Best Civil Rights Grants in Connecticut

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in Connecticut can receive up to US $10,000 for special projects advancing equity in education, civil rights, and poverty reduction. Focused on community-based equity efforts, the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund invites groups, especially those not currently funded, to propose initiatives including events created by and for communities of color.

Connecticut civil rights and social justice nonprofits focused on community organizing can seek approximately US $12,000 in general support from the Abelard Foundation. Focused on grassroots progressive social change, the foundation supports 501(c)(3) organizations east of the Mississippi that build local leadership and advance civil and human rights for marginalized communities.

About NIF

Advancing Equality for All Israelis

The New Israel Fund (NIF) helps Israel live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all its inhabitants. Our aim is to advance liberal democracy, including freedom of speech and minority rights, and to fight the inequality, injustice and extremism that diminish Israel.

From Israel’s first rape crisis centers, to fighting discrimination, NIF-funded organizations have driven positive social change and furthered justice and equality. NIF has provided over $350 million to more than 950 organizations since our inception in 1979.

Naomi Chazan Global Activism Fellowship

Want to travel to Israel/Palestine while advancing equality, democracy, and peace for all?

The New Israel Fund’s Naomi Chazan Global Activism Fellowship offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to visit Israel/Palestine, meet frontline Israeli and Palestinian activists, and learn about issues of war, peace, and inequality by seeing the reality on the ground. 

Fellows will visit Israel/Palestine on November 3-10, 2026.

This trip is a great opportunity to learn alongside peers and friends (ages 21 – 35). NIF is based on the simple idea that those of us who share a commitment to Israel/Palestine and to progressive values can join together to work for equality, freedom, and human rights. You will join a cohort of participants from the U.S. and Canada building relationships across borders to be sustained for years to come.

Following the trip, participants are expected to organize at least two NIF events in their home communities, with support from NIF staff. These events could look like a report-back highlighting the participants’ learnings from the trip, educational programs featuring NIF grantees/partners, or something else entirely that is tailored to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs of the fellow’s communities.

The program is subsidized by generous donors in the NIF community. All “on-the-ground” costs—your hotel accommodation and almost all meals—will be covered by NIF. Participants are responsible for purchasing their own airfare and travel/health insurance. If the cost of airfare is a barrier for you, please apply anyway. Limited airfare subsidies may be available.

The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund

The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund is a Princeton, New Jersey-based endowment fund providing grants to individuals, young adults who volunteer or intern for progressive social action projects or programs in an area of their interest and commitment. The Amy Adina Fund also sponsors a lecture each year on a relevant and timely topic related to its educational mission.

The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund was started in 1987 one year after Amy Adina, 20, died suddenly while a student and activist at Rutgers University. It is a realization of her family and her communities’ desire to celebrate her life, to fulfill her dreams and her potential. Since its inception, almost 1,500 grants have been awarded for work in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States—nearly $1,000,000 in total. The Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

About Our Grants

Small grants (depending on length of service), are awarded to as many applicants as possible rather than giving larger amounts to fewer individuals. The number of awards has grown each year thanks to annual contributions as well as to gifts sent to the Fund to honor special occasions and life cycle events.

Nonprofit fair housing enforcement organizations conducting civil rights testing and investigations in Connecticut can access funding through the US HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, with awards from US $250,000 - US $500,000. Grants support private enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and equivalent state or local housing discrimination laws, benefiting groups working on equitable and affordable housing.

U.S.-based 501(c)(3) public charities and fiscally sponsored projects rooted in BAMEMSA communities can seek general operating support for civil and human rights, civic engagement, and immigration and refugee rights work. With a mission to advance racial, gender, queer, and disability justice, Proteus Fund’s RISE Together Fund offers up to US $25,000, including groups serving Connecticut, for community power-building and movement infrastructure.

Law students committed to civil rights and civil liberties work in the U.S., including those from Connecticut, can receive up to US $3,000 for their third year of study through the Judge William Wayne Justice Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law. Funded by Elizabeth Parrish, it recognizes scholastic merit, leadership, and public interest commitment.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations working on civil rights and related community services in Connecticut may be eligible for multi-year support to advance philanthropic programs. Adient Foundation supports civil rights and broader charitable initiatives across the U.S., evaluating proposals on organizational capacity, community relationships, and commitment to equal opportunity objectives.

Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations in Connecticut can access funding through Adient Foundation for charitable programs, including civil rights, community services, education, and related initiatives. The foundation supports soundly managed U.S. organizations, with most awards given as one-time grants; past recipients must reapply for renewed consideration each year.

Individual researchers studying community-led development and civil rights–related issues in Latin America and the Caribbean or the U.S., including those based in Connecticut, can receive US $20,000 fellowships to conduct rigorous field-based research. Social Science Research Council and the Inter-American Foundation support projects on social inclusion, violence prevention, migration, and other community development challenges.

501(c)(3) public charities in Connecticut working on civil rights, LGBTQIA2S+ support, displaced people, immigrant communities, or mental health can apply for the Looking Out Foundation’s grants, awarding US $5,000 - US $25,000 for program work. Nonprofits serving disadvantaged youth, women, the arts, people facing hunger, or the unhoused may also be eligible.

Grassroots 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored groups in Connecticut led by formerly incarcerated or directly impacted people can seek rapid-response funding for civil rights and criminal justice work. Focused on urgent movement-building, Circle for Justice Innovations supports efforts opposing criminalization and incarceration, protecting protest and mutual aid, and advancing restorative and transformative justice, with awards up to US $7,500.

Individuals, agencies, and similar organizations in Connecticut exploring civility, civil discourse, and civil practices can apply for GriffinHarte Foundation grants of up to US $1,000 to support related research, scholarship, and educational efforts. Projects addressing civil rights, social and economic justice, identity, feminism, and civic engagement may be especially relevant.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on civil rights and government accountability can seek nationwide funding to defend basic freedoms and combat discrimination. With a mission to protect fundamental liberties and support the underprivileged, Herb Block Foundation provides Connecticut civil rights groups with US $5,000 - US $25,000 for one-year charitable or educational programs.

U.S. 501(c)(3) public charities working on civil rights and related civic or educational initiatives, including those serving Connecticut, can seek project support from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation; funding excludes overhead. The foundation backs efforts that defend constitutional principles, individual liberties, free markets, and strong civil society institutions through ongoing LOI and proposal review.

Women- and youth-serving nonprofits, schools, parks departments, and amateur leagues in Connecticut can receive funding to run structured sports programs for girls ages 11–18, especially Black, Hispanic, African-American, and Native American participants. Women’s Sports Foundation provides support for coaching, equipment, uniforms, transportation, facilities, tournaments, and team-building that promote leadership and confidence; awards are $10,000 in 2026.

Nonprofit digital news organizations serving local communities in Connecticut and across the U.S. can seek funding to build business capacity and grow sustainable local journalism. American Journalism Project provides support for 501(c)(3) or aspiring 501(c)(3) outlets whose free, independent public-service reporting advances diverse, inclusive coverage and meets high standards of transparency and revenue growth.

State and local education affiliates working on racial justice in education can apply for funding to advance awareness, capacity-building, and action, including in Connecticut. Grants from National Education Association Staff Organization help civil rights and education groups implement projects that address racial equity, develop leaders of color, build multiracial solidarity, and transform organizational policies, with awards from US $5,000 - US $75,000.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations working on intellectual freedom and civil discourse in the U.S., including Connecticut, can seek support for innovative, measurable projects that align with these priorities. The Mike & Sofia Segal Foundation also considers related work in rare diseases, Jewish heritage, elder care, and climate change when clearly connected to its mission.

Connecticut civil rights and justice-focused organizations or individuals with proven improvements to U.S. civil or criminal justice systems can receive recognition and funding for accomplished work. The Foundation for Improvement of Justice provides U.S. justice innovators with a Paul H. Chapman Medal, US $15,000, a framed certificate, and an expenses-paid trip to an awards banquet in Atlanta.

Connecticut schools, local governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits planning Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day events can access funding through Safe Routes to School National Parternship. Grants of US $500 - US $1,000 support student-centered activities that promote activism, anti-racism, anti-bullying, and walking or rolling to school while inspiring youth leadership and community change.

The Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, established in 1992, supports charitable organizations that enhance society, focusing on democracy and civil liberties. The fund prioritizes projects that ensure equal citizen participation in the democratic process and protect civil liberties, especially those implemented nationally or across multiple states. It operates by invitation only and emphasizes flexible, informed grantmaking to qualified projects that align with its mission and values.

The Puffin Foundation's Environmental Artistic Activism Grant Program supports artists addressing environmental issues through diverse artistic genres such as film, music, and theater. Grants, typically around $1,750, fund projects that prioritize sustainability and innovative solutions to the climate crisis. Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and current DACA recipients. The foundation emphasizes projects that avoid contributing to environmental harm while fostering artistic expression and community engagement.

The Impact Fund provides recoverable grants to legal services nonprofits and small law firms working on social, environmental, and economic justice issues. With over $10 million awarded since 1992, the fund supports impactful litigation addressing systemic injustices. Grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 and prioritize cases directly involving affected communities. Recipients must repay the grant amount with interest if they recover fees or costs, ensuring sustainability for future funding.

The Grassroots Organizing National Grant Program, funded by the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, supports small, community-led organizations in the U.S. working to confront social and environmental injustices. Grants of up to $30,000 per year are available for two years, prioritizing organizations with budgets under $350,000. The program emphasizes grassroots organizing and community empowerment, inspired by the legacy of John Lewis. Eligible applicants must focus on collective action and local leadership to drive social change.