Social Change Fund
The Social Change Fund is Headwaters’ broadest fund, awarding grants to more than 25 organizations annually. The fund supports organizations that operate with a long-term vision for social justice, are committed to leadership of community members affected by the injustice, and use organizing to build power and effect social change.

Funding Focus:
The fund supports a wide range of issue, activities and is committed to advancing groups and individuals historically disenfranchised and disproportionately impacted, including low-income, people of color, LGBT, people with disabilities, etc. The fund has identified (but is not limited to) the following areas of interest in 2009-2010:

Economic justice:
Wealth is distributed unequally in the United States today. Many families are working without insurance, not making a living wage or not able to find work. The fund supports groups organizing to address the policies, practices, and institutions that create, maintain and support these systems of injustice.

Environmental Justice:
Low-income and communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice. The fund supports community activism that address the root cause of environmental concerns. The fund supports group’s efforts to make changes to the social, economical and political systems that will result in improved health, increased inclusion in decision-making process’ and greater enforcement of environmental laws.

Racial justice:
Racism (prejudice plus power) is a reality of American society that we need to over come.  The fund supports groups as they empower people to challenge the policies, practices and institutions, fostering prejudice and perpetuating inequality.

Social justice:
Homophobia, ableism and oppression of women undergird our society.  The fund supports groups as they address systemic inequities and demand a more equitable distribution of power and opportunity.

Groups must meet the general Headwaters’ funding criteria: 

• Organizing as a means of directly engaging community in addressing issues;
• Social justice focus to address the root cause or conditions of a community’s social, economic or racial injustices;
• Impacting social, economic and political institution or systems that perpetuate injustice;
• Constituent leadership of and accountable to the community that is affected by the issue and is being organized;
• Limited access to traditional funding sources—typically, this means annual budgets of less than $300,000.
• Working in alliance with the knowledge of and collaboration with other groups working for justice.
• Minnesota based

Funding levels: Planning Grants up to $ 5,000 and Implementation Grants up to $10,000.

Application deadline: First business day of February

Guidelines and application form: Download application here

Grants Committee:
Ryan Li Dahlstrom Tim Davies Laura Gaitan Jihan Golden Collie Graddick Phyllis Hill Malik Holt-Shabazz Boa Lee Veronica Mendez Monica Meyer Ned Moore	Mai Ku Moua Suzanne Murphy Khanh Nguyen Lydia Nobello Luis Pereria Ed Petche Steven Renderos Duke Schempp Joan Vanhala Alessandra Williams Daniel Yang
Staff:
David Nicholson Monica Bryand

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