Best Social Justice Grants

U.S. social justice organizations can access funding through American Electric Power Foundation for initiatives advancing equity and human rights. Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits may also receive support for STEM education, affordable housing, basic needs, and hunger relief. Programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion are especially encouraged to apply.

With a mission to advance education and social justice, Baskin Family Foundation provides U.S. organizations working on equity and human rights with funding opportunities. 501(c)(3) nonprofits addressing social justice in the United States may benefit from support for programs that promote advocacy, systemic change, and educational initiatives.

The CS Fund was created in 1981 by Maryanne Mott and Herman Warsh, who together endowed the Warsh-Mott Legacy in 1985. CS Fund and Warsh-Mott Legacy (CSF and WML) are private family foundations that share common program areas, staff, and boards of directors. Proposals to the two foundations are considered collectively, and grants are made by both entities. The boards of directors of CSF and WML also make recommendations to the donor-advised TOP Fund at the Marin Community Foundation.

CSF and WML’s grantmaking is forward thinking and evolves over time, yet is guided by a commitment to consistent, long-term support. Some organizations have received funding from the foundations for three decades. CSF and WML recognize the importance of general support and multi-year grants in building institutional strength and longevity and provide such support when appropriate. Project-restricted grants are also made in order to advance specific foundation objectives.

Program Areas

CSF and WML currently have three grantmaking focuses:

• Fighting False Solutions
• Food Sovereignty
• Just Transitions
• Rights and Governance

Fighting False Solutions

Stopping techno-fixes and securing precautionary assessment, regulation and oversight.

While technologies now being developed and commercialized may result in useful applications, they can also have serious negative social, environmental, economic and political impacts. 

Emerging technologies must therefore be subject to precautionary assessment, regulation and oversight – especially those that are fast tracked and marketed as “techno-fixes” or “green” panaceas to climate change and other crises, as they are often false solutions that perpetuate harmful systems.

CS Fund focuses on three emerging and converging technologies.

• Geoengineering - Intentional, large-scale climate manipulation through a range of methods, including Carbon Dioxide Removal and Solar Radiation Management.
• Synthetic Biology - The design, manufacture and release of artificially created DNA, including gene drives that force genetically engineered traits through populations for either conservation or agricultural purposes.
• Nanotechnology - The creation and commodification of tiny bits of matter (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter), especially in consumer products, which presents novel toxicity risks to human health and the environment.

Food Sovereignty

Building capacity and power in Indigenous communities, communities of color, and social movements.

Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and to define their own food and agriculture systems.

Food sovereignty is deeply connected to global struggles for a more socially just and sustainable world and necessary for a just transition to a regenerative economy and food system. It is a real solution to the most critical issues facing humanity, including global food and water insecurity, climate change, and environmental degradation.

CS Fund’s grantmaking is grounded in traditional agricultural knowledge and agroecological practices, and focuses on three cornerstones of agrobiodiversity and food system resilience.

• Seeds - Preserving native and traditional seeds.
• Soils - Building healthy and fertile soils.
• Pollinators - Protecting and restoring the populations and diversity of native pollinators.

Just Transitions

Building translocal, transnational, interdependent community-level social and ecological justice.

CS Fund is inspired by movement leaders in environmental justice, worker justice, climate justice, Indigenous Sovereignty, Black Liberation and more in their collective framing of Just Transition: We launched our program at the end of 2023, with a core focus on community power building and community self-determination that transforms our current extractive, supremacist culture to one of justice, joy, belonging and liberation for all living beings. We acknowledge the many visions toward liberation that are grounded in cultures around the world, from Buen Vivir to Ubuntu to Ahimsa, and recognize that a pluralistic view of transformation is needed to build across our cultures. 

Rights & Governance

Protecting and advancing rights, democracy and equity.

The US Constitution never envisioned a multiracial democracy. In order to enact the promise of our Constitution for all people - and for the sake of our planet - we must follow the lead of movements and communities fighting for justice and equity, and help create conditions in which they can thrive.

We are especially focused on the areas of:

• Dissent – Protecting and advancing the rights to free speech and assembly.
• Open Government – Making the federal government more transparent, effective, and accountable.
• Rule of Law – Ensuring that US national security policies respect constitutional rights, domestic laws, and international treaties.
• The Constitution and the Courts – Building a progressive legal movement to counter conservative and corporate influence.

In the realm of international governance, CSF and WML have also long funded in the area of:

• Trade – Making the rules of global commerce more democratic, just, and sustainable.

Cross-Program

Addressing emerging, intersectional issues

CS Fund addresses critical, emerging issues outside of our program areas with intersectional implications for our collective work, including transition mineralsand technofascism. These issues - brought to our attention by social movement partners - bridge several sectors that are often siloed and in need of more resources to develop strategy and organizing.

Aligning Philanthropy

Advancing a model of solidarity philanthropy

Through both our own practices and through grantmaking and organizing, CS Fund seeks to instead align philanthropy in solidarity with our movement parters.

Laird Norton Family Foundation provides United States organizations addressing social justice and human rights with funding for programs in youth services, homelessness prevention, and environmental stewardship. Nonprofits working to advance equity, support vulnerable youth, or promote sustainable communities may be eligible for support through their grantmaking initiatives.

The NEO Action Fund, established in 2009, focuses on promoting social welfare and advancing social justice. This 501(c)(4) organization engages in advocacy, supports policy reforms, and empowers the public to participate in social issues. With a strong network of funders and expertise in grant-making, the Fund swiftly addresses emerging needs and fosters connections across various sectors to drive impactful change. Its commitment to mission-aligned organizations ensures that resources are effectively utilized.

With a mission to make the world safer and fairer, The Oak Foundation USA provides United States social justice organizations with support for projects in environmental conservation, renewable energy, and food access. Nonprofits advancing equity and systemic change may be eligible for multi-year grants ranging from $25,000 to $10 million.

With a mission to drive cultural transformation, Pop Culture Collaborative provides U.S. social justice organizations with support for narrative change at the intersection of pop culture and equity. Nonprofits advancing racial justice, gender justice, LGBTQIA rights, or pluralist values may be eligible for funding to amplify their impact and reach mass audiences.

With a mission to catalyze large-scale change, TED provides U.S. social justice organizations with support for bold, transformative projects. Nonprofits with innovative solutions addressing urgent issues like equity, human rights, or systemic change may be eligible for multi-year funding. Applicants must have a proven track record and significant organizational capacity.

The Emergent Fund Grant, established in 2016, supports BIPOC-led social justice movements through rapid response funding. It addresses urgent community needs by providing low-barrier grants to organizations facing crises such as family separation and systemic oppression. The fund prioritizes initiatives that foster Black liberation, multiracial solidarity, and empower communities to build transformative power. By investing in innovative strategies, the Emergent Fund aims to challenge oppressive structures and advance social justice, ensuring that impacted communities are at the forefront of their own advocacy.

The Impact Fund supports social justice and human rights initiatives in the United States by awarding recoverable grants to nonprofits, small law firms, and solo practitioners engaged in impact litigation. Organizations working to address economic, environmental, racial, and social injustice may be eligible, making this a strong opportunity for groups advancing equity and systemic change.

Unitarian Universalist Association provides U.S. social justice organizations with funding for community organizing and systemic change. Grants prioritize nonprofits addressing economic and social justice issues through collective action. Nonprofits working to advance equity, human rights, and advocacy in the United States may be eligible for this opportunity.

Grants from H. C. Gemmer Family Christian Foundation help United States organizations advance social justice and human rights. Funding supports projects addressing peace, justice, diversity, and economic equity. Nonprofits working on equity, advocacy, or systemic change may be eligible for support to further their impact in these areas.

Grants Overview

The Ronald W. Naito MD Foundation supports local, national, and international initiatives in the following categories: climate, health equity, and sustainable communities. We also support Oregon-based arts and cultural* organizations. There is clear overlap between our funding priorities: we embrace that intersectionality and understand that organizations often work across multiple priorities.

We offer unrestricted grants, mostly ranging from $10,000-$40,000. We occasionally fund smaller and larger requests, and we are moving toward more multi-year grants. We try to keep a balance between organizations providing frontline services and organizations working to create and advocate for systemic solutions.

For our nonprofit partners, we try to keep our application and reporting forms straightforward: we don’t want you to be distracted from fulfilling your mission by complicated forms.

Within the capacity of our staff of one, we value partnership and contact: we welcome you to reach out to us with ideas, questions, suggestions, and opportunities. We hope to have the chance to meet with you and thank you for your work.

Current Funding Trends

Before you apply, please read about our funding trends and grant eligibility below, as well as our pages for relevant funding priorities:

ClimateHealth EquitySustainable CommunitiesOregon Arts & Culture

Funding Area: Health Equity

Our founder Dr. Ron Naito devoted his career to treating the whole patient. Accordingly, we embrace the World Health Organization’s definition of health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

We see significant intersection between this funding priority and our other priorities – all connected by healing. For our health equity funding area, we seek applications from organizations or initiatives that work to improve health outcomes, decrease health inequities, and increase individual and social well-being.

This includes (but isn’t limited to) organizations that:

• Increase historically marginalized communities’ access to sustained health care either internationally or domestically, including both frontline service providers and initiatives that advocate for policy or market reforms.
• Focus on lasting health outcomes, such as eyesight restoration, disability supports, reproductive justice, and other health interventions that impact individuals’ long-term health and capacity to thrive.
• Increase equitable, sustainable access to healthy foods, including sustained nutritional interventions, nutritional policy, and food sovereignty and systems initiatives.
• Improve health outcomes through clean air, water, hygiene, and anti-toxin/-pollutant advocacy, policy, and frontlines interventions.
• Provide ongoing support and empowerment to people experiencing violence, displacement, poverty, and other traumas.
• Combat misinformation contributing to adverse health outcomes.
• Diversify participation in health research, policy, and medical care to advance more equitable health outcomes.

The Ronald W. Naito MD Foundation offers Sustainable Communities Grants aimed at fostering social equity and environmental sustainability. Since its inception in 2019, the foundation supports nonprofits globally to address climate change, health disparities, and community transformation. With a trust-based approach, grants are unrestricted, enabling organizations to allocate funds according to their unique needs. The foundation values initiatives that promote social justice, economic empowerment, and environmental justice, particularly those benefiting historically marginalized communities.

The James B and Lois R Archer Charitable Foundation offers Large Grants for requests exceeding $10,000. Focused on fostering positive change, the foundation supports initiatives in Arts and Culture, Civic Engagement, Education, Health, and Human Services. Eligibility includes 501(c)(3) organizations, while restrictions apply to consecutive grant cycles and non-qualifying purposes such as endowments and fundraising events. Organizations are encouraged to apply for various projects to enhance community well-being.

Focused on social justice and human rights, Versacare, Inc. invites U.S. nonprofits to apply for Impact Grants supporting innovative programs. Eligible organizations must be affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church and address needs such as equity, education, health, and humanitarian services. Social justice initiatives in disadvantaged communities may be especially competitive.

With a mission to advance equity and systemic change, Sparkplug Foundation provides U.S. social justice organizations with funding for early-stage projects in education, community organizing, and music. Nonprofits focused on addressing racial, gender, and class disparities or engaging marginalized communities in advocacy and collective action may be eligible.

U.S. social justice organizations can access funding through the London School of Economics’ 100X Impact Accelerator. This program supports ventures advancing equity, democracy, health, education, economic justice, and more. Nonprofits working toward systemic social change may be eligible for catalytic capital, mentorship, and a 12-week hybrid accelerator experience.

Cowles Charitable Trust supports social justice and human rights initiatives in the U.S. by funding 501(c)(3) organizations advancing equity, education, health, and the arts. Nonprofits focused on social justice may be eligible, especially those serving Downstate New York and South Florida, and can apply for general operating support.

Grants from Looking Out Foundation help U.S. organizations address social justice and human rights through funding for public health, LGBTQIA+ support, food security, civil rights, and more. Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits working to advance equity and advocacy may benefit from these awards, which typically range from $5,000 to $25,000.

With a mission to foster social change, Peace Development Fund provides U.S. social justice organizations with funding for community-based organizing and systemic advocacy. Nonprofits working to advance equity, human rights, and dismantle oppression may be eligible for support, including general operating or project grants to strengthen local movements.

Mockingbird Incubator supports social justice and nonprofit development in the U.S. by offering an eight-week cohort program for emerging 501(c)(3) founders. Participants gain training in nonprofit management and fundraising, with the opportunity to apply for up to $4,000 in grant funds. Social justice organizations may be especially interested.

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.

The Jm Kaplan Fund Inc supports social justice initiatives in the U.S. by providing the J.M.K. Innovation Prize to early-stage projects advancing social justice, environment, or heritage conservation. Nonprofits and mission-driven for-profits working on equity, advocacy, or systemic change may be eligible for significant funding and tailored support through this opportunity.

The Therapeutic Giving program from Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine aims to support local and regional organizations focused on improving patient access to treatment and advancing health equity. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, with funding preferences for programs that address significant healthcare disparities, mental health initiatives, and innovative solutions with measurable outcomes. The application period for local organizations runs from March 1 to May 31, while national organizations can apply in September.

Focused on gender, environmental, and economic justice, JustPax Fund invites U.S. social justice organizations to apply for funding of innovative projects. Grants support initiatives that advance equity, advocacy, and systemic change. Nonprofits addressing critical societal challenges through creative, interdisciplinary approaches may be eligible for financial and logistical support.

Focused on social justice and human rights, Sociological Initiatives Foundation Inc. invites Southern U.S. organizations to propose research-driven projects that address systemic inequalities. Grants support policy-focused research, advocacy, and language-related initiatives. Nonprofits and academic partnerships aiming for equity and community impact may benefit from this funding opportunity.