About the Fund
The Pacific Northwest Grassroots Fund is a new fund that supports small and emerging local groups throughout the PNW who are building climate resilience and advancing environmental justice. Grassroots Fund grantees tackle the toughest environmental problems facing their communities from toxic pollution, urban sprawl, sustainable agriculture, and climate advocacy, to the environmental degradation of our rivers and wild places and the health of our communities. They are rooted in the communities they serve and committed to building the environmental movement through broad outreach, engagement, and organizing.
The Fund prioritizes groups that serve & represent historically marginalized or impacted communities, especially BIPOC, frontline, and low-income communities; as well as organizations whose work is not just having a meaningful impact in their own communities, but who are thinking strategically about how their work fits into the larger landscape of environmental challenges we face today.
The Fund’s mission is to bridge the significant gap between grassroots environmental groups and the traditional funding patterns of organized philanthropy by awarding small grants ($7,500 or less) to small organizations that are underserved by most foundations’ funding strategies.
Rose Foundation ofrece la opción de completar la solicitud del Grassroots Fund (fondo de financiación de Liderazgo Grassroots) en inglés o español. Si prefiere completar su solicitud en español, por favor envíe un correo electrónico a grants@rosefdn.org.
How to Apply
The PNW Grassroots Fund is currently by invitation only, however, we will consider new proposals on a rolling basis. For more information about the status of Grassroots funding and to be considered for funding, please contact the PNW Program Officer at tbell@rosefdn.org.
To complete our PNW Grassroots Fund application, please set up a personal profile in our grants portal for the person that will complete the application as well as a profile for your organization (if one doesn’t already exist). Once you are logged in and can see the open grant opportunities, please connect with the PNW Program Officer.
We understand that newer, smaller, or more decentralized org structures may have difficulty completing some of the fields that we are asking for, however, we ask that you try your best in completing each section as these questions will help you in applying for grant opportunities in the future both at Rose and with other grantors. For some tips on important things to think through while completing the application, you should check out the California Grassroots Fund Tips for Applicants. While the PNW and CA grassroots funds are different, much of the same guidance will apply in developing your application materials.
Deadlines
The application for the PNW Grassroots Fund should be completed no later than OCTOBER 15th, 2023. We encourage you to complete the application before this time, if you are able, as we will be issuing checks as we receive project proposals.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a grassroots grant, the applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Geographic Scope: Project impact must be within Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.
- Organization Size: Annual income or expenses of $150,000 or less (for exceptions, see application).
- Issues Supported: Include, but are not limited to environmental health and justice, climate advocacy and resilience, land management and urban sprawl, habitat and wilderness protection, water resources, sustainable agriculture, and pollution and toxics.
- Strategies Supported: Include, but are not limited to community-based advocacy, litigation, restoration, community organizing, grassroots campaigns, and environmental education.
- Tax Status: Applicants may be a nonprofit, be fiscally sponsored by another nonprofit, or ask for fiscal sponsorship from the fund.
Not Eligible for Support:
Capital campaigns, annual fundraising appeals, government agencies, colleges or universities, and individuals.
Priorities
- Movement Building: Preference is given to groups building broad community support and engaging in effective public outreach.
- Impacted and Underserved Communities: The fund prioritizes groups that serve and represent historically marginalized or impacted communities, especially BIPOC, frontline, immigrant, and low-income communities.
- Community-Oriented with a Big Picture Vision: Priority is given to organizations grounded in the communities they serve and addressing important local problems, but who are also thinking strategically about how their work fits into the larger landscape of environmental challenges we face today.
- Climate Resilience and Environmental Justice: We see these as the priority issues of our time, and they are deeply interconnected. The same extractive systems that have caused our climate crisis have heaped disproportionate harms on marginalized communities. Sustainable solutions must come from the communities that have born the most harm. On a practical level, these priority areas encompass a wide scope of work, from fighting to protect our forests and natural biodiversity, planning for sustainable and equitable management of our water resources, reimagining our food and transportation systems, and addressing the disproportionate effects of pollution and climate impacts on poor, BIPOC, and immigrant communities.
Apply for a Mini-Grant
Current and past Grassroots Fund grantees within the past four years are encouraged to increase their effectiveness by expanding their organizational and administrative skills through our Grow Your Roots Mini-Grant. Grantees are eligible to receive up to $500 in training scholarships or capacity-building support per year. Mini-grants can be put towards the cost of trainings, consultants, software, equipment or other capacity-building materials. Grantees traveling more than 75 miles round trip for a training can also receive a travel stipend.
Annual Grassroots Grantee Convening
In conjunction with the California Wildlands Grassroots Fund, the California Environmental Grassroots Fund hosts an annual convening of all its grantees. The day-long session is a time for learning and networking and is usually built around a central theme, such as fundraising or communicating your group’s story. Click here for more information on our Grassroots Grantee Convenings.
Grant Reporting Instructions
Grassroots Fund grantees must report to us 1 year after receiving a Grassroots Fund grant, using our self-evaluation report form. Please log on to your online application system and submit your report there. [If you have forgotten your user name and password, please call us at (510) 658-0702 or email grants-at-rosefdn.org]
For more information about the Grassroots fund, please contact the PNW Program Officer at tbell@rosefdn.org.
