Ben & Jerry's Foundation Community Action Grants is sponsored by Ben & Jerry's Foundation. Supports organizations working on social justice, environmental sustainability, and community development.

National Grants - Ben & Jerry's Foundation Hands off the Foundation! Our independence and funding is at risk. THE JERRY GREENFIELD NATIONAL grassroots organizing We believe those most impacted by inequity and injustice are in the best position to develop solutions.

Our intent is to achieve a better future for all by providing support to community-based, grassroots organizations confronting social and environmental injustice. We are inspired by Civil Rights icon John Lewis’ admonition, “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble.

” The National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO) offers unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000, with an average grant size of $20,000, to small (budgets under $350,000), constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the United States and its territories. February 25th at 4:00 PM ET THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED, AND DRAFT APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED.

Due to the current environment of uncertainty about our own source of funding , please note that our grantmaking schedule has changed and we no longer employ a rolling, year-round application process. “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble.

Necessary trouble. ” While our broad goals are to further social and environmental justice, our primary purpose is to support the local leadership and grassroots organizing activities of our grant partners rather than any specific issues the organizations are addressing.

We are interested in supporting groups that are carrying out activities that build support and collective action to address impacts of inequity and injustice in their communities. We are guided by common principles of community organizing which we look for in proposals. In general these are: The organization is led by the people directly impacted by the issues the organization works on, and those people have clear decision-making power.

A plan with clear goals to gain rights, win collective political power and create positive community change. An assessment of the problem being addressed and best tactics to employ. Outreach, networking, and ally gaining activities that build support and momentum.

Educational activities and events that inform and motivate and build support. We know that organizing can take many forms. Some grassroots organizing activities might include but are not limited to: Expand to see definitions.

Community & ally outreach Consistent, multi-faceted efforts to recruit and engage people in your work. Examples might include sharing information and resources, public forums, canvassing, workshops, tabling at events, phone-banking, and media engagement.

Leadership development of constituents Investing time, training and resources to cultivate innate leadership assets within people who historically haven’t had access to civic and community engagement opportunities or positions of power. Constituent empowerment & decision-making The organization is driven by the people impacted by the problem.

Constituents define core values, identify and prioritize issues, and determine the appropriate course of action to solve them. An educational technique, designed to raise the consciousness of its participants and allow them to become more aware of how an individual’s personal experiences are connected to larger institutional or societal problems.

A game plan of action including tactics, materials, timelines and their intended audiences and effects. Mobilizing constituents & allies Moving people to take specific action toward achieving a common goal.

Examples might include attending rallies and protests, tabling at events, testifying at hearings, contacting public officials, speaking to the media, and phone-banking, etc. Partnering with other organizations that have allied missions and interests with the goal of creating power in numbers. Non-violent direct action (NVDA) Peaceful, public forms of protest for the purpose of demonstration, obstruction, or dissent.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT CONSIDER REQUESTS FOR: Direct services to individuals, i.e. food pantries, youth mentorship programs Organizations with an International scope of work 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 Capital or endowment campaigns State agencies or government programs Businesses or business associations Arts or Media programs that are not linked to a clear grassroots organizing campaign TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING, EACH APPLICANT ORGANIZATION MUST : Have an annual operating budget under $350,000 Use grassroots, collective-action 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 exclusively U.S.-focused Considerations, Restrictions & Requirements ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONNAIRE OR LOGIN TO YOUR EXISTING ACCOUNT (bottom-left) Participate In Conversation If Committee Members are interested in learning more, your organization will be contacted to schedule a video conversation with our Committee.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR 2026 GRANTMAKING HAS CHANGED . DEADLINE: February 25th at 4:00 PM ET THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED, AND DRAFT APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED. Due to the current environment of uncertainty about our own source of funding, please note that our grantmaking schedule has changed and we no longer employ a rolling, year-round application process.

Our grants in 2026 are for one year of funding. For Renewal eligible applicants, please review the details in our FAQs below. Frequently asked Questions My organization is not based within the United States, can I still apply?

We accept applications from organizations that meet our guidelines and are based within the U.S. and its territories, provided the work is focused within the U.S. and its territories.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications from organizations based outside of the United States and its territories, even if the work is focused within the U.S. Before submitting a funding request, may we discuss our work with your staff to see if we are a fit for your grant programs?

We encourage all potential applicants to review our grassroots organizing strategies and grant requirements as well as our grant partners page to better understand the type of organizations we fund and our typical giving amounts. If, after thoroughly reading all of the information detailed on this website, organizations have additional questions, they are welcome to email or call the Foundation directly.

We don’t have a limit on the number of times an organization may apply, but we do recommend moderation. If you applied and were denied, we answer this question more specifically in the below FAQ section “After You Apply” An organization may only be funded once each calendar year. Can I apply for more than one grant program at a time?

No. We will only consider one application at a time across our grant program options, and thus recommend researching each program to ensure your organization applies to the most targeted program for your needs Who decides which groups receive funding from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation?

Foundation staff and Committee Members evaluate all applications submitted and may invite those organizations that meet our stated funding priorities to have a conversation to learn more about their work. The Committee Members are a team of Ben & Jerry’s employees who recommend their grant decisions.

For the NGO program, our 12-member Employee Grantmaking Committee meets 10 times a year, and each member may serve for up to six years (two three-year terms). Yes, these are some of the folks that make the ice cream magic happen! May I send a Letter of Interest (LOI) prior to applying online?

We do not accept mailed Letters of Interest. All applications must be submitted online through our grants management system . You will need to first register your organization before applying online through the grant program.

We do not respond to mailed or emailed letters of interest. I am new to my organization, which has received funding in the past. Do I need to register the organization again to create a login for myself?

An organization should only be registered once in our online grant portal. If the organization does not have a record of their login details, please get in touch with the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation and we will add you to the list of contacts and provide you with a login.

If you have already registered the organization and created an account and are worried that you cannot see the organization history, please contact us and we will connect you to the correct account. Please contact Dana Jeffery at 802-495-1378 or info@benandjerrysfoundation. org .

We will attempt to resolve any issues during our usual business hours Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm, EST. How do I register for the grant application portal? You can learn more about the system and registration here: https://support.

foundant. com/hc/en-us/articles/4479853059991-GLM-Applicant-Tutorial ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONNAIRE Do I have to complete the Eligibility Questionnaire to gain access to a grant form? We utilize an Eligibility Questionnaire to ensure organizations are a good fit for our programs and are directed to the most appropriate grant application.

Before taking the questionnaire, be sure you understand the grant program’s funding priorities. If your Questionnaire results indicate you are ineligible, and you believe you answered a question incorrectly, you can call the Foundation at 802-495-1378 or info@benandjerrysfoundation. org for assistance.

We will attempt to resolve any issues during our usual business hours Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm, EST. If you wish to simply view one of the grant program’s previous application forms, look at the FAQ question in the Application section. I completed the Eligibility Questionnaire and I was told I am ineligible for the grant program I am interested in.

Can I take the quiz again? The questionnaire may be completed once per application period. We encourage an organization to have assessed their own eligibility by reading the details regarding each grant programs’ funding priorities prior to taking the Eligibility Questionnaire .

Can I view the application forms without applying for the grant program? The Foundation may make changes to the application forms periodically, and due to our desire to streamline everything through our online grant portal, we prefer folks to access our current applications by applying directly online.

We can share our Application form for those who wish to share with their team for planning purposes, or for students practicing grantwriting skills. Please be aware that the grant system allows for branching questions (or “logic”), so although we provide all questions in the forms below, some of these are additional follow up questions which appear based on how you answer some fields in the form. View Application Question Form.

Word View Application Question Form. PDF Again, we will not accept mailed or emailed applications for consideration of an award. I completed the Eligibility Questionnaire and began a draft application, but I saved the draft and am not sure how to get back to the portal so I can get back to the application.

Is there a link to the portal somewhere? We offer a link to the grant portal login page at the bottom-left of every page on this website, look for the word “ Login . ” We recommend saving the url in your web browser bookmarks – be sure you save the url link before signing in.

If you would like more information about navigating around the portal, view the system-created user tutorials here . I am having difficulty signing in / saving / submitting my application. How can I get some help?

I registered in the system / tried a password reset but I am not receiving the emails from the system, what do I do? The grant portal has an online mail system that can get caught in your email providers’ spam filter. If this is the case, you will want to add the system email address as a Safe Sender.

Learn more here: https://support. foundant. com/hc/en-us/articles/4404212464023-Safe-Sender-List-Email-Instructions I have a question about information needed in the online application.

Where can I get help? We get a variety of questions about information needed in our grant applications, as we require various uploads and other requested documents to help us better understand an organization’s work. If you have questions or need further assistance, please call us at 802-495-1378 or info@benandjerrysfoundation.

org . We will attempt to resolve any issues during our usual business hours, Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm EST. To learn about the Applicant Dashboard and basic navigation on our grant portal, click here .

I started an application a few months ago, but now when I see my Dashboard, I see that it is “Abandoned. ” What happened? The grant portal has a high volume of activity, and with our need to keep only current applications active in our system, we periodically Abandon requests that have not had activity in the past three months.

If this is the case, and you still intend to apply, you may start anew and use the Copy Request feature. Learn more here: https://support. foundant.

com/hc/en-us/articles/4404212464023-Safe-Sender-List-Email-Instructions How soon after applying can I expect to hear back about the Application? The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is currently facing uncertainty about our own source of funding, and have moved to having a deadline for the next round of grant making. Once the deadline has passed, we will be processing the requests in the order that they were received.

Invitations to participate in a conversation with Committee Members are sent out every other month, for specific review rounds. If your organization is not invited to apply, you should hear back within 4 – 5 months, dependent on volume of incoming requests. As demand for our grant program has increased while our review capacity has remained the same, our response times have unfortunately become longer.

Will we be notified if our application is NOT approved? Yes, we will be in touch with every organization to share our decision, funded or not funded. Notifications are sent through the grant portal system.

Please ensure your inbox has our contact information as a “Safe Sender. ” If your application is denied, you will receive an email with an explanation of why the committee determined it was ineligible or did not align well with our funding priorities. We receive a high volume of requests, and for this reason only 5-10% will be approved for further consideration.

If we have determined that your organization is not eligible for the grant, you should not reapply. If you feel that the committee misunderstood your request, you may call to get clarity about whether or not it would be appropriate for you to reapply and when. In order to maintain a manageable application flow, we generally ask that an applicant wait a year after the denial notification before submitting another request.

How do I apply for a Renewal grant through the National Grassroots Organizing grant program? Information regarding the option for renewal grants appears within the final grant report within the grants portal. The Renewal application stems from that report.

The deadline above does not apply for Renewals. If your organization has received funding from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in the past (prior to 2023) and are interested in applying again, please contact the Foundation directly. Please call: 802-495-1378 or email: info@benandjerrysfoundation.

org . People organizing to protect Felony Murder Elimination Project Working to end an extreme injustice for many. Immigrant Youth fight against discrimination in school systems.

Organizing for a Tenants Bill of Rights. Challenging Power Holders : Organizing for a just workplace. 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. 2024 National Grassroots Grants 2023 National Grassroots Grants 2022 National Grassroots Grants 2021 National Grassroots Grants 2020 National Grassroots Grants 2 019 National Grassroots Grants See where our grant partners are from ▸