Grants

Investing in nonprofits that are advancing a new, transformative system of justice with the core values of racial equity, economic well-being, and fundamental fairness for all.

Grants Overview


Public Welfare Foundation awards grants to nonprofits that honor the Foundation’s core values of racial equity, economic well-being, and fundamental fairness for all. The Foundation looks for strategic points where its funds can make a significant difference and improve lives through policy and system reform that results in transformative change.

The Foundation funds organizations that currently hold a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service working in the United States. Organizations that do not have this status can apply with a fiscal sponsor. The Foundation does not fund individuals, scholarships, direct services, or international projects.

Grant Types: How We Fund the Work

General Support Grants

General support grants are for day-to-day operating costs or to further the work of your organization. These grants are not earmarked for a particular program or project.

Program or Project Support Grants

Program or project support grants support a specific program or activity of the organization. These are restricted grants and must be used for that program or project.

Special Opportunities Grants

The Special Opportunities Program supports projects reflecting the Foundation’s mission and underlying values. These are one-time only grants that are especially timely and compelling. At times, this kind of grant serves as a laboratory for new ideas.

Grants Awarded

Public Welfare Foundation awards grants throughout the year. Please see our database below to see what we have funded. Filter grants by fiscal year and program area.

  • Chicago, IL // 2017

    Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law

    Support to train antipoverty advocates and legal aid lawyers in strategies to combat racism through its Racial Justice Training Institute. 
    Awarded
    $25,000
    Term
    12 months
    Program
    Workers' Rights
  • New York, NY // 2017

    Vera Institute of Justice, Inc.

    Support to provide technical assistance to the Illinois Department of Youth Justice on improving aftercare services and meaningfully incorporating youth voice into agency-led reform efforts. 
    Awarded
    $185,000
    Term
    12 months
    Program
    Youth Justice
  • San Francisco, CA // 2017

    Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

    Support to develop and promote a comprehensive blueprint for reinvestment in community-based alternatives to incarceration in California. 
    Awarded
    $60,000
    Term
    12 months
    Program
    Criminal Justice
  • New York, NY // 2017

    LatinoJustice PRLDEF

    Support to help promote the Spanish translation of The New Jim Crow and engage Latinos in criminal justice reform. 
    Awarded
    $25,000
    Term
    10 months
    Program
    Criminal Justice
  • Washington, DC // 2017

    New Venture Fund

    Support to the Self-Represented Litigation Network. 
    Awarded
    $700,000
    Term
    24 months
    Program
    Special Initiative: Civil Legal Aid
  • Brooklyn, NY // 2017

    Justice in Motion

    General support. 
    Awarded
    $155,000
    Term
    24 months
    Program
    Workers' Rights
  • Sausalito, CA // 2017

    Small Business Majority Foundation, Inc.

    Support to research small business owners' views on workers' rights issues such as wage theft and workers' comp. 
    Awarded
    $50,000
    Term
    12 months
    Program
    Workers' Rights
  • Philadelphia, PA // 2017

    American Friends Service Committee

    Support to implement a statewide sentencing reform campaign in Arizona. 
    Awarded
    $200,000
    Term
    9 months
    Program
    Criminal Justice
  • New Orleans, LA // 2017

    Voice of the Ex-Offender

    Support to develop and implement a statewide sentencing reform campaign to reduce incarceration in Louisiana. 
    Awarded
    $200,000
    Term
    12 months
    Program
    Criminal Justice
  • St. Louis, MO // 2017

    ArchCity Defenders

    Support to Civil Rights Corps, for initial organizational development support for its innovative work on creating effective legal challenges to systematic injustices within the criminal justice system. 
    Awarded
    $25,000
    Term
    6 months
    Program
    President's Discretionary Fund