Rapid Response Fund
Rapid Response grants support strategic organizing in response to unexpected events, urgent challenges, or rapidly emerging political moments.
About Rapid Response grants
At Headwaters Foundation for Justice (HFJ), we know that the nature of grassroots organizing means that our funding cycles do not always align with organizations’ real-time financial needs in moments of crisis or opportunity. As a result, HFJ budgets a yearly pool of funds for rapid response grantmaking.
The Rapid Response Fund supports strategic organizing around new, rapidly emerging, or unexpected legislative or policy developments, events, and political moments. Examples could include, but are not limited to:
- short-term strategic collaboration/coalition with other organizations
- civic engagement project or public education
- legal defense and security costs
- cultural organizing/healing justice work in response to a community need in the face of an unexpected political event
- restorative justice after an incident of harm within the community
- unanticipated moments of internal organizational pivots, i.e., leadership transitions, unionization efforts, etc.
There are 8 rounds of Rapid Response grantmaking in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. We expect to distribute $600,000 in grants (approximately $75,000 per grant round). This application process is intended to facilitate fast decision making. If approved, organizations can expect to receive funding within 30 days of the application deadline for a given cycle.
About Rapid Response grants
At Headwaters Foundation for Justice (HFJ), we know that the nature of grassroots organizing means that our funding cycles do not always align with organizations’ real-time financial needs in moments of crisis or opportunity. As a result, HFJ budgets a yearly pool of funds for rapid response grantmaking.
The Rapid Response Fund supports strategic organizing around new, rapidly emerging, or unexpected legislative or policy developments, events, and political moments. Examples could include, but are not limited to:
- short-term strategic collaboration/coalition with other organizations
- civic engagement project or public education
- legal defense and security costs
- cultural organizing/healing justice work in response to a community need in the face of an unexpected political event
- restorative justice after an incident of harm within the community
- unanticipated moments of internal organizational pivots, i.e., leadership transitions, unionization efforts, etc.
There are 8 rounds of Rapid Response grantmaking in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. We expect to distribute $600,000 in grants (approximately $75,000 per grant round). This application process is intended to facilitate fast decision making. If approved, organizations can expect to receive funding within 30 days of the application deadline for a given cycle.
Important Notes and Resources
Organizations must complete an eligibility inquiry form before submitting an application.
The inquiry period for Cycle 4 will be open until 5pm on January 28.
Download the Rapid Response Grant Packet for detailed information about grant guidelines, criteria, scoring rubric and application questions.
See the assessment tool that we will use to make decisions about Rapid Response grant awards.
For more information about the application process, please review the FAQ below.
FAQ