Best Civil Rights Grants in Oklahoma

Oklahoma 501(c)(3) nonprofits and independent emergency response organizations can access funding for safety, workforce development, community vitality, and environmental sustainability projects through the Union Pacific Foundation Community Ties Giving Program. Grants of US $5,000 - US $30,000 support direct services and capacity-building efforts in communities served by Union Pacific, with emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion for underrepresented populations.

About NIF

Advancing Equality for All Israelis

The New Israel Fund (NIF) helps Israel live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all its inhabitants. Our aim is to advance liberal democracy, including freedom of speech and minority rights, and to fight the inequality, injustice and extremism that diminish Israel.

From Israel’s first rape crisis centers, to fighting discrimination, NIF-funded organizations have driven positive social change and furthered justice and equality. NIF has provided over $350 million to more than 950 organizations since our inception in 1979.

Naomi Chazan Global Activism Fellowship

Want to travel to Israel/Palestine while advancing equality, democracy, and peace for all?

The New Israel Fund’s Naomi Chazan Global Activism Fellowship offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to visit Israel/Palestine, meet frontline Israeli and Palestinian activists, and learn about issues of war, peace, and inequality by seeing the reality on the ground. 

Fellows will visit Israel/Palestine on November 3-10, 2026.

This trip is a great opportunity to learn alongside peers and friends (ages 21 – 35). NIF is based on the simple idea that those of us who share a commitment to Israel/Palestine and to progressive values can join together to work for equality, freedom, and human rights. You will join a cohort of participants from the U.S. and Canada building relationships across borders to be sustained for years to come.

Following the trip, participants are expected to organize at least two NIF events in their home communities, with support from NIF staff. These events could look like a report-back highlighting the participants’ learnings from the trip, educational programs featuring NIF grantees/partners, or something else entirely that is tailored to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of the fellow’s communities.

The program is subsidized by generous donors in the NIF community. All “on-the-ground” costs—your hotel accommodation and almost all meals—will be covered by NIF. Participants are responsible for purchasing their own airfare and travel/health insurance. If the cost of airfare is a barrier for you, please apply anyway. Limited airfare subsidies may be available.

The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund

The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund is a Princeton, New Jersey-based endowment fund providing grants to individuals, young adults who volunteer or intern for progressive social action projects or programs in an area of their interest and commitment. The Amy Adina Fund also sponsors a lecture each year on a relevant and timely topic related to its educational mission.

The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund was started in 1987 one year after Amy Adina, 20, died suddenly while a student and activist at Rutgers University. It is a realization of her family and her communities’ desire to celebrate her life, to fulfill her dreams and her potential. Since its inception, almost 1,500 grants have been awarded for work in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States—nearly $1,000,000 in total. The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

About Our Grants

Small grants (depending on length of service), are awarded to as many applicants as possible rather than giving larger amounts to fewer individuals. The number of awards has grown each year thanks to annual contributions as well as to gifts sent to the Fund to honor special occasions and life cycle events.

Private, nonprofit fair housing enforcement organizations in Oklahoma can seek US $250,000 - US $500,000 to investigate and enforce fair housing laws through HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program Private Enforcement Initiative. Grants from US HUD: Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity support civil rights work like testing, investigations, and enforcement under the Fair Housing Act and equivalent state or local laws.

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) public charities and fiscally sponsored projects rooted in BAMEMSA communities can receive up to US $25,000 in general operating support for civil and human rights work, community power building, and civic engagement. With a mission to advance justice, Proteus Fund’s RISE Together Fund prioritizes Oklahoma and other U.S. groups defending BAMEMSA rights and strengthening long-term movement infrastructure.

Law students focused on civil rights and civil liberties in the U.S. can receive scholarship support for their legal education, including those from Oklahoma. William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law awards up to US $3,000 annually to a third-year student showing strong scholastic merit and a clear commitment to advancing civil rights.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations in the U.S. working on civil rights and related community programs, including those in Oklahoma, can seek multi-year support for philanthropic initiatives. Adient Foundation supports soundly managed organizations across areas like civil rights, diversity, and community services, with its board evaluating structure, community impact, and management capacity for each proposal.

Adient Foundation provides Oklahoma civil rights and social service nonprofits with one-time grants supporting charitable programs and operations. U.S.-based, tax-exempt organizations may be eligible for funding across areas such as civil rights, community services, education, health, and arts, with renewals considered through the standard annual application process rather than automatic continuation.

Researchers studying community-led development and civil rights–related issues in Latin America, the Caribbean, or the U.S., including Oklahoma, can receive US $20,000 fellowships to conduct rigorous, field-based studies. Social Science Research Council and the Inter-American Foundation support projects on social inclusion, violence prevention, migration, economic opportunity, and related community-driven development topics.

Civil rights and social justice 501(c)(3) organizations in Oklahoma can apply for the Looking Out Foundation’s grants, awarding US $5,000 - US $25,000 for programs supporting LGBTQIA2S+ communities, displaced people, immigrant communities, and mental health access. Additional priorities include disadvantaged youth, women, public health, the arts, food insecurity, and unhoused populations.

Grassroots, formerly incarcerated- or directly impacted-led organizations doing rapid-response criminal justice reform and civil rights work in Oklahoma can apply for the Strategic Opportunities Support rapid-response fund. Focused on urgent movement-building, Circle for Justice Innovations offers up to US $7,500 for actions opposing criminalization, protecting protest and mutual aid, and advancing restorative and transformative justice.

Individuals, agencies, and similar entities in Oklahoma exploring civility and civil discourse can apply for GriffinHarte Foundation grants of up to US $1,000 to support related research, conversations, and educational practices. Projects that examine identity, feminism, civic engagement, and social or economic justice within civil rights work may be especially relevant.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on civil rights and government accountability can seek one-year project support, with awards of US $5,000 - US $25,000, from the Herb Block Foundation. With a mission to defend basic freedoms and combat discrimination, it funds U.S. groups, including those serving communities in Oklahoma.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on civil rights and related civic initiatives, including those serving Oklahoma, can seek project funding to advance constitutional liberties, free markets, and strong civil society. The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation supports efforts that defend individual liberty, strengthen families and communities, and cultivate informed, self-governing citizens across the U.S.

Nonprofit schools, parks departments, community organizations, and amateur leagues serving girls ages 11–18 can receive funding to expand structured sports programs that primarily serve Black, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American girls. Women’s Sports Foundation provides U.S. programs, including those in Oklahoma, with support for coaching, equipment, transportation, facilities, and team-building activities that promote leadership and confidence.

Nonprofit or aspiring 501(c)(3) local news organizations serving state, metro, or community audiences in Oklahoma can access funding through American Journalism Project to build sustainable business and revenue capacity. This venture philanthropy supports public-service journalism that is free to the public, independent, and grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and civil rights values.

State and local education affiliates working on racial justice in schools across the U.S., including Oklahoma, can apply for National Education Association Staff Organization’s CRSJ Racial Justice in Education Grants. Awards range from US $5,000 - US $75,000 to support awareness, capacity-building, and action projects advancing racial equity and civil rights in education.

Foundation for Improvement of Justice provides Oklahoma justice-focused organizations and individuals with national recognition awards for proven improvements to civil or criminal justice systems. Honorees receive US $15,000 and a medal, certificate, and trip to an awards banquet. Work in areas like legal reform, crime prevention, child protection, and victims’ rights may be eligible.

Oklahoma local governments, public schools, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and community partners 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 student-led civil rights, anti-racism, and anti-bullying activities that encourage walking, biking, or rolling to school and inspire youth activism.

Nonprofit public charities with 501(c)(3) status working on democracy, civil liberties, or gun violence prevention can apply for the Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund’s invitation-only support; projects must operate nationally or in multiple states. Oklahoma-based civil rights organizations may be eligible if their work advances voting rights, campaign finance reform, or related civic engagement nationwide.

The Puffin Foundation's Environmental Artistic Activism Grant Program supports artists addressing environmental issues through diverse artistic genres such as film, music, and theater. Grants, typically around $1,750, fund projects that prioritize sustainability and innovative solutions to the climate crisis. Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and current DACA recipients. The foundation emphasizes projects that avoid contributing to environmental harm while fostering artistic expression and community engagement.

The Impact Fund provides recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits and small law firms working on social, environmental, and economic justice issues. With over $10 million awarded since 1992, the fund supports impactful litigation addressing systemic injustices. Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 and prioritize cases directly involving affected communities. Recipients must repay the grant amount with interest if they recover fees or costs, ensuring sustainability for future funding.

The Wolcott Family Foundation focuses on funding grassroots organizations that drive social change and environmental stewardship. They prioritize support for projects that empower communities, strengthen civil liberties, and address ecological challenges. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations in Colorado classified under section 501(c)(3), with grants awarded for one year. The foundation values projects emphasizing environmental preservation and community involvement aimed at tackling societal issues.

The Grassroots Organizing National Grant Program, funded by the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, supports small, community-led organizations in the U.S. working to confront social and environmental injustices. Grants of up to $30,000 per year are available for two years, prioritizing organizations with budgets under $350,000. The program emphasizes grassroots organizing and community empowerment, inspired by the legacy of John Lewis. Eligible applicants must focus on collective action and local leadership to drive social change.