Program Areas
SOUTHERN PARTNERS FUND
Democratic Philanthropy in Action
SPF’s board and members have designated the remaining 40% (the other 60% going towards SPF’s three major initiatives) of SPF’s grants to the following program areas:
Environmental Justice
Economic Justice
Disability Rights
Housing Reform
Healthcare Reform
Youth Leadership
Incarceration Reform
Women & Girls’ Leadership
LGBTQ+ Rights

Social Justice Institute
SPF launched the Social Justice Institute (SJI) as a leadership development and capacity building program to enhance the sustainability of grantee groups and other grassroots organizations committed to social justice in the South.
SJI’s framework incorporates grantmaking, organizational development, youth leadership development, culture and the arts. SJI promotes knowledge building, best practices in organizational management, and collective understanding of current and historic human rights issues in the South. SJI has several components: *All in person workshops and trainings have shifted to webinars until COVID-19 is no longer considered a threat.
- Peer-to-peer coaching and networking
- Executive coaching
- One-on-one organizational assessments
- Consulting for select community-based organizations
- Regional workshops across the Southeast
- Two-day experiential trainings twice per year
*All in person workshops and trainings have shifted to webinars until COVID-19 is no longer considered a threat to the health and safety of our constituents.

Young Leaders for Social Change
Young Leaders for Social Change (YLSC) was born out of the necessity to increase skillsets, advocacy, and civic participation amongst our youth. YSLC strives to give voice to young, rural-based, emerging community organizers, non-profit professionals, and philanthropic practitioners, aged 18-35, who are committed to social change in the Southeast. Key objectives of YSLC include:
- Preparing young leaders as they transition into key leadership positions;
- Increasing their involvement in philanthropy; and,
- Building upon an intergenerational model of civic engagement