Rapid Response grants support strategic organizing in response to unexpected events, urgent challenges, or rapidly emerging political moments.
Donor Name: Headwaters Foundation for Justice
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/07/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
At Headwaters Foundation for Justice (HFJ), they know that the nature of grassroots organizing means that the funding cycles do not always align with organizations’ real-time financial needs in moments of crisis or opportunity. As a result, HFJ budgets a yearly pool of funds for rapid response grantmaking.
The Rapid Response Fund supports strategic organizing around new, rapidly emerging, or unexpected legislative or policy developments, events, and political moments. Examples could include, but are not limited to:
- Short-term strategic collaboration/coalition with other organizations
- Civic engagement project or political education effort
- Legal defense and security costs
- Cultural/arts organizing in response to a specific community need or issue
- An organizing campaign escalation responding to a shift in conditions
- Restorative/healing justice after an incident of harm within the community or within an organization
- Unanticipated moments of internal organizational pivots such as leadership transitions or staff unionization efforts.
Funding Information
Rapid Response Fund grants are $15,000.
Grant Period
12 Months
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Rapid Response Grant, an organization must meet the following requirements:
- Be a legally incorporated entity with 501(c)(3) status, or have a 501c3 fiscal sponsor, or be a Tribal Nation/Tribal Entity
- Be based in and carry out their work in Minnesota
- In addition, eligible organizations may:
- Be a current or past HFJ grantee partner
- Be new to HFJ
- Be either an emerging or established organization
For more information, visit HFJ.
