Person holding a bullhorn at a n outdoor rally in Albany

Our Vision

We envision a world in which resources and power are equitably shared, and a future where everyone can live with dignity and thrive.

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 organize people across race and class to give in support of these movements.

As of June 30, 2023, North Star Fund has awarded over $117 million in grants to over 2,800 organizations. This includes close to 9,500 grants made via donor-advised funds, our community funding committee process, and philanthropic partnerships.

Our Strategic Plan

In early 2020, we re-committed to our founding principles and laid out our priorities for 2020-2023. Check out our strategic plan.

Latest News and Updates

Grants Are Available—Apply by March 29!

Grants Are Available—Apply by March 29!

We’re inviting groups new to North Star Fund to apply for Hudson Valley Organizing grants, NYC Organizing grants, and Let Us Breathe Fund grants. These grants support small to medium-sized organizations working to create systemic change through grassroots community organizing.

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2024 Youth Organizing Summit

2024 Youth Organizing Summit

Are you a youth (age 14-24) in New York State?  Are you passionate about organizing for justice?  Do you want to connect with other youth organizers and build power together?  If...

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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!

Young person wearing a black shirt and jeans holds a sign that says "Our Voices Matter"

What We Do

Six members of New York City Community Funding Committee with two staffers

We give grants through a process that shifts decision-making power to communities fighting for justice.

Community organizers—including former and current grantees—collectively make our funding decisions and participate in the governance of our organization.

A group of three people talking in a small group in a workshop

We strengthen the leadership of grassroots organizers.

We support new and emerging leaders and are often the first foundation to fund new organizations or campaigns. We contribute to the social change ecosystem by providing capacity-building and leadership programs to organizations led by communities impacted by injustice.

Six members of New York City Community Funding Committee with two staffers

We organize people across race and class to mobilize resources towards social justice movements.

We offer programs that bring experienced organizers and supporters together to recognize the shared stake we have in dismantling white supremacy and structural systems of oppression. We create opportunities for people to move money and to take collective action towards building a different future.

We challenge the entrenched racism and power imbalances in philanthropy.

We work across the field of philanthropy—where less than 10% of all dollars go to communities of color—to increase funding for social justice movements and to build greater accountability, transparency, and accessibility.

Learn More About Our History

For over 40 years, we have built community and resources for New York’s grassroots movements for justice.

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