NEO Philanthropy
OVERVIEW: Neo Philanthropy is a grantmaking intermediary working the area of social justice. Current funding programs concern immigrant justice and civic participation in underrepresented communities across the U.S.
IP TAKE: NEO Philanthropy supports a broad range of organizations ranging from large national advocacy groups to grassroots organizations serving underrepresented communities. It is particularly collaborative and mainly makes grants through collaborative funds, which tend to run for a period of five or more years. In addition to collaborative grantmaking, NEO also supports nonprofits and donors with administrative, financial, communications and strategic planning services.
While NEO is not accepting proposals for funding at this time, the launch of any new collaborative fund may present a new funding opportunity; grantseekers are advised to sign up for NEO’s newsletter and check its website periodically.
PROFILE: Based in New York City, NEO Philanthropy was established in 1983, when it was known as Public Interest Projects. A public charity, NEO describes itself as an “intermediary” between donors and target grantees, working mainly in the areas of social justice and democracy. Grantmaking is conducted via its collaborative funds, which “bring donors together around a common issue.”
NEO Philanthropy’s new Strategic Plan for 2024 offers a “roadmap for NEO to advance our vision of a just, democratic, and equitable world where social justice movements are powerful, connected, and resourced to achieve their vision for change.” NEO’s current grantmaking includes the State Infrastructure Fund, which seeks to “increase civic participation and advance voting rights among Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other historically underrepresented communities,” and the Four Freedoms Fund, which focuses on immigrant justice in the U.S.
The philanthropy’s donors include the Carnegie Corporation, the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, the Kresge Foundation and many others.
Grants for Civic Engagement, Democracy, Racial Justice and Indigenous Rights
NEO’s State Infrastructure Fund “envisions a vibrant American democracy in which all people are empowered to create lasting and positive change in their communities.” This fund supports non-partisan organizations that work at the national and state levels with the specific goals of increasing voter participation, removing obstacles to voting, increasing organizational capacity and supporting collaborations among organizations with similar priorities.
All grantmaking from this program prioritizes Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other historically underrepresented communities.
Since its launch in 2010, the fund has raised and distributed over $140 million to organizations in 26 states.
Recent grantees of the fund include State Voices, Alliance San Diego, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and the New Florida Majority Education Fund.
Grants for Immigrants and Refugees
NEO currently makes grants for immigrants’ rights through its Four Freedoms Fund, which aims to “ensure all immigrants, regardless of immigration status, have dignity, power to shape change, and agency to determine the quality of their life, community and future.”
In this area, the Four Freedoms Fund prioritizes organizations and initiatives that work to “strengthen the state and local advocacy and organizing infrastructure of the immigrant justice movement,” increase the civic participation of all immigrants, and reform “U.S. systems of immigration enforcement and criminalization.”
In a recent year, the fund made over $17 million in grants to 138 grantees across 28 states. Grantees include the Decriminalizing Communities Coalition of Minnesota, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Orange County Civic Engagement Table and Colorado Immigrant Right Coalition.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities, Women and Girls
According to its website, NEO Philanthropy runs 12 collaborative funds, although the State Infrastructure and Four Freedoms Funds are the only two presented on the philanthropy’s website.
NEO invites grantseekers who are interested in its other funding collaboratives to reach out via the philanthropy’s contact page.
Important Grant Details:
In a recent year, NEO Philanthropy made over $86 million in grants. Grants mainly ranged from $5,000 to $500,000, with an average grant size of about $75,000. This funder made grants of $1 million or more in only a few cases.
NEO’s grantees range from large, national coalitions for social justice and civic engagement to grassroots groups working with small, marginalized communities across the U.S.
Based on NEO’s recent tax filings, other areas of grantmaking interest include women and girls, reproductive health and justice, education and criminal justice reform.
For additional information on past grantmaking, see the foundation’s collaborative funds page or its financials page.
This funder is not currently accepting applications for funding.
Grantseekers are advised to check the organization’s website periodically and sign up for its newsletter for up-to-date information about new collaborative funds and grantmaking opportunities.
General inquiries may be directed to the foundation’s contact page.
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