Best Civil Rights Grants in West Virginia

Abelard Foundation provides West Virginia civil rights and social justice nonprofits with approximately US $12,000 in general support for grassroots community organizing. 501(c)(3) organizations east of the Mississippi that build local leadership around civil, immigrant, and worker rights, especially smaller, early-stage groups, may be competitive applicants.

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 working on civil rights in West Virginia can apply for US $250,000 - US $500,000 to investigate and enforce fair housing laws. With a mission to prevent discriminatory housing practices, US HUD: Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity provides competitive Private Enforcement Initiative grants through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program.

Civil rights and civic engagement nonprofits in West Virginia working with Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities can access funding through the RISE Together Fund Small Grants program. This Proteus Fund initiative offers up to US $25,000, primarily as general operating support, for U.S.-based 501(c)(3)s or fiscally sponsored projects advancing BAMEMSA community power and rights.

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

West Virginia civil rights and social justice nonprofits can seek multi-year support for charitable programs, including community services, civic engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Focused on broadly philanthropic work across the U.S., Adient Foundation considers organizational capacity, community relationships, and equal opportunity in evaluating proposals from tax-exempt organizations.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations working on civil rights and related community services in West Virginia may be eligible for one-time or renewal funding that supports charitable programs. Focused on broadly philanthropic initiatives, Adient Foundation considers organizational capacity, community relationships, and equal opportunity objectives when awarding grants across the U.S., including West Virginia applicants.

Researchers focused on civil rights and community-led development can access funding to conduct rigorous field-based studies in Latin America and the Caribbean, with fellows receiving US $20,000 for 12 months of research. Grants from Social Science Research Council support work on social inclusion, migration, violence prevention, and related justice issues; West Virginia-based researchers may be eligible if citizenship requirements are met.

West Virginia civil rights and social justice nonprofits can access funding through the Looking Out Foundation to support LGBTQIA2S+ rights, displaced and immigrant communities, and mental health initiatives, with awards of US $5,000 - US $25,000. Eligible 501(c)(3) public charities may also propose projects for disadvantaged youth, women, arts, food insecurity, and unhoused populations.

West Virginia civil rights and criminal justice reform nonprofits can access funding through Circle for Justice Innovations’ Strategic Opportunities Support Rapid Response Circle, with awards up to US $7,500. 501(c)(3) organizations (or those with fiscal sponsors) led by formerly incarcerated or directly impacted people may receive rapid-response support for urgent movement-building, anti-criminalization, and restorative justice efforts.

Individuals, agencies, and similar organizations in West Virginia exploring civility, civil discourse, and civil practices can seek up to US $1,000 to support related efforts or research. GriffinHarte Foundation supports civil rights and economic justice projects that examine identity, feminism, civic engagement, and alternative educational practices across the U.S., which may include West Virginia-based work.

U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits working on civil rights, government accountability, or combating discrimination can apply for Herb Block Foundation’s Defending Basic Freedoms grants, awarding US $5,000 - US $25,000 for one year of support. Grants from Herb Block Foundation help West Virginia civil rights organizations address Bill of Rights protections and contemporary societal issues.

Civil rights and civic organizations in West Virginia working on constitutional liberties, free markets, civil society, or citizen formation may be eligible for ongoing support. Grants from Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation help U.S. 501(c)(3) public charities advance civil rights, governance, education reform, family services, arts and culture, and related initiatives; indirect costs are not covered.

Nonprofit schools, parks departments, amateur leagues, and community organizations running structured sports programs for girls ages 11–18 in West Virginia and nationwide can seek support to expand access to play. Women’s Sports Foundation supports sports and civil-rights-focused inclusion by funding programs serving predominantly Black, Hispanic, African-American, and Native American girls, covering coaching, equipment, transportation, and related costs.

Nonprofit or aspiring 501(c)(3) local news organizations in West Virginia can apply for American Journalism Project support to build sustainable business and revenue capacity for public-service journalism. Funding focuses on digital newsrooms serving local information needs, with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and civil rights–related coverage for underrepresented communities.

State and local education affiliates in West Virginia working on racial justice in education can apply for National Education Association Staff Organization’s CRSJ Racial Justice in Education Grants, awarding US $5,000 - US $75,000 for one-year or multi-year projects. Funding supports awareness, capacity-building, and action to advance racial and social justice in K–12 education.

West Virginia 501(c)(3) organizations promoting intellectual freedom, civil discourse, or related civil rights education can access funding through the Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation for innovative, non-duplicative projects. Eligible nonprofits must align with the foundation’s priorities and may also work in areas like rare disease impacts, Jewish heritage, elder care, or climate change.

Grants from Foundation for Improvement of Justice help West Virginia civil rights and justice-focused organizations or individuals gain national recognition and a US $15,000 award for proven improvements to civil or criminal justice systems. Eligible accomplishments include legal reform, crime prevention, child protection, crime victims’ rights, alternative sentencing, and other impactful judicial innovations across the U.S.

Focused on youth civil rights education, Safe Routes to School National Parternship invites West Virginia local governments, public schools, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits to host Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day events. Eligible partners can request US $500 - US $1,000 to support anti-racism, anti-bullying, and activism programming tied to students walking, biking, or rolling to school.

Nonprofit public charities working on democracy, civil liberties, and gun violence prevention in the U.S., including West Virginia, can seek funding for national or multi-state projects that protect voting rights and reduce money in politics. The Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund uses an LOI and invitation-only proposal process for this program area.

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 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.