Frontline Justice Fund

Who We Are

The Frontline Justice Fund is a Tides Foundation pooled grantmaking initiative focused directly on supporting frontline community groups who are fighting for environmental and climate justice through legal and regulatory advocacy. Frontline Justice Fund bolsters these groups by ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed and thrive beyond the courtroom and provides access to rapid response or multi-year funding to cover non-legal costs associated with initiating and sustaining successful campaigns.

Our Approach

• Flexible unrestricted, general operating and project support grants 
• Funding decisions through a participatory grantmaking model
• Trust-based philanthropy practices that are accessible, transparent, and responsive
• Partner closely with national and regional environmental litigation groups to ensure that grantmaking is aligned with larger legal campaigns and strategies
• Draw upon Tides’ 45 years of experience working hand-in-hand with movement leaders and grassroots environmental and social justice organizations

Comité Diálogo Ambiental leaders gather at EPA hearings in Washington D.C.

Funding Priorities

• Groups engaged in, or anticipate engaging in, protracted legal or regulatory actions to advance environmental and climate justice.
• Those who require rapid response or multi-year funding to cover non-legal costs with mounting and sustaining successful legal orregulatory advocacy campaigns. (i.e., organizing, communications, technical expertise, capacity building, etc.)
• Groups representing Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and/or low income frontline communities most impacted by environmental harm, racism, and injustice.
• Communities where resources will have a direct impact on the frontlines. These are communities most impacted by environmental harms, with broader implications in the fight for environmental and climate justice.

Governance

The Frontline Justice Fund is a Tides Collective Fund led by an Independent Advisory Council (IAC) composed of a majority of environmental justice movement leaders and several funders with significant experience in funding the frontlines. 

Members of the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River Inc. standing in front of a tall bear statue, which signifies the origination place of the Menominee Indian Tribe.

Inaugural IAC members include:

MOVEMENT LEADERS
Angela Mahecha | Environmental Justice Movement Fellowship, at the Tishman Environment and Design Center
Douglas Cox | Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
Jacqueline Patterson | Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership
Maria Lopez-Nuñez | Ironbound Community Corporation

FUNDERS
Ash McNeely | Pacific Foundation Services
Peter Martin | Tides Foundation

Tides Foundation is the sponsor of the fund and holds control and discretion over grantmaking activities.

For Grant Seekers

Our 2023 Spring grantmaking cycle is now closed. Check back with us in Fall 2023 for more information on our next grantmaking cycle.

For Funders

We are actively fundraising for the Frontline Justice Fund. Our goal is to raise at least $5 million per year for five years, which will bring critical and sustaining new resources to the frontlines of the climate fight.

The Frontline Justice Fund is profoundly grateful to our philanthropic partners who are responding to the urgency of the climate crisis and advancing equity and justice by resourcing frontline organizations  entrenched in critical legal and regulatory battles. With your support, these frontline champions will win important victories for their communities that will serve as a wake up call to our state,  national, and international leaders.

Read our 2022 Grantee Report → 
Read our 2022 Donor Report →

Frontline Justice Fund grantees are environmental justice leaders who are using advocacy and litigation to fight against the fallout from climate disasters and protect communities from the looming threat of new and expanding oil pipelines, mines, deadly petrochemical plants, and other dangerous and destructive projects.

Meet Our Grantees