The Wildseeds Grants program supports projects to enact transformative food and farm systems change in the United States. This must include the institutional racism embedded within those systems and the work to advance racial equity and justice.
Awards are typically $20,000 – $50,000 over a one-year term. Information about the 2025 grant cycle will be announced early in the new year. In 2024 grants opened on February 1st and closed on March 15th.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Tribal governments
Organizations with a fiscal sponsor
Applicants must also have an annual revenue of less than $3 million dollars or an average annual revenue of less than $3 million over the last 3 years.
Focus Areas
All projects must be focused on one or more of these priorities.
Cultural Organizing
Inclusive Economic Models & Community-Controlled Systems
Reclaiming Democracy
Promoting Indigenous and Ancestral Foodways and Agricultural Practices
The Trans Justice Funding Project supports grassroots, trans justice groups in the United States and its territories. Grants are unrestricted because TJFP believes that organizations can best decide themselves how to spend funds.
Applications open annually in late December and are due by February 15th at midnight PT.
Eligibility
Applicants do not have to have a nonprofit designation from the IRS. However they must:
Be run by and for trans people
Center the leadership of trans people and their experiences of intersecting oppression with racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, incarceration, etc.
Be meeting the needs of their local community while seeing themselves as a part of a larger trans-led fight for equity and justice
The Western Mass Transformation Fund is open to applicants in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties in Massachusetts. The Seeding the Movement and Braiding New Worlds Funds are limited to the United States, U.S. territories, Mexico, and Haiti.
Funding Areas
PDF supports projects focused on:
Organizing to Shift Power
Working to Build a Movement
Dismantling Oppression
Creating New Structures
Grant Programs
Seeding the Movement
Seeding the Movement grants are typically $2,500-$7,500. Past grantees have focused on issues such as environmental justice, labor rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s issues.
Braiding New Worlds
Braiding New Worlds grants are typically $3,000-$6,500 for youth-led and youth-focused organizations. Funding recommendations are made by a committee of youth activists.
Western Mass Transformation
Western Mass Transformation grants are typically $500-$3,000 for organizations in Western Massachusetts focused on community organizing and systemic change. Preferential consideration will be given to organizations led by people of color.
Funding Limitations
PDF does not fund:
Organizations with budgets larger than $250,000
Social services, educational programs, or research not linked to a clear organizing strategy
Participants may join the program through one of 50 In-Country Tracks which are conducted in the local language and time zone, a Regional Track in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, or a Global Track conducted in English. Applications are due by December 20, 2024 and the program will start in February 2025.
Eligibility
Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to participate in the Accelerator. To be eligible, they must be:
Engaged with a Global Compact Country Network or willing to join
Willing to identify human rights risks and impacts within their business operations
Committed to developing an Action Plan to address the human rights risks identified
Able to appoint two representatives to attend sessions and participate in events
Able to appoint an executive-level representative to provide support and participate in high-level events
Committed to completing the program and incorporating what they learn into their strategies and operations
Establish an ongoing human rights due diligence process that conforms with international standards
Prepare their organization for evolving human rights due diligence legislation
Report and communicate on their human rights due diligence outcomes, including through the Communication on Progress, the annual public disclosure requirement for all UN Global Compact participants
Connect human rights and the human rights due diligence process with social sustainability initiatives
Grant funds must be administered by an institution of higher education in the United States. At least one principal investigator must be a scholar in the humanities and/or the interpretative social sciences, but they do not have to have a PhD or a faculty position.
Eligible projects must:
Critically engage with the interests and histories of people of color and other historically marginalized communities
Cultivate greater openness to new sources of knowledge and strategic approaches to content building and knowledge dissemination
Engage in capacity building efforts
Be made as widely available as intellectual property constraints allow
Grant Types
Seed Grants
Seed Grants of $10,000 – $25,000 are available for projects in the start-up or prototyping phase. Projects must explore or experiment with new materials, methodologies, and research agendas by way of planning workshops, prototyping, and/or testing products.
Development Grants
Development Grants of $50,000 – $100,000 are available for projects that can demonstrate significant preliminary work and a record of engagement with and impact on scholarly and/or public audiences.
Applications for $500 – $50,000 are due by December 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT.
Eligibility
Seventh Generation grants are open to federally recognized Tribal Nations and 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations who:
Have 80% or more Indigenous Peoples leadership at the Board of Directors or other decision-making entity, an Indigenous Executive Director or Project leaders, and Indigenous Peoples engaged throughout all aspects of the organization.
Are grounded in and led by the Indigenous Peoples who are most impacted by the project.
Nurture and center the culture, language, traditional knowledge systems, and healthy lifeways of the Indigenous Peoples involved in the project.
Community Vitality
Photo by Sami Aksu: https://www.pexels.com/photo/three-men-in-traditional-native-american-clothes-playing-on-side-of-road-10003450/
Community Vitality projects involve cultural revitalization, knowledge sharing, cultural transmission, and intergenerational kinships. Pathways for culturally grounded practices and social justice include:
Traditional wisdom and cultural knowledge
Traditional foodways
Community-based healing
Language revitalization and creative expression
Flicker Fund
The Flicker Fund responds to the critical needs of Indigenous communities vulnerable to the impacts of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Pathways for ensuring Native Peoples thrive include:
Basic and urgent health
Historic and cultural teachings
Traditional healing practices and remedies
Thriving Women
Photo by Dominique BOULAY: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-an-indian-costume-waving-13108293/
Thriving Women supports projects to prevent and address gender oppression, promote matrilineal centered traditional health and coming-of-age ceremonies, and develop the next generation of leaders. Projects focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit (MMIWG2S) are also encouraged.
Pathways for gender and social justice include:
Birthkeeping, motherhood, and kinship
Honoring the rights of Mother Earth
Reclaiming a world without violence against women, girls, and two-spirits
Women and girls’ cultural vitality and leadership
Land, Water, and Climate
Land, Water, and Climate grants support traditional land and water stewardship, advance the right of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, protect sacred spaces, and promote climate change adaptation. Pathways to ecological justice include:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award grants in two tracks – Community-Driven Investments for Change and Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance. There is no cost share requirement for either track. Applications are due by November 21, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligibility
This grant is open to partnership between two community-based non-profit organizations (CBOs) or between a CBO and a:
Federally-Recognized Tribe
Local government
Institution of higher education
Program Objectives
Photo by Matheus Bertelli: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-multiethnic-people-gathering-around-female-speaker-in-studio-3856027/
Providing resources for community-driven projects to address environmental and climate challenges in disadvantaged communities
Investing in strong cross-sectoral collaborations working with and for communities with environmental and climate justice concerns.
Unlocking access to additional federal and non-federal resources to advance environmental and climate justice goals
Empowering communities and strengthening their capacity to drive meaningful positive change
Strengthening community participation in government decision-making processes
Grant Tracks
Track I: Community-Driven Investments for Change
The EPA expects to award approximately 150 Track I grants of $10-20 million each to address specific, community-driven environmental justice issues.
Objectives
Increasing community resilience through climate action activities
Reducing local pollution to improve public health
Centering meaningful community engagement
Building community strength
Reaching priority populations
Maximizing integration across projects
Requirements
Climate Action Strategy
At least one project must focus on at least one of these strategies:
Mobility and Transportation Options for Preventing Air Pollution and Improving Public Health and Climate Resilience
Energy-Efficient, Healthy, and Resilient Housing and Buildings
Microgrid Installation for Community Energy Resilience
Community Resilience Hubs
Brownfield Redevelopment for Emissions Reduction and Climate Resilience
Waste Reduction and Management to Support a Circular Economy
Workforce Development Programs for Occupations that Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Air Pollutants
Pollution Reduction Strategies
At least one project must focus on at least one of these strategies:
Indoor Air Quality and Community Health Improvements
Outdoor Air Quality and Community Health Improvements
Clean Water Infrastructure to Reduce Pollution Exposure and Increase Overall System Resilience
Safe Management and Disposal of Solid and Hazardous Waste
Community Engagement and Collaborative Governance Plan
This plan should address:
Past Community Outreach and Engagement Conducted
Community Engagement Plan Implementation
Collaborative Governance Structure
Community Strength Plan
This plan should address:
Maximizing Economic Benefits of Projects
Displacement Avoidance
Track II: Meaningful Engagement for Equitable Governance
The EPA expects to award approximately 100 Track II grants of $1-3 million each. Projects should facilitate the participation of disadvantaged communities in the development and implementation of environmental justice policies and programs.
Project Examples
Photo by Christina Morillo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-people-talking-to-each-other-in-front-of-brown-wooden-table-1181360/
Educational and Training Programs
Environmental Advisory Boards (EABs)
Collaborative Governance Activities
Participation in Governmental Funding and Budgeting Processes
NDN Collective supports Indigenous communities, organizers, and movements to defend Native rights and protect their natural resources. Their Community Action Fund provides one-time, short-term urgent response funding for direct action.
Applications will be accepted on a continual basis until October 31, 2024 at 5:00 PM CT. The average grant is $15,000 for up to 6 months, but can be as much as $40,000.
Eligibility
Location
This grant is open to applicants from:
The United States
Canada
Mexico
Puerto Rico
American Samoa
Guam
The Northern Mariana Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands
Applicant
Applicants must be:
Indigenous-led non-profit organizations
U.S. based Tribes, tribal non-profit entities, or tribal programs
Alaska Native Villages or their non-profit entities
First Nations or Inuit/Metis communities, groups, and organizations based in Canada
Indigenous communities, groups, and organizations based in Mexico
Individual Indigenous people leading direct action or movement building work
Applicants may work with a fiscal sponsor.
Allowable Activities
Grant funds may be used to engage in non-violent direct action, such as marches, camps, or boycotts. They may also be used for community-based response to climate connected natural disasters such as flooding, fires, and earthquakes.
The Versacare Foundation supports programs that fit with their mission and that of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Priority is give to organizations working in the geographic regions where the Church has a presence.
They provide funding through three grant programs:
Impact Grants are by invitation only. Interested applicants must submit a Concept Note by October 31st to be considered. If invited, the final application will be due by December 31st. Catalyst and Venture Grant applications are also due by the end of the calendar year.
Eligibility
This grant is open to faith-based organizations and other 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations. Priority will be given to organizations located or operating in:
North America
Central America
Caribbean Islands
Colombia
Venezuela
Micronesia
Applicants must also have been in continuous operation for at least two years prior to the application due date.
Grant Programs
Catalyst Grants are intended to give organizations and programs a financial boost when needed. This is also the most appropriate grant for schools.
Venture Grants are for financially stable programs with clearly stated goals and objectives as well as mechanisms for objectively assessing results.
Impact Grants are for creative programs with a proven track record of success and outside partners.
Project Priorities
Photo by Yan Krukau: https://www.pexels.com/photo/children-sitting-on-chairs-in-front-of-table-with-art-materials-8613059/
Versacare is particularly interested in supporting programs that address:
Impact Fund Recoverable Grants assist with out-of-pocket litigation expenses for legal cases with the potential to have a significant impact on social, economic, or environmental justice.
Letters of Inquiry for $10,000 – $50,000 are due by October 8, 2024. If invited to submit, full applications will be due by November 5. Cases that end with a fee or cost recovery will be requried to repay their grant with 7% interest.
Eligibility
Applicant
This grant is open to:
Nonprofit organizations
Solo practitioners
Small law firms
Case
Grants are typically given to class action suits, but cases that will potentially have a significant impact or lead to meaningful law reform may also apply.
Allowable Expenses
Grant funds may be used for:
Discovery-related costs
Filing fees
Expert witness fees
Deposition transcripts
Records fees
Scientific analysis
Court reporter fees
Interpreters
Visual materials
Class notice costs
Mediation fees
Travel costs
Funds may not be used for overhead, staff salaries, or attorney’s fees.
