Best Social Justice Grants in Utah

Utah 501(c)(3) organizations working on social justice, human rights, and related community services can apply for the Joan and Tim Fenton Family Foundation’s broad charitable grants. Funding may support programs for disenfranchised populations, domestic violence survivors, abused children, families, youth, community development, and other efforts that enhance quality of life and opportunity.

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 HRE USA 2025 Edmonds Summer Fellowship honors the legacy of Kirby Edmonds by offering young leaders hands-on experience in human rights education. This fellowship provides mentorship and learning opportunities to engage youth in creating human rights-friendly schools and communities. Supported by the Dorothy Cotton Institute, it aims to nurture future leaders committed to human rights advocacy. Eligible candidates must be 18 or older, reside in the U.S., and commit to 100 hours of work between June and August 2025.

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.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on civic participation and voting rights in Utah can seek support for year-round voter engagement and on-the-ground organizing. Park Foundation funds state-based and national groups educating, motivating, and mobilizing voters, protecting voting rights and election integrity, and countering efforts to suppress democratic participation, which may benefit social justice and human rights initiatives.

Utah youth leaders ages 13–23 can access funding through Riley's Way Foundation to launch or grow social impact projects rooted in kindness and connection, with awards up to US $5,000. Projects may address social justice, environmental justice, food insecurity, homelessness, education equity, LGBTQIA+ rights, animal welfare, or arts for social change, with 12 months of leadership development support.

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits and fiscally sponsored projects with statewide or multi-region reach can seek partnership funding for empathy-building work, including social justice and human rights. Focused on storytelling, human-animal connection, exploratory empathy research, and related initiatives, Acton Family Giving invites aligned organizations to introduce their work, which may include Utah-serving programs.

Doctoral students at U.S. institutions conducting dissertation research on social justice–related social science topics can receive up to US $15,000 for data collection, analysis, and writing, including projects benefiting Utah communities. Grants from Russell Sage Foundation support work on inequality, race and ethnicity, immigration, workers’ rights, and educational access focused on improving U.S. social conditions.

Early-career social science faculty researching U.S. economic mobility, opportunity, or systemic inequality, including those based in Utah, can seek US $35,000 - US $50,000 for one-year projects from the Russell Sage Foundation. Funding supports diverse, methodologically rigorous studies on topics like income and wealth, criminal justice, education, labor markets, immigration, and racial or gender equity.

Local governments, public schools, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Utah can apply for Safe Routes to School National Parternship mini-grants of US $500 - US $1,000 to host Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day events. Funding supports student-led activities promoting activism, anti-racism, anti-bullying, and walking or rolling to school, with priority for first-time, middle, and high school celebrations.

501(c)(3) organizations working on education or social justice in Utah can apply for Baskin Family Foundation support to advance forward-thinking programs. This national funder backs U.S.-based initiatives, so Utah nonprofits promoting human rights, equity, or educational opportunity may be competitive applicants.

Kauai graduate students in Hawaii pursuing full-time master’s or doctoral degrees in social justice, public or human service, education, or health can apply for Hawai'i Community Foundation’s Inspired to Serve Scholarship Fund. Eligible students must show financial need, maintain a 3.0 GPA, and may study at colleges in Hawaii or on the U.S. mainland.

State and local education affiliates in Utah working on racial justice in K–12 education can apply for National Education Association Staff Organization’s CRSJ Racial Justice in Education Grant, with awards from US $5,000 - US $75,000. Funding supports awareness, capacity-building, and action projects advancing racial equity, leadership of people of color, and organizational transformation.

Utah social justice and education-focused organizations can seek funding to support K–12 student achievement, especially for students of color, and deepen community engagement. National Education Association Staff Organization provides grants to initiatives that mobilize community partners, expand parent involvement, build union roles for engagement, and advance racial justice and educational equity; Utah-based efforts may be eligible.

Focused on social justice and educator development, campus and state Aspiring Educators organizations in Utah can seek up to US $2,000 for projects that strengthen AE programs and partnerships. Funding from National Education Association Staff Organization can support educator quality, community engagement, political action, or culturally responsive social justice initiatives.

Local and state education affiliates in Utah can seek funding to run student-centered collective bargaining and advocacy initiatives that advance social justice and educational equity. With a mission to strengthen educator and student voices, National Education Association Staff Organization offers up to US $50,000 for campaigns improving learning conditions, mental health supports, and fair use of federal education funds.

Recent PhDs in the humanities or interpretive social sciences authorized to work in the U.S., including Utah, can pursue two-year Leading Edge Fellowships supporting social justice work with nonprofit organizations. Focused on humanities-based social justice projects, the American Council of Learned Societies offers more than US $142,000 in stipend and relocation support over the fellowship term.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and eligible public entities working on social justice, STEM education, or basic needs may be eligible for grants benefiting Utah and other AEP service areas. Grants from American Electric Power Foundation help support social justice initiatives, hunger and housing services, and education programs from early childhood through higher education in STEM fields.

Nonprofit organizations working on social justice, human rights, legal services, or reentry programs in Utah may be eligible for support from the Indigo Oak Fund’s Equal Justice Under the Law program. With a mission to recognize and advance individual potential, this Colorado-based foundation backs fairness in the justice system and related civic engagement and education efforts nationwide.

Utah social justice and human rights nonprofits with U.S.-incorporated 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship and budgets under $500,000 can access funding and capacity-building through the Mockingbird Incubator Nonprofit Incubator Grant Program. Participants receive an eight-week management and fundraising cohort, Givebutter tools, and the chance to apply for up to US $4,000 after completion.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations promoting social justice and LGBTQ+ equality in Utah can seek funding for general operating support, projects, advocacy, and capacity building. Focused on equality for all Americans, B.W. Bastian Foundation offers US $100 - US $15,000, primarily in the Intermountain West, and accepts only solicited requests after initial email or phone inquiry.

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 or fiscally sponsored projects rooted in BAMEMSA communities and working on social justice, civil rights, or immigration issues can receive up to US $25,000 in general operating support. Grants from Proteus Fund help Utah social justice organizations build community power, advance nonpartisan civic engagement, and defend BAMEMSA civil and human rights.

Seattle Foundation

Seattle Foundation is an agent of change, igniting powerful, rewarding philanthropy to make Greater Seattle a stronger, more vibrant community for all.

At Seattle Foundation, we believe that community is more than a place. It’s the shared understanding that our joy and well-being are tied to one another. Every day we work with nonprofits, philanthropists, and partners like you to strengthen community by igniting powerful philanthropy and advancing long-term solutions. Because it takes all of us to create a joyful region where every person can thrive.

Theresa Earenfight Scholarship

The purpose of the Theresa Earenfight Scholarship is to support undergrad or graduate students who are passionate about the intersection of social justice and animal welfare within a historical context. Applicants should be studying history, in particular how history intersects with animal activism, animal rights, animal liberation, and other related topics. Preference will be given to students with strong financial need, students of color and those from historically marginalized communities, and/or students who may face barriers to receiving other scholarships. This is a $10,000 annual scholarship renewable through the completion of the student’s degree, assuming the student continues to meet the eligibility criteria. The scholarship may be applied to tuition and fees, or other academic expenses payable to the college or university.

Deb & John Quirk Memorial Scholarship

The Hastings Community Foundation is excited to announce the creation of the Deb and John Quirk Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will provide a $10,000 annual scholarship and is renewable for a total award of up to $40,000. One scholarship will be awarded each year. This scholarship is only available to graduating seniors from Hastings High, Adams Central, or Hastings Catholic Schools. Applicants must be focused on impacting social justice through their education and future employment, as illustrated through an essay submitted to the scholarship committee.

The Leadership through Scholarship Fellowship is a yearlong program designed for early-career and mid-career faculty to enhance their scholarly writing and leadership skills. Participants will receive mentorship and training to develop personalized career roadmaps, navigate challenges, and create impactful research questions. The fellowship, costing $1200, also offers limited scholarships thanks to generous donations. It equips fellows with vital skills for academic advancement, promoting their potential for leadership roles in their institutions.