HFPG: Community Organizing Grants

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving offers Community Organizing Grants aimed at nonprofits and community groups led by people of color. These grants support community organizing efforts that enhance civic participation and empower marginalized communities. Proposals may include building organizational capacity, increasing awareness of social justice issues, and developing infrastructure in the Greater Hartford area. Grants range from $5,000 to $60,000 and are available for projects lasting up to one year.

This competitive grant opportunity is for nonprofits or community groups conducting community organizing efforts led by people of color and/or people representing communities traditionally marginalized as they engage and activate residents locally for the purpose of more inclusive civic participation.
Successful proposals could support:
community organizing efforts, broadly or around specific issue campaigns,increasing community organizing group or organizational capacity, and/orcommunity organizing infrastructure to benefit the field in Greater Hartford.
The Foundation acknowledges that while residents frequently assemble to achieve shared community goals, community organizing as a practice has the additional goal of increasing the collective power and internal capacity of people of color and traditionally marginalized and/or underrepresented populations. This RFP will support organizations or community groups with a mission to increase power sharing between underserved communities and the institutions meant to serve them, for example, state or municipal governments.
Funded requests could include but are not limited to efforts that increase racial/social justice issue awareness, increase civic education/issue awareness, increase community organizing organizational capacity (e.g., software, working with a consultant), increase resident leadership on racial/social justice issues, and/or increase community organizing network infrastructure to maximize effectiveness among multiple organizations. Examples of shared field infrastructure could include shared technology, meeting space or training providers/materials across groups in the Greater Hartford region.
Funding
The scope of work considered could take place over the span of one year. Grant awards will range from $5,000 - $60,000.

Eligibility

Applications must be submitted by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Community groups can use a 501(c)(3) organization as a fiscal sponsor.Board of directors and staff must be reflective of the racial/ethnic diversity of the community members engaged. If the applicant 501(c)(3) is serving as a fiscal sponsor, community group leadership must be reflective of the racial/ethnic diversity of the population served.Nonprofits may serve as a fiscal agent for multiple projects.
Applications can be submitted for projects that support more than one group or nonprofit.
Organizations and groups with applications denied during the open process should contact Foundations staff before submitting another application to make sure the initial denial wasn’t based on something you can’t change.As another rule, if you are awarded a grant during the 2023 Community Organizing or Resident Engagement process the Foundation will not review an additional application through this opportunity.As a caveat to the rules: due to the emergent, shifting, and responsive nature of this kind of work the Foundation is open to reviewing applications from organizations and groups who can provide evidence that extra resources have a good chance of achieving impactful change shortlyRequests can address issues such as housing, education, health care, the concerns of returning citizens, and issues affecting LGBTQIA+ persons, or other issues identified by community members.Line items requested from the Foundation may include but are not limited to: materials, software or equipment, stipends for residents, payment for professional services, organizational staffing and overhead.

Ineligibility

As a rule, if a nonprofit organization or community group is currently the recipient of multi-year core or project support from the Foundation, we will not review an application through this opportunity (excluding those serving as a fiscal agent).The Foundation will not support the hiring of new, permanent staffing with this funding opportunity. Foundation funds cannot be used to support activities that (a) would favor one candidate over another; (b) oppose a candidate in some manner; or (c) have the effect of favoring or providing a benefit to a candidate, group of candidates, or political party.