Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Het X-Y Actiefonds

Het Actiefonds is a revolutionary action fund based in Amsterdam that has supported bottom‑up social change since 1968. Formerly known as X‑Y, the organisation channels resources directly to grassroots social movements and activist groups around the world. It focuses on direct, confrontational yet non‑violent actions that challenge exploitation, authoritarianism and environmental destruction. The fund operates independently from governments and corporations so that it can support politically controversial campaigns that struggle to find funding elsewhere.

The fund finances concrete protests and campaigns rather than long‑term core costs. Typical supported activities include demonstrations, strikes, blockades, occupations, artivist performances and other direct actions. Its thematic scope is broad, covering animal rights, anti‑dictatorial regimes, anti‑militarism, anti‑racism, civil and housing rights, climate justice, feminism, land and Indigenous rights, LGBTQIA+ and migrant rights, as well as workers’ rights. Het Actiefonds emphasises intersectionality and international solidarity, supporting actions on every continent.

Het Actiefonds offers several complementary forms of support. Regular grants fund planned protests and campaigns, with a typical grant size between €500 and €1,250 and a maximum of €2,500 per project. An urgent application track allows activists to respond quickly to sudden political or social developments, with decisions made within days and grants up to €250. In addition, the Climate Justice Grants programme supports movement‑building initiatives around climate justice that go beyond single direct actions, such as training, strategy building, alliances and preparing escalated actions.

The fund targets grassroots activist groups that work for a socially just and sustainable world where people and the environment are valued above profit. Applicants do not need to be registered NGOs; informal collectives can also apply, as long as their plans are feasible and politically grounded. Het Actiefonds prioritises radical, high‑impact projects that pressure oppressive regimes or systems and contribute to long‑term systemic change. It avoids intermediary organisations, preferring to work directly with local groups. Restrictions include a focus on non‑humanitarian, non‑charitable political action: it does not fund pure awareness campaigns, core salaries, routine organisational costs, or projects with very large overall budgets.

Applications can be submitted online through dedicated forms for regular, urgent and Climate Justice Grants, or via downloadable Word templates that can be emailed securely. There are no fixed deadlines for standard grants; a selection committee meets monthly (except August) to review proposals. For urgent requests, the organisation aims to decide within 72 hours and transfer funds shortly after approval. Criteria pages and FAQs provide detailed guidance on what is funded, what is excluded, and how privacy or security‑sensitive applications are handled, including confidential treatment when necessary.

Het Actiefonds publishes annual narrative and financial reports, as well as newsletters, documenting the protests and campaigns it supports worldwide. Originating from the X‑Y campaign of the late 1960s that demanded fairer global wealth distribution, it evolved into an independent foundation focused on supporting liberation struggles and radical social movements. In 2018, for its 50th anniversary, it adopted the name Het Actiefonds – The Action Fund – to reflect its enduring mission to fund radical action across the globe and contest the status quo.