Social Change Grants for Nonprofits

GrantStation’s exclusive database features 621 active funding opportunities giving towards this area of interest, all accepting requests from new grantseekers!

With a membership, you’ll gain instant access to our full directory of 15,000+ funders and powerful tools to find, track, and secure the best grants for your mission. Maximize your grant success today with our expertly curated funder database, step-by-step grant writing resources, and industry-leading online education.

iF Design

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Application Deadline:

Registrations: May 20 and August 19, 2026

The iF Design SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE supports established projects that contribute to improving society. Eligible projects must align with one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development…

Borealis Philanthropy

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Application Deadline:

May 20, 2026

The Disability Inclusion Fund, administered by Borealis Philanthropy, supports organizations in the United States and its territories that are run by and for people with disabilities to lead…

Emergent Fund

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Application Deadline:

Every third Thursday at 5PM PST

Emergent Fund is a national rapid response fund created to explicitly support Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led social justice movements. The Fund supports work grounded in movement…

West Vancouver Foundation

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Application Deadline:

May 22, 2026

The West Vancouver Foundation supports programs and projects that serve the North Shore community, including West Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Transformation Grant supports community…

Colorado Gives Foundation

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Application Deadline:

May 29, 2026

The Colorado Gives Foundation, formerly the Community First Foundation, is dedicated to improving the lives of people in Jefferson County, CO.

The Foundation provides grants to support…

Ashoka Changemakers Challenges

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Application Deadline:

Changed by Us: May 29, 2026

Ashoka Changemakers Challenges are competitions designed to connect innovative participants to one another to scale their impact.

The program has several challenges open at any given time.…

DG Murray Trust

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Application Deadline:

Applications accepted February 2 - May 29 and August 31 - November 30, 2026

The DG Murray Trust (DGMT) supports initiatives that aim to reduce inequality and improve quality of life in South Africa. The Trust focuses on developing long-term solutions that enable…

Rising Tide Foundation

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Application Deadline:

Clinical Cancer Research: November 23, 2025, and March 9, May 29, and November 23, 2026
Freedom in Practice: Letters of intent are accepted year-round

The mission of the Rising Tide Foundation is to promote freedom to improve the quality of life everywhere. The Foundation supports projects that deliver results for cancer patients and that…

It is the privilege of living in a democracy that the people hold the power to make social change. This sort of change is often essential to being able to overcome systemic issues. This is a broad concept, of course, with nonprofits working across many different vectors of social change.

All those nonprofits, however, rely on the generous funding provided by social change grants. These grants can be put towards any kind of social change program you can imagine - advocacy campaigns, community leadership programs, public awareness campaigns or research on social inequity.

There are a vast array of organizations that provide social change grants, including many private foundations. Examples of these would include the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. 

When drafting a social change grant proposal, it's essential to use data to back up your claims. You need to demonstrate there is a clear incidence of inequity, and that your nonprofit is poised to address it. A good place to get started is with demographic data, such as from the U.S. Census Bureau, Pew Research Center or Brookings Institution. 

If you need more pointers on writing great grant proposals, make sure to check out our full overview of the subject. You can also start browsing social change grants right here, all open for applications.