Best Social Justice Grants in Arkansas

Rural, community-based 501(c)(3) organizations using grassroots organizing for social, economic, or environmental justice in Arkansas and other Southeastern states can seek general or project support through the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant Cycle. Southern Partners Fund prioritizes small-budget groups building community power, leadership, and systemic change rather than direct services.

Rural grassroots community groups in Arkansas and the broader Southeast working on social, economic, or environmental justice can receive support for organizing, capacity building, and travel assistance. Southern Partners Fund’s Discretionary Fund prioritizes education reform, immigration rights, and voter engagement, offering up to US $3,500 per year across two requests for eligible rural organizations.

Grants from Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation help Arkansas social justice and equity-focused organizations fund narrative change, movement building, and policy and advocacy efforts. Eligible groups working to advance economic, educational, social, racial, and ethnic equity for ALICE families can seek multi-year, unrestricted support by initiating a funding request or connecting through a WRF convening.

The Richard L and Freda K Flerlage Foundation

Our Mission

Working to empower underserved populations through small grants in support of literacy, healthcare, reduction of poverty, and the promotion of social and environmental justice.

We are a small family foundation, when possible we aim to support organizations with relatively small operating funds where our small grants will have their greatest possible impact.

Our average grant is $3,800.

The Alexandra Hallock Capacity Building Grant for Small Nonprofits, established in 2024, honors the legacy of Alexandra Hallock by supporting small nonprofits focused on human rights, women's empowerment, and LGBTQ+ causes. This grant offers a one-time $20,000 unrestricted funding along with pro-bono capacity building support. It aims to strengthen organizational infrastructure and governance, ensuring impactful community engagement. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)3 nonprofits with revenue under $400,000, operating for at least one year, and based in the U.S.

The Park Foundation Grants for Civic Participation aim to enhance democracy through active civic engagement. Focused on mobilizing voters and protecting their rights, this program supports grassroots organizations addressing social injustices. By fostering year-round involvement rather than just election-focused efforts, the foundation seeks to empower communities and ensure robust participation in the democratic process, ultimately contributing to a more equitable society.

The Call for Kindness Grant, offered by Riley's Way Foundation, empowers young leaders aged 13-23 to launch impactful social projects focused on kindness and community connection. With grants up to $5,000, recipients receive essential mentorship, coaching, and community support. This initiative has already benefited over 3,500 youth nationwide, promoting values of empathy and social change. Applicants can pursue projects in diverse areas, including environmental justice, ensuring a broad impact in their communities.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and fiscally sponsored projects with national or broad multi-region reach can access funding for empathy-building work, including social justice and human rights, through Acton Family Giving. Arkansas-based groups with expansive reach that fit its Stories, Animal Connection, Areas of Exploration, or Good Fight priorities may be considered.

Arkansas social justice and human rights researchers enrolled as U.S.-based doctoral students can access funding through the Russell Sage Foundation’s Dissertation Research Grants to support all aspects of dissertation work. Projects must address U.S.-focused topics in areas like inequality, work, race, ethnicity, or immigration, with awards up to US $15,000 for one year.

Focused on social science research about economic mobility and inequality, this program invites early-career faculty in the U.S., including those in Arkansas, to propose one-year projects. Russell Sage Foundation’s Sheldon Danziger Pipeline Grants provide US $35,000 - US $50,000 for studies on social justice–related issues such as income, labor markets, education, immigration, and criminal justice.

Arkansas schools, local governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits can access funding through Safe Routes to School National Parternship to host Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day events. Grants of US $500 - US $1,000 support November activities that promote activism, anti-racism, anti-bullying, and student walking or rolling to school, benefiting social justice education efforts.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on social justice or education in Arkansas can seek support for forward-thinking programs. Baskin Family Foundation supports initiatives across the U.S., so Arkansas-based groups addressing social justice and human rights may be eligible to apply for this funding opportunity.

Graduate students from Kauai pursuing degrees in social justice, public or human service, education, or health can receive scholarship support from Hawai'i Community Foundation. Focused on these fields, the Inspired to Serve Scholarship Fund favors Hawaii residents intending to work in Kauai or elsewhere in the state, which may benefit future social justice leaders beyond Arkansas.

Education-focused unions and affiliates working on racial justice initiatives in Arkansas can apply for National Education Association Staff Organization’s CRSJ Racial Justice in Education Grant, awarding US $5,000 - US $75,000. Funding supports projects that advance racial equity in schools through awareness, capacity-building, leadership development for people of color, and organizational transformation for equitable policies.

Nonprofit and education-focused organizations working on K–12 student achievement and racial justice in Arkansas can seek support for community advocacy and partnership initiatives. With a mission to strengthen public education, National Education Association Staff Organization provides funding to mobilize community partners, engage trained union leaders, and build roles that advance social justice and equity in schools.

State Aspiring Educators organizations and campus chapters in Arkansas can apply for National Education Association Staff Organization’s CREATE grants, awarding up to US $2,000 for projects that strengthen AE programs and partnerships. Funding can support educator preparation, community engagement, education-focused political action, or social justice initiatives, with submission deadlines three times each year.

Education union affiliates working on student-centered advocacy and collective bargaining in Arkansas can seek grants to advance social justice, educational equity, and improved learning conditions. National Education Association supports projects by local and state affiliates that engage communities, influence board policies, and lift educator voices around safe, healthy, and well-funded schools, with awards up to US $50,000.

Recent humanities or interpretive social science PhDs authorized to work in the U.S., including Arkansas-based scholars, can receive more than US $142,000 in fellowship support for social justice work with nonprofits. American Council of Learned Societies places fellows in substantive roles at community-focused organizations, providing a two-year stipend, health insurance, relocation support for in-person posts, and professional development funding.

Arkansas social justice and education nonprofits can access funding through American Electric Power Foundation to support STEM learning, basic human needs like hunger and housing, and equity-focused programs. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) public charities or public institutions within AEP’s service territory or with regional or national reach benefiting the broader public.

Arkansas social justice and legal services nonprofits working on fair justice systems, reentry, or juvenile justice may be eligible for the Equal Justice Under the Law program, which generally funds in Colorado and the Bay Area but occasionally supports other areas. The Indigo Oak Fund backs programs advancing rehabilitation, civic engagement, and education for future attorneys and social justice workers.

Emerging 501(c)(3) and fiscally sponsored nonprofits in Arkansas focused on social justice or community services can access capacity-building training and up to US $4,000 in funding through this cohort-based incubator program. Mockingbird Incubator and Givebutter provide workshops, fundraising support, and potential seed and matching funds to help small organizations under $500,000 grow sustainably.

B.W. Bastian Foundation provides Arkansas social justice and human rights nonprofits with US $100 - US $15,000 for general operating support, projects, advocacy, and capacity building. Eligible 501(c)(3) organizations that explicitly affirm equality for all Americans, including the gay and lesbian community, may be funded, with additional opportunities for nationally scoped U.S. initiatives.

Researchers studying community-led social justice and development in Latin America and the Caribbean, including those based in Arkansas, can receive US $20,000 fellowships to conduct rigorous field research. The Social Science Research Council and Inter-American Foundation support projects on issues like economic opportunity, migration, violence prevention, social inclusion, and disaster resilience in partnership with community organizations.

The A.J. Muste Memorial Institute's Social Justice Fund Grant supports grassroots activist projects in the U.S. and abroad, focusing on those with limited funding access. Prioritizing efforts to dismantle systemic injustices, the grant seeks proposals from organizations lacking mainstream support, especially those addressing issues like immigration violence, racial inequalities, and economic exploitation. The fund emphasizes direct activism and diverse leadership, making it a vital resource for community-driven initiatives in the pursuit of social justice.

Foundation of the Federal Bar Association

The Foundation of the Federal Bar Association provides the best way for practitioners to give back to the Federal legal community. Chartered by Congress in 1954, the Foundation serves people in communities across the United States through its generous grants, scholarships, and programming.

Our Mission: The Foundation’s mission is to:

• Promote and support legal research and education;
• Advance the science of jurisprudence;
• Facilitate the administration of justice;
• Foster improvements in the practice of Federal law

Foundation Grants

Foundation grants support community service projects and civics programs which comply with the Foundation’s mission to promote and support legal research and education; advance the science of jurisprudence; facilitate the administration of justice; and foster improvements in the practice of Federal law.

Civics Education Grant

The Civics Grant Program is designed to support projects and initiatives that promote a wider public understanding of democratic principles, the judicial system and the rule of law. Through targeted funding, the program empowers FBA chapters, sections, divisions, national standing committees (FBA entity), and other organizations to develop and support projects in their communities that foster public understanding of the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, particularly among younger Americans.

Applicants may only receive one (1) Foundation grant per year.

The Freedom Shield initiative aims to prohibit imports made with forced labor by awarding $18 million in cooperative agreements for technical assistance projects. The objective is to enhance accountability in key trade partner countries and enforce labor commitments outlined in trade agreements. With potential funding of up to $11 million for projects in four Latin American countries and $7 million for two Asian countries, this initiative addresses enforcement gaps that undermine fair competition for U.S. workers.

U.S. 501(c)(3) public charities and fiscally sponsored projects rooted in BAMEMSA communities can secure general operating support for social justice, civil rights, and civic engagement work, including in Arkansas. With a mission to advance racial, gender, queer, and disability justice, Proteus Fund’s RISE Together Fund offers up to US $25,000 for community power-building and advocacy.