Direct Action Visionary Grants

The American Psychological Foundation (APF) is a national organization committed to the advancement of psychology as a means to improve people’s lives. Through its funding initiatives, APF supports work that applies psychological science and knowledge to address real-world problems, with a particular emphasis on underserved communities. APF is especially focused on tackling societal issues such as prejudice, violence, stigma, and health disparities, in keeping with its four Visionary Priorities: serving marginalized communities, ending prejudice and stigma, preventing violence, and exploring mind-body health connections. The APF Direct Action Visionary Grants aim to fund interventions that have immediate and direct impact on communities in need, particularly those affected by bias, discrimination, and systemic inequities. Unlike academic or purely research-driven grants, this opportunity emphasizes practical, evidence-based psychological applications that can be implemented in real time to benefit communities experiencing racism, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, and related forms of bigotry. The grants are intended to bridge the gap between research and action, delivering timely psychological support to underserved populations. Projects should be grounded in established psychological principles and must clearly align with one or more of APF's Visionary Priorities. Applicants may include individuals or organizations and do not need to be psychologists or mental health professionals. However, the project must involve a relevant psychological expert throughout the grant period. Examples of suitable projects include community-based implementation of psychological interventions, culturally tailored outreach programs, or translating psychological knowledge into accessible resources for communities. The funding amount for each award can be up to $60,000. While there is no specified number of awards or total program funding available, APF emphasizes the importance of innovation, scalability, and critical need. The foundation evaluates Letters of Intent (LOIs) based on innovation and potential impact, the quality and viability of the proposed work, the necessity of the funding for the project’s success, and the methodological rigor. Proposed work that merely replicates existing interventions or adds minimal new value will not be considered impactful. The application process is two-tiered. APF accepts LOIs on a rolling basis, with evaluation rounds occurring quarterly after the deadlines of January 31, April 30, July 31, and October 31, 2025. Applicants whose LOIs are selected will be invited to submit full applications, which may be submitted at any time thereafter. Full applications will be reviewed biannually following the deadlines of March 31 and September 8, 2025. Applicants must submit LOIs through APF’s GivingData portal and review detailed application instructions within their account. APF does not provide feedback on submissions. For further questions about the program, applicants are directed to contact APF Programs via email at programs@ampsychfdn.org. Additional background, guidelines, and Visionary Priority descriptions can be accessed on the foundation’s website.

Reviewers prioritize innovation and critical need; simple adaptations of existing methods may not qualify.