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Explore diversity grants supporting equity, inclusion, BIPOC-led organizations, and DEI initiatives for nonprofits.
501
Available grants
$25.8M
Total funding
$10K
Median grant
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Our Mission
East Bay Community Foundation partners with donors, social movements, and the community to eliminate structural barriers, advance racial equity, and transform political, social, and economic outcomes for all who call the East Bay home.
Our Vision
Achieving an inclusive, fair, and just East Bay will require transforming our region’s power structures to promote equity.
We strive to build a foundation that advances justice grounded in principles that are informed by the community and rooted in practices of anti-oppression.
Women’s Catalytic Fund
The Women’s Catalytic Fund (WCF) is an East Bay-based giving circle with a mission to fund California-based organizations working towards gender equity. The fund prioritizes investing in female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming leaders in primarily BIPOC communities. One of the main goals of WCF, made up of nine members, is to fund smaller organizations with budgets under a million dollars. They are also interested in catalytic projects that may not have received funding from other foundations.
As a group of women who are passionate about intersectional feminism, WCF aims to provide funding for work happening at the grassroots level. Each biannual grant cycle, they allocate one-time $15,000 grants that can be put to use immediately, enabling innovative, experimental, and transformative work in California. They believe in supporting the many incredible individuals and organizations that are working to improve gender justice in their communities.
By providing funding opportunities to those who may not have access to traditional philanthropic resources, the members of the Women’s Catalytic Fund strive to give these community-driven projects resources that can help them succeed.
Our intention is to give directly to frontline organizations when and where resources are most needed. To be considered for funding, initiatives, projects, actions or events must:
Diversity grants empower nonprofits to advance equity, inclusion, and representation. The following grants fund programs addressing social justice, workforce diversity, and underrepresented groups, driving systemic change and equitable opportunities.
Find 138 diversity-focused grant opportunities with $18.6M in funding. Instrumentl supports nonprofits with tools for customized searches, deadline tracking, and funder insights to foster inclusion and equity across sectors.
How common are grants in this category?
Common — grants in this category appear regularly across funding sources.
Over the past year, when are grant deadlines typically due for Diversity grants for Nonprofits?
Most grants are due in the second quarter.
What's the typical grant amount funded for Diversity Grants for Nonprofits?
Grants are most commonly $18,750.
Diversity grants are available to nonprofits that focus on racial and social justice, gender equality, disability rights, LGBTQ+ advocacy, economic empowerment for marginalized groups, and other diversity-related initiatives. Groups working to advance equity, inclusion, and representation are eligible. Some grants focus on specific populations, such as women-led nonprofits, minority-owned organizations, or initiatives serving low-income communities.
Grants in diversity typically have the highest concentration of deadlines in Q2, with 28.1% of grant deadlines falling in this period. If you're planning to apply, consider prioritizing your applications around this time to maximize opportunities. Conversely, the least active period for grants in this category is Q3.
Funders provide diversity grants to support programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, education, and society at large. These grants tackle long-standing inequalities and create opportunities for historically marginalized groups. Grants also aim to fund programs providing resources to marginalized communities, support initiatives fighting discrimination, and help organizations create more diverse and equitable workplaces, schools, and communities.
On average, grants in diversity provide funding between $750 and $3,000,000, with typical awards falling around $18,750 (median) and $197,794 (average). These insights can help nonprofits align their funding requests with what grantmakers typically offer in this space.
Diversity grants for nonprofits are typically funded by private companies (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation), government agencies, and corporate diversity and inclusion programs (Apple, Nike). Corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives (Google Impact Challenge, Bank of America Charitable Foundation) offer grants as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
To improve the chances of being awarded a diversity grant, nonprofits should:
Not sure how much to request in a grant application? Learn how to calculate the right amount with our grant request sizing guide.
Instrumentl simplifies the diversity grant application process by offering an intuitive platform that helps nonprofits discover relevant funding opportunities, track deadlines, and analyze funder-giving patterns. The platform's automated alerts ensure users never miss a deadline, while detailed funder insights help organizations tailor their applications to align with grantor priorities.