About CCF
Founded in 1988, Common Counsel Foundation partners with families and individual donors to expand philanthropic resources for progressive social movements. Through our strategic philanthropic approach, we prioritize support for community-based organizations who give voice to low-income people, women, youth, people of color and others working for justice, equity, and a healthy, sustainable environment.
Common Counsel Grantmaking
Over its 20-year history, Common Counsel Foundation has developed a reputation for progressive community-oriented philanthropy highlighted by grant-making that is defined not only by who we fund, but also by the principles and practices that guide our work. Common Counsel donors and member funds share a special interest in supporting organizations committed to grassroots community organizing for racial, economic, and environmental justice, policy reform, and social change.
Current Common Counsel Foundation member funds include:
Common Counsel's internal grant programs include:
- The Grassroots Exchange Fund (GXF) - A community-guided rapid response small grants program established to build bridges between grassroots social and environmental justice organizations throughout the United States.
- The Social and Economic Justice Fund (SEJ) - a collaborative grants initiative that supports organizations working on civil and human rights, youth organizing, and economic justice for low-income immigrant communities and communities of color.
In 2006, Common Counsel Foundation and its member funds made 224 grants totaling $1,348,950.
Common Counsel Residency Programs
Common Counsel also coordinates two residency programs which serve more than 70 individuals and organizations each year:
- The Windcall Resident Program for social change organizers and activists
- The Mesa Refuge, a Northern California retreat center for writers addressing strategies for restructuring the economy and its relationship to the natural world.?
