For Grant Seekers

Our grantmaking philosophy is to empower communities to protect the environment, public health and consumer rights. We prioritize projects that benefit underserved communities and smaller grassroots organizations, who are are often unable to get funding from the larger foundations.

The Rose Foundation's grantmaking is organized into a series of grant funds that support watershed protection, grassroots activism, and consumer protection. Each fund has a specific mission and geographic range. Information about each fund and application instructions are available in the How To Apply for a Grant section. Prospective applicants should carefully review the guidelines and application instructions before applying.

Some of our grantmaking is enabled by restitution or cy pres payments, where the courts appoint us to act as trustee over a settlement, and limit the use of the funding to a specific geographic and/or issue area. Other grant awards, particularly those made through the Grassroots Fund, Cal Wildlands, and the Grassroots Leadership Initiative are enabled by grants from other foundations or individual donations. Therefore, although our philosophy of building community capacity for long-term sustainable solutions remains constant, the Rose Foundation's funding priorities may change from time to time based on the availability of funds and specific restrictions placed by the the contributor.