Community Organizing Grants Program

The Community Organizing Grants Program is an umbrella for PDF’s annual grantmaking docket which consists of three grant programs: the Seeding the Movement Fund (formerly the “Board Docket”, Western Mass Transformation Fund (formerly the Pioneer Valley Community Advised Fund, and The Braiding New Worlds Fund. Any organization that fits PDF’s guidelines is eligible to apply for a grant. PDF currently only funds organizations in the United States, Haiti and Mexico through the Community Organizing Grants docket. Please note that you can apply to any of the funds through the same application!

Each year PDF receives hundreds of proposals from grassroots community organizations seeking funding. Through a careful review and interview process, PDF selects those organizations that will have a significant impact in their geographic and social justice focus area, or are working on issues that are not yet recognized by progressive funders.

Questions? email: jessa[at]peacefund.org.

To view a recording of the grants information session hosted by our Program Manager, click here. To view the slides from this presentation, click here.

Take a look at the questions on the application by clicking here.

Grant Eligibility

Please read our Grant Guidelines to see if your organization is eligible to apply.

What We Fund:

  • Organizing to Shift Power
  • Working to Build a Movement
  • Dismantling Oppression
  • Creating New Structures

What We Do Not Fund:

  • Programs with a primary geographic focus outside of the United States, U.S. Territories, Mexico and Haiti.  If an organization is U.S.-based but works mostly outside of these areas, it should consider filling out an LOI for a Donor Advised Fund grant, which are reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • Organizations not directly engaged in community organizing.
  • Social services that are not linked to a clear organizing strategy.
  • Individuals, or organizations with strong leadership from only one individual.
  • Conferences, trainings, and other one-time events.
  • Audio-visual productions and distribution – TV, radio, publications, films, etc. (PDF does fund media work or audio-visual production as part of the general expenses of groups engaged in grassroots organizing).
  • Research that is not directly linked to an organizing strategy (PDF does fund research as part of the general expenses of groups engaged in grassroots organizing).
  • Academic institutions and scholarships.
  • Other grantmaking organizations (unless they are your fiscal sponsor).
  • Organizations with budgets larger than $250,000.
  • Lobbying activities.

Application Dates & Deadlines

The Application for PDF’s 2025 Community Organizing Grants is open Friday November 15th 2024 and closes on Friday January 31st 2025. Please note that you can apply to any of the funds through the same application!

The De Colores Rapid Response Fund is on an as need basis, so there is no deadline to apply for De Colores. Please see guidelines and link to apply here.

  • Final Grant Decision: End of April

The average grant is $5,000.

To view a PDF of the application questions, click here. Take look at our guidelines here.

Questions? You can email us or call 413-256-8306.