The Black Girls Defense Fund, operated by the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium, offers mini-grants under its Resistance and Resilience program. This initiative is dedicated to supporting advocacy, defense, and protection efforts for Black girls, women, and femme-identifying youth across the Southern United States. The program aims to address systemic issues such as adultification, dehumanization, and violence that disproportionately affect Black girls. Grants of up to $2,000 are available to community-based organizations working directly to mitigate these challenges through advocacy and movement-building.
The primary purpose of the Resistance and Resilience mini-grants is to strengthen grassroots initiatives that center the rights, safety, and empowerment of Black girls and women. The fund supports community-led responses to racial and gender injustice by providing financial resources to those who are actively engaged in creating systemic change and defending the humanity of Black girls in Southern communities.
Each grant, capped at $2,000, is intended to assist organizations working on issues that confront the marginalization and mistreatment of Black girls. This includes initiatives tackling the societal structures that lead to their adultification, experiences of violence, and erasure. Funding is not restricted to a specific use beyond these thematic focuses, offering flexibility for grantees to allocate resources as needed for their advocacy and defense work.
To be eligible, applicants must be operating within one of thirteen Southern U.S. states and either be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have a fiscal sponsor. Applicants must also have a demonstrated commitment to supporting Black girls, women, or femme-identifying youth. Applications are accepted through the JustFund portal, and the process is designed to be accessible to grassroots and community-based organizations.
Applications for the current cycle open on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time and close on April 10, 2025, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. An information session is scheduled for March 27, 2025, at 12:00 PM Eastern to provide guidance on the application process. This session is intended to help prospective applicants navigate the application system and clarify any eligibility or procedural questions.
There are no specific application questions or evaluation criteria publicly listed on the announcement. Applicants are encouraged to attend the information session for further insight into how submissions will be assessed. Contact information for support is available, including an email and phone number, for applicants with additional questions during the submission window.
