READI Legal Support Fund
Strengthening the resilience of nonprofits centering racial equity.
Nonprofits that center racial equity in their work are facing escalating legal, political, and security threats that strain their capacity to operate effectively. Since January 2025, these pressures have intensified amid a wave of federal and state policy actions and legal challenges targeting equity-focused efforts, with nonprofits facing a growing number of legal threats, reputational attacks, and risks to both digital and physical security. Many organizations — particularly smaller nonprofits with limited budgets — lack the resources to respond to these challenges, leaving them vulnerable and diverting capacity away from mission-driven work.
The READI Legal Support Fund meets this need by offering timely, flexible grants for legal counsel, security, and communications capacity, enabling organizations to remain operational and responsive to their communities.
Our Work in Action
Legal services and cybersecurity were the most requested uses of support, with grantees spanning direct service, grassroots organizing, and narrative change organizations across the U.S.
How the READI Legal Support Fund Works
The READI Legal Support Fund is a Collective Action Fund administered by Tides Foundation and guided by an Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) of representatives of the four READI partner organizations: ABFE, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP), Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP), and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). The IAC reviews all applications and makes grant recommendations.
Who We Fund
Eligible applicants for future RFPs include 501(c)(3) organizations and fiscally sponsored projects based in and serving the U.S., U.S. Territories, and Native American reservations.
In 2025, the RFP focused on smaller organizations (operating budgets of $1 million or less) who are on the frontlines of this work: groups rooted in BIPOC communities, serving women, girls, and femmes, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and communities with intersectional identities.
If your organization is facing legal threats, security risks, or coordinated attacks because of your racial equity, racial justice, or DEI work — this fund was built for you. You shouldn’t have to face these threats alone.
Support the Fund
Your contribution helps organizations that center racial equity support their communities. Donations are made to the READI Legal Support Fund at Tides Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Direct or Recurring Donations can be made here (through our partners at Click and Pledge).
If you would like to donate through a DAF or community foundation, please do so through your financial provider’s platform and include READI Legal Support Fund as the project name/note.
Note to Potential Fund Applicants
At this time, the RFP has not been released for 2026. We will update this page as the application information becomes available. We will not review unsolicited proposals in the meantime.