Applicants are invited to apply for the Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center Grant Program.
Donor Name: Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/15/2026
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center works to improve the economic well-being and social conditions of disadvantaged persons and groups in the United States in two ways:
- Litigation: BMSJC provides high-quality legal representation in social justice cases to underserved and underrepresented communities across the country.
- Grant Making: They select nonprofits working directly on legal cases and provide them with funding specific for litigation expenses.
- Education: They educate the public on civil rights issues through a variety of media formats such as articles, videos, blogs, podcasts, speeches, and presentations.
- Advocacy: They conduct and coordinate state and national issue advocacy to promote, protect, and defend the civil rights of underrepresented communities.
The pursue litigation through own efforts as well as funding others in the following fifteen issue areas:
- Access to Benefits
- Children’s Rights
- Disability Rights
- Discrimination
- Domestic Violence
- Due Process
- Environmental Justice
- Healthcare
- Homelessness
- Housing
- Native American Rights
- Prisoners’ Rights
- Refugee and Immigration Rights
- Voting Rights
- Veterans’ Rights
Eligibility Criteria
- Grant funds are to be used only for attorney time charges and litigation expenses related to the specific case for which an organization is applying to be funded.
- The IRS recognizes The Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center as a public charity and tax exempt 501 (c)(3) organization.
Ineligibility
Grants are not made for:
- Criminal cases.
- Claim(s) for an individual(s) (unless the case is of significant precedential value beyond the interest of the individual).
- An amicus brief.
- The Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center only provides grants to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.
- Each organization may apply for one case only.
- The application should be submitted by only one organization.
- Applicants may apply only on behalf of their own organization.
- Applicants may be awarded for a grant no more than two consecutive years in a row.
- Previously funded cases may not be submitted again.
For more information, visit BMSJC.
