The Rapid Response Fund supports strategic organizing around new, rapidly emerging, or unexpected legislative or policy developments, events, and political moments.
Donor Name: Headwaters Foundation for Justice
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/29/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
Examples could include, but are not limited to:
- short-term strategic collaboration/coalition with other organizations
- civic engagement project or public education
- legal defense and security costs
- cultural organizing/healing justice work in response to a community need in the face of an unexpected political event
- restorative justice after an incident of harm within the community
- unanticipated moments of internal organizational pivots, i.e., leadership transitions, unionization efforts, etc.
Funding Information
- Foundation expects to distribute $600,000 in grants (approximately $75,000 per grant round).
- The organizations selected for Rapid Response funding will receive unrestricted, general operating grants of up to $25,000.
Grant Period
September 2025 and June 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for the Rapid Response Grant, an organization must meet the following requirements:
- In addition, eligible organizations may:
- Be a current or past HFJ’s grantee partner
- Be new to HFJ
- Be either an emerging or established organization.
Evaluation Criteria
Grant requests will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Timely and urgent: The rapid response work must be responding to an unanticipated event or urgent internal or external challenge.
- Opportunity for immediate community impact: The rapid response work is strategic with a clear timeline and goals, with the desired outcomes having the potential to positively affect the community right away.
- Clear focus on equity and justice: The organization’s work specifically focuses on equity and justice in alignment with HFJ mission and values. It should demonstrate a clear equity framework, explicitly responding to the unique needs, challenges, and strengths of marginalized communities.
- Movement- and power-building: The organization must aim to build the voice and power of Black people, Indigenous people, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) and/or other marginalized communities (e.g. immigrants, refugees, formerly incarcerated residents, youth, low-wage workers, people with disabilities, low-income residents, LGBTQ+ community members, etc.).
- Representative leadership and staff: The organization’s efforts must be led by those who are most impacted by the issues that the effort aims to address.
For more information, visit Headwaters Foundation for Justice.
