Grants for Community Development and Entrepreneurship; Immigrant Issues and Human Rights & Environmental Conservation

Grants for Community Development and Entrepreneurship; Immigrant Issues and Human Rights & Environmental Conservation

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Firedoll Foundation
Amount: US $10,000 - US $30,000
Last Updated: February 14, 2026

Summary

The Firedoll Foundation, a private family foundation, focuses on five key areas: Community Development and Entrepreneurship, Immigrant Issues and Human Rights, Environmental Conservation, Middle East Peace, and support for Traumatic Brain Injury survivors. Emphasizing support for vulnerable populations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, the foundation backs projects that promote social justice and environmental sustainability. With a commitment to providing alternatives to detention and legal aid for immigrants, it aims to empower communities while addressing urgent environmental concerns.

Overview

About The Firedoll Foundation is a private family foundation founded by two unrepentant liberals from the 60's who still believe in the motto, "If you are not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." Focus Areas We fund in five different focus areas: Community Development and Entrepreneurship, Immigrant Issues and Human Rights, Environmental Conservation, the Peace Process in the Middle East, and Survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury. Community Development and Entrepreneurship We believe that government has largely abdicated its responsibility in the area of community development. Although non-profit organizations should not be in the position of having to fill the gap, they are. Funders must step forward and provide them with support. We focus our resources on supporting non-profits that work with vulnerable populations through safety-net services, reentry programs, entrepreneurship, and workforce development in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Immigrant Issues and Human Rights Immigration is a continuing source of vitality and rejuvenation of American society. We reject the anti-immigrant hysteria that swept the United States in the 1990's, bringing with it the detention of thousands of immigrants. We support projects that provide alternatives to detention and advocate on behalf of detained immigrants and asylum seekers. We are especially inclined to support organizations providing legal aid to immigrants in detention, facing deportation, and/or seeking asylum. We make grants to human rights projects on behalf of vulnerable populations whose basic rights are being sacrificed by repressive governmental or religious policies or for the sake of global economic interests. The geographic focus for the immigration program area is Northern California, with an emphasis on Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Environmental Conservation We have a sense of urgency about the state of the planet and the web of life of which we are all a part. As a result, we support a variety of approaches to preserving the environment, including legal action, environmental justice advocacy, scientific inquiry, and direct action. We are particularly interested in projects involving regional cooperation and those that combine conservation with environmentally sustainable development, giving local people a stake in conservation. In the Western United States we restrict our grantmaking to Northern California. We give grants on a range of issues from protection of old growth forests and rivers and the preservation of endangered species to pesticide reform and community action for clean air and water.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. What we fund: 501(c)(3) organizations Non-private foundations under Section 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) Fiscally-sponsored organizations are welcome to applyProjects in our Focus AreasProjects in our Geographic AreasCapital campaigns (rarely)General support (existing grantees)Research directly supportive of currently funded projects

Ineligibility

What we do not fund:IndividualsOrganizations with budgets less than $150,000 dollarsGeneral support for first time applicantsMost Research EducationWild animal rescue and rehabClimate ChangePet rescue and rehabCommunity leadership developmentYouth development (other than aid for emancipated foster youth)Internationally (except for Middle East Peace and an occasional grant in Environmental Conservation - the organization must be based in the U.S.)In San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, or San Mateo County (except for Traumatic Brain Injury)Films, videos, documentaries, books, websites, other mediaSan Francisco Bay restoration and conservation projectsStart-up or seed funding for organizations or projects new to Firedoll Foundation Large-scope, long-term initiatives (we prefer discrete projects with concrete end-of-year deliverables)Wordy, jargon-laced, over-packed proposalsWe do not fund environmental education.