Background: PIVOT is a first-of-its-kind partnership between leading organizers and funders to shape a California where people of color can create thriving futures for themselves and their families. We invest in the organizations, coalitions, and networks that are building enduring power in communities of color to advance racial justice and win lasting structural reform.
PIVOT exists to resource, connect, and collaborate with power-building organizations across issues to develop and drive a long-term agenda that centers the needs and self-determined priorities of California’s communities of color. Our pooled fund addresses chronic and severe underinvestment in year-round organizing and voter engagement and catalyzes new and large-scale investments needed to build enduring political power for communities of color.
2025 Grantmaking: In the second round of grantmaking, we expect $2 million to be split 50/50 between regional and statewide projects/programs. We are prioritizing funding organizations committed to power building across California. These organizations should have existing voter programs, have a base building program, and have a project connected to PIVOT’s big bet of independent revenue aiming to generate flexible political infrastructure dollars or have a C4 ready to scale up their infrastructure.
Organizations will be given the option to apply with their C3 or C4 status. PIVOT will prioritize C4 organizations or coalitions that can use the grant dollars to do primary-purpose work. Although these are C4 dollars, they are not lobbying eligible.
Grant recipients will be asked to participate in a learning cohort. This is intended to be a peer learning space to help organizations test and experiment strategies, cross collaboration with input from their peers, and coaching will be provided. More Information regarding the cohort is forthcoming.
Criteria for Eligibility: This grant opportunity is by invitation only. PIVOT will prioritize organizations that represent historically under-invested regions in the state.
Eligibility Criteria:
Organizations should have existing voter program
Organizations should have a base-building program
Regional or statewide work in low-income communities and communities of color across California
Organizations with a budget size of at least $100,000
C3 or C4 Organizations with a project around independent revenue or
C4 organizations working to scale up their organizational infrastructure
Process and Timeline:
June-July: Formal invitation to apply, submission
July-August: Review
September: Organizations will be notified about grant decisions
Definitions:
Power Building Infrastructure: The skills, capacities, organizational forms and resources to drive a long-term agenda.
Independent Revenue Infrastructure: Financial resources that are not tied to deliverables or public private contracts. Generating new funding from small to medium donors to increase sustainability in support of power building which could scale over time. You can also check out a past learning session on independent revenue here.
Mandatory information webinars: Organizations are required to attend one informational webinar. Please register through the links below.
Selection: A total of 23 organizations are being invited to apply. The grants range from $100k-$250k for regional projects and $250k-$500k for statewide projects. We anticipate funding up to 12 projects.
PIVOT is committed to supporting power-building innovations and deep inclusion, ensuring regions across the state are adequately resourced, and shifting the culture and practices in philanthropy through a participatory grantmaking process.
Please complete your application by Monday, July 15th, 2025, 11:59pm pst and reach out to Lauren Uy at LUy@calfund.org with any questions.
2025 PIVOT Grant Application
Background: PIVOT is a first-of-its-kind partnership between leading organizers and funders to shape a California where people of color can create thriving futures for themselves and their families. We invest in the organizations, coalitions, and networks that are building enduring power in communities of color to advance racial justice and win lasting structural reform.
PIVOT exists to resource, connect, and collaborate with power-building organizations across issues to develop and drive a long-term agenda that centers the needs and self-determined priorities of California’s communities of color. Our pooled fund addresses chronic and severe underinvestment in year-round organizing and voter engagement and catalyzes new and large-scale investments needed to build enduring political power for communities of color.
2025 Grantmaking: In the second round of grantmaking, we expect $2 million to be split 50/50 between regional and statewide projects/programs. We are prioritizing funding organizations committed to power building across California. These organizations should have existing voter programs, have a base building program, and have a project connected to PIVOT’s big bet of independent revenue aiming to generate flexible political infrastructure dollars or have a C4 ready to scale up their infrastructure.
Organizations will be given the option to apply with their C3 or C4 status. PIVOT will prioritize C4 organizations or coalitions that can use the grant dollars to do primary-purpose work. Although these are C4 dollars, they are not lobbying eligible.
Grant recipients will be asked to participate in a learning cohort. This is intended to be a peer learning space to help organizations test and experiment strategies, cross collaboration with input from their peers, and coaching will be provided. More Information regarding the cohort is forthcoming.
Criteria for Eligibility: This grant opportunity is by invitation only. PIVOT will prioritize organizations that represent historically under-invested regions in the state.
Eligibility Criteria:
Organizations should have existing voter program
Organizations should have a base-building program
Regional or statewide work in low-income communities and communities of color across California
Organizations with a budget size of at least $100,000
C3 or C4 Organizations with a project around independent revenue or
C4 organizations working to scale up their organizational infrastructure
Process and Timeline:
June-July: Formal invitation to apply, submission
July-August: Review
September: Organizations will be notified about grant decisions
Definitions:
Power Building Infrastructure: The skills, capacities, organizational forms and resources to drive a long-term agenda.
Independent Revenue Infrastructure: Financial resources that are not tied to deliverables or public private contracts. Generating new funding from small to medium donors to increase sustainability in support of power building which could scale over time. You can also check out a past learning session on independent revenue here.
Mandatory information webinars: Organizations are required to attend one informational webinar. Please register through the links below.
Selection: A total of 23 organizations are being invited to apply. The grants range from $100k-$250k for regional projects and $250k-$500k for statewide projects. We anticipate funding up to 12 projects.
PIVOT is committed to supporting power-building innovations and deep inclusion, ensuring regions across the state are adequately resourced, and shifting the culture and practices in philanthropy through a participatory grantmaking process.
Please complete your application by Monday, July 15th, 2025, 11:59pm pst and reach out to Lauren Uy at LUy@calfund.org with any questions.