Social Change Leaders

Tides partners with social change leaders and organizations to provide the comprehensive operational, grantmaking, and capacity-building solutions they need to advance justice.

Three organizers with Black Leaders Organizing for Communities standing together in front of a brick building. Photo credit: Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, a Healthy Democracy Fund grantee Two Black organizers with the Working Families Party, a partner of Movement Voter Fund, tabling at an event with laptops. Photo credit: Movement Voter Fund (of Movement Voter Project), a Healthy Democracy Fund grantee Two people with Florida Immigrant Coalition holding signs at a protest that read 'Aquí estamos y no nos vamos' and 'LGBTQ+ and immigrants must stand together against oppression.' Photo credit: Florida Immigrant Coalition, an Immigrants Belong Fund grantee
Three organizers with Black Leaders Organizing for Communities standing together in front of a brick building. Photo credit: Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, a Healthy Democracy Fund grantee Two Black organizers with the Working Families Party, a partner of Movement Voter Fund, tabling at an event with laptops. Photo credit: Movement Voter Fund (of Movement Voter Project), a Healthy Democracy Fund grantee Two people with Florida Immigrant Coalition holding signs at a protest that read 'Aquí estamos y no nos vamos' and 'LGBTQ+ and immigrants must stand together against oppression.' Photo credit: Florida Immigrant Coalition, an Immigrants Belong Fund grantee

Building Community Power

Communities historically denied power already possess the knowledge to realize a just future. At Tides, we shift money, power, and resources to social change leadership within these communities to propel their work. 

Our Innovative Solutions Help our Partners:

  • Scale their justice-advancing ideas, backed by our robust financial and operational infrastructure 
  • Raise tax-deductible donations to support mission-driven work 
  • Unite individuals or organizations around their shared passion for advancing social justice

Ways to Partner

Tides’ offerings serve to support the agency of social change leadership from communities who have been historically denied power, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other historically excluded groups.

  • A group of students smiling and marching together in front of a brick arch with a bell. Photo credit: Vote Early Day, a fiscally sponsored partner of Tides

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    We support social change leaders with operational infrastructure and a 501(c)(3) home to power their work through our fiscal sponsorship options.

  • Two volunteers wearing face masks and bright yellow raincoats with the 'Election Defenders' logo and an 'I voted' sticker. Photo credit: Working Families, a collective action fund at Tides

    Social Change Leader Funds

    Through Tides Foundation, we offer a variety of solutions to help social change leaders and organizations enhance collective action and fuel their own movements.

  • Two staff members from Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo. Photo credit: CIELO, a Immigrants Belong Fund grantee

    Tides Initiatives

    Though Tides is not a traditionally endowed foundation, we maintain discretionary funds to make grants that advance our mission. Our grants support organizations advancing climate justice, racial equity, reproductive freedom, and more. 

Why Tides

Tides equips our partners with tools to generate momentum for their solutions and cultivate transformative change.

Partnership

Tides is built on genuine partnerships that ignite lasting impact by shifting resources, money, and power into community-centered solutions.

Connection

Our vast network of partners spans the globe, enabling social change leaders and organizations to forge bonds with donors and other leaders who share their passion for social justice.

Expertise

With nearly 50 years of experience, Tides has the expertise to connect our partners’ solutions with the right resources to amplify impact — whether that’s serving as a fiscal sponsor or helping them build a powerful, participatory grantmaking process.

Power

Social change leaders are the experts on how to build a just and equitable world. The Tides team is here to affirm their power and connect them to opportunities — not govern their solutions.

Community Stories

Celebrate the ingenuity and tenacity of the bold visionaries working with Tides to foster change.

  • Tides partnered with the Green New Deal Network — a coalition of environmental and climate justice organizations — to oversee grantmaking administration and due diligence as they push for policy solutions to address the climate crisis. Since 2019, the Green New Deal Network has sparked the passage of a federal commitment and three major federal investment packages totaling nearly $3.5 trillion to push for environmental and climate justice. 

    Learn More
    An activist speaking at green new deal network protest. Photo credit: Zayn-Thiam
A Latine woman and girl potting plants. Photo credit: East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Frontline Justice Fund grantee A Black mother and son at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights' community hub's soccer field and playground. Photo credit: Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a Tides Immigrants Belong Fund grantee A group of people with Native Renewables staff standing next to a solar panel in the desert. Photo credit: Native Renewables, Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee
A Latine woman and girl potting plants. Photo credit: East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Frontline Justice Fund grantee A Black mother and son at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights' community hub's soccer field and playground. Photo credit: Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a Tides Immigrants Belong Fund grantee A group of people with Native Renewables staff standing next to a solar panel in the desert. Photo credit: Native Renewables, Women’s Environmental Leadership Fund grantee

Interested in Partnering with Us?

There’s no greater force than the collective power of people united for justice. Join us to fuel lasting change.

Get Started

Frequently Asked Questions

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Tides provides grantmaking and other support to social change leaders to help build a world of shared prosperity and social justice.

A Tides Collective Action Fund (CAF) is a purpose-driven fund that relies on an independent advisory committee to  make recommendations to Tides for grants in support of a specific charitable purpose.

How does a CAF work?

  • The independent advisory committee (IAC) is composed of individuals committed to the fund purpose and with expertise or experience to support the achievement of that purpose.  
  • The committee reviews grant requests, then makes recommendations to Tides that align with the CAF’s charitable purpose and goals.
  • Tides reviews the recommendations for legal compliance and support of Tides’ mission and values and then makes a final decision on the grant request. 

CAFs can accept charitable contributions from a variety of sources, including individuals, donor advised funds, private foundations and corporations.

Do grants from the CAF support political candidates or campaigns?

No. Tides Foundation is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and CAFs are prohibited from funding partisan political activity. 

Can Tides overrule the recommendation of the Independent Advisory Committee?

CAFs benefit from the input of the independent advisory committee. The intent is to follow its recommendations. However, Tides may reject recommendations that are  inconsistent with the CAF’s purpose, don’t support Tides’ charitable mission, or are not in compliance with applicable law.

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Our organization is made up of five Tides entities: Tides Center,; Tides Foundation,; Tides Two Rivers Fund,; Tides Inc.,; and Tides Network. Our unique structure helps us connect changemakers in new ways, bringing together their diverse resources and experiences to realize a just and equitable future. 

Our Organizational Structure
Tides Network is our “home office.” It provides executive leadership, HR resources, financial management and accounting, legal and compliance, communications, and administrative services to advance the programming of the other Tides entities.

Tides Foundation
Tides Foundation leads Tides’ philanthropic work. The goal of the foundation is to advance social justice by partnering with funders to more quickly move their resources to social change leaders from communities historically denied power. Tides Foundation focuses on grantmaking and philanthropic services to doers and donors, including donor advised funds, collective action funds, and strategic advisory services. Tides Foundation also invests funds in social impact opportunities to support charitable activities in line with the Tides mission. Tides Foundation’s charitable funding comes from grants and donations received through a wide variety of sources, including individuals, families, foundations, and corporations.

Tides Center
Tides Center supports social change leaders, connects diverse people and organizations, and powers solutions that come directly from communities historically denied power, including women, economically disadvantaged communities, and communities of color. We offer comprehensive fiscal sponsorship — including financial, compliance, insurance, governance, and human resources support — as well as management, consulting, and grantmaking services. 

Tides Converge: Tides Inc. and Tides Two Rivers Fund
Tides Converge is a shared workspace that brings together a diverse community of leaders and organizations, linking sectors and crossing boundaries in the pursuit of social justice. Tides Inc. and Tides Two Rivers Fund hold and manage Tides Converge collaborative work and event spaces in San Francisco and New York City, respectively.

Tides Advocacy
Tides Advocacy is a separate 501(c)(4) organization.

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Tides does not provide funding or fundraising assistance to our fiscally sponsored projects.

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Tides offers a wide range of fund options to meet philanthropic objectives across the globe. Fees can range from 1% on standard donor advised funds to 5% for funds supporting a single domestic or  international project or organization. Tides staff can review your proposed fund activity and give a clear assessment of potential fees.

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Opening a fund at Tides generally takes 2-3 weeks upon receipt of a completed fund application. Please note that any complexities or clarifications uncovered during the application review process may prolong the timeline to open a fund.

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No. Funds at Tides must be opened with a minimum of $100,000 of committed funding for US-based activity or $50,000 for funds supporting a single domestic or international project or organization.

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