The Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program

The Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Northwestern University
Amount: US $25,000 - US $75,000
Last Updated: February 10, 2026

Summary

The Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program, managed by Northwestern University, aims to foster partnerships between community organizations and the university to address racial inequities. With over $500,000 committed annually since 2020, the program supports initiatives that promote equity through capacity building and research-based strategies. It invites applications from community-based organizations and university representatives, emphasizing projects that lead to structural changes and benefit underserved communities.

Overview

The Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant Program The Racial Equity & Community Partnership Grants program is led by the Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations. A committee of University administrators and academics, along with community representatives, serves as advisors to the program. Beginning in 2020, Northwestern committed more than $500,000 annually to advance racial equity in our home communities of Evanston and Chicago. Proposals will be considered from both new partnerships and from partnerships funded in previous years of this Grants program. Our goal is to foster mutually beneficial partnerships between community-based organizations and Northwestern University representatives that address the root causes of racial inequities and work toward structural changes. Northwestern seeks to become a national model for how a major research university engages with the communities where it resides. To advance racial equity, the strategy is building and expanding strategic partnerships that: Build the capacity of local neighborhoods to develop and grow community solutions to structural and systemic problems. Advance the University's academic and research mission while also strengthening local communities. These partnerships should have the potential to advance research-based knowledge and be leveraged for broader impact and additional foundation and government support. Our Definition of Racial Equity We believe racial equity is the foundation for a just and fair society where all people can participate to reach their full potential. Advancing racial equity means doing things differently than they have done before. We mean: Investing in communities of color, especially underserved and under invested areas Making changes to institutions to address root causes of inequities Racial healing and acknowledgment of past harms to communities of color Funding Generally, up to 10 grants of $25,000 to $75,000 for community-based organization/Northwestern partnerships, with funds primarily allocated to the community-based organization. The Northwestern partner can be funded for up to 25% of the total grant, particularly for stipends for students or other staff or faculty engagement in the project.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Who Should Apply:Projects that already have a community-based organization/Northwestern partnership in place OR can establish a working community-based organization/Northwestern relationship.Community-based organizations or Northwestern students, faculty, or staff are invited to submit a Letter of Interest.Previous Grant Recipients:Eligibility for Successive Applications:Previous grant recipients may submit a subsequent application for the same project for one additional grant cycle. Should the second application for the same project be approved, the request should be for no more than 80% of the initial grant award.Application for the Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant:Previous grant recipients are eligible to apply for the Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant for a third time, but the project proposals must have a different focus area than the previous two applications.Purpose:Work on a project making structural changes that address racial equity.Co-create and/or co-lead as a team (community-based organization and Northwestern representatives)