AJ Muste Foundation Organizing Grants

The A.J. Muste Memorial Institute offers Organizing Grants through its Foundation for Peace and Justice to support grassroots activist efforts focused on systemic change. The foundation is rooted in the legacy of A.J. Muste, a lifelong pacifist and social justice advocate, and seeks to carry forward his mission through direct funding of organizations involved in movement-building and resistance efforts across the United States. The Muste Institute operates with a commitment to funding under-resourced groups working for justice and peace, particularly those led by communities directly affected by injustice. The Organizing Grants are designed to support both newly founded and existing organizations that are actively engaged in community organizing. The funding is particularly intended for groups that have limited access to traditional foundation funding or institutional resources. The program emphasizes support for creative, bold ideas that serve specific organizing goals, including but not limited to campaigns, educational initiatives, mobilization efforts, and broader movement infrastructure development. The grants can be used for both project-specific purposes and general operating support, giving applicants flexibility in how funds are applied. Grants are only available to groups and projects based in the United States. Applicants must either be a registered 501(c)(3) organization, have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, or possess a bank account in the name of the organization or project. Individual applicants are not eligible. Moreover, the program does not fund projects with operating budgets exceeding $250,000, nor does it support direct services, mutual aid (unless a minor component of larger organizing), therapeutic or healing work, or artistic endeavors not embedded in organizing. It also explicitly excludes lobbying efforts, political campaigns, scholarship programs, and university-supported projects. The application process includes an online submission via the foundation’s website. Before beginning, applicants must confirm they have read the eligibility criteria and believe their request meets the guidelines. The next application deadline is October 20, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Funding decisions for this round will be announced in December 2025. Applicants must also complete a CAPTCHA verification as part of the submission process to confirm human identity and reduce spam. The maximum award for any single applicant is $10,000, although most awards are expected to be closer to $5,000. In rare cases, multi-year funding requests may be considered. No matching funds are required. There is no stated total program funding cap or specific number of awards mentioned. The foundation’s office is located at 55 Exchange Place, Suite 405, New York, NY 10005. Contact can be made by phone at (212) 533-4335 or via email at info@ajmuste.org. The Executive Director is Heidi Boghosian, with Daniel Strum serving as Program and Operations Manager, and Michelle Zappone as Development and Communications Associate.