Our Funds and Initiatives

Tides initiatives are grantmaking funds led by Tides’ program staff and independent advisory committees (IACs) that center the needs and expertise of grantees and the communities we serve. Through these pooled funds, we leverage the collective power of multiple donors to supercharge their donation — and their impact.

Native people cooking together at the Native Movement Art in Action Camp at Howard Luke camp outside Fairbanks, AK. Photo credit: Native Movement, a Tides Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee A South Asian policy researcher with Fenceline Watch speaking into a megaphone. Photo credit: Fenceline Watch, a Tides Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee Shamyra Lavigne, Janice Ferchaud, Sharon Lavigne, and Amerie Braud of RISE St. James near the Mississippi River in St. James, Louisiana all wearing Rise St. James T-shirts. Photo credit: Rise St James, a Tides Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee
Native people cooking together at the Native Movement Art in Action Camp at Howard Luke camp outside Fairbanks, AK. Photo credit: Native Movement, a Tides Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee A South Asian policy researcher with Fenceline Watch speaking into a megaphone. Photo credit: Fenceline Watch, a Tides Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee Shamyra Lavigne, Janice Ferchaud, Sharon Lavigne, and Amerie Braud of RISE St. James near the Mississippi River in St. James, Louisiana all wearing Rise St. James T-shirts. Photo credit: Rise St James, a Tides Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee

Our Approach

The pooled funds we organize support critical social justice work, from nimbly responding to the needs of frontline climate justice leaders to making long-term investments in the power and voices of women of color. 

Established in 2019, Tides initiatives channel funding directly to the bold visionaries on the ground who are devoting their lives to addressing deeply rooted injustices. Their lived experiences and voices influence each fund’s IAC and inform the funding strategies we deploy: rapid response grants to cover urgent needs, multiyear funding commitments that foster growth and sustainability, and collaborative funding that shifts decision-making power to proximate leaders.

Our Impact

$116M in Funding Granted Through our Initiatives From 2019–2023
Organizers with Black Voters Matter, a Tides Healthy Democracy Fund grantee, raising their fists in front of the United States Supreme Court. Photo credit: Getty Images
6 Tides Initiatives Advancing Progress on a Variety of Social Justice Issues
Young girls in India taking notes in a classroom. Photo credit: Images of Empowerment
480+ Grantee Partners Supported Through our Initiatives From 2019–2023
A large group of people at the TX Rising Summer Institute. Photo credit: Air Alliance + TX Rising, a Tides Women's Environmental Leadership Fund grantee, photographer: Marshall Tidrick

Our Funds

Through collaborative funding, we’re working to confront and repair systemic harms across our society.  

  • Three people with Black Leaders Organizing for Communities standing in front of a brick building. Photo credit: Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, a Healthy Democracy Fund grantee

    Healthy Democracy Fund

    This collaborative fund unites donors in protecting the health of our democracy by fostering civic participation and voter engagement and by supporting leaders working to combat voter suppression and policies that restrict voter participation.

  • A Black woman speaking into a microphone in front of a white man holding a sign that reads 'Abortion is Healthcare.' Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

    Just Health Fund

    The Just Health Fund is a Tides Foundation grantmaking initiative that delivers critical resources to community leaders on the front lines of protecting, providing, and ensuring health equity for marginalized groups.  

  • Suzanne Singer, Founder/Executive Director of Native Renewables, holds up a solar panel. Photo credit: Native Renewables, photographer: Tommy Greyeyes

    Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund

    WE LEAD — the Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund — elevates, centers, and resources women’s grassroots leadership working to end climate disruption in the US and improving environmental health in their communities.

  • Three young Muslim women wearing hijab. Photo credit: iStock

    Advancing Girls Fund

    The Advancing Girls Fund channels donor funds into meaningful investments in adolescent girls and young women of color and their allies, so that they have the resources to dream, learn, play, and lead.

  • A young Black woman speaking into a microphone at a podium at a meeting. Photo credit: Grassroots Collaborative, a Tides Women's Leadership Fund grantee, photographer: Aaron Cynic

    Frontline Justice Fund

    This fund bolsters community groups who are fighting climate and environmental threats through legal and regulatory advocacy, providing funding to cover non-legal costs associated with initiating and sustaining successful campaigns.

  • A Justice Action Center staff member at the #SafeNotStranded rally in San Diego to protest the Remain in Mexico program. Photo credit: Justice Action Center, a Tides I-Belong Fund grantee, photographer: Jeff Valenzuela

    Immigrants Belong Fund

    I-Belong — the Immigrants Belong Fund — supports immigrant communities who are harnessing the power of storytelling to reject harmful anti-immigration narratives and create a pro-immigrant future.

  • A volunteer hands out a meal in a takeout container. Photo credit: Flickr

    Stronger Together Fund

    This fund supports Tides Center’s fiscally sponsored partners through capacity-building grants.

Interested in Tides Initiatives?

There are two ways to engage with Tides initiatives: donate to one of our programs or get funding updates from our newsletter. 

For Donors

Make our collective power even greater by supporting one of our initiatives.

Two volunteers wearing face masks and bright yellow raincoats with the 'Election Defenders' logo and an 'I voted' sticker. Photo credit: Working Families, a collective action fund at Tides A Latine woman with Nuestra Casa talking to another woman at a tabling event. Photo credit: Nuestra Casa, The Victor & Lorraine Honig Initiative Awardee 2023
Two volunteers wearing face masks and bright yellow raincoats with the 'Election Defenders' logo and an 'I voted' sticker. Photo credit: Working Families, a collective action fund at Tides A Latine woman with Nuestra Casa talking to another woman at a tabling event. Photo credit: Nuestra Casa, The Victor & Lorraine Honig Initiative Awardee 2023

For Grant Seekers

Sign up for our newsletter to hear about future requests for proposals and read the stories of fellow change leaders, or check the individual initiative pages for updates.

A multigenerational group of Black organizers gathered in front of a green field wearing Rise St James t-shirts. Photo credit: Rise St James, a Tides Women's Environmental Leadership Fund grantee An Indigenous person in traditional dress waving a red scarf in front of the white house at a demonstration. Photo Credit: Protect our Water, Heritage, and Rights, a Tides Frontline Justice Fund grantee, photographer: Matthew Pickett
A multigenerational group of Black organizers gathered in front of a green field wearing Rise St James t-shirts. Photo credit: Rise St James, a Tides Women's Environmental Leadership Fund grantee An Indigenous person in traditional dress waving a red scarf in front of the white house at a demonstration. Photo Credit: Protect our Water, Heritage, and Rights, a Tides Frontline Justice Fund grantee, photographer: Matthew Pickett

Frequently Asked Questions

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Tides provides grantmaking and other support to social change leaders to help build a world of shared prosperity and social justice.

A Tides Collective Action Fund (CAF) is a purpose-driven fund that relies on an independent advisory committee to  make recommendations to Tides for grants in support of a specific charitable purpose.

How does a CAF work?

  • The independent advisory committee (IAC) is composed of individuals committed to the fund purpose and with expertise or experience to support the achievement of that purpose.  
  • The committee reviews grant requests, then makes recommendations to Tides that align with the CAF’s charitable purpose and goals.
  • Tides reviews the recommendations for legal compliance and support of Tides’ mission and values and then makes a final decision on the grant request. 

CAFs can accept charitable contributions from a variety of sources, including individuals, donor advised funds, private foundations and corporations.

Do grants from the CAF support political candidates or campaigns?

No. Tides Foundation is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and CAFs are prohibited from funding partisan political activity. 

Can Tides overrule the recommendation of the Independent Advisory Committee?

CAFs benefit from the input of the independent advisory committee. The intent is to follow its recommendations. However, Tides may reject recommendations that are  inconsistent with the CAF’s purpose, don’t support Tides’ charitable mission, or are not in compliance with applicable law.

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Our organization is made up of five Tides entities: Tides Center, Tides Foundation, Tides Two Rivers Fund, Tides Inc., and Tides Network. Our unique structure helps us connect changemakers in new ways, bringing together their diverse resources and experiences to realize a just and equitable future. 

Our Organizational Structure
Tides Network is our “home office.” It provides executive leadership, HR resources, financial management and accounting, legal and compliance, communications, and administrative services to advance the programming of the other Tides entities.

Tides Foundation
Tides Foundation leads Tides’ philanthropic work. The goal of the foundation is to advance social justice by partnering with funders to more quickly move their resources to social change leaders from communities historically denied power. Tides Foundation focuses on grantmaking and philanthropic services to doers and donors, including donor advised funds, collective action funds, and strategic advisory services. Tides Foundation also invests funds in social impact opportunities to support charitable activities in line with the Tides mission. Tides Foundation’s charitable funding comes from grants and donations received through a wide variety of sources, including individuals, families, foundations, and corporations.

Tides Center
Tides Center supports social change leaders, connects diverse people and organizations, and powers solutions that come directly from communities historically denied power, including women, economically disadvantaged communities, and communities of color. We offer comprehensive fiscal sponsorship — including financial, compliance, insurance, governance, and human resources support — as well as management, consulting, and grantmaking services. 

Tides Converge: Tides Inc. and Tides Two Rivers Fund
Tides Converge is a shared workspace that brings together a diverse community of leaders and organizations, linking sectors and crossing boundaries in the pursuit of social justice. Tides Inc. and Tides Two Rivers Fund hold and manage Tides Converge collaborative work and event spaces in San Francisco and New York City, respectively.

Tides Advocacy
Tides Advocacy is a separate 501(c)(4) organization.

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Tides does not provide funding or fundraising assistance to our fiscally sponsored projects.

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Tides offers a wide range of fund options to meet philanthropic objectives across the globe. Fees can range from 1% on standard donor advised funds to 5% for funds supporting a single domestic or  international project or organization. Tides staff can review your proposed fund activity and give a clear assessment of potential fees.

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Opening a fund at Tides generally takes 2-3 weeks upon receipt of a completed fund application. Please note that any complexities or clarifications uncovered during the application review process may prolong the timeline to open a fund.

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No. Funds at Tides must be opened with a minimum of $100,000 of committed funding for US-based activity or $50,000 for funds supporting a single domestic or international project or organization.

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