Training Mini-Grant Program

Training Mini-Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: McCune Foundation
Amount: US $500 - US $5,000
Last Updated: April 02, 2026

Summary

The McCune Foundation's Training Mini-Grants support grassroots organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties that empower marginalized populations to effect systemic change. By funding community organizing and social justice-oriented training, the Foundation aims to build social capital and enhance community capacity. Grants between $4,000 and $5,000 are available, covering up to 75% of training costs, ensuring that those who are most affected by social issues are engaged in the solutions.

Overview

For Grantseekers The Foundation supports grassroots groups with a strong community base that are addressing critical issues in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties through community organizing strategies. We fund projects that mobilize affected populations to create social and economic justice. Projects should be initiated and led by economically and politically disenfranchised groups including low-income, working poor, and marginalized individuals. Empowerment of the economically and politically marginalized and inclusion of such people in an organization’s leadership structure is a requirement for funding. Funding Principals Social Change The Foundation is interested in creative grassroots projects which address the causes of a problem, rather than treating symptoms. We support organizations that see their work in the context of whole systems and causes, and exhibit solution-oriented approaches to addressing critical issues and creating social justice. (The Foundation does not fund the provision of direct services or purely educational programs.) Empowerment A core value for the Foundation is the empowerment of the excluded populations and inclusion of such people in an organization’s leadership structure. We support groups which are “doing with others” rather than “doing for others” – grassroots, bottom-up organizations in which the “clients” are the initiators and involved in the decision making. Social Capital & Community Capacity The Foundation supports grassroots organizations with a strong community base and efforts to grow social capital and enhance a community’s capacity to mobilize and solve problems. We support a focus on community capacity building rather than personal growth or development of leadership skills in individuals, except where such training is directly linked to community action and participants are committed to remaining in the community and using their skills to affect public policy. We also wish to encourage networking and coalition building within communities. Training Mini-Grant Program The goal of the Training Mini-Grant program is to support organizational capacity to mobilize residents to act collectively for systemic change. Grants can be used to access community organizing and social justice-oriented trainings and coaching opportunities. This program is open to current McCune Foundation grantees, as well as to other community groups serving Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties that meet the eligibility guidelines. Grants between $4,000 – $5,000 can cover training/coaching costs including registration fees, travel costs, and/or consultants and coaches. Mini-grants can cover up to 75% of the training costs, with the applicant allocating funds for the balance from other sources.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Funding is available only to applicants in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties that have IRS 501(c)(3) tax status or operate under the sponsorship of a qualified organization.To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they:Include the affected population in the planning and implementation of the projectWork to create systemic changeBuild social capital and community capacity by engaging and empowering new participants in action for social change

Ineligibility

Grants will not be awarded for direct support to individuals, budget deficits, religious organizations for religious purposes, construction or renovation of buildings, or general fundraising drives or events.We usually will not consider proposals from schools.In general, we do not fund projects implementing model programs from elsewhere, but will consider funding the expansion of locally-initiated projects to other parts of the region.