Best Civil Rights Grants in Puerto Rico

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.

Nonprofit fair housing enforcement organizations conducting testing, investigations, and enforcement of fair housing laws in Puerto Rico can apply for US $250,000 - US $500,000 through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program Private Enforcement Initiative. With a mission to prevent discriminatory housing practices, US HUD: Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity supports civil rights-focused housing work nationwide.

Grants from Proteus Fund help Puerto Rico civil rights and civic engagement nonprofits with general operating support to build community power among Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities. U.S. 501(c)(3) public charities and fiscally sponsored projects may receive up to US $25,000 for organizing, advocacy, and related movement-building work.

Third-year law students committed to civil rights and civil liberties work in the U.S., including those from Puerto Rico, can receive up to US $3,000 through the Judge William Wayne Justice Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law. Puerto Rico civil rights advocates in law school can access funding through the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law to recognize scholastic merit and leadership.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations working on civil rights and related community services in Puerto Rico can seek multi-year support for philanthropic programs. Focused on charitable initiatives across the U.S., Adient Foundation considers an applicant’s structure, objectives, management capacity, and community impact; Puerto Rico organizations advancing equity and civil rights may be competitive.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations working on civil rights and related community services in Puerto Rico can seek one-time or renewal funding to support charitable programs and operations. Focused on broad philanthropic initiatives, Adient Foundation considers organizational capacity, community relationships, and equal opportunity objectives when awarding grants across the U.S., including Puerto Rico.

Researchers focused on civil rights and community-led development in Latin America and the Caribbean, including work relevant to Puerto Rico, can apply for the IAF Research Fellowship Program, which provides US $20,000 for rigorous field-based studies. Grants from Social Science Research Council support individuals examining actionable questions with local civil society or grassroots organizations.

Puerto Rico civil rights and social justice 501(c)(3) charities can access funding through the Looking Out Foundation to support LGBTQIA2S+ rights, displaced and immigrant communities, and mental health initiatives. Grants of US $5,000 - US $25,000 also back disadvantaged youth, women, arts, food insecurity, and homelessness programs, in the U.S. and globally.

Puerto Rico civil rights and criminal justice reform nonprofits can access rapid-response funding through Circle for Justice Innovations to address urgent threats and opportunities. Grants up to US $7,500 support grassroots, directly impacted-led organizations opposing criminalization and incarceration, protecting protest and mutual aid, advancing restorative justice, and organizing healing, solidarity, and leadership-building events.

Organizations and individuals conducting work on civil rights, civility, and social and economic justice in Puerto Rico can seek up to US $1,000 to support conversations, research, and educational practices. GriffinHarte Foundation supports civil rights initiatives by funding projects exploring identity, feminism, civic engagement, and alternative pedagogies that deepen understanding of civil discourse and justice.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on civil rights, government accountability, or combating discrimination in Puerto Rico can apply for the Defending Basic Freedoms Grant, awarding US $5,000 - US $25,000 for one year of support. Grants from Herb Block Foundation help safeguard basic freedoms and address contemporary societal issues nationwide.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on civil rights and related civic freedoms, including those serving Puerto Rico, can seek program support that advances constitutional liberties, free markets, and strong civil society. Grants from Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation help U.S. organizations studying, defending, or practicing individual initiative and ordered liberty, though they do not cover overhead or indirect costs.

Nonprofit schools, parks departments, community organizations, and amateur leagues supporting girls’ sports can use this funding for coaching, equipment, transportation, and other program costs. Women’s Sports Foundation supports civil-rights-focused sports access in Puerto Rico by backing programs for predominantly Black, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American girls ages 11–18 that can sustain activities beyond the grant period.

Nonprofit or aspiring 501(c)(3) local news organizations can apply for American Journalism Project support to build sustainable business capacity and strengthen public-service journalism. Funding is available nationally, including Puerto Rico, for digital newsrooms serving local information needs and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and civil rights–related coverage in their communities.

State and local education affiliates in Puerto Rico working on racial justice in K–12 education can apply for the CRSJ Racial Justice in Education Grant, awarding US $5,000 - US $75,000 for awareness, capacity-building, and action projects. National Education Association Staff Organization supports initiatives advancing racial equity, leadership of people of color, and multiracial solidarity in schools.

Puerto Rico civil rights and civil discourse nonprofits can access funding through Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation to advance intellectual freedom, rare disease research, Jewish heritage, elder care, and climate change initiatives. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations or affiliated entities with innovative, well-budgeted projects and clear, measurable objectives that align with the foundation’s mission and priorities.

Organizations and individuals improving civil or criminal justice systems in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, can be nominated for awards supporting legal reform, crime prevention, child protection, and victims’ rights. Grants from Foundation for Improvement of Justice help recognize proven, innovative programs with US $15,000 and national visibility for model efforts.

Schools, local governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Puerto Rico can request US $500 - US $1,000 to host Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day events promoting youth civil rights, anti-racism, and anti-bullying. Focused on student-led activism and walking or rolling to school, Safe Routes to School National Parternship prioritizes first-time, middle and high school celebrations.

Nonprofit public charities working on democracy, civil liberties, and gun violence prevention with projects implemented nationally or in multiple states, including work that reaches Puerto Rico, may be eligible for this funding. The Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund supports efforts to protect voting rights, reduce money in politics, and strengthen policy and education to prevent gun violence.

Artists, arts organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects in Puerto Rico creating solution-focused environmental artistic activism can apply for Puffin Foundation support. Eligible U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and DACA recipients may propose climate and environmental justice projects in media, visual, performance, or social change arts, with priority for under-served communities and projects based in or accessible to the U.S.

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 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.