New York City Organizing Grants

Our New York City organizing fund is North Star Fund’s longest running grants category—it includes our earliest grants beginning in 1979. This fund has grown remarkably in recent years, and the work of the grantees it funds is as essential as ever. This fiscal year, we awarded over $2 million—much in multi-year funding—to support 80 organizations fighting for a city where we all can thrive.

Today, New Yorkers are facing higher living costs while income and wealth are being concentrated in fewer families. The ongoing threat of racist, homophobic and transphobic violence is growing. But our grantees continuously resist in beautiful and powerful ways. They lovingly do the day-in and day-out work of building a more compassionate and just city, while undoing entrenched systems of oppression and white supremacy.

Supporting bold and varied strategies

Our New York City grants sustain new groups as well as organizations that have been grantees for many years, and provide support through critical junctures in long-term campaigns.

Our New York City grantees creatively confront many different interconnected and intersectional issues using a wide range of strategies, and these grassroots organizations are led by people and communities of color impacted by the challenges they seek to address. They organize for racial, economic, gender and environmental justice, with campaigns advocating for better working and living conditions, a just food system, police accountability and equity in the public school system—to name just a few. Many grantees incorporate community building, mutual aid, and healing justice into their organizing work as they also advocate for community investment and community ownership/stewardship. Grantees are also building powerful campaigns in coalition, connecting with other groups in NYC and throughout the state to grow movements for collective liberation.

Deepening and strengthening our community

This work is urgent—requiring sustainable movement spaces that support leadership development and community wellness for the long-term. As North Star Fund has expanded our grants programs, we’ve continued to deepen our relationships and strengthen our community. We look forward to continuing to learn from each other as we grow a supportive community and people-powered movement!