Equity and Social Justice
The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Equity and Social Justice grants fund community-led research and organizing to address systemic injustice and advance policy changes in areas like voter engagement, economic opportunity, and youth justice.
Funder: Pittsburgh Foundation
Due Dates: February 3, 2026 (Spring cycle) | July 15, 2026 (Fall cycle)
Funding Amounts: Typical awards range from $10,000–$75,000 per grant; project and general operating support available.
Summary: Supports community-led efforts to address systemic injustice and promote equitable access to opportunity through policy change and civic participation.
Key Information: Prioritizes leadership by those directly impacted by systemic injustice; open to nonprofits and grassroots groups in the Pittsburgh region.
Description
The Equity and Social Justice grantmaking initiative by the Pittsburgh Foundation is designed to support civic participation and community organizing efforts that aim to achieve systemic policy changes. The program emphasizes projects led by individuals and communities directly impacted by systemic injustice, under the belief that their lived experience is critical for developing solutions that remove barriers to opportunity.
Grantmaking focuses on addressing the root causes of inequity by targeting policies, practices, and cultural messages that perpetuate injustice. Rather than supporting only programmatic interventions, the initiative seeks to create lasting change at the systems level. Key areas of focus include:
- Non-partisan voter engagement and education
- Expanding access to reliable, fact-based information
- Protecting basic needs and removing barriers to economic opportunity
- Ending mass incarceration and over-policing
- Advancing youth justice through prevention and diversion
