Democratic Philanthropy in Action
Our operating and grantmaking decisions are made by people who have been impacted by injustice rather than by academics and outside experts. We believe we know more about our communities needs than they do.
Grantmaking Overview
SPF’s grantee partners are transforming their communities by building sustainable organizations to reverse the inequities plaguing the rural South. They are tackling social and economic systems that have been rooted in persistent poverty and a lack of resources, compounded by chronically underfunded public schools and tactics designed to instill voter apathy. They are learning not to focus on the symptoms of inequities but on their root cause: the racist and anti-immigrant mindsets of small-town mayors and city council members, and other elected officials who feel emboldened to discriminate in a nation that is increasingly polarized as a result of race-based fearmongering.
Total Grantmaking Funds by
Focus Area (2022-2024)
In 2013, SPF’s board took a new approach to its grantmaking under what we call our Southern Organizing Strategy (SOS). This strategy originally allocated at least 60% of RGC grant funds to three primary focus areas: voter rights and engagement, immigration rights, and education reform, with the remaining balance of RGC grant funds going to a number of other focus areas. Continuing to witness the devastating impact of climate change, particularly on the under-resourced communities we serve, the board decided to further invest in Environmental Justice funding by formally adding it to the foundation’s list of primary focus areas in 2024:
Primary Focus Areas
- Voter Rights & Engagement
- Immigration Rights
- Education Reform
- Environmental Justice
Other Focus Areas
- Disability Rights
- Economic Justice
- Healthcare Reform
- Housing Reform
- Incarceration Reform
- LGBTQ+ Rights
- Women & Girls’ Leadership
- Youth Leadership
Beyond the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grants Cycle, we have also been able to leverage significant special initiative funding for grassroots organizations combating voter suppression in the rural Southeast. And amidst a backdrop of increasingly common and destructive natural disasters, the foundation’s Justice Fund for Disaster Relief and Renewal (JFDRR) continues to provide rapid funding to organizations providing direct resources to affected communities. Lastly, SPF also maintains a discretionary fund to provide small grants for general grassroots organizing, technical and travel assistance. For more information, check-out our application process.