Grants for Grassroots Organizations

Last updated October 10, 2026

Grantable tracks 492 active grants for grassroots organizations in its free grants database, drawn from state and foundation sources and updated daily. 17 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 299 list an award amount, with a median of $10K.

Grants tracked: 492; from 340 funders
Median award: $10K; middle half $5,000–$33K
Total listed funding: $25.2M; across 299 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 18; 28 with a published date

On this page: State Foundation · Updated daily

Find the grants for grassroots organizations matched to your org

Free, no account to start — Grantable's AI ranks all 490 on mission, geography, and award size in a few minutes.

Start finding grants

Sort

Type

State

Amount

Eligibility

Include closed grants

Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Community Action Fund NDN Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $15K – $30K The Community Action Fund (CAF) provides modest, urgent response funding to direct action and frontline organizing across Turtle Island (North America) and related Island Nations.	Not published	$15K – $30K
Sprouts Fund Milwaukee Parks Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $10K The Sprouts Fund distributes grants of up to $10,000 per project with a total of $50,000 distributed annually.	Not published	Up to $10K
VCF: Northeast Kingdom Fund Grants The Vermont Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $5K The Northeast Kingdom Fund, established by the Vermont Community Foundation in 2011, provides annual grants up to $5,000 to support local nonprofits and community projects in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties.	Not published	Up to $5K
Scherman Foundation: Environmental & Climate Justice Program Grant The Scherman Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Scherman Foundation's Environmental & Climate Justice Program focuses on empowering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities through grassroots organizing to address climate change and promote racial justice.	Not published	Varies
GLOW Action Fund Central Baltimore Partnership Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies GLOW is a collaborative, multi-year initiative focused on improving the quality of life for all residents by meeting the needs of the most vulnerable residents who live along the historically disinvested Greenmount Avenue corridor.	Not published	Varies
Emerging Climate Champions Award Enlight Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies _Note: Applicants must register before being able to submit an application.	Not published	Varies
AmeriCorps Competitive Grant (NH) Volunteer NH · Foundation Not published · Varies The AmeriCorps Competitive Grant (NH) is an initiative by Volunteer NH aimed at fostering community engagement through volunteerism.	Not published	Varies
NYC Green Fund Grassroots Grants Program City Parks Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $1K – $40K The NYC Green Fund Grassroots grant program provides funding support for community groups and organizations providing open space programming and stewardship across NYC with annual operating budgets under $175,000.	Not published	$1K – $40K
Cyrus Eaton Foundation Grant The Cyrus Eaton Foundation · Foundation Not published · $1K – $15K The Cyrus Eaton Foundation Grant focuses on advancing sustainable environments, social justice, cultural enrichment, and peaceful coexistence.	Not published	$1K – $15K
Seed Grants/Grow Grants Grassroots Fund · State Not published · $50K – $400K Seed Grants: Provides seed money to grassroots organizers to launch new projects or start to significantly change the direction of an existing project.	Not published	$50K – $400K
Birth Justice Initiative Grant Program Ms Foundation for Women Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The mission of the Ms. Foundation for Women is to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all.	Not published	Varies
IEN-WMAN Mini-Grant Program Western Mining Action Network · Foundation Not published · $4K The IEN-WMAN Mini-Grant Program provides crucial financial support to Indigenous communities and grassroots organizations impacted by mining in the U.S. and Canada.	Not published	$4K
Chicago Commitment: Civic Partnerships Grant John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Chicago Commitment: Civic Partnerships aims to foster a more equitable city by supporting local organizations and partnerships that address systemic racism and promote racial equity.	Not published	Varies
Qlarant Foundation Grant Qlarant Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Up to $50K The Qlarant Foundation Grant supports grassroots organizations aiming to enhance healthcare access and improve health outcomes for under-served populations.	Not published	Up to $50K
Accelerator Grant Impact 100 Metro Denver · Foundation Not published · $25K – $75K Support one small nonprofit resident in a historically underserved neighborhood, led by and reflecting the diversity of the community they serve, over a three-year period	Not published	$25K – $75K
New York Foundation Core Grants New York Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $238K The New York Foundation Core Grants support community organizing, grassroots advocacy, and movement-building efforts in New York City.	Not published	Up to $238K
Mission Telecom Strategic Grantmaking (Invitation-Only) Instructional Telecommunications Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Mission Telecom's primary grantmaking program providing flexible, risk-tolerant funding to grassroots movements working on systemic change. Both portfolio and opportunistic grants are offered.	Not published	Varies
Just Transition Leadership Program Front and Centered · Foundation Not published · Varies Front and Centered's initiative to equip community leaders with skills and knowledge needed to drive systemic change and advance a Just Transition across Washington State.	Not published	Varies
Rapid Response Fund Grant Headwaters Foundation for Justice · Foundation Not published · Up to $25K The Rapid Response Fund, managed by Headwaters Foundation for Justice, offers grants up to $25,000 to support emergent grassroots organizing in Minnesota.	Not published	Up to $25K
Rural Placemaking Grants C K Blandin Foundation · Foundation Not published · $25K – $150K The Rural Placemaking Grants by the Blandin Foundation aim to enhance the quality of life in the most diverse and underserved rural communities.	Not published	$25K – $150K
The Surface Creek Community Fund (SCCF) Grant Western Colorado Community Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The Surface Creek Community Fund (SCCF), established in partnership with the Western Colorado Community Foundation, aims to enhance the quality of life in Austin, Cedaredge, Cory, Eckert, and Orchard City.	Not published	Varies
Women and Girls of Color Fund: Rural Cycle Grant The Women's Foundation of Colorado Inc · Foundation Not published · $10K – $20K The Women and Girls of Color Fund: Rural Cycle aims to empower women and girls of color in Colorado by addressing systemic disparities they face in health, wealth, and access to resources.	Not published	$10K – $20K
Woodson Center Rising Leaders Grant Woodson Center · Foundation Not published · Varies Grant program supporting emerging grassroots leaders and organizations working to transform their communities, particularly focused on educational advancement and opportunity creation.	Not published	Varies
Equity and Access Public Participation Grant California Public Utilities Commission Foundation · Foundation Not published · Up to $15K The Equity and Access Public Participation Grant aims to enhance the involvement of underserved communities in decision-making processes.	Not published	Up to $15K

Showing 193–216 of 490

About grants for grassroots organizations

Grants for grassroots organizations support small, community-led nonprofits doing organizing, mutual aid, advocacy, and direct service close to the people they serve. Because many lack the staff and history that large federal grants require, grassroots groups often rely on community foundations, grassroots-focused intermediaries, and funders such as the Clif Family Foundation that prioritize small budgets and local leadership.

A long list is the starting point, not the shortlist. Our grant prospecting guide shows how to narrow grants for grassroots organizations down to the funders most likely to say yes, using their giving records.

Want new funders like these found for you every week?

This page is a snapshot. Funders change, and a list stops being true the day it's made. A grants department keeps looking for you, and tells you when it finds something that fits — with the grant history it reasoned from attached.

Create your grants department

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do grants for grassroots organizations award?

Of the 492 grants for grassroots organizations Grantable lists as of October 10, 2026, 299 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $10K, and the middle half fall between $5,000 and $33K. The largest is $2.9M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most grants for grassroots organizations?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are Bread and Roses Community Fund (13), Crossroads Fund Inc (11), Social Justice Fund Northwest (11), Headwaters Foundation for Justice (9), and Southern Vision Alliance (8). In all, 340 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are grants for grassroots organizations due?

Of 492 grants listed, 18 accept applications on a rolling basis, 28 have a published upcoming deadline, 106 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 340 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site. Among dated deadlines, 54% fall in January–March.

What grants are available for grassroots organizations?

Grassroots funding tends to come as smaller project, capacity-building, and general-operating grants, often with simpler applications than large federal programs. Many funders specifically prioritize organizations with modest annual budgets and leadership rooted in the affected community, and some offer rapid-response or seed grants to emerging groups.

Who funds grassroots nonprofits?

Community foundations, grassroots-focused intermediaries, and values-aligned private funders are the most common sources. Funders such as the Clif Family Foundation support small-to-midsize grassroots groups, and a number of social-justice and movement funds exist specifically to move resources to organizations with small budgets and community-based leadership.

How can a grassroots group without grant experience get started?

Begin with local funders and small community or corporate grants that have lighter application requirements, and consider partnering with a fiscal sponsor if you lack 501(c)(3) status. Building relationships with community foundations, documenting your impact, and starting small all help establish the track record that larger funders look for.

Get a shortlist of grants for grassroots organizations built for your organization

Tell Grantable's AI about your nonprofit and it ranks these grants on mission, geography, and award fit — then emails you a personalized shortlist with the reasoning for each. Free, no account to start.

Find my grants — emailed to me

Your AI grants department