Rooted in Justice
The Cedar Tree Foundation is excited to announce a new round of grantmaking for “Rooted in Justice” a funding program designed to help amplify youth voices and actions in the environmental and food justice movements. We support community-based organizations and groups that specifically manage youth-led urban greening programs.
Rooted in Justice recognizes the importance and undeniable right of every young person to have the ability to develop their own relationship with the environment, be it through growing food, spending time with nature, creating community green spaces, or becoming environmental stewards. Rooted in Justice also honors the power and possibilities that arise when young people collectively work to be change-makers in their communities.
Rooted in Justice supports organizations, groups, collectives, and programs that work with young people between the ages of 12 to 20 in youth-led programming for communities or cultures which have historically or currently experience:
A lack of access to land or nature;
Agricultural oppression and/or neglect;
Food apartheid; and/or
Other forms of injustice based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics and disability.
Started in 2021, Rooted in Justice awards annual grants to a small cohort of organizations recommended to the Cedar Tree Board through an open RFP. Proposals are reviewed and selected by a panel with a majority of BIPOC leaders through a participatory grantmaking process.
Click here to see past Rooted in Justice grant award winners.
DEFINITIONS
Rooted in Justice grants support organizations or programs that include all four of the elements described below: social justice, youth-led, urban greening, and cohort-based youth work. We articulate our understanding of those terms below in an effort to provide a guide for prospective organizations to use in determining whether their program is a good fit. However as we continue our work towards questioning and dismantling some of our preconceived notions, we recognize that these are not finite definitions and encourage prospective applicants who still feel their work may be a good fit to describe in their proposals why this is the case.
Social Justice-Based Programs: Programs dedicated to creating equitable outcomes for communities directly affected by injustice through:
Sharing and redistributing power and resources;
Amplifying voices and leadership;
Tackling root problems through ongoing engagement and collaboration to find solutions, organize against oppression of all kinds and create mechanisms for change; and
Developing a critical analysis with youth and community members.
Youth-Led: The development of youth leadership skills is a core part of programs funded by Rooted in Justice. Young people have the opportunity to play a role in the planning and decision-making for their program and may help shape the internal workings of the organization. Examples of youth-led programs include participants:
Managing a portion of their programming budget;
Co-facilitating program activities, meetings and gatherings;
Being included in the shaping of a program and/or organizational strategic planning;
Having regular and end-of-program opportunities to provide program feedback and evaluation;
Being provided opportunities for personal and/or professional growth within the program and organization; and
Participating in ample opportunities for feedback and expression through a diversity of means.
Urban Greening: For the purpose of this grant we are defining “urban greening” as any activity that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between city dwellers and their environments. Project settings can include, but are not limited to: urban farms; greenhouses; hydro and aquaponic farms; community gardens; community green spaces; composting sites; rain gardens; rooftop gardens; land conservation efforts; school gardens (when in partnership with an outside organizational partner); urban forests; and river or other water restoration, etc.
Cohort-Based Youth Work: Rooted in Justice is looking to fund organizations that build community with cohorts of youth through intentional, recurring programming. This grant is intended to support programs that offer youth significant learning and leadership opportunities as a group and as individuals; priority will be given to organizations that have program infrastructure that goes beyond drop-in programming, one-time conferences, or individual internships.
WHO CAN APPLY (Updated September 2023)
This year, this opportunity is available to community-based organizations/groups with a 501(c)3 status or secured fiscal agent located in states on or east of the Mississippi River.
Organizations of any size or stage of development can apply but preference will be given to organizations or programs with a budget of less than $800,000.
Preference will also be given to organizations that are majority-led by people who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or People of Color) or of the global majority.
This grant cannot be used to fund: individuals; lobbying or partisan political activity; re-granting programs; or for-profits.
GRANT AWARD DETAILS
Two Year Grant
Rooted in Justice Grant awards are two-year grants of $20,000 - $25,000 per year.
After the initial two year grant, grantees may be eligible for a third year of funding at the same or lower level through a simple renewal process.
In 2024, the Cedar Tree Foundation expects to award 6-8 grants.
Funding for Professional Development
Annual funding is set aside for grantees to support professional development opportunities identified by each organization.
Rooted in Justice grantees can request reimbursement from this fund to attend conferences, hire consultants, purchase equipment or software that increases organizational capacity, or participate in any activities that strengthen youth programming or justice practice of program providers in support of their youth development programming.
Community Cohort Space
Cedar Tree works with grantee partners to assess their professional development interests and facilitates on-line gatherings of staff or youth for skill shares, trainings, and networking opportunities.
These network calls will likely happen 2-3 times per year.
USE OF FUNDS
Rooted in Justice funding must be used for project support of youth led, urban greening, social justice work and associated general operating expenses. Operating expenses can include anything from program costs like staff salaries and youth stipends to organizational sustainability needs like major equipment purchases and leadership/staff training. If your organization’s entire mission is youth led, urban greening, social justice work, the Rooted in Justice grant can be general support.
All Rooted in Justice grantees must share a plan to allocate a portion of the grant funds for youth participants to manage. What do we mean by this? Youth participants can use their allocated funding to:
Fund an entrepreneurial endeavor;
Design the brand or swag for their group;
Hire a speaker or outside expert to teach a new skill;
Purchase supplies for a community-based art project;
Host a celebration for their families, friends and neighbors;
Pay for transportation to programming, special events, or conferences; and/or
Any other youth-led activity the group may find beneficial.
We encourage all applicants to explore youth participatory budgeting for their whole programs or organizations. Cedar Tree Foundation can share resources for grantees who are interested in doing so.
GRANT DECISION PROCESS
The application window for Rooted in Justice is now closed. This page will be updated with additional information in 2024 about future rounds of funding and how to apply so please check back.
The Request for Proposals for the 2024 Rooted in Justice cohort is available below. Potential applicants are invited to connect with the Cedar Tree Foundation for the purposes of asking clarifying questions via:
Webinar: Cedar Tree hosted an informational webinar on Tuesday, October 10th at 10am EST. A recording of the webinar can be viewed below.
Email: Specific questions can be emailed to rootedinjustice@cedartreefound.org. Please allow up to 72 hours for a response. We will respond to emails up until April 6th.
Office Hours: Group office Hours will be held during the windows below to answer any specific questions that applicants have about the RFP. Please click on the embedded links below to access the Zoom call on the dates listed.
Friday, October 20th 10:00-11:00 AM ET
Proposals are due on Friday December 1 by 11:59pm EST.
The Cedar Tree Foundation will not be able to accept proposals after that time.
Proposals will be reviewed and selected by a panel with a majority of BIPOC leaders. Panelists were recruited based on their background in building youth-led programs, connection to urban greening or growing work, lived experience as BIPOC leaders working towards equity, participation in similar programming, and/or experience in community-based philanthropy.
Cedar Tree Foundation would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to the development of the Rooted in Justice grant program: Eva Bariñas, Carina Gervacio, Tasha Gomes, Yaritza Guillen, Rebecca Lemos Otero, Tenisio Seanima, Mateo Carrasco.
Grants will be announced by mid-April. All applicants are notified of final decisions via email. Proposals that make it into the finalist round will receive feedback from the review panel. Organizations approved for funding will be asked to sign a grant contract prior to receiving the funds.
Quick Timeline:
September 5: RFP available on Cedar Tree Website
October 10: Webinar is offered
October 20th and October 27th: Office Hours
Friday, December 1st: Proposals Due
Grant Awards Announced in April
HOW TO APPLY/REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS GUIDELINES:
A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IS LINKED HERE. Please answer the questions in five pages or less. If helpful, the narrative part of the proposal can be accompanied or replaced by a video or audio clip (filmed on phone devices is acceptable). Videos can be no longer than 15 minutes. Video responses will be given the same weight as written responses in the grantmaking decisions. Please feel free to pick whichever method helps you tell your story best. All submissions due by 11:59pm EST on Friday December 1st.
The Cedar Tree Foundation only funds registered 501 (c3) non-profit organizations for work in the United States.
Updated 12/2023