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Dove Baby is evolving its long-standing commitment to superior care by expanding into postpartum care—an essential, underserved area of the maternal health journey. We are aiming to help close the maternal care gap so that every new parent has access to considerate postpartum support through expanded reach to more communities and families.
Why? Because we believe every family deserves respectful, high-quality postpartum care that reflects their unique needs and backgrounds.
The Dove Baby Community Care Grants program is designed to support ten community-led organizations delivering critical, culturally sensitive postpartum care each with $10,000 grants. Learn more and apply below!
Eligibility & Self-Check
Not sure if your organization qualifies? Review the eligibility requirements below, then use our quick Eligibility Self-Check to help determine whether the grant is a good fit before starting your application.
To be eligible for a Dove Baby Community Care Grant, your organization must:
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Operate within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, delivering local or regional services
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Be a nonprofit organization based in the 50 US/DC and be recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and not classified as a private foundation, or operate under fiscal sponsor that meets these same requirements and has sponsored the Eligible Organization’s program for at least one year
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Deliver programming that has a primary or significant focus on supporting postpartum individuals and families through direct services and/or capacity-building models within one or more of the eligible service categories listed below*
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Be able to demonstrate measurable impact in the communities you serve
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Demonstrate a commitment to serving historically underserved or marginalized populations experiencing disproportionate maternal health outcomes, including but not limited to under-resourced, rural, and low-income communities
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Seek to use funds to expand the effectiveness, scale, and/or reach of your postpartum care programming
- Have an annual operating budget of $2,000,000 or less
Private foundations are not eligible.
*Eligible Service Categories
Non-clinical support services that promote the physical, emotional, and practical wellbeing of parents and their families during the first year following birth, such as:
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Doula Support: Including but not limited to birth doula services, postpartum doula services, full-spectrum doula care
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Lactation Support: Including but not limited to organizations offering International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) visits/services, Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) services, Breastfeeding peer counseling, Virtual lactation support
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Sleep Support: Including but not limited to certified infant sleep consultant services, newborn care specialist overnight support, sleep education and planning services
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Mental Health & Emotional Wellness Support: Including but not limited to perinatal mental health support and counseling, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder peer support, mindfulness and stress reduction programs for new parents, postpartum adjustment coaching
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Physical Recovery Support: Including but not limited to pelvic floor physical therapy, postpartum fitness and recovery programs, postpartum massage therapy, bodywork practitioners specializing in postpartum recovery
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Community & Practical Support: Including but not limited to postpartum meal services or meal prep support, newborn care education classes, parent support groups and circles, home visiting and family support programs, and online support groups/forums.
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Additional Resource Support: Including but not limited to short-term childcare services to enable access to postpartum appointments or self-care, essential baby supplies and products (diapers, formula, safe sleep items), and other services that address the practical resource barriers that often prevent postpartum individuals from accessing care or meeting basic needs during the critical fourth-trimester period.
Eligible Program Models
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Direct Service Delivery: Programs that provide postpartum care services directly to individuals and families
- Workforce Development / Capacity-Building: Programs that train, equip, or support postpartum care providers (e.g., doulas, lactation consultants, community health workers, clinicians), where there is a clear and credible pathway to impact on communities served
Before You Apply: Eligibility Self-Check
We want to respect your time and help you quickly determine whether the Dove Baby Community Care Grants are a good fit before completing the full application. Please review the questions below. If you answer "Yes" to all of them, we encourage you to continue with the application.
- Does your organization operate within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and provide services to local/regional communities?
- Is your organization one of the following?
- A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is not classified as a private foundation; OR
- A program operating under a qualified 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor that is not classified as a private foundation
- If operating under a fiscal sponsor, has your organization been under its current fiscal sponsor for at least one year?
- Does your organization have a primary or significant focus on supporting postpartum individuals and families?
- Does your organization provide postpartum support through direct services and/or workforce development/capacity-building activities within one or more of the following service categories: doula support, lactation support, sleep support, mental health & emotional wellness support, physical recovery support, community & practical support, or related services?
- Does your organization demonstrate a commitment to serving historically underserved or marginalized populations experiencing disproportionate maternal health outcomes?
- Does your organization have an annual operating budget of $2 million or less?
- Does your organization have quantitative and/or qualitative evidence of impact from its postpartum programming?
- Is your organization seeking funding to expand, strengthen, or increase the reach of its postpartum programming?
What Happens Next?
If you answered "Yes" to all applicable questions above, we encourage you to continue to the full application.
If you answered "No" to one or more questions, this grant may not be the best fit for your organization at this time. We appreciate the important work you do and thank you for your interest in the Dove Baby Community Care Grants.
Funding Use
How can grant funds be used?
Dove Baby Community Care Grants are intended to support and strengthen eligible postpartum programming. Grant funds may be used for the following:
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Staff time and personnel costs for existing staff directly supporting postpartum programming
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Supplies, materials, and equipment for direct service delivery
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Training, certification, and continuing education for staff or community workers in eligible service categories
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Outreach and recruitment of program participants
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Transportation support for program participants accessing services
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Modest technology costs directly supporting program delivery
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Indirect costs up to 15 percent
Grant funds may not be used for:
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Capital expenses such as buildings, vehicles, or major renovations
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Endowments or operating reserves
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Lobbying or political activity
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Debt service or repayment of prior obligations
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Sub-grants or scholarships to individuals
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Fundraising and development overhead
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Activities outside the defined postpartum care period (the first year following birth)
Timing
Applications opened on November 9, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET and close on December 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with selected recipients notified via email by Don Jagoda Associates around early February 2027 and funding distributed in full shortly after.
Apply Now
Before you begin, please review the eligibility requirements, funding guidance, and FAQs to ensure you have everything you need to complete your application.
To apply, please follow these steps:
- Download the fillable application PDF below and save it locally to your computer so you can complete it at your own pace and save your progress.
- Once you've completed the application, use the validation feature at the bottom of the PDF to check that all required fields and response requirements have been met. Resolve any issues identified and save your final PDF application.
- When you're ready to submit, return to this page and click “Submit Application” below. You'll be prompted to provide your contact information, review the required acknowledgements, and upload your completed application PDF, along with a signed acknowledgment from your fiscal sponsor (if applicable) to complete your submission.
Please note: We are unable to respond to individual applicant questions or provide application guidance by email. The Dove Baby Community Care Grants program is a Dove Baby initiative, so please do not contact Dove Baby's program partners with questions about your application or the grants process. For additional guidance, we encourage you to review the FAQs and Official Rules.
Selected recipients will be contacted via email around early February 2027 by Don Jagoda Associates, so be sure to provide an email address that you check regularly. Thank you!
No purchase necessary. The Dove Baby Community Care Grants Program is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever. Entrants must be legal residents of the 50 US/DC, 18 & older, who are employed by an eligible nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (as defined in the Official Rules as Eligible Organization). Private foundations are not Eligible Organizations. Prizes awarded to Eligible Organizations only. Begins 10:00 a.m. ET on 11/9/26 and ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 12/11/26. For Official Rules, eligibility requirements, and complete details, click here.
