Social Justice Fund's Rapid Response & Seed Grants

Social Justice Fund's Rapid Response & Seed Grants are open April - November, and grants made monthly. Submit by the 30th/31st of each month for consideration. Learn more about how to apply here.

Rapid Response Grants are small project specific grants of $3,000 to help grassroots organizations respond quickly to the changing political climate with actions and/or strategies that could not have been anticipated. To apply for a Rapid Response Grant, please make an account and submit your application through our Foundant Grant Portal.

Rapid Response funding criteria:

Rapid Response fund will make grants to groups that meet the following criteria:

  • Be an organized group of people (we do not fund individuals).

    • This may include a non-profit organization with 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 status as determined by the IRS OR a federally recognized American Indian tribal government or agency OR an organization that is fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 organization or federally recognized tribal government.

    • Groups that are not 501(c)3 or c(4) organizations and are not fiscally sponsored can apply, but must speak with an SJF staff person first.

  • Are led by people who are most directly affected by the problems that the organization or project is addressing.

  • Use a community organizing approach

  • Carry out most of their work in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and/or Wyoming.

  • Are facing an urgent issue or emergency situation that could not have been anticipated and was not part of the organization’s projected work, and therefore need to respond to something that could not have been planned for.

  • Have a plan for how they will respond to the urgent issue or emergency situation.

  • Have completed all past due year-end reports for any previous SJF grants.

Priority will be given to previous SJF grantees, groups led by people of color, groups that are outside of Seattle and Portland metro areas, groups that have not received a Rapid Response grant within the past 12 months, and groups who are working in coalition and partnership with other organizations. Examples of potential eligible projects:

  • Emergency mobilizations and community meetings in response to a recent police shooting

  • Organizing a community defense response to a recently announced white supremacist rally and march

  • Planning a direct action at a corporate shareholder meeting that was just announced

  • Rapid response legal clinics and know your rights trainings in response to Executive Orders or other sudden policy changes

  • A rapid response canvassing effort to educate and connect with targeted community members about the dangers of a religious registry

Seed Grants are small general operating grants of $5,000 to support new and emerging groups that are developing their community organizing work but might not yet meet all the qualifications for SJF’s Giving Project grants. To apply for a Seed Grant, please make an account and submit your application through our Foundant Grant Portal.

The Seed Grant fund will make grants to groups that meet the following criteria:

  • Are an organized group of people (we do not fund individuals).

    • Groups that are not 501(c)3 or c(4) organizations and are not fiscally sponsored can apply, but must speak with an SJF staff person first.

  • Been in existence for 3 years or less

  • Conduct the primary activities of their work in ID, MT, OR, WA, or WY

  • Have organizational beliefs and goals that are aligned with SJF’s values

  • Can demonstrate that they are using a community organizing approach or actively building capacity to do community organizing

  • Have demonstrated involvement by, and accountability to, the communities most impacted by the issues they work on

  • Have a plan for how they want to grow their work over the next year

  • Have never received a regular SJF Giving Project grant or Seed Grant

Priority will be given to groups led by people of color and/or groups based outside of Seattle and Portland metro areas. Funds are general operating funds. The Seed Fund will not fund:

  • General operating requests from organizations that primarily provide direct services to individuals and families.

  • Environmental work unless it is aimed at achieving social justice goals (i.e. environmental justice). For example, SJF generally does not fund recycling or resource conservation projects, but we do fund community organizing projects addressing environmental threats that disproportionately harm communities of color or low-income communities.

  • Projects sponsored by a government agency. For example, SJF would not fund a project led by a public school district, but we might fund a project led by communities of color that partners with public schools to address the opportunity gap for students of color. The project must be community driven and led by those most directly affected by the problem.

  • Individuals, endowment funds or capital campaigns.

Funding opportunitiesinfoRFX, external funding