Justice Outside advances racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement. We shift resources to, build power with, and center the voices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Justice Outside centers racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement, with grantmaking built to shift resources toward Black, Indigenous, and People of Color leadership. Much of that work shows up as general operating support for community-led organizations rather than project-only funding. The foundation’s recent grants include a $536,900 award to Misc Small Grants for general operating funds, alongside smaller but still substantial support for groups such as Community Initiatives, Acta Non Verba, and Radical Monarchs. Its programs connect outdoor equity, environmental justice, and community leadership through trust-based and cohort-based models. The Liberated Paths regional grantmaking program supports organizations working along the California coast and has also expanded through state-funded coastal grantmaking. Justice Outside also stewards the Ocean Protection Council’s Environmental Justice Smalls Grants Program on the California coast, distributing state funds to community-led coastal and ocean conservation projects. Across these programs, the foundation backs access to nature, land and water access, youth leadership, healing, and organizational capacity.
In youth leadership, Justice Outside operates the Youth Access to Nature Fund, which provides multi-year unrestricted grants and capacity-building support for youth-centered environmental work. The program prioritizes access to nature for youth and includes accessible application processes, including participation without a 501(c)(3) requirement. For coastal and ocean conservation, the foundation’s Liberated Paths work supports community-led organizations along the California coast, with grants tied to access to the coast, environmental justice, and community engagement. Justice Outside also stewards the Ocean Protection Council’s Environmental Justice Smalls Grants Program on the California Coast. Its trust-based grantmaking model also supports health, healing, and wellness, land and water access, grassroots organizing and mobilization, and economic opportunity. The Network for Network Leaders adds another layer by supporting environmental network leaders through a 1.5-year cohort focused on equity, advocacy, and peer learning.
Justice Outside’s typical grant size is tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $20,000, and both the median and 75th percentile are $40,000. The recent grants list also shows a large outlier at $536,900, indicating some awards are much larger than the core pattern. The foundation is a Public Charity and a Regular Funder. Its philosophy emphasizes general operating, unrestricted, and core support, with ongoing operational funding and capacity-building. Several programs are recurring rather than one-off, including trust-based grantmaking and Liberated Paths, and some initiatives are cohort-based over multiple years.
$3.3M
$11.1M
$7.1M
$9.5M
Most grants fall between $20K and $40K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$40K
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Grantmaking is regional, with California as the top state by grant count and 40% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent grantees include Oakland, San Jose, Sausalito, Palo Alto, Richmond, Berkeley, and San Francisco, showing a strong Bay Area concentration. The foundation also gives elsewhere in the United States, including Seattle, and its grant recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based at 282 grants. Program geography includes the California coast and, in some cases, national U.S. cohorts.
Justice Outside funds community-led environmental and outdoor initiatives centered on racial justice and equity. Its focus areas include health, healing, and wellness; land and water access; grassroots organizing and mobilization; youth access to nature; and economic opportunity. Several programs emphasize Black, Indigenous, and People of Color leadership.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, with both the median and 75th percentile at $40,000. Recent awards also include larger general operating grants, including one for $536,900.
Yes. Its funding philosophy explicitly includes general operating and unrestricted support, core support for organizational operations, flexible funding for overhead, and ongoing or recurring operational funding. Recent grants are frequently labeled general operating funds.
California is the top state by grant count, and 40% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipient cities include Oakland, San Jose, Sausalito, Berkeley, Richmond, and San Francisco.
Yes. The Network for Network Leaders is a 1.5-year cohort-based leadership program for environmental network leaders, and the Rising Leaders Fellowship is another foundation program focused on leadership development, outdoor equity, and environmental justice.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURS | CALABASAS, CA | $52,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| SONOMA ECOLOGY CENTER | SONOMA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| INFINITE LEARNING & RESOURCE CENTER | SANTA ROSA, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| NOKOMIS CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER | OKEMOS, MI | $40,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| RESCUE MI NATURE NOW | DETROIT, MI | $40,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| NORTH PHILLY PEACE PARK OF CULTURE TRUST | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $40,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| EXTRA TERRESTRIAL PROJECTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| CHICAGO MUSLIMS GREEN TEAM | CHICAGO, IL | $40,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| NATIVE ROOTS FARM FOUNDATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| CAMP PHOENIX | OAKLAND, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| COMMUNITY MOVEMENT BUILDERS - EARTHSEED FARM AND PERMACULTURE CENTER | CLARKSON, GA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| WEEKEND-ADVENTURES | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| SARAH WEBSTER FABIO CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE- HUMMINGBIRDS URBAN FARMING C | OAKLAND, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| YOUNG VETERANS INC | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| LIVABLE CITY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| SIXTH WORLD - PURPOSE FOCUSED ALTERNATIVE LEARNING | LUPTON, AZ | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| COLOR MY OUTDOORS | ASHEVILLE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| SWAG SUCCEEDING WHILE ACHIEVING GREATNESS | KENTWOOD, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| LA PLAZITA INSTITUTE | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| FRIENDS OF PERALTA HACIENDA HISTORICAL PARK | OAKLAND, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| TIDES CENTER - ARAB RESOURCE AND ORGANIZING CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| INNER CITY BLISS | OAKLAND, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| NELLA SEMAJ FOUNDATION | SAN BRUNO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| COMMUNITY NATURE CONNECTION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| LEADERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM RECLAIMING THEIR HEALTH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| BOTANICAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES | OCEANSIDE, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| ABUNDANT BEGINNINGS | PINOLE, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| LIFEFRAMES INC A LIVING LIBRARY & THINK PARK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| CULTURAL BURN ASSOCIATION | MAXTON, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| YOUNG LEGACIES INC | OAK RUN, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| CHICAGO ISLAMIC CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| TRIPS FOR KIDS BAY AREA | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| BAZTEC FISHING & OUTDOORS | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE CENTER (SERC) | BERKELEY, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| PHILADELPHIA CITY REPAIR PROJECT | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| CENTRAL COAST SALMON ENHANCEMENT DBA AS CREEK LANDS CONSERVATION | ARROYO GRANDE, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| YOUNG MASTERMINDS INITIATIVE INC - DBA CAMPING TO CONNECT | BROOKLYN, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| BLACK FARMERS COLLECTIVE | SEATTLE, WA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| TREOBYTES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| CANOPY | PALO ALTO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| STUDENT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD | RICHMOND, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| EASTERN SIERRA CONSERVATION CORPS | BISHOP, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| WORKING FAMILY SOLIDARITY - WOMEN FOR GREEN SPACES | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| SOCIAL GOOD FUND - SAMA SAMA COOPERATIVE | RICHMOND, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| OUTDOORS EMPOWERED NETWORK | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| CHICAGO ADVENTURE THERAPY | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| DELAWARE BAT REHABILITATION AND CONSERVATION | SMYRNA, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS |
| GLOBAL GARDENS CHICAGO | MONTGOMERY, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
| FRIENDS OF THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS-DESERT PEAKS | LAS CRUCES, NM | $25,000 | 2026 | URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY |
INFINITE LEARNING & RESOURCE CENTER
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
NOKOMIS CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER
$40,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
RESCUE MI NATURE NOW
$40,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
EXTRA TERRESTRIAL PROJECTS INC
$40,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
CHICAGO MUSLIMS GREEN TEAM
$40,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
NATIVE ROOTS FARM FOUNDATION
$40,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
CAMP PHOENIX
$35,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
SARAH WEBSTER FABIO CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE- HUMMINGBIRDS URBAN FARMING C
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
YOUNG VETERANS INC
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
LIVABLE CITY
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
COLOR MY OUTDOORS
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
SWAG SUCCEEDING WHILE ACHIEVING GREATNESS
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
FRIENDS OF PERALTA HACIENDA HISTORICAL PARK
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
INNER CITY BLISS
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
NELLA SEMAJ FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
COMMUNITY NATURE CONNECTION
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
LEADERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM RECLAIMING THEIR HEALTH
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
BOTANICAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
ABUNDANT BEGINNINGS
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
LIFEFRAMES INC A LIVING LIBRARY & THINK PARK
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
CULTURAL BURN ASSOCIATION
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
YOUNG LEGACIES INC
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
CHICAGO ISLAMIC CENTER
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
TRIPS FOR KIDS BAY AREA
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
BAZTEC FISHING & OUTDOORS
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE CENTER (SERC)
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
PHILADELPHIA CITY REPAIR PROJECT
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
CENTRAL COAST SALMON ENHANCEMENT DBA AS CREEK LANDS CONSERVATION
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
YOUNG MASTERMINDS INITIATIVE INC - DBA CAMPING TO CONNECT
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
TREOBYTES
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
CANOPY
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
THE BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
EASTERN SIERRA CONSERVATION CORPS
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
OUTDOORS EMPOWERED NETWORK
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
DELAWARE BAT REHABILITATION AND CONSERVATION
$25,000GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS
GLOBAL GARDENS CHICAGO
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY
FRIENDS OF THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS-DESERT PEAKS
$25,000URBAN & COMMUNITY FORESTRY