Grant Categories

Regular Grants

Activist-led seed grants to New York's most effective emerging groups have been the core of North Star Fund's program. General operating grants of $5,000 , $10,000 and $15,000 are awarded during two grant cycles each year (Spring and Fall). The grant amount is determined by a number of factors, including the organization's budget, accomplishments, and need.

Apply for a North Star Fund grant

Rapid Response Grants

Small grants of up to $2,000 are available throughout the year to community-based organizations that are responding quickly to unexpected political, social or economic events. These funds enable the groups to organize strategic events or initiatives that could not have been anticipated in their regular program work. This fund does not support travel expenses for individual speakers or conference participants or fundraising events such as galas and walk-a-thons. To apply, call (212) 620-9110.

Due to a high demand for rapid response grants, North Star Fund has reached our limit for 2009. Therefore, we are temporarily suspending our rapid response grants program. We will begin accepting applications again in January 2010.

Technical Assistance

More than funding, North Star Fund provides skills development through workshops in grassroots fundraising, board development, volunteer management, working with media.

More about our Technical Assistance program.

Training the Next Generation

For several summers, North Star Fund has collaborated with the New York Foundation to bring together students from diverse backgrounds and match them with grantee groups to learn the basics skills of grassroots community organizing. The program is called SEYCO, which stands for Summer Employment for Youth in Community Organizing. SEYCO is building a pipeline for a new generation of activists.