GXF Application Guidelines

The first step in applying to the Grassroots Exchange Fund (GXF) is to thoroughly review the grantmaking criteria and priorities in order to ensure that your organization is a good fit for the GXF grant program (this will save both your time and ours). Organizations that meet the eligibility and funding criteria are encouraged to submit the GXF Application Form.

Timeline

Grassroots Exchange Fund (GXF) grants are distributed on a monthly cycle February through November. Applications must be submitted by the first Monday of the month (February-November). Turn around time for requests to be processed and reviewed by our grants committee is approximately four weeks from the deadline, so please plan ahead and apply more than a month ahead of your exchange opportunity.

Mission and Background

Common Counsel's Grassroots Exchange Fund (GXF) is a discretionary small grants program designed to support networking and collaboration between grassroots social change organizations throughout the United States. GXF prioritizes grants to small community-based groups seeking to meet face-to-face with other grassroots organizations, to build collaborative campaigns, and to benefit from organizing training and technical assistance opportunities. The program strives to meet three central goals:

- To strengthen the ability of small organizations to participate in public debates;

- To strengthen key cross-region and cross-sector movements; and

- To contribute to collaborative policy victories in the realms of social, economic, and environmental justice.

Grantmaking Criteria and Priorities

The Fund typically makes grants to grassroots community-based organizations working on social, economic, and environmental justice initiatives that give voice to the needs of low-income people, women, youth, and people of color. Organizations are only eligible for one GXF grant annually.

GXF grant awards range from $500-$1000 with an average of approximately $800. Grants are given to approximately 45 groups per year to cover training, travel or conference expenses.

Priorities

Priority is given to:

- Organizations that most clearly demonstrate a membership-led community organizing model that is working toward social, economic or environmental policy change;

- Organizations based in and organizing in low-income or moderate-income communities;

- Organizations that have a strong group of leaders and board members that represent the community they serve and who are accountable to the community.

- Organizations that have strong leadership development programs for their members;

- Organizations that have a concrete plan to grow and to build more power by getting more people involved;

- Organizations that organize collective action of members to bring concerns to public officials and other decision-makers.

- Organizations with annual budgets under $1,000,000 (higher priority is given to organizations with annual budgets of less than $750,000).

- Proposed exchanges or events that promote strategy development and skills transfer between organizations and leaders;

- Organizations working in hard to fund areas, including the southern US and Rocky Mountain states;*

-Current or recent grant recipients of other Common Counsel member funds;*

-Small organizations that do not have access to large government, corporate or private funding sources, and for whom a small grant from GXF would make a significant impact;

-Events or exchanges that are urgent with respect to the organization's overall work; and

- Applicants that have not received recent GXF funding (grants are typically not awarded for more than three consecutive years).*

- Organizations that have IRS 501(c)3 tax exempt status or a fiscal sponsor who does.

* We still accept applications from groups that are not previous recipients of other Common Counsel funds, from organizations based in other parts of the United States, and from organizations that have received GXF funding for two or more years, but we will give preference to applications that meet the priority areas above.

Exclusions

GXF generally does not fund the following:

- Organizations with budgets larger than $1,000,000 per year (priority is given to organizations with annual budgets of less than $750,000).

- Travel for United States-based organizations to go to a foreign country (rare exceptions are made for cross-border organizing work between groups in the United States and Mexico or Canada);

- International organizations and organizations located outside of the United States;

- Direct social services;

- Government agencies and programs undertaken by tax-supported institutions or government initiatives;

- Capital expenditure, endowments, construction or renovation programs;

- Scholarship funds or other aid to individuals;

- Schools and educational institutions, cultural institutions, or medical institutions;

- Film, video, publications or other media projects;

- Grantmaking institutions;

- Research or fellowships;

How to Apply to GXF

If your organization fits all or most of the above eligibility criteria, then you may submit a GXF Grant Application Form to the Common Counsel Foundation.

1. Download the GXF Application Form and fill in all requested information. This form is required for all applicants and asks some basic questions about your organization, your exchange opportunity, your membership, and budget information. (If you are having trouble downloading the form, you can click HERE and copy and paste the GXF Application Form into a word processing document).

2. Submit your GXF Application Form with attachments via email and ensure that we receive it on or before the monthly deadline. Email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (please type "GXF" with the name of your organization in the Subject line). Applications or attachments that can't be sent via email may also be submitted by fax or by regular mail:

Reporting

Upon completion of the exchange, Common Counsel requires that grantees submit a brief (1-2 page) letter, report, or evaluation of the funded activity. We will not consider renewal requests in subsequent years until we receive a final report.

GXF Application Form Download