Rapid Response Fund Grant

The Rapid Response Fund, managed by Headwaters Foundation for Justice, offers grants up to $25,000 to support emergent grassroots organizing in Minnesota. With eight funding cycles annually, the fund prioritizes urgent social justice initiatives and allows organizations to address unexpected legislative changes or community needs. Eligibility requires organizations to be legally incorporated and based in Minnesota, emphasizing work led by marginalized communities. This fund is crucial for timely responses to pressing social issues.

Note:  1) There are eight (8) rounds of Rapid Response grantmaking per year. 2) Organizations must complete an eligibility inquiry form before submitting an application.
Headwaters Foundation for Justice
Headwaters Foundation for Justice is a Minneapolis-based community foundation that invests in grassroots organizing across Minnesota.
We do this through grantmaking programs that support organizations and groups on the front lines of social change. Each of our programs invites community members to learn about and lead the foundation's grantmaking work. We prioritize work led by and for Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color through our four core values of advancing equity, demanding inclusion, transforming power, and trusting in community.
Rapid Response Grants
At Headwaters Foundation for Justice (HFJ), we know that the nature of grassroots organizing means that our funding cycles do not always align with organizations’ real-time financial needs in moments of crisis or opportunity. As a result, HFJ budgets a yearly pool of funds for rapid response grantmaking.
The Rapid Response Fund supports strategic organizing around new, rapidly emerging, or unexpected legislative or policy developments, events, and political moments. Examples could include, but are not limited to:

• short-term strategic collaboration/coalition with other organizations
• civic engagement project or public education
• legal defense and security costs
• cultural organizing/healing justice work in response to a community need in the face of an unexpected political event
• restorative justice after an incident of harm within the community
• unanticipated moments of internal organizational pivots, i.e., leadership transitions, unionization efforts, etc.

The Rapid Response Fund operates on an ongoing basis, with decision-making occurring eight (8) times per year. The organizations selected for Rapid Response funding will receive unrestricted, general operating grants up to $25,000.
If awarded, organizations cannot apply again for a Rapid Response grant until 12 months after the notification date. However, organizations may continue to apply for other funding offered by HFJ.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Rapid Response Grant, an organization must meet the following requirements:Be a legally incorporated entity with 501(c)(3), or 501(c)(4) status, or have a fiscal sponsor, or be a Tribal Nation/Tribal EntityBe based in and carry out their work in Minnesota
In addition, eligible organizations may:Be a current or past HFJ’s grantee partnerBe new to HFJBe either an emerging or established organization

Ineligibility

The following types of organizations and activities are ineligible for this grant:
General operating requests for ongoing work, organizational development, building costs, or existing programs that are not timely or urgentTravel expenses and conference feesProjects sponsored by a government agency (other than Tribal Nations)Partisan effortsEndowment funds or capital campaignsIndividuals; these grants are for organizationsFor-profit entities with non-profit fiscal sponsorsEvents or activities that have already happenedPre-planned, long-standing events that are part of a regular organizational calendar (e.g. annual retreats, annual lobbying days, etc.)