Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Peace Development Fund

Role of Peace Development Fund in the funding ecosystem

Peace Development Fund is a U.S.-based public foundation dedicated to resourcing grassroots movements for peace, human rights, and social justice. It raises money from individual donors, institutions and partner funds, then re-grants those resources to community-based organizations, coalitions and networks that work to address the root causes of violence, oppression and inequity. The fund focuses especially on groups led by and serving marginalized communities that often have limited access to traditional philanthropy.

Funding approaches and main grant themes

The foundation typically supports grassroots organizing, leadership development, movement-building and community empowerment. Its grantmaking includes core support and project-based funding for campaigns related to peace and disarmament, racial and economic justice, immigrant and refugee rights, environmental justice, gender and LGBTQ+ rights, and other intersecting struggles. In addition to open grant programs, Peace Development Fund also collaborates with donor partners through donor-advised and special-purpose funds targeting specific geographies or issues.

Support for applicants and capacity-building

Beyond direct grants, the organization provides technical assistance and capacity-building support, such as help with organizational development, fundraising, strategy, and networking. Its application information typically emphasizes accessibility for small, emerging and under-resourced groups, and encourages community-based organizations to submit proposals aligned with their own priorities rather than donor-driven agendas.

Transparency, governance and accountability

As a public foundation, Peace Development Fund reports on its grantmaking through listings of grantees, program descriptions and impact narratives. Governance is overseen by a board of directors drawn from activist, philanthropic and community backgrounds, with a commitment to accountable, values-driven funding practices that reflect the priorities of the communities it serves.

Publics served and overall impact

Over the years, the fund has supported hundreds of organizations, many of them grassroots collectives or small nonprofits operating at neighborhood, city, regional or national levels. By combining small to mid-sized grants with organizing and capacity support, Peace Development Fund plays a catalytic role in sustaining long-term movement infrastructure for peace and justice, especially among communities that are frequently overlooked by mainstream funders.