Deadline: 15-Apr-21
North Star Fund’s Let Us Breathe Fund supports Black-led organizations building collective power through grassroots organizing in New York City and the Hudson Valley.
Grassroots organizing seeks not only the transformation of individual lives, but the undoing of systemic racism, including specific laws and institutional policies that create inequities.
The Fund seeks to address the philanthropic sector’s historic disinvestment in Black communities and Black-led efforts for social change. To do so, the Fund mobilizes resources from individuals and foundations to provide renewable, general operating support grants.
Funding Information
- Most of their 2019 grants were $10,000. Some were $15,000.
- There is no need to apply for a specific amount when you submit your application.
Eligibility Criteria
- They Fund Organizing: North Star Fund provides grants to organizations in NYC and Hudson Valley whose missions are to advance grassroots organizing—the process of building collective power so that communities impacted by injustice can make systemic change. Grantees can articulate the root causes of the injustices, pointing to systems and policies affecting their community. These organizations see community members impacted by this injustice as essential stakeholders, from whom they recruit leaders and seek stories, ideas, campaign strategy, and organizational direction.
- They Fund both New and Established Groups: These grants are intended for both new and emerging organizations as well as established movement builders with a track record of success. New and emerging organizations are not expected to meet all of the community organizing criteria, but some priorities include:
- Mass mobilizations efforts and other activities that shift public opinion and change political conditions.
- Founders and key leaders come from the impacted community.
- New members can join and take part in leading the organization’s efforts.
- Founders and leaders can identify and articulate the root causes of injustice that they seek to address.
- They Fund Small Organizations: North Star Fund grants support small organizations which typically lack access to support from national foundations. Organizational budgets range from $0 to a maximum of $800,000.
In addition to the general eligibility criteria above, the Let Us Breathe Fund prioritizes support for Black-led organizations in New York City and the Hudson Valley, meaning:
- the composition of staff, board, or volunteer leaders reflect the community being organized; and
- the organization has a collective leadership model where staff, board, volunteer or member-leaders share decision-making and stewardship.
For more information, visit https://northstarfund.org/apply/let-us-breathe-fund-grants/