Our Grants

The Markham-Nathan Fund for Social Justice provides awards between $500 and $4,000 to grassroots social justice organizations in Western Massachusetts. We provide grants to groups that are tax-exempt under the IRS 501c3 code, or are fiscally sponsored as such. We do not give grants to individuals.

We offer

• Spring and Fall Grants (application deadlines: March 1, October 1; grants up to $4,000)
• Emergency Grant (accepting applications year-round; up to $500)

Our Granting Guidelines

We are particularly interested in projects and organizations that:

• are sponsored by grassroots community organizations on the frontiers of fighting the root causes of injustice and poverty
• promote local leadership within marginalized communities
• have limited access to resources
• use multiple approaches (public education, arts, organizing, litigation)
• have an understanding of oppression and social justice, and demonstrate active alliance with other groups working for social justice (i.e., an environmental organization that understands how economic injustice and racism play a role in health, climate change, etc.)
• can build community through:
  • social justice and empowerment of groups most affected by oppression
  • economic justice and the rights and dignity of workers and the poor
  • the struggle for civil rights for those legally disenfranchised, such as immigrants and prisoners
  • environmental justice and addressing the link between a just society and a sustainable world
  • the elimination of war and other forms of violence and a goal of promoting conflict-resolution, reconciliation, and peace-building
  • the establishment of quality healthcare for all, especially the poor and uninsured

Our work is made possible through donations.