So Love Can Win Fund

So Love Can Win Fund is sponsored by Akonadi Foundation. The Akonadi Foundation's So Love Can Win Fund provides project support grants to Oakland's organizers, storytellers, culture bearers, and healers who seek to ignite and implement a radical collective vision of freedom and racial justice.

2026 So Love Can Win Fund - Akonadi Foundation Skip to primary navigation Akonadi Foundation’s So Love Can Win Fund provides project support grants to Oakland’s organizers, storytellers, culture bearers, and healers who seek to ignite and implement a radical collective vision of freedom and racial justice. Grant awards range between $10,000 to $30,000.

Akonadi Foundation has a 25-year history of providing grant funds to racial justice organizations in times of political unrest, economic fragility, and community crisis.

The Foundation’s So Love Can Win Fund originally launched in 2016 in response to critical national and local events that challenged a sense of safety for communities of color, with the intention to spark imagination and seed a vision of a safe, healed, and racially just Oakland. In 2026, Akonadi will disperse a total of up to $400,000 in one round through the So Love Can Win Fund.

The fund seeks to support work that fosters belonging and radical imagination for racial justice movement building in Oakland through the following: Recognizing the impact of negative messaging about Oakland, So Love Can Win is prioritizing storytelling projects that advance and amplify narratives promoting togetherness and belonging.

To combat feelings of isolation, So Love Can Win prioritizes projects creating art & culture spaces that bring people together and create opportunities for deeper understanding and inspire collective action. Finally, So Love Can Win is seeking to fund projects promoting collaboration and partnership between movement leaders, community leaders and artists/culture bearers towards building a racially just Oakland.

Important Dates, Eligibility, and Application Process $400,000 in available funding to be dispersed in one round. All grants are project support and each award ranges between $10,000 – $30,000.

June 1, 2026 – So Love Can Win Fund application opens June 30, 2026 – So Love Can Win Fund application deadline August 24, 2026 – Applicants notified of So Love Can Win grant decisions ELIGIBILITY & WHO CAN APPLY To be eligible for a 2026 So Love Can Win grant, applicants must: Be an organization, group, formation or collective, not an individual Note: We are fairly strict about only funding organizations that have a physical address in Oakland and whose primary work happens in Oakland.

We have made some exceptions in cases where an organization might have an outside address but run an extremely important program in Oakland . Demonstrate a history of work to advance racial justice Have 501(c)(3) status or are fiscally sponsored.

Akonadi is continuing its partnership with the Social Good Fund, which will waive its normal fiscal sponsorship fees to groups that have been approved for a So Love Can Win grant and are in need of a fiscal sponsor. If you need a fiscal sponsor, please let us know in the So Love Can Win application.

Submit a project budget in addition to the proposal Akonadi Foundation will prioritize grant support to the following: Organizations with budgets under $500,000. Applications will be accepted June 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026, 5:00pm PST. Applicants may apply online or through a virtual screening with a representative of the Akonadi Foundation.

Virtual screening interviews are reserved for applicants with accessibility barriers and/or limited technology, as well as applicants who have never applied for a grant with a grantmaking institution. If you do not meet one of these criteria, your request for a phone interview will be declined. Applicants will receive a decision by August 24, 2026.

No email applications will be accepted. All applications must be submitted through our application portal . Checks or electronic transfers will be sent to approved grant partners within two weeks of receipt of a signed contract and payment information.

Questions? Please reach out to us at solovecanwin [at] akonadi. org.

Given the volume of inquiries, please allow a few days for us to respond. Applicants may apply online or through a scheduled virtual screening with a representative of the Akonadi Foundation, if they meet the eligibility requirements. Please note applications do not need to be completed in one sitting.

You may save your progress and resume at a later date. Phone slots are reserved for applicants with accessibility barriers and/or limited technology, as well as applicants who have never applied for a grant with a grantmaking institution. Please note applications do not need to be completed in one sitting.

You may save your progress and resume at a later date. Virtual screenings are reserved for applicants with accessibility barriers and/or limited technology, as well as applicants who have never applied for a grant with a grantmaking institution. Question: Can I apply if my project is happening in Oakland but I am based in another city?

Answer: Akonadi Foundation is committed to funding organizations and projects demonstrating a strong history and current presence in Oakland. If your organization is based in another city, please emphasize how your work will serve Oakland communities. Question: Can I apply even though my proposal was declined last year?

Answer: Yes! You can apply to SLCW every year, even if you were previously declined an award. Question: Can I apply again if I received a grant award last year?

Answer: Yes! You can apply to SLCW every year, even if you were previously awarded a grant. Question: Does my project need to align across all the SLCW strategies or is it ok if it only aligns with one strategy?

Answer: We do not require your project to align across all strategies. We are looking for proposals with clear alignment, articulating targeted and specific outcomes, with at least one of the strategies. Question: Is it ok if I apply with another organization or project in partnership?

Answer: Yes! We encourage groups to apply in partnership although it is not required. We especially look for projects or organizations partnering with movement organizations in Oakland.

Question: I received SLCW grants many times in the past but my recent proposals have not been awarded, what changed? Answer: There are many factors leading to declined proposals. Most declinations are due to the volume of proposals; we tend to receive three times the number of proposals than we can fund.

Also, over time, the strategy for the fund evolves and this can shift alignment. Question: If I do not have 501c3 status, can I still apply? Answer: Yes!

You can still apply; however, if you are awarded a grant, you will be required to have a fiscal sponsor with active 501c3 status. If you do not have a fiscal sponsor, we can connect you with the Social Good Fund to provide sponsorship. Question: When will I be notified of award decisions and what is the method of communication for the decision?

Answer: Applicants will be notified about award decisions by email on August 24, 2026. Important dates, including the deadline to submit your proposal and award decisions, are posted on the website. Please be sure to note the important dates as listed.

Question: If my proposal is declined, how can I get feedback on the proposal? Answer: If your proposal is declined, you have one month from the notification date to schedule a follow-up call to discuss your proposal. Question: If awarded, will we have to complete a grant report?

Question: If we are awarded, when can we expect to receive funding? Answer: Checks or electronic transfers will be sent to approved grant partners within two weeks of receipt of a signed grant agreement and payment information. If you are awarded a grant, it is important your information is up to date and submitted in a timely fashion to process payment.

Question: Why does my annual budget need to be under $500,000 to qualify for a SLCW award? Answer: SLCW prioritizes emerging and/or smaller organizations in order to increase access to institutional funding. While having an annual budget under $500,000 is not a requirement to apply for SLCW, we do consider an organization’s annual budget size in assessing proposals.

Question: If we miss the proposal deadline and reach out for support, will our proposal still be accepted? Answer: Unfortunately, no. Due to the high volume of applications, we are only able to honor proposals submitted through our grant portal by the deadline. We encourage you to start submitting well in advance of the deadline so that if you need support, you can reach out.

The grant portal allows you to start the application and save your progress to support the application process. Facebook 0 Tweet 0 Pin 0 LinkedIn 0 Email 0 If you are human, leave this field blank. So Love Can Win Fund Video Tutorial https://akonadi.

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