Bread & Roses Community Fund, with support from the William Penn Foundation, has launched the Climate Justice Organizing Fund, a three-year grant program to support grassroots, community-led groups organizing for climate justice in the Philadelphia region. The fund aims to move financial resources to these groups to help change policies, practices, and processes that perpetuate climate inequities. The fund has two tracks: one for capacity building and strategy development and another for implementing existing climate justice organizing strategies.

Climate justice focuses on addressing the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities. These are often communities of color, low-income residents, Indigenous populations, and others who contribute the least to climate change but bear the brunt of its consequences. Climate justice works to correct systemic inequities rooted in historical racism, disinvestment, and exploitation by centering impacted communities in decision-making and ensuring they receive equitable climate benefits like clean air, safe water, and climate resilience infrastructure.

The Climate Justice Organizing Fund provides two types of grants. Track One awards grants of $15,000 to support capacity-building efforts such as training in community organizing, climate justice education, and developing climate justice strategies. These efforts may include training for staff and community members, connecting with climate policy experts, and holding community meetings to understand climate needs and priorities. Track Two awards $25,000 grants to organizations with established climate justice strategies, supporting them in implementing campaigns, organizing direct actions, or mobilizing community members to engage policymakers and participate in public hearings.

To be eligible for either track, organizations must have an annual operating budget of $500,000 or less. Priority is given to smaller grassroots organizations, particularly those often overlooked for funding. Leadership must be reflective of the affected communities, meaning the leadership should include people directly affected by climate change. Applicants must use community organizing approaches centered on the voices of climate-impacted communities and demonstrate understanding of climate justice and environmental racism.

Track One is open to new organizations focusing on climate justice or existing grassroots organizations expanding into climate justice work. Track Two is for organizations with a demonstrated history of community organizing to influence policies or institutional practices related to climate justice. These organizations must have experience in basebuilding and ensuring strategies are shaped directly by community members. Applications should clearly show how community organizing will address specific climate justice issues and how impacted community members are involved in decision-making.

Applications for the Climate Justice Organizing Fund are due by March 26, 2025. For additional information about eligibility or the review process, applicants can contact Bread & Roses at grants@breadrosesfund.org. A virtual information session was recorded on February 20, 2025, and is available for interested applicants. Decisions will be made by the Community Grantmaking Committee, which includes movement leaders, impacted community members, allies, and donors. This committee ensures that funding decisions align with the movement fund’s commitment to community-led grantmaking.