The Giving Project is a 6-month program that runs September through February. We bring together 16-20 community volunteers who form a cohort. Each participant commits to attending 12 sessions throughout the program to learn about race, class, gender, grassroots donor organizing, and community-led grantmaking.

Participants apply what they learn immediately after each session as they read and evaluate grant applications, donor organize their friends & family, and lead site visits with potential grantee partners. At the end of the program, the cohort collectively decides which organizations receive grants. 

The Giving Project is often a transformative experience for those involved. No prior experience with philanthropy or fundraising is necessary. We will train you and support you along the way! 

We encourage all people, and especially Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color; LGBTQ people; low- or no-wealth individuals; and folks over 40 to apply. 

You should apply if: 

• You want to confront issues of injustice and take action. 
• You want to learn about social justice movements and community organizations in Minnesota that are building a future free of oppression. 
• You are passionate about building community and curious to learn about other peoples’ lived experiences that are different from yours. 
• You want to learn how to fundraise, make grants, and expand your network. 
• You are open to and ready for personal transformation. 

Please note: The Giving Project isn’t an anti-oppression 101 course. We’re looking for people who have a developed understanding and analysis of race and class and are excited to dig deeper within the Giving Project. If you are interested in participating in the Giving Project but are new to anti-oppression work, we encourage you to first participate in an anti-oppression training online or in your community. There are dozens of great programs out there that will help set you up for success in the Giving Project. 

The 2024-25 Giving Project will run from September 2024 – February 2025. There are 12 required sessions over those 6 months, along with asynchronous coaching, donor organizing, grant reading and evaluation, and site visits with grant applicants.  

We ask you to:

1. Commit to the entire program by attending all sessions, reading and scoring grant applications, donor organizing your network of personal connections, and participating in small and large group activities. The commitment is about 120 hours, or 20 hours per month. 
2. Come ready to learn from one another and contribute what you’re able during discussions, activities, and group experiences. 
3. Make a personal financial contribution. Every gift is meaningful, and there are no minimum or maximum amounts. 

The Giving Project is a multi-month cohort-based experience that requires a significant commitment of time, talent, and resources from participants. Headwaters works hard to create an environment of support for folks to fully participate in the program, and we understand that most folks are already juggling various responsibilities within their lives. Nobody can be everywhere all the time. With that in mind, we want to be clear that this program is intensive and completely voluntary.

The experience of the Giving Project cohort is negatively impacted when participants aren’t fully present and engaged. It is important to us that Giving Project participants not only have passion for funding social justice movements, but also that they have the time and capacity to fully invest in this unique cohort experience.

After considering your personal situation (other significant commitments, competing demands, work/life balance, mental and emotional capacity, etc.), if you are feeling unsure about your current ability to fully commit to this program, we encourage you to prioritize self-care and consider applying for a future Giving Project cohort. 

Nearly 150 people have committed to and completed the Giving Project program, many with stories of personal transformation, deeper community connections, and a better understanding of Minnesota’s social justice movements. If you can make the commitment, you will get just as much out of the Giving Project as you put in! 

There are 12 required sessions throughout the program to learn about race, class, gender, grassroots donor organizing, and community-led grantmaking, along with asynchronous coaching, donor organizing, grant reading and evaluation, and site visits with grant applicants.   

You must commit to attending all of these sessions to participate in the Giving Project. Find the schedule here.

In an effort to refine and strengthen the political analysis of the Giving Project, we have selected a theme of gender justice for this year.

Gender justice is intersectional, expansive, and centers those most impacted by various, often compounding, forms of gender-based oppression. We refer to the wisdom and leadership of Third Wave Fund in defining gender justice as, “a movement to end patriarchy, transphobia, and homophobia, and to create a world free from misogyny.” By selecting this theme for the 2024-25 Giving Project, Headwaters is emphasizing our understanding of gender justice as a necessary component in all efforts towards collective liberation.

 For participants, this means gender justice will be a recurring topic in our meetings and the grant applications you evaluate will be for organizations working on gender justice issues. As a cohort, we will develop a shared understanding of gender justice through our political education trainings and cohort discussions.