Deadline: 24 February 2020
A.J. Muste Institute is seeking applications for Social Justice Fund that makes grants for grassroots activist projects in the US and around the world, giving priority to those with small budgets and little access to more mainstream funding sources.
Priorities
The Social Justice Fund’s priority is to support:
- Direct grassroots activism and organizing;
- Groups with diverse, representative and democratic leadership structures;
- Groups that have or can obtain enough economic and in-kind support to carry out their regular work, but need additional support to carry out a project or build capacity.
Funding Efforts
The Muste Institute is especially interested in funding efforts to:
- End the violence of borders and the criminalization of immigrants;
- Abolish the death penalty, shut down the prison industrial complex, redefine criminal justice;
- Confront institutionalized repression against racial, ethnic, gender-based, and LGBTQ communities;
- Support progressive workers movements and the eradication of poverty;
- Dismantle the war machine, end state sponsored terrorism, expose the dangers of nuclear power.
The Muste Institute seek Proposals:
- For projects with expense budgets under $50,000;
- From grassroots organizations with annual income of less than $500,000;
- From groups with limited access to more mainstream funding sources;
- From groups which have not received Social Justice Fund grants in at least two years;
- From groups with or without 501(c)3 status or a fiscal sponsor: the Social Justice Fund only requires a fiscal sponsor if the group receiving the grant does not have its own bank account. If you cannot receive a grant check made out to the name of your organization, you will need a fiscal sponsor. The Muste Institute cannot issue checks to individuals.
What The Muste Institute will not Consider for Grant Proposals?
Although value the work, The Muste Institute do not consider grant proposals for the following:
- Individual efforts or scholarships;
- Schools or universities academic or research projects;
- Organizations with access to government, corporate or mainstream charitable funding;
- Art, theater, film or video projects that are not directly tied to activism or organizing;
- Economic development projects;
- Capital campaigns or expenses;
- Direct social services;
- Legal defense or litigation;
- Lobbying or electoral campaigns;
- Projects geared toward participants personal improvement or business success;
- Conflict resolution or violence reduction projects, unless they directly promote activism;
- Projects that will have already taken place by the time the grant is received;
- Or for an organization’s general operating budget.
How to Apply
- Applications must be submitted electronically via email;
- Use the subject header: SJF APP [deadline-month/year] [your organization’s name];
- You can attach the application and supporting material, such as financial spread sheets, to the email in document or PDF form;
- If your proposal is selected for consideration, you should expect a call or email from one of the Muste Institute grant researchers with any questions they might have. Final decisions can be expected about 10 weeks after the deadline date.
For more information, visit https://ajmuste.org/programs