Five social equity grant opportunities for nonprofit organizations
Although DEI is currently a political hot potato in some sectors, it's also a trending focus in grant funding. Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are important components of corporate grantmaking for foundations across the country.
A 2021 study of more than 50 corporate social responsibility officers found that Increasing numbers of foundations are saying that efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in their funding strategy will be a core part of their missions going forward. And they are backing those statements with their dollars.
“Nearly 75% of companies have committed to intentionally address DEI in their grantmaking” while about 30% of companies have implemented new approaches to put DEI principles into practice within their grantmaking teams and processes,” according to Changing Our World. In addition, 30% of companies have set a measurable goal to increase their giving in alignment with DEI values.
Given this data, it’s clear that approaching a grant application using a DEI lens is essential for painting a picture of the need for a program. After all, diversity, equity and inclusion are the heart of grantwriting – because DEI means providing people with the tools they need to succeed in life and to meet their health, career, financial, educational or life goals. And improving access and opportunity for marginalized populations are much more than talking points.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are the heart of grantwriting – because DEI means providing people with the tools they need to succeed in life and to meet their health, career, financial, educational or life goals.
Here are five foundations that make DEI a core focus of their giving strategy, with detailed descriptions of the social equity grant opportunities they offer. If you consider applying for any of these grants, be sure to read the information page accompanying the application to be sure that your organization aligns with the foundation’s mission. Double check to ensure that you are eligible to apply. If you are uncertain, contact the foundation directly using the email address or phone numbers provided under its listing. There’s nothing worse than spending valuable time on a grant application, only to find that you are not eligible for the grant.
If you get stuck on an application (or just don’t have time to apply), The Grant Muse is here to help.
WITH Foundation
Impact Fund
Clorox Company Foundation
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation
Norman Foundation
1. WITH Foundation
Website link: https://withfoundation.org/grant-guidelines/
Maximum grant amount: $150,000
Application deadline: August 15, 2024. (Next grant cycle closes on November 1, 2024)
Description: This is an “invitation for collaborative proposals that advance disability justice in public health and center the goals, perspectives, and needs of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in communities of color. Programs should prioritize implementation; educational resources; advocacy, power and bridging; or research. A secondary goal of this RFP is to foster new partnerships or significantly enhance existing partnerships between disability organizations, advocates, community organizations, and healthcare providers.”
Areas of support: Health; Diseases, Disorders, Medical Disciplines; Mental Health, Crisis Intervention; Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy
Examples of projects funded:
Combining Research, Engagement, and Art to Enhance – Communication and Health Equity (CREATE-CHA), a program from the Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership for People with Disabilities (PPD), will utilize theater, problem-solving, and self-determination to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain control over their healthcare experiences. Award amount: $410,000
Empowering Access: Supported Decision-Making for Medicaid Recipients. This initiative of The National Disability Rights Network, in collaboration with the Protection and Agency Network, will disseminate information to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, healthcare stakeholders, legal advocates, and peer supporters to address recent Medicaid disenrollments and eligibility. Using the supported decision-making framework, Empowering Access will assist those who recently lost or are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage. Award amount: $510,000
Inclusive Approaches to Effective Healthcare and Mental Healthcare for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a project of The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, Durham. This initiative aims to develop and implement a strategic partnership between the I/DD-MH (Intellectual and Developmental Disability – Mental Health) research team and the New Hampshire Leadership Series team to expand national capacity and dissemination of health and mental healthcare information for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and treatment providers. Award amount: $385,000
Eligibility: Section 501(c)(3) public charities – healthcare, community, and disability organizations that are based and operate in the United States.
2. Impact Fund
Website link: https://www.impactfund.org/legal-grants/application-requirements/
Maximum grant amount: $25,000
Application deadline: October 8, 2024 (letters of inquiry); November 5 (grant applications)
Description: “The Impact Fund provides grants to nonprofit legal firms, private attorneys, and/or small law firms working to advance social justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, and poverty law. The fund provides support for public interest litigation that has the potential to benefit a large number of people, lead to significant law reform, and raise public consciousness of social justice issues. The fund is particularly interested in projects that address systemic deprivations of constitutional or statutory rights in post 9/11 cases involving denial of rights under the guise of ‘Homeland Security’; criminal justice and immigration; and education access and equity.”
Areas of support: Crime, Legal Related; Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy
Eligibility: Private attorneys, small legal firms, and nonprofit legal entities that do not have sufficient access to funding sources.
Geographic focus: Nationwide (U.S.)
Examples of projects funded:
A Better Childhood, Inc. Jonathan R. v. Jim Justice. Class action lawsuit against West Virginia’s Governor and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHR) and several DHHR executives for violations of foster children’s constitutional and statutory rights. Award: $36,250
Alternativas y Procesos de Participación Social, Class Action Lawsuit Against the Planting of GM Corn. Collective action filed by a citizens' coalition against four major multinational corporations and two government agencies seeking the permanent prohibition of genetically modified corn cultivation in Mexico due to probable impacts on biodiversity and human rights. Award: $25,000
Fair Work Center, Jocylin Bolina et al. v. Assurecare Adult Home, LLC et al. Multi-plaintiff case to end the unconstitutional exclusion of live-in caregivers from basic wage-and-hour protections under Washington law. Award: $40,000
3. Clorox Company Foundation
Website: https://www.thecloroxcompany.com
Application information link: https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/responsibility/foundation/apply-for-grant/
Maximum grant amount: Not specified
Application deadline: Not specified
Description: “The Clorox Company Foundation’s grantmaking activities focus on strategically funding organizations whose programs support our signature theme of health security. Our definition of health security includes:
Community Wellness.
a. Racial justice
Organizations that are working at the community-level to address social determinants of health and racial justice issues.
Youth development/education:
Programs that increase equity of opportunity, access, and outcomes to create lasting social impact.
Sustainability:
Organizations that address the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: Our grants will center around goals 11–15, with a focus on solving environmental issues that disproportionately impact urban areas and communities of color.
Disease Prevention:
Organizations that educate and/or provide supplies to people regarding preventing the spread of germs/disease in a post-pandemic life.
Disaster Relief and Preparedness:
Organizations that focus on emergency preparedness, response and recovery on a national and local level.”
Areas of support: Youth Development, Youth Programs; Education; Medical Research; Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification; Health; Diseases, Disorders, Medical Disciplines; Mental Health, Crisis Intervention; International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security; Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy
Eligibility: “501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit agency or be sponsored by a qualified fiscal agent. In addition, the proposal must meet the foundation’s geographic scope and address one of the focus areas listed above.
“The Clorox Company Foundation has an invitation-only application process and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Invitations will be sent to organizations that we have identified that align with our company values and funding priorities.
“See the Foundation’s Grant Applications web page for instructions if your organization did not receive an invitation and you would like to be considered.”
Geographic focus: California (Alameda County), nationwide
Examples of projects funded:
A $10,000 grant to Children Rising, a nonprofit that provides programming for children in Oakland’s underresourced neighborhood schools, to support their one-on-one interventional literacy and math tutoring programs.
A $1million grant to the Cleveland Clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore research, advance training and education, and launch healthcare innovations.
4. Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation
Application information link: https://www.drkfoundation.org/apply-for-funding/
Maximum grant amount: $300,000
Application deadline: Open application process. Applications accepted year round.
Description:
“DRK Funds:
Organizations addressing a critical social or environmental issue as the focus of their work.
Founders who intend to expand their impact significantly over time.
Fiscally sponsored organizations in select cases where there is a plan to spin out (in our experience, independence creates stronger enabling conditions for growth).
Post-pilot, pre-scale organizations. This typically means:
—Your program, product or service is already in the market or in the field.
—You have early indication that your model is having its intended impact.
—Your organization is 3-5 years old (this is not a rule, but a guidepost).Organizations with one or more founders who are full-time or intend to be.
We value diversity of people proximate to the problem at hand and a commitment to foster justice, equity, inclusion, and belonging practices.”
Areas of support: Arts and culture, civic engagement, economic empowerment, education, food and agriculture, health, social justice, sustainability, systemic poverty
Eligibility: “Independent nonprofit and impact first, mission-driven for-profit entities, including US 501(c)3 and its non-US equivalents, C corporations, B corporations, and hybrid organizations.”
Geographic focus: Africa, Europe, India, Latin America, and the United States.
Examples of projects funded:
A grant to the Arts for Healing Justice Network, a collaborative network of arts education organizations serving youth impacted by the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles County. Award: not available
A grant to the Essie Justice Group, a nonprofit which works with incarcerated women to reduce isolation, increase wellness, and facilitate personal and community transformation. Award: not available
A grant to Driver’s Seat, a driver-owned cooperative that empowers ride-hail drivers and on-demand delivery workers to use shared data ownership to make the gig economy work better for themselves and the communities they serve. Award: not available
5. Norman Foundation
Application information link: https://normanfdn.org/applying-for-a-grant-1
Maximum grant amount: $20,000
Application deadline: None. Letters of inquiry only.
Description:
The Norman Foundation “supports efforts that strengthen the ability of communities to determine their own economic, environmental and social well-being, and that help people control those forces that affect their lives. These efforts may:
Promote economic justice and development through community organizing, coalition building and policy reform efforts;
Work to prevent the disposal of toxics in communities, and to link environmental issues with economic and social justice;
Link community-based economic and environmental justice organizing to national and international reform efforts.”
Areas of support: Environmental quality, protection, and beautification; civil rights, social action, and advocacy; community improvement, capacity building
Eligibility: Priority is given to organizations with annual budgets of under $1 million.
Geographic focus: Nationwide.
Examples of projects funded:
Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, Pittsburgh, PA. Support of an innovative organizing model that trains workers and volunteers to organize for improved wages and working conditions. Award: $25,000
Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend, Corpus Christi, TX. Support of Indigenous-led efforts to preserve Native culture and prevent expansion of fossil fuel industry. Award: $25,000
Center for Third World Organizing,Oakland, CA. Renewed support for training programs to expand and strengthen organizing in communities of color. Award: $25,000
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