Movement Building Grants

The Boston Women's Fund (BWF) is opening the 2025 Movement Building Grants for grassroots organizations in Greater Boston. The fund aims to support community-led initiatives that foster racial, economic, social, and gender justice by empowering immigrant communities, particularly Haitian and Hispanic groups. The grant provides unrestricted general operating support to organizations working towards immigrant justice. A total of three organizations will be awarded a $25,000 grant for one year, and nominations for the grant can be submitted either by community members or through self-nomination by the organization itself. BWF encourages the participation of grassroots organizations supporting immigrant communities in Greater Boston. However, there is a special focus on those serving Haitian and Hispanic communities due to the rising national challenges these groups face. The Movement Building grants seek to remove application burdens from organization leaders by relying on community nominations, although self-nominations are accepted. The grants are specifically intended to support organizations working in immigrant justice, with a focus on advocating for human rights, building power within immigrant and refugee communities, and addressing inequities within the immigration system. The Movement Building Grants are open to organizations that meet specific eligibility criteria. Applicants must have 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status or have a fiscal agent with this status, and their general operating budget must not exceed $500,000. Additionally, the organizations must be led by and for women, girls, and/or gender-expansive communities and be located in and serve the Greater Boston area. The board of directors must be at least 60% women, girls, and/or gender-expansive individuals, and the leadership team should reflect the diversity of the communities the organization serves. Organizations must be engaged in immigrant justice work, which includes activities such as advocating for human rights, providing legal or economic resources, and dismantling exploitative systems. BWF is particularly prioritizing early-stage grassroots organizations. These are defined as groups that are still establishing their core strategies or methods for sustainability. Examples include organizations that are in the early phases of funding and have only begun formal operations or organizations that, while a few years old, are still in the process of building their staff and infrastructure. This does not mean that the organization needs to be financially small or young in terms of years; the emphasis is on the stage of development and sustainability. The grant selection process will involve an interview period from March to May 2025, with final decisions being made in June 2025. The deadline for nominations is February 28, 2025, and the selected grantees will be notified in June 2025. The BWF is also committed to ensuring accessibility throughout the process, offering nomination forms in English, Spanish, and Haitian Kreyol, and providing multilingual support during interviews and the selection process.