Emerging Justice Fund

The Social Justice Fund Northwest (SJF) has introduced the 2025 Emerging Justice Fund, a new initiative designed to provide flexible, unrestricted funding to grassroots organizing groups that serve communities disproportionately impacted by systemic injustice and government policies at the federal, state, and local levels. As part of its longstanding commitment to racial and social equity, SJF has created this fund to uplift and sustain the work of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led organizations, particularly those that have traditionally been overlooked by mainstream grantmaking institutions. The Emerging Justice Fund is structured to distribute one-year grants of $10,000 each, with five separate funding cycles planned throughout the year 2025. A total of $500,000 will be awarded through these cycles. Funding decisions will be made on a bi-monthly basis beginning in February 2025 and continuing through October. The goal is to provide timely support to organizations engaging in community organizing that directly challenges and seeks to transform inequitable policies and systems. Organizations eligible to apply must work within the community-organizing framework upheld by SJF. Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status, tribal governments and agencies, and groups fiscally sponsored by qualifying nonprofits or tribal governments. Geographically, this opportunity is limited to groups operating in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Additional prioritization will be given to groups that are BIPOC-led (with 51% or more of leadership identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color), or those organizing within reservation communities or rural and small-town areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The application deadlines for the five rounds in 2025 are as follows: January 17, March 14, May 9, July 11, and September 12. Each of these rounds corresponds to a decision-making month two months later—February, April, June, August, and October, respectively. Applicants are encouraged to review eligibility carefully and reach out to the SJF Grantmaking & Impact team with any questions regarding qualifications or the application process. No specific pre-application deadlines or requirements for Letters of Intent were listed. Although the application questions are not detailed in the source, the general process involves submitting information to demonstrate alignment with SJF’s mission and organizational framework. The fund does not specify matching fund requirements or application time estimates, but the process appears geared toward accessibility for smaller grassroots organizations. All interested parties are encouraged to watch the informational session linked in the call for applications and to share this funding opportunity broadly with aligned organizations in the eligible region. For direct inquiries, applicants should contact the SJF Grantmaking & Impact team. While the specific names, emails, or phone contacts were not provided in the announcement, interested applicants may reach out through the SJF website or mailing address at 1700 7th Avenue, Suite 116 #134, Seattle, WA 98101.