Deadline: 02-Jun-2026
The Mobilize Power Fund provides rapid-response grants for gender justice organizations in the United States and U.S. territories to quickly adapt to urgent, unforeseen challenges or opportunities. It supports short-term mobilizations, emergency needs, mutual aid, legal support, healing justice, and other time-sensitive organizing efforts. Grants provide up to $10,000 for individual organizations and up to $20,000 for coalitions.
Mobilize Power Fund Overview
The Mobilize Power Fund is a rapid-response grant program designed to support gender justice organizations facing urgent and unexpected disruptions or opportunities. It helps organizations adjust or pivot their work quickly in response to changing conditions affecting their organizing environments. The fund prioritizes immediate action over long-term planning and is focused on strengthening community-rooted gender justice work.
Purpose of the Fund
The fund exists to support gender justice organizations that are responding to sudden, time-sensitive events within the last six months. It strengthens groups that are accountable to communities impacted by gender oppression. The funding is intended to enable rapid adaptation, emergency response, and strategic mobilization when immediate action is required.
Priority Areas of Support
The Mobilize Power Fund prioritizes a wide range of urgent and high-impact activities, including:
- Rapid response mobilizations and direct actions
- Healing justice initiatives and community care work
- Conflict resolution and transformation processes
- Community accountability efforts
- Mutual aid programs and emergency support
- Emergency safety, security, and defense needs
- Participatory Action Research (PAR)
- Legal support and bail assistance
- Marches, rallies, and public demonstrations
- Leadership development and skills training
- Responses to urgent legislative or ballot initiatives
Funding Amount
Individual organizations can receive up to $10,000 in funding. Coalitions or collaborations involving two or more groups can request up to $20,000. Funding is strictly intended for short-term, urgent needs rather than long-term programming or ongoing operational gaps.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible applicants must be gender justice organizations based in the United States or U.S. territories. Eligible territories include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Organizations must be rooted in and accountable to communities impacted by gender oppression. Individuals, non-community-based service models, and groups outside eligible regions are not eligible.
Geographic Eligibility
The fund is limited to organizations operating within the United States and its territories. Applications from outside these regions are not eligible for consideration. Priority is given to groups directly embedded in local communities affected by gender-based inequities.
Types of Projects Supported
The fund supports unanticipated and urgent activities such as emergency organizing campaigns, legal and bail assistance, crisis response efforts, rapid mobilizations, and sudden legislative or political developments. It also supports healing-centered and community accountability work that must be implemented quickly due to evolving conditions.
Application Methods
Applications can be submitted in multiple formats to increase accessibility, including written applications, video submissions, and phone-based applications. This flexible approach ensures that a wide range of organizations can apply based on their capacity and communication preferences.
How the Fund Works
Organizations apply when an urgent or unforeseen opportunity or challenge arises. Applications must demonstrate why the situation requires immediate action and how the funding will support rapid response efforts. The fund reviews applications based on urgency, community impact, and alignment with gender justice priorities. Funding is intended for needs that emerged within the last six months.
Key Restrictions
The fund does not support planned or ongoing programming that lacks urgency. It does not fund long-term initiatives, general operating shortfalls, or preplanned projects extending beyond six months. The focus is strictly on rapid-response and time-sensitive organizing.
Why the Fund Matters
The Mobilize Power Fund strengthens the ability of gender justice organizations to respond quickly to crises and emerging opportunities. It supports community-led responses to gender oppression and ensures that urgent needs do not go unfunded due to traditional grant timelines. The program helps sustain momentum during critical political, social, or community developments.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants often submit proposals that are too long-term or not clearly tied to urgency. Some fail to demonstrate how the situation is recent or time-sensitive (within six months). Others apply without clearly explaining community accountability or geographic eligibility. Applications that resemble standard operating funding rather than rapid response needs may be rejected.
Tips for a Strong Application
Applicants should clearly explain the urgent or unforeseen nature of the situation. They should directly connect the request to immediate community impact and gender justice outcomes. The proposal should be concise, time-bound, and focused on rapid response. Choosing the appropriate application format (written, video, or phone) can also improve accessibility and clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Mobilize Power Fund?
It is a rapid-response grant program supporting gender justice organizations in the U.S. and territories responding to urgent and unforeseen challenges or opportunities. - Who can apply?
Gender justice organizations based in the United States or eligible U.S. territories that are rooted in and accountable to impacted communities. - How much funding is available?
Up to $10,000 for individual organizations and up to $20,000 for coalitions of two or more groups. - What types of work are prioritized?
Rapid mobilizations, mutual aid, healing justice, legal support, emergency safety needs, leadership training, and urgent legislative responses. - Can planned projects be funded?
No. The fund only supports urgent, unforeseen, and time-sensitive activities within the last six months. - How do you apply?
Applications can be submitted via written form, video submission, or phone-based processes. - Are individuals eligible?
No. Only eligible gender justice organizations within the U.S. and its territories can apply.
Conclusion
The Mobilize Power Fund provides essential rapid-response funding for gender justice organizations facing urgent and unforeseen challenges. It enables immediate action in moments of crisis or opportunity, supporting community-led responses across the United States and its territories. By prioritizing speed, accessibility, and impact, the fund strengthens organizing efforts when timely support is most critical.
For more information, visit Third Wave Fund.
