National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO)

National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO) is sponsored by BRISA Center for the Environment (previously Ben & Jerry's Foundation). Offers two-year flexible, general operating support grants to small, non-profit grassroots constituent-led organizations throughout the United States and its territories.

National Grants (OLD) - Ben & Jerry's Foundation Our independence is at risk and our funding has been stopped. Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in g o od trouble, necessary trouble .

The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is a Social Justice Organization. We believe grassroots community organizing efforts and building social movements are the best ways to dismantle oppressive and discriminatory systems.

Our goal is to further racial equity and social and environmental justice by supporting organizations working at the community level to dismantle discriminatory systems to make way for a more just and inclusive society for all.

The National Grassroots Organizing Program (NGO) offers two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year, with an average grant size of $20,000 per year, to small (budgets under $350,000), constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the United States and its territories. We do not consider requests to support direct services to individuals.

While we recognize the importance of direct service programs for those impacted by poverty and inequity, our focus is on grassroots organizing that can bring about community change. We believe that the people most affected by a problem are in the best position to determine a solution.

We look for proposals from organizations that are led by people working to help themselves and their communities create progressive change through organizing campaigns and movement building efforts aimed at dismantling systems of oppression and the legacies of white supremacy culture. We define grassroots organizing as building people power from the bottom up. It involves collective action.

It challenges the status quo and advocates and agitates for systemic and just solutions. Our new application process for 2024 is open. As a rolling process, you may submit anytime throughout the grant year.

Learn more regarding the application process with the details below.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING, EACH APPLICANT ORGANIZATION MUST : Have an annual operating budget under $350,000 Use grassroots, base-building 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 U.S.-focused While our broad goals are to further racial equity, social justice, and environmental justice, our primary purpose is to support the grassroots organizing strategies and activities of our grant partners, rather than any specific issues the organizations are addressing.

GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING Strategies WE RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES TO BE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING EFFORTS Note: Successful applications will illustrate most, if not all of these strategies. Definitions expand for more detail. 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. The practice of continually peeling back the layers of a problem and asking “why? ” each one exists until the root cause(s) of the issue can be identified and targeted for change.

The process of identifying which individuals or entities hold the power to make decisions that positively and negatively affect an issue. 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, job training programs Internationally oriented programs 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 Research, litigation or legal expenses 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 Other foundations or regranting organizations 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 REVISED Application Process for 2024 is OPen for the year. Our new rolling process for applications is now open. The process remains open for 2024 through October, when we pause to update our forms and details for the upcoming year.

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. 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. How soon after applying can I expect to hear back about the Application? As we have a rolling process, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation collates and reviews incoming applications on an ongoing basis.

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 1 – 2 months, dependent on volume of incoming requests. 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.

” 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 8am to 5pm, EST.

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 8am to 5pm, EST.

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 . 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 Log On page at the bottom left of every page on this website, look for the word “ Login . ” We recommend saving the url in your webbrowser 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? 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 previously used Pre-Applications 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 an example of Previous Pre-Application Question Forms. Again, we will not accept mailed or emailed applications for consideration of an award.

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 Dana Jeffery at 802-495-1378 or info@benandjerrysfoundation. org . We will attempt to resolve any issues during our usual business hours Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm, EST.

How do I apply for a Renewal grant through the National Grassroots Organizing grant program? We have ended what was previously known as the Renewal process, as we have moved to a Two-Year Grant Cycle. If your organization has received funding from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation in the past 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 discrimmination 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. 2022 National Grassroots Grants 2021 National Grassroots Grants 2020 National Grassroots Grants 2019 National Grassroots Grants 2018 National Grassroots Grants 2017 National Grassroots Grants See where our grant partners are from ▸