Best Social Justice Grants in California

The Beneficial State Foundation offers sponsorships to 501(c)(3) organizations in California, Oregon, and Washington, focusing on social justice and environmental work. With a unique business model, Beneficial State Bank reinvests profits back into communities, emphasizing support for existing clients. Organizations must submit requests at least 60 days in advance and cannot use funds for political activities. The foundation prioritizes partnerships, making funding competitive due to high demand.

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation provides grants to early-stage social entrepreneurs working on scalable solutions to pressing social and environmental issues. By supporting organizations with innovative approaches and proven impact, they aim to uplift underserved communities globally. The foundation offers operational support, funding of up to $300,000 over three years, and fosters a collaborative community among its portfolio organizations. They focus on candidates demonstrating measurable impact and sustainable growth potential.

Our Mission

The Horner Foundation is a family-based charity dedicated to partnering with community-based organizations that provide youth, aged 10-19, hands-on experiential learning opportunities through Out of School Time (OST) to foster positive youth development.

We work in 4 geographic regions, determined by where family members live, their specific interests and needs identified by the community.

Our Vision

• All youth will be empowered to realize their full potential and become active participants in their communities.
• All youth will have ample opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to experience a diversity of quality learning styles and frameworks.
• All youth will be healthy, strong, and well-prepared for the 21st Century.

Organizational Funding Statement

The Horner Foundation strives to be responsive and meet organizations where they are. This means that we may provide multi-year funding and ongoing support to nonprofits who may be launching a pilot project or going through a transition. However, we also believe in the value of diverse funding sources. The Horner Foundation typically funds organizations for 1-2 funding cycles (2-4 years). In rare cases, we may fund an organizations for 3 funding cycles (6 years).

Grants

The Foundation awards two-year grants dedicated to project funding. We fund in four geographic regions, each with its own funding priorities.

Alameda & Contra Costa Counties, Bay Area, California: Youth Food Justice, Youth Sports, & Girls Empowerment    

For the past several years, the Horner Foundation has worked at the intersection of youth development and food justice, with the goal of empowering youth to learn about and take action to localize their food system and increase food security for all. Our 2026–2027 funding will continue this mission, with an increased emphasis on youth-led and youth-organized projects. Youth outcomes are maximized when youth can envision, organize, and execute projects alongside supportive adult mentors and allies. The Foundation aims to provide more funding directly to youth in the Bay Area, so that they can make a measurable difference in their communities.

We are also continuing our newer funding focus to empower young women and girls to access experiential learning and leadership opportunities in the Bay Area.

In addition, the Foundation is expanding its funding priorities to include Youth Sports programs that promote leadership, teamwork, confidence, and access to high-quality athletic opportunities for under-resourced youth. We are particularly interested in organizations that use sports as a vehicle for positive youth development, academic support, and life skills building.

Funding Focuses

Youth Food Justice

• Organizations working at the intersection of youth development and food justice

• Grants that work to elevate youth voice will be prioritized. This may include mini-grant programs for youth, where one organization or collective of organizations build on existing infrastructure or create a new program for youth to apply for / receive mini-grants. It is understood that many youth development programs provide adult mentoring and structured opportunities for youth to participate meaningfully.

Youth Sports

• Organizations that provide equitable access to organized sports for under-resourced youth, using athletics as a platform for leadership development, mentorship, academic encouragement, and social-emotional growth.

• Priority may be given to programs that: Reduce financial barriers to participation; Provide structured mentorship and coaching; Integrate academic or life-skills components; Demonstrate measurable impact on youth outcomes

Girls Empowerment

• Organizations that expand access to experiential learning, leadership development, and confidence-building opportunities for girls and young women in the Bay Area.

The PNC Foundation aims to enhance the lives of individuals in local communities through partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Their focus includes promoting educational opportunities, particularly for early childhood education, and supporting economic development initiatives. Grants are available for organizations that benefit low- to moderate-income families and enhance community growth. The foundation prioritizes programs that foster sustainability and diversity, ensuring a lasting impact on the communities they serve.

The Rosenberg Foundation is dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers to equity and opportunity for Californians. Through its grantmaking, it focuses on areas such as leadership development, criminal justice reform, and immigrant rights. The foundation supports innovative initiatives, including the 2022-2024 Leading Edge Fellows, who tackle pressing social issues. By fostering civic engagement, the foundation aims to empower underrepresented communities and ensure their voices are heard in policy discussions, ultimately striving for a more just society.

The Semnani Family Foundation, established in 1993, is dedicated to supporting marginalized communities worldwide through health, education, and disaster relief initiatives. Founded by Khosrow and Ghazaleh Semnani, it began by funding an orphanage in Romania. The foundation also operates locally, providing free healthcare through the Maliheh Free Clinic in Utah. Its commitment to human welfare drives impactful partnerships in countries such as Afghanistan, India, and South Africa, focusing on the most vulnerable populations.

The S. H. Cowell Foundation Grant focuses on supporting public and nonprofit organizations in Northern and Central California that address acute poverty and promote racial equity. The foundation prioritizes place-based strategies to fund initiatives that foster child development, family empowerment, and youth leadership. By building on community strengths, it aims to create equitable access to essential services and enhance the overall well-being of families and children, ensuring their voices are integral to program design and implementation.

The Sills Family Foundation provides grants to nonprofits focused on early childhood education, environmental justice, arts and culture, and support for families in crisis. They prioritize programs benefiting communities affected by the criminal justice system, as well as refugees and asylees. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $25,000, with an emphasis on systemic change and community-based solutions. The foundation operates primarily in metro New York City and California, accepting applications for one-year grants only.

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 Hesed Foundation Grant supports charitable initiatives that promote social justice through Tzedakah and gemilut hasadim, which emphasize justice and loving kindness. This private foundation focuses on enhancing the welfare of underrepresented communities, particularly in the Boston area, NYC, and Northern California. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, and the foundation prioritizes projects related to youth, education, health, and community building.

The Support Grants program by the Arts Council Santa Cruz County provides essential funding to nonprofit arts organizations and artists in Santa Cruz County. With grants up to $7,000, the program aims to enhance artistic excellence, foster audience engagement, and improve equitable access to the arts. This initiative empowers diverse creative expressions while addressing social justice issues, ensuring that all artists can thrive and contribute to a vibrant community. Applications are accepted annually, welcoming first-time applicants.

The Robinson Foundation Grant, established in 2016, aims to alleviate hardships faced by individuals and communities, demonstrating God's love through charitable contributions. As a family-operated foundation, it focuses on creating meaningful, long-term impacts in various areas including animal welfare, education, and disaster relief. Organizations eligible for funding must be 501(c)(3) public charities. The foundation prioritizes fiscally responsible projects with the potential for tangible results, while not supporting capital projects.

The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation offers grants to support diverse initiatives, including museums, educational programs, and environmental activities. Aiming to make a significant impact with modest funding, the Foundation targets IRS-qualified non-profits in the U.S. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $20,000, fostering community development and enhancement. Organizations focused on youth, seniors, and individuals with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply, as the Foundation seeks to empower those in need.

The Bigglesworth Family Foundation's Legal Services Program supports innovative projects aimed at enhancing legal aid effectiveness. Originating post-2008 financial crisis, this initiative helps non-profits combat poverty through legal assistance, targeting both individual organizations and the broader sector. Grants include I&R projects for testing new models and sector support for organizations providing technical assistance. Eligibility is primarily for 501(c)(3) nonprofits and public entities, with specific limitations on budget sizes and project types.

The Dylan Todd Simonds Foundation Grant is dedicated to fostering environmental resilience and social justice, particularly in the Bay Area and Pittsburgh. It seeks innovative projects that enhance sustainable economies and address climate change through inclusive solutions. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations focused on these geographical areas. The Foundation prioritizes impactful initiatives but does not fund conference support, endowments, or organizations outside the U.S. For more details, please refer to the Foundation's FAQs.

Our Mission

East Bay Community Foundation partners with donors, social movements, and the community to eliminate structural barriers, advance racial equity, and transform political, social, and economic outcomes for all who call the East Bay home.

Our Vision

Achieving an inclusive, fair, and just East Bay will require transforming our region’s power structures to promote equity.

We strive to build a foundation that advances justice grounded in principles that are informed by the community and rooted in practices of anti-oppression.

Women’s Catalytic Fund

The Women’s Catalytic Fund (WCF) is an East Bay-based giving circle with a mission to fund California-based organizations working towards gender equity. The fund prioritizes investing in female-identifying, non-binary, and gender non-conforming leaders in primarily BIPOC communities. One of the main goals of WCF, made up of nine members, is to fund smaller organizations with budgets under a million dollars. They are also interested in catalytic projects that may not have received funding from other foundations.  

As a group of women who are passionate about intersectional feminism, WCF aims to provide funding for work happening at the grassroots level. Each biannual grant cycle, they allocate one-time $15,000 grants that can be put to use immediately, enabling innovative, experimental, and transformative work in California. They believe in supporting the many incredible individuals and organizations that are working to improve gender justice in their communities. 

By providing funding opportunities to those who may not have access to traditional philanthropic resources, the members of the Women’s Catalytic Fund strive to give these community-driven projects resources that can help them succeed.

Our intention is to give directly to frontline organizations when and where resources are most needed. To be considered for funding, initiatives, projects, actions or events must:

• Address gender-based inequity, gender-based violence, patriarchy, or transphobia. We define this as responding to the needs, or developing talent and leadership or independence of female-identifying, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming members of targeted communities.
• Be catalytic. We define this as having the potential to serve as a model or to have a ripple effect, accelerate change, be inventive or experimental
• Be intersectional and collaborative. We define this as crossing boundaries between organizations, issues, and identities in order to create change.
• Prioritize low-income women, women of color, or immigrant women, inclusive of all those identifying as female, and led by and representative of the community being served.

As You Sow Grants promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through funding initiatives that focus on toxic exposure and consumer protection in California. With over $2.1 million granted to more than 100 organizations since 1992, the program supports nonprofits dedicated to toxics reduction, environmental education, and community protection. Priority is given to projects that benefit California residents, emphasizing enforcement and education around toxic risks and rights.

The O'Reilly Automotive Foundation Grant focuses on enhancing community welfare through philanthropic initiatives that support economic stability, workforce development, health services, and disaster relief. Established in 2020, the Foundation seeks to empower underrepresented individuals and organizations in the U.S. by addressing vital community needs. It particularly aims to provide assistance to nonprofits that foster positive change and improve quality of life for those in need, ensuring a lasting impact in local communities.

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize, awarded by The J.M. Kaplan Fund, supports early-stage social innovators tackling critical issues in environment, heritage conservation, and social justice. With up to $175,000 in funding and tailored support over three years, it empowers organizations to pilot transformative solutions. The Prize fosters collaboration among awardees, providing resources and mentorship to enhance their impact. Open to both non-profit and mission-driven for-profit entities, it addresses the funding gap for innovative, high-potential projects.

The Community Ties Giving Program by Union Pacific Foundation offers local grants aimed at enhancing community well-being through diverse funding priorities. These include safety initiatives, workforce development, community vitality, and environmental sustainability. The program emphasizes supporting organizations that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, aiming to create impactful projects that resonate with Union Pacific's heritage and mission. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations serving Union Pacific communities and demonstrate a clear need and capacity to deliver effective programming.

The Wilhelm Family Foundation Grants aim to enhance access to artistic resources by funding diverse nonprofit arts organizations. Prioritizing projects that engage with environmental and climate issues, the foundation seeks to support creative expression and collaboration in underserved communities. Emphasizing equality and sustainability, it fosters artistic practices that empower individuals and promote cultural dialogue. Grants are typically awarded to small organizations, focusing on community engagement and longevity in the arts sector.

The Impact Projects Grants from the California Arts Council aim to empower local artists to address social issues within historically underserved communities. This program encourages collaborations between artists and community members to creatively tackle challenges such as economic disparity, health access, and social justice. Eligible organizations must have a proven history in arts programming and comply with specific guidelines to ensure community engagement and accessibility, fostering cultural expression unique to California's diverse populations.

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award honors exemplary nonprofit organizations in the U.S. that foster collaborative partnerships across sectors. Annually, a national competition showcases numerous organizations demonstrating impactful community partnerships. Six organizations receive recognition, including the Thomas J. Moran Award, which offers $100,000, and the Frances R. Hesselbein Award, granting $75,000. Since 1996, the award has acknowledged 262 partnerships, emphasizing Mutual of America's commitment to societal improvement through collaboration.

The McCune Foundation provides funding to grassroots organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties that empower economically and politically marginalized groups. Their grants support community-led initiatives focused on creating systemic change and enhancing social capital. Eligible applicants must demonstrate inclusive leadership and engage affected populations in project planning. The Foundation prioritizes projects that mobilize communities to address root causes of social issues, fostering collaboration and action for social justice.

The California Access to Justice Commission offers the State Legal Aid Infrastructure & Innovation Grants, providing $5 million to nonprofit organizations for civil legal aid to indigent persons. This funding aims to enhance infrastructure and innovation in legal services, ensuring all Californians have access to justice. Eligible projects include capacity building and innovative service delivery models. The anticipated grant size ranges from $25,000 to $150,000, with a focus on serving rural and underserved communities.

About Elevate Youth California (EYC)EYC is grounded in social justice youth development (SJYD), which expands the concept of a positive youth development framework and addresses social factors including racism, xenophobia, and other racial inequities youth face as they develop into adulthood. Through a public health and harm reduction lens, EYC supports culturally and linguistically responsive, healing-centered, and trauma-informed strategies that prevent substance use before it begins, particularly in communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. Youth Substance Use Disorder Prevention: Standard Track Cohort 8The required goal of this funding opportunity is to address SUD prevention by investing in youth

leadership and civic engagement for youth of color and 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12 to 26 living in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. California Department of Health Care Services is seeking applications that: 

• Support youth engagement that focuses on youth civic engagement, specifically in communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs.
• Possess cultural humility and responsiveness with staff and organizational leadership who reflect the racial, ethnic, and cultural community they intend to serve.
• Prioritize public health solutions that focus on positive messages to prevent SUD.
• Develop culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate social justice youth development, peerto-peer support, and mentoring programs that are healing-centered, trauma-informed, and focused on youth ages 12 to 26.
• Utilize an intersectional approach to health equity through policy, systems, and environmental change.
• Implement SUD prevention activities that address the root causes of SUD, reduce risk factors, and increase protective factors.