Sam Guerrero, the foundation's director of advancement.
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Start Your News DetoxIn New Mexico, Belen Consolidated Schools received their sixth consecutive grant to build a new STEM Center at the middle school. Students now have access to drones, 3-D printers, coding kits, and other equipment that would otherwise be out of reach in a rural district.
Maroon 9 Community Enrichment Organization in Texas used its third grant to run a STEM digital media camp for at-risk youth, teaching animation, graphic design, and media production. "We showed students that innovation can be a pathway away from violence and toward empowerment," said executive director ShaVonne Davis.
Applications close November 21, 2025. The pattern here is clear: the grants work best when they're specific, repeated, and tied to actual community needs rather than treated as one-time infusions. The fact that some organizations have won multiple years in a row suggests the program is learning what works.
