The Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation provides grant support to organizations committed to advancing social justice through grassroots efforts and systemic change. The foundation focuses its giving on nonprofits and fiscally sponsored projects located in New York and Mississippi. It seeks to fund organizations that apply cross-issue strategies and analyze power structures through a lens that emphasizes race, gender, equitable development, and Indigenous sovereignty. In addition to localized work, the foundation also supports regional collaboratives and organizations operating in the Northeast and South with a national reach, particularly those that bridge organizing efforts across local, state, and federal levels.
The foundation’s funding philosophy emphasizes long-term impact and sustainability. It offers multi-year, general operating support to ensure that grantees have the flexibility and resources to meet emerging needs, take strategic risks, and sustain their missions over time. This form of unrestricted funding is intended to empower organizations to deepen their work and expand their effectiveness.
Eligibility for funding is restricted to organizations that meet the U.S. Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3) requirements as nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations. The foundation also provides grants to organizations with qualifying fiscal sponsors if the applicant does not have its own 501(c)(3) status. This focus ensures that funds are directed to formally recognized and regulated entities capable of executing strategic social justice initiatives.
Grantmaking is geographically concentrated in New York and Mississippi, but national organizations with a regional presence or influence in the Northeast and South are also eligible. The foundation’s grant cycles are recurring and support work across multiple years, although specific opening and closing dates for each grant cycle are not provided in the available information. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the foundation’s website or contact staff for the latest updates on deadlines.
The application process involves answering a series of detailed questions that explore the applicant’s strategy, impact, and alignment with the foundation’s goals. While specific questions are not listed, prospective applicants should be prepared to articulate how their work contributes to long-term systemic change and intersects with the foundation’s focus areas. Support for applicants is provided through contact options listed on the foundation's site.
For additional information or inquiries, applicants can reach out to the foundation at Hello@noyes.org or by phone at 212-684-6577. The foundation is located at 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168.
