We are a community of New Yorkers committed to justice
We are a social justice fund that supports grassroots organizing led by communities of color building power in New York City and the Hudson Valley.
We support community organizing
We raise money and then use it to make grants for organizing in New York City and the Hudson Valley for racial, gender and economic justice. We fund work that is led and enacted by people directly affected by an issue. If you see a group of New Yorkers on the steps of the state Capitol or in the streets demanding their rights, we probably fund them now or have funded them in the past.
As of June 30, 2024, North Star Fund has awarded over $133 million in grants to over 3,000 organizations.
North Star Fund’s 2024 Action Report shares our work this year and how we support organizing for a New York where we all can thrive—together.
- Our Community Funding Committees awarded $4 million in grants across New York City, the Hudson Valley and New York State to 150 active grantees
- Organizing stories — how grantees are growing movements to change New York
- Thank you to our community of donors
- Highlights from our community building work
It’s all online in our 2024 Action Report. Read it here!
Hudson Valley Grantmaking
Our Hudson Valley funding area includes a mix of rural, suburban and urban settings that provide unique opportunities to support grassroots organizing based in communities of color. Many policy issues that affect New York’s communities of color—housing, policing, schools, food policy and more—require legislative action. That means both a statewide strategy as well as an approach that builds on hyperlocal community organizing from New York City and other communities. As of June 30, 2024 we’ve awarded over $5.5 million in grants in the region.
Sign up for news, updates and movement resources
Twice a month we send our Community News email with updates from our grantees, invitations to upcoming events, and links to jobs and grant opportunities. Sign up and we'll hook you up!
Let Us Breathe Forum
How do we strengthen organizing for Black Liberation? We share the Forum conversations in the Black Paper.
The Statewide Power Fund
Our newest fund launched with a $1 million slate of grants.
North Star Fund Conference Room Not Available
In order to prioritize the safety of our staff, grantees and volunteers as well as the workers in our office building, North Star Fund staff will continue to mostly work from our homes. Our conference room is still not available for rental at this time.
The best way to reach us is to email the individual staffer that you need using our Staff page. If you’re not sure who you need, please use the form on the Contact Us page and we’ll send your message to the correct person.
Let’s keep looking out for each other and fighting for justice.
The Let Us Breathe Fund
Since 2015, the Let Us Breathe Fund has centered Black-led organizing groups largely focused on police and state violence, structural racism and systems reform. The fund has also supported multi-racial organizing in support of these issues. As of June 30, 2024 the Let Us Breathe Fund has awarded over $5.5 million in grants.
Our Latest News
Another World is Possible: An Update from our CFC Retreat
In September, North Star Fund hosted our annual retreat for the Community Funding Committees (CFCs). These committees are made up of community activists. These activists volunteer their time to review the hundreds of grant applications we receive each year. The...
The Power of Grassroots Coalitions
We’re in the second year of our two-year pilot Statewide Power Fund, the first time North Star Fund has convened organizers from around New York State to support coalitions working across urban, suburban and rural communities on a range of campaigns to build the power...
Learn More About Our 2026 Giving Project
Our People Power Giving Project is a four-month program. It brings together New Yorkers from a wide range of backgrounds who want to support movements for justice. Together, we share stories and develop an analysis of how systemic oppression impacts our lives and...