The Peace Development Fund (PDF) supports grassroots organizations working for social, economic, and environmental justice. Through its Community Organizing Grants Program, PDF provides small general operating grants to organizations in the United States, Mexico, and Haiti. These grants are designed to strengthen community-based groups that are actively organizing for systemic change.
PDF’s program is built on the belief that lasting justice requires strong grassroots movements. Each year, hundreds of proposals are reviewed, and funding is awarded to organizations that embody the fund’s four pillars of community organizing.
Available Funds
PDF’s Community Organizing Grants Program includes three distinct funds. Applicants must select the most appropriate one when applying:
- Seeding the Movement Fund Designed to support emerging organizations that are building new campaigns and leadership structures.
- Western Mass Transformation Fund Focused on organizations in Western Massachusetts that are working on local justice initiatives.
- Braiding New Worlds Fund Supports groups envisioning and practicing transformative approaches to justice and equity.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for funding, organizations must meet the following criteria:
- Annual budget of $250,000 USD or less (based on the last completed fiscal year).
- Geographic location: must be based in the US, Mexico, or Haiti.
- Legal status: must have a valid 501(c)(3) or a US-based fiscal sponsor.
- Organizations in Mexico or Haiti must have a US-based fiscal sponsor.
- Connection to community organizing: applicants must demonstrate clear and concrete organizing strategies.
- Funding pause rule: organizations that have received three consecutive years of funding must take a two-year break before reapplying.
What PDF Does Not Fund
Certain types of organizations and activities are not eligible for funding. These include:
- Programs with a primary focus outside the US, Mexico, or Haiti.
- Organizations not directly engaged in community organizing.
- Social services without a clear organizing strategy.
- Individuals or groups led by a single person.
- Conferences, trainings, or one-time events.
- Audio-visual productions or distribution (unless part of grassroots organizing).
- Research not linked to organizing strategies.
- Academic institutions and scholarships.
- Other grantmaking organizations (unless serving as fiscal sponsors).
- Organizations with budgets larger than $250,000.
- Lobbying activities.
Four Pillars of Community Organizing
PDF evaluates applications based on its four pillars of community organizing. Successful applicants must demonstrate strong alignment with these principles:
- Shift Power
- Bring people together to take coordinated action.
- Challenge institutional practices in government, corporations, schools, or other powerful groups.
- Ensure leadership comes from those most impacted by systemic issues.
- Build a Movement
- Expand membership while staying true to organizational vision.
- Develop leadership capacity within the organization and among allies.
- Prioritize sustainability and care practices to ensure long-term resilience.
- Dismantle Oppression
- Challenge institutional structures that perpetuate inequality.
- Implement internal practices to end racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, and other harmful dynamics.
- Foster inclusive and equitable organizational culture.
- Create New Structures
- Practice liberating, democratic, and sustainable ways of organizing.
- Clearly articulate how new structures break away from oppressive systems.
- Envision bold transformations of political, social, and economic systems.
Application Process
Applications for the 2025–2026 grant cycle follow these steps:
- Opening date: November 1, 2025
- Closing date: January 31, 2026
- Application portal: Applicants must create or log in to an account on PDF’s grant portal.
- Eligibility quiz: All applicants must complete a quiz before accessing the application.
- Single application form: All three funds use the same application; applicants select the relevant fund during submission.
- Review process: Community reviewers (current or former grantees) provide input during evaluation.
Why Apply?
PDF’s grants are more than financial support—they are an investment in grassroots power. By funding small organizations, PDF ensures that communities most affected by injustice have the resources to:
- Build leadership capacity.
- Sustain long-term organizing campaigns.
- Challenge oppressive systems.
- Create innovative structures for justice and equity.
The Peace Development Fund’s Community Organizing Grants Program is a vital resource for grassroots organizations committed to justice. By centering community power, sustainability, equity, and transformation, PDF helps ensure that small organizations can thrive and lead meaningful change.
This program is not just about funding, it is about building movements that last. Organizations that embody the four pillars of community organizing are encouraged to apply and join a network of changemakers working toward a more just and equitable world. Apply now.
