Race and Ethnicity
Racism, racial and ethnic discrimination, anti-racist practice, and racial equity policy.
140 opportunities · 67 traditional · 73 nontraditional
Traditional (67)
- Minority Fellowship ProgramFellowshipCouncil on Social Work EducationDoctoral and master's fellowships for social workers from under-represented groups preparing to deliver or research behavioural health services for under-served populations.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Mar, Apr
- Research grants and the Graduate Research FellowshipFederal grantNational Institute of JusticeThe research arm of the Department of Justice: policing, courts, corrections, reentry, victimisation — plus a dedicated fellowship for doctoral students working on justice questions.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Mar, Apr, May
- Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG)Dissertation awardNational Science FoundationImproves dissertation research beyond what a department can fund: fieldwork, data collection, participant payments, specialised analysis. Runs through individual SBE programmes rather than as one competition.up to $50k · Varies by programme
- Sociology ProgramFederal grantNational Science FoundationBasic research on social organisation, institutions, stratification and social processes. The NSF home most compatible with structural social work questions that are not framed as health research.$100k–$500k · Rolling / open
- Grants and open callsFoundation grantOpen Society FoundationsRights-based funding across justice, migration, health and democratic practice in many countries, including research done with movements rather than only about them.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Research grants and visiting scholarsFoundation grantRussell Sage FoundationSocial science on inequality, mobility, race and ethnicity, immigration, and the future of work — plus a residential visiting scholar year that is one of the few funded writing years in the social sciences.up to $200k · Several times a year · Jan, May, Aug
- Active funding opportunitiesFoundation grantRobert Wood Johnson FoundationA rotating portfolio built around health equity and the structural conditions that produce it, including Evidence for Action and Policies for Action, which fund research on policy levers outside the health sector.$100k–$1.5M · Periodic calls
- Academic research grantsFoundation grantWashington Center for Equitable GrowthResearch on whether and how economic inequality affects growth and stability, covering labour markets, care work, wage-setting and the macroeconomics of family policy.up to $100k · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb
- Research Grants on Reducing Inequality and on Improving the Use of Research EvidenceFoundation grantWilliam T. Grant FoundationTwo standing programmes: studies that build knowledge on reducing inequality in youth outcomes, and studies of how research evidence actually gets used by the systems that serve young people.$100k–$1M · Several times a year · Jan, May, Aug
- Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) — PAR-25-369Federal grantNational Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), NIHThe exploratory tier of NHGRI's three-part ELSI suite, sized between the R03 and the R01. It supports investigation of novel ideas, new model systems, tools or methods for studying how genomics affects individuals, families, communities and society — the place to take a risk that would not survive R01 review for lack of preliminary data. For social work, that includes building measures and instruments for community-level attitudes toward genomic research, testing new participatory or deliberative designs with populations that have historical reason to distrust biomedical research, and developiup to $275k · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- First Book GrantEarly-career awardLouisville InstituteSupports pre-tenured faculty who have faced significant adversity in their professional lives to complete a first scholarly book focused on minoritized Christian communities in North America. Relevant to social work faculty writing on race, religion and community wellbeing. Attendance at a January 2028 Winter Seminar is mandatory.up to $55k · Annual cycle · Jan
- NIJ FY 2026 State and Local Collection and Reporting of Crime DataFederal grantNational Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of JusticeSupports rigorous research on the accuracy of crime data collection and reporting across state and local jurisdictions, including documented inaccuracies in offender race and ethnicity data, with the goal of scalable best practices for data quality and governance.up to $2M · Periodic calls · Jun, Jul, Aug
- Syringe Service Program GrantsFoundation grantComer Family FoundationSmall general operating grants, including money for harm reduction supplies, to syringe services and community harm reduction programs. Organizations led by people who use drugs are listed as the foundation's first funding priority.$3k–$20k · Several times a year · May, Nov
- Ford-LASA Special Projects GrantsFoundation grantLatin American Studies AssociationGrants for transregional research initiatives, conferences, working groups, and curriculum or teaching resource development in Latin American and Latino studies. Proposals are limited to five single-spaced pages.up to $13k · Periodic calls · Sep
- Racial Diversity UK FundFoundation grantNuffield FoundationResearch funding on barriers and pathways to a racially just and inclusive UK society; the 2026 priority theme is inter-generational change in a racially diverse UK.$19k–$635k · Annual cycle · Oct
- Core Research Grants — Social, Political, and Economic InequalityFoundation grantRussell Sage FoundationSupports social science research on the causes and consequences of rising economic inequality, including work on poverty, wages, safety-net policy and political and social stratification in the United States.$50k–$200k · Several times a year · Mar, Jul, Oct
- Delta States Rural Development Network ProgramFederal grantHealth Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Federal Office of Rural Health PolicyFunds the planning, development and implementation of integrated rural health care networks across the eight Mississippi Delta Region states, to expand access, coordinate care, improve quality and health outcomes, and strengthen the rural health system. Network partners typically include community-based organisations.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Aug
- Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) Research (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) — PAR-25-371Federal grantNational Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), NIHNHGRI's flagship R01 for research on the ethical, legal and social implications of human genetic and genomic research. The NOFO explicitly welcomes single or mixed methods — empirical qualitative and quantitative work, plus conceptual, legal and normative analysis — and treats applied research that addresses real-world ELSI problems as responsive. That opens it to social work researchers studying how genomic information moves through families, child welfare and adoption systems, clinical care, insurance, employment, policing and immigration enforcement, and how communities weigh participation Amount not published · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Grant Opportunities (Housing Stability, Nonprofit Sector Sustainability, Arts, Neighborhood Fund)Foundation grantCommunity Foundation for Greater AtlantaA rolling roster of competitive funds for metro Atlanta nonprofits, including a Housing Stability Grant for homelessness, eviction prevention and housing policy/advocacy work, plus general operating, arts, and place-based neighborhood funds.Amount not published · Several times a year · Feb, Apr, Jun, Jul, Aug
- Core Research Grants (Social, Political, and Economic Inequality)Foundation grantRussell Sage FoundationTwo-stage letter-of-inquiry then invited-proposal competition for social science research. Housing affordability and housing instability are fundable within the Social, Political, and Economic Inequality priority rather than as a standalone housing programme.Amount not published · Several times a year · Mar, Jul, Oct
- Interventions to Expand Cancer Screening and Preventive Services to ADVANCE Health in Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01, Clinical Trial Required)Federal grantNIH Office of Disease Prevention with NIMHD, NCI, NIDCR and ORWHR01 for clinical trials testing interventions that address barriers to uptake of cancer screening and preventive services among populations experiencing health disparities. NIMHD is a participating Institute.Amount not published · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- CHCI Public Policy Fellowship and Postgraduate FellowshipFellowshipCongressional Hispanic Caucus InstituteTwo nine-month paid fellowships placing Latino graduates in public policy work in Washington. These fund training and policy experience rather than a research project, and suit social workers moving toward policy analysis.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Dec
- Racial Diversity UK FundFoundation grantNuffield FoundationResearch grants on racial inequalities, discrimination and disadvantage in the UK. The 2026 round's priority theme is inter-generational change in a racially diverse UK, covering identity, civic participation and life chances.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Oct
- Risk and Protective Factors of Family Health and Family Level Interventions (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)Federal grantNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (with NINR, NCI, NIAAA, THRO)Funds basic, clinical, social and behavioural research on family health, well-being and resilience in populations experiencing health disparities, including family-level interventions. NINR and NCI both participate.Not a cash award · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Advancing Healthcare for Older Adults from Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)Federal grantNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (with NIA, NINR, NCI)Supports multi-level healthcare research for adults 65+ in health disparity populations: screening and clinical care guidelines in primary care, shared decision-making with patients and caregivers, and care coordination strategies.Not a cash award · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Excellence in Research (HBCU-EiR)Federal grantU.S. National Science FoundationNSF programme funding research projects at public and private HBCUs, aligned to NSF's regular research programmes, to build institutional research capacity at institutions less successful in NSF's larger open competitions.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Oct
- Program Grants and Requests for ProposalsFoundation grantConnecticut Health FoundationThe Connecticut Health Foundation is the state's largest independent health philanthropy, created in 1999 from ConnectiCare's conversion to for-profit status, and works entirely on health equity in Connecticut. It funds policy and practice change with systems-level potential, and its grantmaking explicitly covers policy advocacy, research and evaluation rather than service delivery alone. Program grants run $25,000 to $150,000 on a quarterly concept-paper cycle, with smaller discretionary grants available on a rolling basis and periodic RFPs in the $25,000 to $50,000 band.$25k–$150k · Several times a year · Feb, May, Aug, Nov
- APF Visionary GrantsPilot / seed fundingAmerican Psychological FoundationTen grants of up to $20,000 for research, education or intervention projects on social problems: serving at-risk populations, violence prevention, behavior-health connections, stigma and prejudice reduction, and racial equity. Preference for pilot projects likely to attract later federal or foundation funding.up to $20k · Annual cycle
- Criminal Justice and Youth Justice grants (General Support, Program/Project Support, Special Opportunities)Foundation grantPublic Welfare FoundationGrants for structural criminal and youth justice reform, community-centred approaches to reducing harm and violence, leadership by people with lived system experience, and narrative and transparency work. General operating and project support, including research and evaluation components of reform work.$120k–$400k · Periodic calls · Sep, Oct, Nov
- Texas Resource Center on Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) Pilot ProgramPilot / seed fundingTexas RCMAR — University of Texas Medical Branch, UT San Antonio and UT Austin consortium (NIA-funded)A one-year mentored pilot award for behavioral and social science research on health and aging in under-represented populations, with particular emphasis on Hispanic communities in the U.S. and Latin America. Scholars get structured career development alongside the money — proposal development, IRB, data collection, presentations, publications — explicitly aimed at positioning them for a K01 or R01. The three-university consortium structure means the award is not confined to a single campus.up to $40k · Annual cycle · Mar
- William T. Grant Scholars ProgramEarly-career awardWilliam T. Grant FoundationFive-year career development award funding a research and mentoring plan that expands an early-career researcher's expertise into new disciplines or methods. Two focus areas: reducing inequality in youth outcomes (ages 5-25), and improving the use of research evidence by decision-makers.$425k · Annual cycle
- Wayne F. Placek GrantsFoundation grantAmerican Psychological FoundationTwo grants of up to $15,000 each per year for research increasing public understanding of sexual orientation, including heterosexual attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ people, family and workplace issues, underrepresented LGBTQIA+ populations, and issues affecting Black LGBTQIA+ communities.up to $15k · Annual cycle
- Causal Research on the Criminal Justice System (CRCJ) Early Career AwardsEarly-career awardRussell Sage FoundationSupports early-career scholars using causal designs to study police, courts, jails, prisons, probation and parole, and immigration detention, including sentencing policy, post-prison outcomes, bias and disparities. Co-funded with Arnold Ventures.up to $100k · Annual cycle · Apr
- Racial Equity Research GrantsFoundation grantSpencer FoundationFunds education research projects that examine or address racial inequality in education, with stated interest in youth and educator mental health, workforce development, and quantitative methods for studying equity.up to $75k · Annual cycle
- Indigenous Knowledge ProgramFoundation grantHenry Luce FoundationGrants to Indigenous knowledge keepers, leaders and organizations advancing community-based, culturally informed Indigenous knowledge systems in US Native communities. The foundation accepts unsolicited inquiries through its online grant portal.$100k–$400k · Rolling / open
- Distinguished Scholar AwardsFellowshipHarry Frank Guggenheim FoundationIndividual research awards for work on the causes, manifestations and control of violence, including crime, punishment, family violence, and racial or ethnic conflict. Awards go to the individual scholar rather than the institution.$15k–$75k per year · Annual cycle · Jul, Sep
- Minority Dissertation Fellowship in Education ResearchDissertation awardAmerican Educational Research AssociationOne-year dissertation fellowship for advanced doctoral students from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in higher education whose research addresses education topics, with mentoring workshops and an AERA Annual Meeting presentation.up to $25k · Annual cycle · Nov
- Racial/Ethnic Minority Graduate FellowshipFellowshipSociety for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP)Two annual fellowships of $15,000 each supporting advanced doctoral students' living costs and dissertation research costs, for dissertations examining any aspect of inequality, injustice and oppression.$15k stipend · Annual cycle · Feb
- Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration (Core Research Grants)Foundation grantRussell Sage FoundationInvestigator-initiated social science research on how race, ethnicity, nativity and legal status — and their interactions — shape social, economic and political outcomes, including for immigrant-origin and US-born minority populations.up to $200k · Several times a year · Jul, Oct
- Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH), CDC-RFA-DP-23-0014Federal grantCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and ObesityFive-year awards to 50 organisations in 32 states and DC to run community-based participatory chronic disease prevention work with racial and ethnic populations carrying the highest disease burden. Runs 2023-2028.$522k–$680k per year · Periodic calls
- Health Policy Research ScholarsFederal fellowshipRobert Wood Johnson FoundationA national leadership and funding program for full-time doctoral students from historically marginalised backgrounds, in any research discipline, who want to apply their research to health equity and health policy.up to $30k per year · Annual cycle
- Russell Sage Foundation Visiting Scholars ProgramFellowshipRussell Sage FoundationA residential year at the Foundation's New York headquarters for scholars doing data analysis and writing on RSF priority areas. Provides salary replacement, office space, computing and subsidised housing.up to $150k per year · Annual cycle · Jun
- Wayne F. Placek GrantFoundation grantAmerican Psychological FoundationFunds research that increases public understanding of sexual orientation and reduces stress experienced by LGBTQIA+ people, including family, workplace, and Black LGBTQIA+ community topics. Two grants per year.$15k · Annual cycle
- Melville Charitable Trust grantmakingFoundation grantMelville Charitable TrustA foundation devoted entirely to ending homelessness, funding systems and policy change, narrative change, and work on the racial wealth gap. Grantees include national policy, fair housing and research-and-advocacy intermediaries.$50k–$1.6M · By invitation
- APF Visionary GrantsPilot / seed fundingAmerican Psychological FoundationSeed grants for research, education and intervention projects applying psychology to social problems. Named priority areas include advancing racial equity and eliminating stigma and prejudice based on race.up to $20k · Annual cycle
- Emerging Scholar Awards (dissertation fellowship)Dissertation awardHarry Frank Guggenheim FoundationOne-year dissertation writing fellowship for doctoral candidates whose research addresses the causes, manifestations and control of violence and aggression, including crime, punishment and family violence.$25k · Annual cycle · Feb, Mar
- Chang-Lin Tien Leadership in Education AwardPrize or challengeAsian Pacific FundAnnual award recognising an AANHPI academic leader at a US four-year college or university; the honoree directs a $10,000 grant to establish a Chang-Lin Tien Scholarship Fund for AANHPI students at their institution.$10k · Annual cycle · Jan
- APCF Operating GrantFoundation grantAsian Pacific Community FundGeneral operating support for nonprofits serving low-income or underserved Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, awarded annually at $5,000 to $15,000.$5k–$15k · Annual cycle
- Maternal Health Research Collaborative for Minority-Serving Institutions (MH-RC-MSI) Research CentersTraining & capacityHealth Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal & Child Health BureauBuilds the capacity of minority-serving institutions to conduct quantitative and qualitative research on the root causes of disparities in maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity, and to develop community-based solutions. Recipients must engage communities throughout, train early-career researchers, publish, and submit at least one external grant proposal for sustainability.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Jun
- National MS Society Research GrantsFoundation grantNational Multiple Sclerosis SocietyAnnual investigator-initiated grant program tied to the Society's Pathways to MS Cures Roadmap. The page states the Society supports fundamental as well as applied studies, nonclinical or clinical, explicitly including projects in patient management, care and rehabilitation, and values proposals focused on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Oct, Nov
- Community Health Grants, Mid-Atlantic StatesFoundation grantKaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic StatesSeasonal community health grant rounds across Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., funding health equity, affordable care access, socioeconomic opportunity, and healthy policies and environments for populations experiencing disparities. The Mid-Atlantic team explicitly welcomes new and grassroots organizations into its invited pool, which is the practical entry point for a community-partnered research team.Amount not published · Several times a year
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral ScholarshipDissertation awardPierre Elliott Trudeau FoundationA three-year doctoral scholarship for humanities and social sciences students, pairing substantial stipend support with a separate annual research and travel allowance and a structured leadership and mentorship program. Research must connect to one of the Foundation's founding themes, which centre on public engagement and pressing social questions, making it a strong fit for social work doctoral work on inequality, rights or community wellbeing. Roughly fifteen scholars are selected each cycle.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Nov
- USC AD/ADRD RCMAR Scientist Pilot AwardsPilot / seed fundingUSC Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (NIA-funded, USC Schaeffer Center)Selects three RCMAR Scientists a year for one-year pilot projects on cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, framed around the health and economic wellbeing of minority elder populations. The centre states plainly that it encourages non-USC applicants, so an early-career social work researcher elsewhere can hold a pilot plus the mentoring structure that goes with it.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Templeton Religion Trust GrantsFoundation grantTempleton Religion TrustFunds work across Covenantal Pluralism, the Program in the Study of Mysticism, the Social Consequences of Religion, and Art, Science and Futures of Religion. The Social Consequences of Religion strand asks whether religions are good or bad for society — directly relevant to social work research on religion, cohesion and wellbeing. Listed here so researchers know the route exists and how it actually works.Not a cash award · By invitation
- Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Research GrantsFederal grantU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and DevelopmentEPA's main competitive peer-reviewed extramural research programme, funding environmental and public-health research including community exposure, air and water quality, and toxic substances. Solicitations are issued topic by topic rather than on a standing cycle.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Sustainable Environments ProgramFoundation grantSurdna FoundationSupports communities of color and low-wealth communities in shaping infrastructure and land use investments and designing policy solutions, through environmental and climate justice and community control of land. Grants are made by invitation only.Amount not published · By invitation
- Gender, Race & Power ProgramFoundation grantHispanics in PhilanthropyLong-term flexible funding plus capacity building and learning resources for grassroots racial- and gender-justice organisations across the Americas, using an intersectional and transnational lens.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Líderes FellowshipFellowshipHispanics in PhilanthropyCohort leadership fellowship for mid-career Latine professionals working in philanthropy and nonprofits, focused on equity practice, peer networking and reflective practice through a racial-equity lens.Not a cash award · Annual cycle · Mar, Jun
- The Role of Work in Health Disparities in the U.S. (R01 Clinical Trials Optional)Federal grantNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), NIHNIMHD-led R01 for population-based research on how work and occupation shape health outcomes in populations experiencing health disparities, treating work as both a risk source and an economic/social resource.Amount not published · Several times a year · Feb, Jun, Oct
- Adoption Opportunities Discretionary GrantsFederal grantHHS Administration for Children and Families, Children's BureauDiscretionary funds for projects removing barriers to adoption for children in foster care, including post-adoption services, kinship and pre-adoptive placement support, recruitment of families for older and minority children, and research on adoption outcomes.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- National Centers of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention (Youth Violence Prevention Centers, YVPC)Training & capacityCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Violence PreventionCenter awards to academic institutions partnering with high-violence communities to build surveillance, strengthen community capacity and rigorously evaluate community-level youth violence prevention strategies. Five centers hold the 2021-2026 awards.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Apr
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant applications (letter of inquiry)Foundation grantW.K. Kellogg FoundationOpen, deadline-free letter-of-inquiry process funding work on racial equity, maternal and infant health care access, early care and education, food security, and family economic security.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- New York Health Foundation grantmaking (priority areas and Special Projects Fund)Foundation grantNew York Health FoundationGrants and commissioned policy analyses in three priority areas plus a Special Projects Fund, with an explicit focus on people of color and others historically marginalized in New York State.Amount not published · Periodic calls · Nov
- Grantmaking for Native, rural and priority communitiesFoundation grantNorthwest Area FoundationSupports organizations advancing racial, social and economic justice, with stated priority for Native Americans, people of colour, immigrants, refugees and people in rural areas across the foundation's region.Amount not published · By invitation
- From Insight to Action: Health Equity Research That Meets This Moment (Health Equity Research for Action)Foundation grantRobert Wood Johnson FoundationFunding for community-rooted, action-oriented health equity research addressing root causes of structural discrimination and countering health-harming misinformation, co-led with a community-based organization.up to $500k · Periodic calls
- Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D)FellowshipAlzheimer's AssociationPostdoctoral fellowship for scientists from underrepresented groups in Alzheimer's and dementia research, including social-behavioral research, with mentored training before a first faculty post.up to $200k · Annual cycle · Feb, May
- Alzheimer's Association Research Grant to Promote Diversity (AARG-D)Early-career awardAlzheimer's AssociationGrant to increase scientists from underrepresented groups in Alzheimer's and dementia research, including social and behavioral research and health disparities, supporting pilot data and early independent work.up to $200k · Annual cycle · Feb, May
Nontraditional (73)
- Grants for AAPI civic engagement and community powerParticipatory grantmakingAAPI Civic Engagement FundSupports Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander organisations building civic participation and community power, including the community surveys and listening work behind it.$20k–$200k · By invitation
- Pooled and participatory fundsParticipatory grantmakingBorealis PhilanthropyA set of pooled funds — including Black-led movement, disability inclusion and racial equity funds — where movement leaders help decide the grants, and where research is funded as a movement tool.$25k–$300k · By invitation
- Grantmaking to organisations of persons with disabilitiesParticipatory grantmakingDisability Rights FundParticipatory grantmaking where disabled people sit on the panel that decides awards, funding disabled-led organisations in the global South to do their own research and advocacy.$5k–$60k · Periodic calls
- Reproductive justice grantmakingParticipatory grantmakingGroundswell FundFunds reproductive justice organising led by women of colour, transgender and gender-expansive people, including the community-based research those organisations use to make their case.$10k–$150k · By invitation
- Grants on migration and belongingFoundation grantUnbound PhilanthropyFunds immigrant and refugee organisations and the narrative, legal and research work that supports them, in the United States and the United Kingdom.$50k–$500k · By invitation
- Giving Project GrantsParticipatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeUnrestricted general operating support decided entirely by a volunteer Giving Project cohort that also raises the money through one-on-one community conversations. Grants go to BIPOC-led Minnesota groups that use community organizing to address root causes of injustice; the 2026-27 cycle is themed on youth organizing (ages 0-24). General operating dollars can underwrite participatory evaluation, documentation and research partnerships when the grantee chooses to use them that way.$50k · Annual cycle · Jul, Aug
- Direct Action Visionary GrantsFoundation grantAmerican Psychological FoundationGrants of up to $60,000 for community interventions delivering an evidence-based psychological intervention or resource in real-world settings, aligned to priorities including serving marginalized communities, ending prejudice and stigma, and preventing violence.up to $60k · Several times a year · Jan, Mar, Apr, Jul, Sep, Oct
- General BKO Funding (Community Advisory Council review)Participatory grantmakingBrooklyn Org (Brooklyn Community Foundation)Multi-year general operating support of up to $45,000 a year for up to three years, with full proposals reviewed by a Community Advisory Council of Brooklyn residents after a site visit. Applications are accepted year-round.up to $45k per year · Several times a year · Apr, Sep
- Disability Frontlines FundParticipatory grantmakingThird Wave FundMulti-year unrestricted grants to disability justice work, awarded through what the fund describes as a participatory grantmaking process. Funds organizations, fiscally sponsored projects and individuals with projects.$10k–$50k per year · Annual cycle · Jul, Aug
- Community Resilience FundRapid-response fundCrossroads FundRapid response grants for Chicago-area grassroots organizations responding to evolving policy threats and building community resilience, descended from the post-9/11 Critical Response Fund.$5k–$30k · Rolling / open
- Youth Service Capacity-Building GrantsTraining & capacityWilliam T. Grant FoundationStrengthens the organisational infrastructure of small New York City youth-serving nonprofits, including evaluation systems, staff training, board development and strategic planning.$60k · Annual cycle · Sep
- Emergent Fund Rapid Response GrantsRapid-response fundEmergent FundMonthly, open-access, low-barrier grants with no reporting requirement, decided by grantmakers drawn from directly impacted communities, for rapid response and emergent organizing by US grassroots groups.Amount not published · Several times a year · Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov
- Community Grants (Giving Project)Participatory grantmakingChinook FundColorado's grassroots participatory fund. A Giving Project of community activists with direct social justice experience reviews proposals, conducts site visits and makes funding decisions by consensus. Start-up, established and multi-year tiers support small community-organizing groups, the kind of partner a social work researcher needs for community-based participatory work in Colorado.$4k–$10k · Periodic calls · Feb, Sep
- General Fund GrantsParticipatory grantmakingSeeding JusticeOregon's long-running participatory grantmaking fund: applications are reviewed and decided by a committee of social justice organizers from across the state rather than program officers. Offers operating support to smaller 501(c)(3) groups and project support to larger, fiscally sponsored, and unincorporated groups, with an explicit route for groups that have no fiscal sponsor at all.$7k–$15k · Several times a year · Mar, Sep
- Wellspring FundParticipatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeA four-year commitment to BIPOC-led Minnesota organizations testing multi-year projects and campaigns: organizing models, narrative approaches, coalition structures, campaign strategies and healing practices. The long horizon and the explicit interest in testing organizing models make it one of the few movement funds that can carry a real longitudinal practice-research collaboration.$90k per year · By invitation
- Neighbor to Neighbor (N2N) Grant ProgramParticipatory grantmakingSeattle FoundationSeattle Foundation's community-led, participatory grant program funding grassroots community organizing, resident leadership development and neighborhood-designed projects in Greater Seattle. Running since 1991, the program describes itself as designed by and for community members, and awards flexible early funding to small, emerging groups — a route by which a social work researcher partnered with a grassroots organization can support community-based inquiry, documentation and evaluation of local organizing.$10k · Several times a year
- Rapid Response FundRapid-response fundHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeFast, unrestricted general operating grants for Minnesota organizing groups facing an urgent threat or a time-sensitive opportunity. Eight cycles a year with rolling deadlines and money out within 30 days of the application deadline, which makes it usable for documenting or responding to a fast-moving policy or community crisis alongside a research partner.$15k · Several times a year · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
- Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund (CCNSF)Training & capacityHispanic Federation, with Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, New York Urban League, Asian American Federation and Black Agency ExecutivesA capacity-building fund run by Latino, Black and Asian umbrella organisations for NYC nonprofits of colour. Evaluation systems and management information systems are named eligible project areas, so it can pay for building an organisation's own data and evaluation capacity.$35k–$45k · Annual cycle · Sep, Oct
- Harm Reduction Futures FundParticipatory grantmakingAIDS UnitedA pooled donor fund for syringe services and harm reduction organizations, with pre-applications screened by a community-based review committee. Organizations led by or meaningfully involving networks of people who use drugs are prioritized.$10k–$40k · Annual cycle · Aug, Oct
- The Center Fellowship (formerly Right of Return)FellowshipCenter for Art & AdvocacyAn annual fellowship for formerly incarcerated artists, founded by formerly incarcerated artists, funding projects that document and challenge the criminal legal system. Money comes with a retreat, mentorship and a peer network.$20k · Annual cycle
- Community Power-Building for Birth and Parenting Justice Grant ProgramParticipatory grantmakingSisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice CollectiveParticipatory grant program that reserves a share of its pool for BIPOC researchers and BIPOC creatives alongside grassroots groups, funding research and arts that advance birth and parenting justice.$25k–$50k · Periodic calls · May, Jun
- Opportunity FundRapid-response fundBread & Roses Community FundVery small monthly grants for an emerging issue or situation outside a group's ongoing work. Bread & Roses distributes through a community funding model in which people doing the work and affected by injustice make the decisions.up to $1k · Several times a year · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
- Community Power Grantmaking ProgramParticipatory grantmakingiF, A Foundation for Radical PossibilityMulti-year general operating grants in the Washington DC region decided by a committee of community members with lived experience of racial inequities, including people organising around criminalisation and safety.$75k per year · Periodic calls · Apr, May, Jun
- Asian Women Giving Circle project grantsParticipatory grantmakingAsian Women Giving CircleAn all-volunteer circle of Asian American women in New York City pools its own money to fund arts-and-culture projects led by Asian American women and gender-expansive people that advance social justice.up to $8k · Annual cycle · Feb
- Rapid Response GrantsRapid-response fundNorth Star FundSmall rapid grants for grassroots organizing groups responding to unforeseen political shifts or critical campaign moments, including mutual aid, healing justice and bail funds. Decision within two weeks.$3k · Rolling / open
- DC Oral History Collaborative Grants (Beyond the Archives; Continuing Oral History Projects)Participatory grantmakingHumanitiesDCCommunity-directed grants for oral history work in Washington, DC: Beyond the Archives ($12,000) funds public-facing projects built on existing oral history collections; Continuing Oral History Projects ($8,000-$13,000) funds adding interviews to an existing collection.$8k–$25k · Several times a year · Feb, Mar, May
- Urgent Action Fund (rapid response grant cycle)Rapid-response fundResistMonthly $5,000 grants to small U.S. grassroots organising groups for urgent, time-sensitive work including events, direct actions, accessibility costs and mutual aid. Decisions are announced within a week of the monthly close.$5k · Several times a year · Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
- Asian Community Fund Narrative Change GrantsParticipatory grantmakingAsian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation (AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative)Grants for artist-led projects that elevate AANHPI narratives in Massachusetts. Individual artists may apply directly, and the fund's pilot round was selected by a panel of community reviewers.$5k–$15k · Annual cycle · Feb
- Asian Pacific Community Giving Circle and Firecracker FundParticipatory grantmakingAsian Pacific Community Fund (APCF)Member-funded giving circles hosted by APCF. The Asian Pacific Community Giving Circle sets its own priorities each year and its members vote to select grantees serving AANHPI communities in Greater Los Angeles.$5k · Annual cycle
- All of Us Researcher Workbench accessIn-kind resourceNational Institutes of Health, All of Us Research ProgramRegistered access to a cloud analysis platform holding the All of Us participant dataset, including survey, electronic health record and physical measurement data, with starter computational credits for running analyses.$300 · Rolling / open
- Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant CycleParticipatory grantmakingSouthern Partners FundGrants for rural grassroots organizing in a 12-state Southern region, decided by a grants committee of SPF members who are themselves rural community leaders and current or former grantees.up to $5k · Annual cycle · Apr, May
- Immigrants Belong Fund (I-Belong Fund)Participatory grantmakingTides FoundationA narrative-change fund for immigrant-led and proximate-led organizations countering xenophobic messaging, paired with a Community of Practice that provides shared curriculum and network events alongside the grant.$100k · By invitation
- Seed FundParticipatory grantmakingCrossroads FundGeneral operating, start-up, or project grants of up to $15,000 for Chicago-area social change organizations, decided by a Grantmaking Committee that includes Giving Project participants alongside board and staff.up to $15k · Annual cycle · Feb
- Black Philanthropy Circle FundParticipatory grantmakingBaltimore Community FoundationA donor-advised giving circle of Black philanthropists in Baltimore that pools contributions and awards $25,000 grants to Black-led organizations and organizations rooted in Black communities.$25k · Annual cycle
- Envision Equity GrantsPilot / seed fundingNEA FoundationSmall practitioner-led grants for school staff to design and try equity and anti-racism projects with students over 12 months. Specialized instructional support personnel, which includes school social workers, are explicitly eligible.up to $5k · Annual cycle · Sep
- Racial & Economic Justice FundParticipatory grantmakingBread & Roses Community Fund$10,000 grants to Philadelphia-area groups organizing for racial and economic justice, where the members of the year's Racial & Economic Justice Giving Project both raise the money and decide the awards.$10k · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- A4 Arts FundParticipatory grantmakingAsian American Arts Alliance (A4)A national regranting fund run by an AAPI arts service organization, giving unrestricted general operating support to small AAPI arts and culture organizations selected by a review panel.$10k–$15k · Periodic calls · May, Jun, Jul
- Baobab Community FundParticipatory grantmakingBaobab Foundation (United Kingdom)Long-term unrestricted funding for Black and Global Majority led groups across the UK, designed with members rather than for them, at GBP 5,000-30,000 a year for up to five years.$5k–$30k per year · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb
- Seed FundParticipatory grantmakingCrossroads FundCrossroads Fund's largest grantmaking programme, decided by a Grantmaking Committee that includes community participants from the fund's Giving Project alongside board and staff.up to $15k · Annual cycle · Feb
- Youth Leadership GrantsParticipatory grantmakingCommunity Foundation for Southeast MichiganTwice-yearly grants of $2,500-$20,000 for youth-led projects in seven southeast Michigan counties, reviewed and recommended by a Youth Advisory Committee of young people.$3k–$20k · Several times a year
- Michigan Justice Fund Rapid Response Grant ProgramRapid-response fundCommunity Foundation for Southeast MichiganSmall rolling grants from a statewide justice fund for Michigan organisations working with justice-impacted people, aimed at moments that cannot wait for a grant cycle.$2k–$10k · Rolling / open
- Native Voices Rising General Support GrantsParticipatory grantmakingNative Voices Rising (Common Counsel Foundation and Native Americans in Philanthropy)General support grants of $30,000 to Native-led grassroots organizations, reviewed and recommended by Native community reviewers over a multi-month participatory process.$30k · Annual cycle · May, Jun, Jul
- AAPI Community Development Fund (AAPI CDF)Participatory grantmakingCoalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF)New York State money regranted by an AAPI-led coalition to community-based organizations working holistically on anti-Asian hate and bias, in sub-awards of up to $30,000.up to $30k · Annual cycle · Mar
- Action for Racial Justice and Equity Fund (ARJEF)Participatory grantmakingSociety for Community Research and Action (SCRA), Division 27 of the American Psychological AssociationSmall grants to grassroots and community-focused organizations advancing racial justice and equity, covering organizing, advocacy, prevention, and human service work.up to $3k · Periodic calls · Nov
- Seed FundParticipatory grantmakingCrossroads FundGrants of up to $15,000 for general operating, start-up or project costs to small social change groups working in the Chicago metropolitan area. Decisions are made through a community grantmaking process.up to $15k · Annual cycle · Feb
- Community Interest FundsParticipatory grantmakingOmaha Community FoundationFive resident-led funds — Omaha Neighborhood Grants, African American Unity Fund, Futuro Latino Fund, LGBTQIA2S+ Equality Fund, and Refugee Community Grant Fund — where committees of people from the served communities set the process and make the funding decisions.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- Boston Impact Initiative Integrated CapitalParticipatory grantmakingBoston Impact InitiativeA place-based integrated-capital fund investing in small businesses, cooperatives, worker-owned enterprises, Black- and Latino-owned enterprises, and community-owned or governed real estate across New England. It is a leading practical example of the integrated-capital approach that blends debt, equity and grant-like instruments in a single package, and thus both a capital source for community partners and a live case for research on reparative and place-based finance.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Fund of the Sacred CircleParticipatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeA Native-led participatory fund whose decisions are made by the FSC Native Community Grantmaking Circle, an assembly of Native leaders, activists and community members from many Nations. Funds work on sovereignty and treaty rights, language and cultural revitalization, land restoration and environmental justice, and self-determination and human rights, all of which are live areas for Indigenous-led community research.Amount not published · By invitation
- Fundo Baobá — Editais abertos, including Programa Marielle Franco Apoio Individual (2ª Edição)Participatory grantmakingFundo Baobá para Equidade RacialFundo Baobá is Brazil's fund for racial equity, running rolling public calls that resource Black-led organisations and Black individuals. The open Programa Marielle Franco – Apoio Individual (2ª Edição) offers technical and financial support to build the leadership of Black women working to influence and change government policy, an explicit policy-advocacy and capacity track. The fund's editais page also lists Edital Já É (2ª edição), BLACK STEM (3ª edição), Edital Carreiras em Movimento and Edital Educação em Tecnologia. The Marielle Franco line suits policy analysis, participatory evaluatioAmount not published · Several times a year
- CODESRIA Meaning-making Research Initiative (MRI)Foundation grantCouncil for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)CODESRIA's flagship research grant strand, funding interpretive and explanatory research on African social realities and futures, with diversity and gender treated as central rather than optional questions. Applications may be individual or from groups of three to five members drawn from one country or several, which makes it a genuine vehicle for cross-border francophone-anglophone West African teams. A dedicated stream funds groups headed by female scholars and composed of women only, with rare justified exceptions. Grants run on a strict 16-month lifespan and budgets must be built to that. Amount not published · Annual cycle · Jan, Feb, Mar
- Community-Reviewed Grant Programs (Seed Fund, Community Resilience Fund, Youth Fund for Social Change)Participatory grantmakingCrossroads FundA Chicago-area public foundation that funds small, community-based groups working for racial, social and economic justice through several funds — a Seed Fund for emerging initiatives, a Community Resilience Fund, and a Youth Fund for Social Change — plus pooled collaboratives including the Chicago Racial Justice Pooled Fund. The very small budget ceiling makes this a route for grassroots partners of social work researchers rather than institutions, supporting organizing, community documentation and locally driven evaluation.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- NIMHD Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI)In-kind resourceNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), NIHA free, competitive one-week in-person research training institute at the NIH campus for early-stage investigators, covering health disparities theory, research design, measurement and implementation, with individual consultation from NIH programme staff on a planned NIH application.Not a cash award · Annual cycle · Mar, Apr
- Quest for Democracy Fund (Q4D)Participatory grantmakingFormerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM)A regranting fund created and governed by the national network of formerly incarcerated and convicted people, moving money to small organizations led by people who have been inside. Grants come paired with capacity building and technical assistance.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Abortion Bridge Collaborative (ABC) FundParticipatory grantmakingWomen Donors NetworkPost-Dobbs participatory fund that moves unrestricted money to community-rooted abortion access and reproductive justice groups, with grantmaking decisions made by an advisory council of movement leaders, providers and organizers.Amount not published · Rolling / open
- Fund for ChangeParticipatory grantmakingLiberty Hill FoundationLiberty Hill's participatory grantmaking program for Los Angeles County grassroots organizing, where a Community Funding Board of community members and activists interviews applicants, conducts site visits, and guides who is funded and at what level.Amount not published · Annual cycle · Nov, Dec, Jan
- Sponsored Projects ProgramIn-kind resourceAllied Media ProjectsAMP fiscally sponsors projects making media for liberation, providing financial stewardship and administrative capacity so a project without its own nonprofit status can receive funding for community documentation and participatory media research.Not a cash award · Rolling / open
- Current Grant Opportunities (Neighbor to Neighbor, Whitehorse Foundation, Medical Funds, Benjamin N. Phillips Memorial Fund)Participatory grantmakingSeattle FoundationSeattle Foundation's live listing of open funds, including Neighbor to Neighbor, which funds small-budget grassroots groups to increase the engagement, power and influence of community members affected by poverty and racial disparities.Amount not published · Several times a year · Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct
- Social Justice Fund NW community grantmaking (including Immigration Justice cycles)Participatory grantmakingSocial Justice Fund NWA regional fund whose grant decisions are made democratically by trained volunteer community grantmakers in Giving Projects and Grant Panels rather than by staff, with cycles that have included Immigration Justice.Amount not published · Several times a year
- Climate Justice GrantmakingParticipatory grantmakingThe Solutions ProjectFunds neighborhood-level climate justice organizations governed by residents of communities most affected by climate impacts, with resources targeted to BIPOC-led and women- or nonbinary-led groups. Access is by invitation or referral, not open application.Amount not published · By invitation
- General Operating Fund and LGBTQ FundParticipatory grantmakingAppalachian Community FundOpen funds for community organizing in Central Appalachia from a fund governed by a regional board of community leaders and residents of the four states it grants in, with grantees and allies guiding the process.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Fundo Agbara thematic funds — Apoio Imediato, Fundo Bem Viver and Asa DuduParticipatory grantmakingFundo AgbaraFundo Agbara is a Brazilian fund by and for Black women, channelling resources through thematic funds. Apoio Imediato supports Black women students taking up study opportunities abroad and human rights defenders at risk. Fundo Bem Viver resources well-being initiatives, with a Malunga Bem Viver line for collectives and organisations and a Descansa, Nêga line that pays for Black women's rest. Asa Dudu offers strategic business guidance. The fund reports more than R$6.8 million invested, a network of around 600 Black women's initiatives, and more than 5,000 Black women strengthened. It is a routAmount not published · Varies by programme
- Fund for Frontline PowerParticipatory grantmakingFund for Frontline Power (housed at The Solutions Project)A 100% grassroots-governed fund created in 2021 by thirteen state, regional and national alliances, with thirteen grassroots leaders holding the governing positions and making the funding decisions. Supports grassroots-led climate solutions in frontline communities, an area where community-based participatory research on environmental and climate justice is routinely part of the work.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Black Radiance Network — Justice & Liberation FundParticipatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeUnrestricted general operating support to strengthen the Black movement ecosystem in Minnesota, relaunched in 2025 within the broader Black Radiance Network. Successor to the Black Movement Ecosystem fund. Unrestricted support of this size can carry the organizational capacity a Black-led group needs to sustain its own evaluation and documentation work with a research partner.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Disability Inclusion FundParticipatory grantmakingBorealis PhilanthropyA pooled fund for disability justice work — policy advocacy, community organising, art and narrative change — with collaborative grants, joy grants and capacity-building support alongside project money.Amount not published · Periodic calls
- Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) GrantsTraining & capacityNew York State Archives (NYSED)State grants for projects that document under-represented communities and preserve and provide public access to historical records held by New York not-for-profit archives, libraries and historical societies.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Higher Education in Prison programme grantsFoundation grantLaughing Gull FoundationFunds college-in-prison access and quality in the US South, including an explicit priority for research, evaluation and awareness building on higher education in prison as a strategy for reducing mass incarceration, plus reentry transition support to community colleges.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- COMPASS Initiative FundingTraining & capacityGilead Sciences (COMPASS Initiative)Corporate social-impact funding for community organizations addressing HIV in the Southern United States, supporting organizational structure, wellness, and stigma-reduction capacity.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Women's Foundation California grantmaking (Community Power Fund, Culture Change Fund, HOME Cohort)Participatory grantmakingWomen's Foundation CaliforniaTrust-based, largely general-operating and multi-year grants to California organizations led by and serving women of color and gender expansive communities. The HOME Cohort specifically funds safety and economic security for women made homeless by domestic violence.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- AAPI Civic Engagement Fund grantsFoundation grantAAPI Civic Engagement FundGeneral operating grants for year-round civic engagement work by AAPI-led organisations, plus an annual Creative Catalyst Fellowship pairing artists with organisers. More than $48 million granted to date.Amount not published · By invitation
- Headwaters Foundation for Justice grants (Giving Project, Rapid Response and related funds)Participatory grantmakingHeadwaters Foundation for JusticeMinnesota funder whose grant decisions are made by trained community members: staff train people to fundraise, review proposals, lead site visits and make final grant decisions. Multiple funds including Giving Project grants and a Rapid Response Fund.Amount not published · Varies by programme
- Community-Led GrantmakingParticipatory grantmakingEvanston Community FoundationGrant committees of 10-12 community members decide these general operating grants for grassroots groups and emerging nonprofits working on racial equity in Evanston. Two cycles a year, fall and spring.Amount not published · Several times a year
- Asian Women Giving CircleParticipatory grantmakingAsian Women Giving Circle (a donor-advised fund of the Ms. Foundation for Women)An all-volunteer New York City giving circle of Asian American women that pools member contributions and funds projects led by Asian American women and gender-expansive artists and community groups.Amount not published · Annual cycle
- Community Partnership Seed GrantParticipatory grantmakingUniversity of Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)Grants of up to $5,000, plus coaching and skill-building, to start new research collaborations between Minnesota community organizations and University of Minnesota researchers on community-identified health issues and disparities.up to $5k · Several times a year · Apr, Sep
Other clusters
- Adolescent and Youth Development
- Aging Services and Gerontology
- American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Global Indigenous Populations (Indigenous Cluster)
- Asian and Asian-Pacific Islander Focused-Research
- Black and African Diaspora Focused-Research
- Child Welfare
- Communities and Neighborhoods
- Crime and Criminal Justice
- Disability
- Gender
- Gender-Based Violence
- Health
- History
- Inequality, Poverty, and Social Welfare Policy
- International Social Work and Global Issues
- Immigrants and Refugees
- LatinX Focused-Research
- Mental Health
- Military Service Members, Veterans and Their Families
- Organizations and Management
- Research Design and Measurement
- Research on Social Work Education
- School Social Work
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
- Social Work Practice
- Substance Misuse and Addictive Behaviors
- Sustainable Development, Environmental and Climate Justice
- Work and Work-Life Policies and Programs