Local Social Advocacy Grants

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and cultural affiliates in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that deliver public cultural programming benefiting local residents.

This grant provides funding for artists and organizations in Cambridge to create projects that promote social justice and engage the local community through various forms of artistic expression.

The City of Bangor Commission on Cultural Development in Maine is offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to individual artists and non-profit arts and cultural organizations, requiring a 1:1 match, to support projects that enhance the city's cultural vitality and directly serve the Bangor community.

This grant provides funding to organizations in Tennessee for projects that address and mitigate the impacts of the opioid crisis in Williamson County through prevention, treatment, and community support initiatives.

The Lane County Cultural Coalition in Oregon is offering Cultural Opportunity Grants ranging from $1000 to $10,000 for a year, funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust, to support projects that protect and stabilize cultural resources, expand public awareness of arts, humanities, and heritage, and increase access to culture, with a focus on access, awareness, and education in Lane County.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community organizations in Fayetteville for projects that aim to reduce crime and violence, with grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 available to both recognized and grassroots groups.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to grassroots organizations and community initiatives in Austin that work to combat systemic inequities, particularly in areas like immigrant inclusion, homelessness, and displacement prevention.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for creative projects that promote community engagement and address challenges faced by communities of color and other historically marginalized groups.

This program provides funding for businesses, nonprofits, community groups, churches, and educational institutions to implement projects that enhance neighborhood beauty, foster community engagement, and celebrate local culture in Jackson.

The San Diego County Bar Foundation provides grants to improve public awareness of the legal system, the administration of justice and the delivery of legal services through distribution of its funds. Donor Name: San Diego County Bar Foundation State: California County: San Diego County (CA) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/01/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: By offering an effective means for the legal community to engage in law-related philanthropy, the San Diego County Bar Foundation strengthens the profession by providing lawyers the opportunity to contribute to the quality and benefit of San Diego County. Based on the belief that justice serves as the great equalizer in the society, they ensure access to justice by investing in legal aid and public interest organizations along with expertise, leadership and advocacy. They serve as a leader in the community and a model bar foundation nationwide. They maintain the highest level of commitment to the permanence of the Bar Foundation and its work by building law- related philanthropy. Core Values Access to Justice  Equal access to justice is central to the democratic society, integral to the efficient functioning of the justice system and a critical part of the safety net for the vulnerable in the society. They support the legal and non-legal community through the diligent grant making process and the on-going fundraising efforts in order to create a healthier and stronger community environment. Service – The focus always centers on providing equal access to justice, public awareness and advocacy to the underserved and vulnerable as well as increasing public awareness of these needs through on-going education.  Accountability – They are the conscientious stewards of the Foundation’s funds to ensure that they are put to the best use. The donors and the legal community have confidence in the due diligence process and know that their funds will benefit the designated community partners. The sustainability is guaranteed through the growing endowment.  Integrity – They maintain honesty in word and deed, civility in the interactions and communications, and demonstrate fairness to all. No conflict of interest.  Permanence – They preserve the longevity of the Foundation and ensure the legacy through the continual growth in the endowments. Grant Period Generally, grant awards will be for a period not to exceed one year. Eligibility Criteria  Legal aid and public interest non-profits providing services within the county of San Diego are eligible to apply. Limitations Grants will NOT be made in support of the following: Organizations which are not tax exempt as described in section 509 (a) (1) and 170B (1) (a) of the Internal Revenue Code Religious, Political or lobbying purposes Organizations whose primary function is to allocate funds to other charitable organizations or projects Projects outside of San Diego County Loans. For more information, visit SDCBF.

Applications are now being accepted for the Lake County Community Foundation Fall Grant. Donor Name: The Lake County Community Foundation State: Illinois County: Lake County (IL) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/06/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Priority Areas Leadership Development Through this priority area, the Foundation funds projects that provide quality leadership development opportunities for cohorts of nonprofit leaders throughout the sector. LCCF values coalition building and collaboration and will fund projects and opportunities that benefit Lake County’s greater nonprofit sector, rather than individual nonprofit organizations solely. Grant funds for Leadership Development are prioritized for work that:  Provides leadership development opportunities that help build a pipeline of competent, emerging leaders for the county’s nonprofit sector  Increases access for leaders of color and other underrepresented groups to quality programming  Helps leaders better serve their non-profit organization, clients and communities Animal Welfare Organizations that attend to the needs of animals in Lake County are invited to apply for grants made through the Lake County Humane Society Fund. 16% of this restricted fund’s spending allocation is designated for this purpose annually. Grant funds are prioritized for work that:  Cultivates new and innovative approaches to support animal welfare in Lake County  Addresses otherwise unmet needs as the only service provider in the area Funding Information Available funds: $20,000 Grant requests of $1,000 – $5,000 will be considered. Eligibility Criteria The Foundation considers applications from organizations that demonstrate success and sustainability with program goals and outcomes. Eligible organizations are:  Nonprofit agencies with evidence of tax exempt status under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or those using a 501 (c)(3) fiscal agent  Eligible applicants MUST be in good standing with the IRS  Located within and/or primarily serving residents of Lake County, except for regional, statewide or national projects or research that may benefit a substantial portion of Lake County residents Non-discriminatory in the hiring of staff or in providing services on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin or ability Evaluation Criteria Applications will be evaluated using the following criteria:  Request aligns with the Foundation’s mission and values and with its strategic pillars of Economic Justice, Community Ownership and Rapid Community Response.  Request responds to a high priority need based on current Lake County specific data  The applicant’s staff, leadership and board are reflective of the community it serves. If not, the organization is taking meaningful steps to prioritize and support diversity and equity.  Applicants either have their own diversity statement or will adopt the Foundation’s Diversity Statement if there is not one in place.  Strong, documented partnerships currently in place  Request has potential to leverage other resources or donor support  High probability of affecting significant change over the next 3 years  Cost-effective delivery of direct services or advocacy  Likelihood of success and a track record of provider(s)/partners in achieving outcomes  Strong methods for tracking outcomes For more information, visit LCCF.

The Equity Funds are a set of discretionary grantmaking funds of Community Foundation Boulder County addressing needs throughout Boulder County. Donor Name: Community Foundation Boulder County (CFBC) State: Colorado County: Boulder County (CO) Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 09/05/2024 Size of the Grant: Less than $1000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Types of Funds BRAVO Fund The BRAVO Fund aims to improve the quality of life for Latino communities throughout Boulder County by engaging donors in philanthropy with the purpose of building resiliency through active voices and opportunities. The mission of the BRAVO Fund is to support the Latino community in Boulder County by raising money and distributing grants. The focus of the BRAVO Fund is to: Promote social justice. Strengthen opportunities for Latino leadership. Empower Latinos to engage in philanthropy that benefits their own communities. Funding Priority Priority will be given to projects that support and strengthen the arts, environmental, health and human services, civic, educational, and/or cultural aspects of Boulder County Latino communities and/or are initiated by Latinos to benefit Latinos. Funding Information Approximately $6,500 is available to grant this year, minimum grants will be $1,000. Open Door Fund The Open Door Fund supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals and allies in Boulder County The focus of the Open Door Fund is to: Support the strengths and needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. Build and cultivate the LGBTQ+ community. Foster collaboration and dialogue between the LGBTQ+ population and the broader community. Provide a source of support for organizations serving and impacting the LGBTQ+ community. Funding Priority Priority will be given to projects that support new and emerging ideas, especially those that contribute to system change. Preference will be given to those organizations which are primarily LGBTQ+-focused. Funding Information Approximately $50,000 is available to grant this year, minimum grants will be $1,000. Veterans Fund The Veterans Fund supports Boulder County Veterans and their families by raising money and distributing grants to community partners to create, sustain, or expand programs and projects for Veterans. The focus of the Veterans Fund is to: Support the strengths and meet the needs of Veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and their families in Boulder County. Build community around and among Veterans. Foster education about Veterans’ issues and dialogue between Veterans and the community. Provide a source of support for organizations serving the Veteran community. Funding Priority Priority will be given to projects and organizations that demonstrate strong Veteran involvement and engagement in the planning and implementation of the proposed activities. Funding Information Approximately $11,500 is available to grant this year, minimum grants will be $1,000. Eligibility Requirements Grantees must use grant proceeds only for the stated purpose of the grant or for charitable and educational activities consistent with the organization’s tax-exempt status. Grants from The Community Foundation’s discretionary funds are exclusively for activities or projects in Boulder County and/or for the benefit of Boulder County residents. Any nonprofit organization with an IRS 501(c)(3) public charities (not private operating or non-operating foundations) or any governmental or public entity can apply. Groups or organizations that do not have IRS 501(c)(3) designation may do so with a fiscal sponsor. The Community Foundation makes grants for specific projects as well as for unrestricted operating expenses, capital campaigns, endowments and technical assistance. The Community Foundation does not make grants to organizations where grant money from discretionary or field of interest funds would be used to further a particular religious doctrine. For more information, visit CFBC

The California Wildlands Grassroots Fund (Cal Wildlands) supports the heroic efforts of grassroots activists to preserve California’s wildlands and natural habitat. Donor Name: Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment State: California County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline:  08/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: The Fund champion’s conservationists advocating for the permanent protection, including restoration and stewardship, of intact wildlands on both public and private lands, to help preserve California’s wilderness and native biological diversity. This includes policy advocacy, litigation and regulatory watchdogging at the local, state and federal levels; efforts to advance wildlands and open space protection through county general plans and local planning; as well as direct stewardship and maintenance of intact wild areas. Priority Areas Community-based advocacy and organizing efforts steered by affected community members. Efforts predominantly driven and staffed by volunteers. Projects in areas that have not received significant foundation support, including rural communities. Projects that build diverse constituencies for wildlands protection and engage non-traditional stakeholders, especially communities of color. Project-specific requests, though general support requests will be accepted from strong organizations whose work is well aligned with the fund’s objectives. Projects that will establish or combat a critical precedent that will influence other wildlands protection efforts. Funding Information Maximum grant award is $10,000, and typical grants range between $4,000-$8,000. If your organization’s actual annual income and expenses are $30,000 or less, they strongly encourage you to request a grant of $5,000 or less. Organizations seeking the maximum grant size of $10,000 must be able to articulate a clear project and budget that justifies the full grant. Grants are for a one year period. Geographic Scope Project impact must be within the state of California. Eligibility Criteria Annual actual expenses and income of $200,000 or less. Applicants may be a nonprofit, or an individual/organization fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit. The Fund supports: Projects that protect and preserve wildlands and open space, or support the good stewardship, restoration and management of wild areas. Cal Wildlands defines “wildlands” as natural habitats, privately or publicly owned, that are (or have the potential to be) permanently preserved through legislation or deed restrictions, and are on a scale necessary to support significant native plant and animal life. Projects in urban or suburban settings, must feature connectivity to larger protected areas and/or be located along critical wildlife corridors. Activities such as grassroots organizing and outreach; communications campaigns; regulatory advocacy; lawsuits; wildlands restoration and stewardship (including trail maintenance); scientific research; organizational capacity building and equipment purchases. Environmental education programs must include a strong element of environmental advocacy to be considered. For more information, visit RFCE.

The North Carolina IOLTA is requesting applications for its Civil Legal Aid Grant Program. Donor Name: North Carolina State Bar State: North Carolina County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: NC IOLTA’s Civil Legal Aid Grant Program provides general support for a network of organizations, including both civil legal aid organizations and other agencies that provide civil legal aid, that together provide basic access to the justice system for indigent people residing in every county in North Carolina. Civil legal aid includes direct representation of eligible clients and client groups as well as related training and technical assistance. An organization or program may be providing services through staff attorneys and advocates or using volunteer lawyers on a pro bono basis. Areas of Funding Civil Legal Aid Grants  General Civil Legal Aid Grants are offered to legal aid organizations, defined as a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code whose primary purpose is to provide civil legal aid to low-income clients. General Civil Legal Aid Grants are intended to provide general programmatic support to civil legal aid organizations to broadly support legal services for eligible clients. Project Support Grants are offered to legal aid organizations or other entities that run legal aid programs (such as social service providers, advocacy organizations, and other nonprofits that provide other non-legal services in addition to the legal services provided). Project Support Grants are intended to support programs focused on particular client subgroups or particular types of client services, especially where the clients served are not being reached or the program offers services that are not otherwise available through civil legal aid organizations. Pro Bono Support Grants. Pro Bono Support Grants are offered to support the development and expansion of efforts to engage lawyers and other legal professionals in the provision of voluntary legal services. Note that a pro bono program that does not focus their efforts specifically on indigent clients is not eligible for a Pro Bono Support Grant under the Civil Legal Aid Grant Program but may apply under the Administration of Justice Grant Program. System Support Grants. System Support Grants are offered to support efforts to improve the system of the delivery of civil legal aid by increasing program efficiency, effectiveness, and collaboration. Examples of some efforts within this area of funding include training, research and evaluation, program innovations, website development or updates, online platforms or tools, and planning and sustainability efforts.  Funding Criteria Preference generally will be given to requests from applicants:  Providing direct representation of clients or client groups, including engaging in a range of services from extended representation to brief advice offered through a variety of methods, offering community legal education to clients, and supporting community economic development through services to client groups;  Who are staffed civil legal aid organizations, as the most effective and efficient means by which to deliver high quality legal assistance to the poor, including pro bono efforts as an important supplement to staffed legal services;  Who are current qualified providers over additional, separate programs except where a separate program can address client needs more effectively and efficiently;  Having diverse funding sources; Grant period January 1 – December 31, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  In addition to meeting the stated eligibility for all NC IOLTA grants, to be eligible for funding from NC IOLTA under the Civil Legal Aid Grant Program, applicants must meet the following requirements:  Serve North Carolina residents who are indigent, defined as individuals who are at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or who are eligible to receive public assistance through a government program for the indigent. In addition to income, programs may consider other relevant factors in determining financial eligibility for services, including access to liquid assets, fixed debts and obligations, and family size for example.  The organization may also consider availability of income, i.e., whether the individual seeking assistance has direct and unfettered access, without having to obtain the consent or cooperation of another person over whom the individual does not have control and who does not in fact consent or cooperate.  If an organization uses a definition of indigent or low-income clients, for all or a portion of its clients that is different from the above, it must be able to show that a majority of its clients fall within the stated NC IOLTA definition.  Provide services without charge to the client. An organization will not be disqualified from receiving funds from NC IOLTA for charging nominal fees as long as the organization allows for the complete waiver of fees in cases where clients cannot pay the fee. The Board reserves the right to approve grants to an organization charging significantly reduced fees in areas of law where services are otherwise unavailable to low-income clients. Grantees that charge fees, whether nominal or reduced, are required to provide a copy of their client fee policy and schedule to NC IOLTA and include information on fees received in their regular financial reports to NC IOLTA, including information about the number of fee waivers provided to clients. For more information, visit North Carolina State Bar.

The City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department will administer a community-based Violence Reduction Grants, a project to invest annually in evidence-based violence prevention projects offered by neighborhood-based agencies and organizations in Bloomington. Donor Name: City of Bloomington State: Indiana City: Bloomington Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: This grant is to provide funding to directly support community efforts to prevent, intervene and reduce violence in Bloomington. The grants are intended to strengthen grassroots organizations focused on violence prevention and ensure resources reach the residents who need them most. Applications that involve collaborations with two or more partners will be viewed favorably. Funding Information The city has allocated $150,000 to support community efforts to prevent, intervene and reduce violence in Bloomington. Eligible organizations may apply for grants up to $25,000. Eligibility Criteria Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, resident councils, and faith communities that serve Bloomington neighborhoods. Applicants with proven experience in crime intervention  and addressing issues  related to retaliatory and youth-involved violence are particularly encouraged to apply. For more information, visit City of Bloomington.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is seeking applications for its Developing Recommendations for Disaggregating Data Within the Asian American Population. Donor Name: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) State: All States County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/13/2024 Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million Grant Duration: 2 Years Details: ince 2015, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has supported research efforts and advocacy to update policies that dictate minimum standards for the collection, analysis, and reporting of race and ethnicity data. RWJF funding has aimed to advance data equity—especially to make more visible populations that have been historically underrepresented in data—and to more fairly consider such groups in the creation of policies, allocation of resources, and design and implementation of programs. This funding opportunity to support a multifaceted research project that yields recommendations for actionable Asian American subgroup categories to be applied in the collection and analysis of race and ethnicity data. The goal of this award is to develop community-informed and evidence-based recommendations for how researchers should cluster the diverse Asian American population into smaller subgroups in ways that are feasible for realworld implementation. Funding Information The award will be up to $800,000.  Project Duration The award will be for a maximum funding period of 24 months. Eligibility Criteria While multiple organizations can collaborate on this project, only one organization may represent the collaboration and be the lead contact in the proposal process. The lead contact should be an organization or institution whose primary focus is research or has a rigorous internal research department. If multiple organizations will be collaborating on this project, each collaborating organization must be described in detail in the proposal. Awards will be made to organizations, not to individuals.  Preference will be given to applicants that are either public entities or nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are not private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. The Foundation may require additional documentation. Applicant organizations must be based in the United States or its territories. For more information, visit RWJF.

The Charles County Forestry Grant Program, offered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust in partnership with Charles County, aims to implement cost-effective reforestation and afforestation projects. The program seeks to increase tree canopy, create forest habitat, improve water quality, and provide ecosystem services such as potable water and air quality. Eligible projects should be in Charles County, Maryland, and must place reforested areas under an easement for protection in perpetuity. Applicants can request up to $20,000, with typical requests being less than $4,500 per acre. Matching funds are encouraged but not required.

This funding opportunity supports the creation and expansion of community gardens in Prince George’s County to improve food security, promote sustainable practices, and engage local residents.

This program provides funding to community groups in Anne Arundel County for tree planting and invasive species removal projects that promote environmental stewardship and improve local ecosystems.

The Neighborhood Beautification Grant (NBG) initiative, a component of the City’s Community Partnerships & Engagement Division (CPED), is designed to engage and encourage residents to work with their neighbors on an enhancement and improvement project that promotes healthier, safer, and cleaner neighborhoods, while strengthening community connections and the social fabric within them. Donor Name: City of Salinas State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/26/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The NBG objective is to cultivate healthy and resilient neighborhoods, support engaged and informed residents, stimulate a thriving community, and properly manage shared assets and spaces to achieve a collective impact in the development of neighborhood communities and service delivery strategies to improve the overall quality of life in Salinas. Funding Information To carry on with the program, the City council approved an allocation of funds for beautification projects in the amount of $42,000, to be equally distributed at $6,000 to each Council District and the Mayor’s office Project Criteria Projects submitted should:   Be able to be completed within the grant established timeline.   Promote neighborhood self-help efforts.   Promote neighborhood improvement and beautification.   Provide health and safety benefits as well as improvements for residents.   Have confirmed neighborhood support.  Be visible and accessible to all city residents.  Support a neighborhood need.  Eligibility Criteria Any resident, group, and/or organization with a new or established community project in Salinas is eligible to apply. The group project must focus on beautification, restoration, neighborhood improvements, fostering neighborhood leadership and/or address neighborhood problems. Each group must include at least five volunteers or members to be eligible.   The following groups working on a project that will directly benefit their community are encouraged to apply: Residents   Community-led groups   Advocacy groups   Art organizations   Apartment or community associations   Neighborhood watch groups  For more information, visit City of Salinas.