Grantmaking

Social movements make social change, so to build a more just world, we have to build vibrant progressive movements. Grassroots International’s grantmaking program is designed to provide critical support to the most vital and effective social movements in the global South, particularly rural movements that are struggling for the right to food, land and water.

We provide financial support both to the movements themselves and to the organizations and institutions that help them do their work. We are particularly excited to be working closely with the Via Campesina, an international confederation of family farmer, peasant, landless worker, fisher, indigenous and other small-scale producer and rural movements.

Grassroots has adopted a strategy of multi-layered funding that it is both horizontally broad—funding movements and organizations that are part of networks or coalitions—and vertically deep —supporting many different aspects of the work of each of those movements and organizations, from the very local to the national and international levels.

Our grants fall into three categories: sustainable livelihood grants, which provide “seeds and tools” and other basics necessary for dignified livelihoods and community-led development projects; movement building grants, which nurture leadership (especially among women and youth) and help our partners organize, advocate and communicate with their constituents, their governments and the world at large; and grants for defending human rights, to protect the civil and political rights of activists and providing legal aid during the inevitable clashes with power that activists everywhere must endure.

We are not an endowed foundation and make our grants both from the funds we raise each year from individuals and foundations—from $5 to $500,000—and from special funds supported by activist donors. We do not accept unsolicited proposals.