grassroots organizing
National Grant Program
Get in good trouble, necessary trouble.
Speak up, speak out, get in the way. John Lewis
The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is a Social Justice Organization.
We believe grassroots community organizing efforts and building social movements are the best ways to dismantle oppressive and discriminatory systems.
Our goal is to further racial equity and social and environmental justice by supporting organizations working at the community level to dismantle discriminatory systems to make way for a more just and inclusive society for all.
The National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO) offers two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year, with an average grant size of $20,000 per year, to small (budgets under $350,000), constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the United States and its territories.
We do not consider requests to support direct services to individuals. While we recognize the importance of direct service programs for those impacted by poverty and inequity, our focus is on grassroots organizing that can bring about community change.
We believe that the people most affected by a problem are in the best position to determine a solution. We look for proposals from organizations that are led by people working to help themselves and their communities create progressive change through organizing campaigns and movement building efforts aimed at dismantling systems of oppression and the legacies of white supremacy culture.
We define grassroots organizing as building people power from the bottom up. It involves collective action. It challenges the status quo and advocates and agitates for systemic and just solutions.
APPLICATIONS FOR 2024
Our new application process for 2024 is open. As a rolling process, you may submit anytime throughout the grant year. Learn more regarding the application process with the details below.
Requirements
TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING, EACH APPLICANT ORGANIZATION MUST:
- Have an annual operating budget under $350,000
- Use grassroots, base-building organizing campaigns as the primary strategy for creating social change
- Be a non-profit with 501(c)3 status, or have a fiscal agent with this status
- Be U.S.-based and U.S.-focused
While our broad goals are to further racial equity, social justice, and environmental justice, our primary purpose is to support the grassroots organizing strategies and activities of our grant partners, rather than any specific issues the organizations are addressing.
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING Strategies
WE RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES TO BE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING EFFORTS
Note: Successful applications will illustrate most, if not all of these strategies. Definitions expand for more detail.
Areas Not funded
Unfortunately, we cannot consider requests for:
- Direct services to individuals, i.e. food pantries, job training programs
- Internationally oriented programs
- Organizations with an annual operating budget over $350,000
- Discretionary or emergency support
- Donations or sponsorships
- Public or private schools, colleges or universities
- Activities to elect specific candidates for public office
- Individuals, fellowships or scholarship programs
- Research, litigation or legal expenses
- Capital or endowment campaigns
- State agencies or government programs
- Businesses or business associations
- Religious activities
- Arts or Media programs that are not linked to a clear grassroots organizing campaign
- Other foundations or regranting organizations
ApplicAtion Process
CAREFULLY REVIEW THE
Eligibility Requirements
TAKE NOTE OF ALL THE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE
CREATE AN ACCOUNT
OR LOGIN TO YOUR EXISTING ACCOUNT (bottom, left)
COMPLETE THE
APPLICATION
Participate In Conversation
If Committee Members are interested in learning more, your organization will be contacted to schedule a video conversation with our Committee.
Deadlines
The REVISED Application Process for 2024 is OPen for the year.
Our new rolling process for applications is now open. The process remains open for 2024 through October, when we pause to update our forms and details for the upcoming year.
Frequently asked Questions
Grant Partner Highlights
PAST Grant Partners
The documents below feature lists, by year, of the organizations we’ve funded in the past. Not only is it inspiring to see all of the impactful work happening all over the country, reading through these brief descriptions is a great way to better understand the types of organizations we support.