Ben & Jerry’s Foundation: Grassroots Organizing for Social Change Program

The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation supports grassroots activism and community organizing for social and environmental justice around the country. The Foundation defines organizing as collective action from the bottom up that challenges the status quo, demands changes in policy and practice, educates communities about root causes, and advocates and agitates for systemic and just solutions. Lasting change occurs when social justice movements are built from the ground up and grassroots groups come together across sectors and constituencies to work for the common principles of human rights and justice for all.

While the broad goals are to further social and environmental justice and support sustainable and just food systems, the Foundation focuses on the types of activities and strategies an organization uses for creating social change rather than on the specific issues the organization is addressing. Priority strategies must include:

• Community and ally outreach
• Leadership development
• Constituent empowerment and decision-making
• Popular education
• Root cause analysis
• Power analysis
• Campaign development
• Mobilizing constituents and allies
• Coalition building
• Direct action

Amount: Grants of up to $25,000 each will be made.

Eligibility: Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)3 status or those that have a fiscal agent with this status. Organizations must be grassroots and constituent-led and be using community-organizing and base-building strategies to accomplish their goals. The applicant organization’s budget must be under $500,000.

Link: https://benandjerrysfoundation.org/the-grassroots-organizing-for-social-change-program/

Note: The application cycle will open on February 1, 2019.

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