Social Change Leader Funds

Our social change leader funds provide changemakers from communities historically denied power with the tools to drive impact on the ground efficiently and effectively.  

Social Change 
Leader Funds Collective Action Funds Social Change 
Leader Funds
Social Change 
Leader Funds Collective Action Funds Social Change 
Leader Funds

What are Social Change Leader Funds?

Social change leader funds are Tides Foundation grantmaking solutions that allow community leaders to raise funds for their social justice work. Multiple individuals and organizations can unify their vision and resources through a collective action fund, or leaders can fuel a specific program through a single entity fund. Our team works with social change leaders to identify which philanthropic tool will best suit their needs.

Our Philanthropic Tools

  • Collective Action Funds

    Social change doesn’t happen alone. Collective action funds (CAFs) allow multiple leaders to collaborate with each other and Tides to turn their shared vision into lasting change. Each CAF has an independent advisory committee to guide grantmaking by representing the voices of impacted communities. CAFs often support efforts that include community organizing, amplification of community voices, and a wide range of charitable tactics imperative to addressing systemic racism and other injustices. Our partners can use their CAF to recommend grants to 501(c)(3) organizations and beyond — including 501(c)(4)s for project-specific charitable activities — with the support of Tides’ deep operational and compliance expertise.

  • Single Entity Funds

    Single Entity Funds

    Many leaders want to raise and direct funds to a specific project or initiative — without the time and expense of creating a nonprofit. With single entity funds, also called Model C fiscal sponsorship, Tides extends our 501(c)(3) status and operational support to our partners to streamline their fundraising and grantmaking.

  • Strategic Advising

    Strategic Advising

    Tides advisors provide strategic insights that elevate the impact of social change leaders. Tap into their skilled facilitation, programmatic expertise, and strategic thought leadership on the tools and initiatives that can advance social justice.

More Ways to Make Change

Grantmaking is just one way to amplify impact. For social change leaders rooted in the day-to-day work social justice requires, Tides offers deep partnership through Model A fiscal sponsorship. These partnerships are comprehensive and hands-on, equipping change leaders with the infrastructure and expertise they need to strengthen their communities.  

Explore Fiscal Sponsorship

Why Tides

Social change leader funds at Tides provide our partners with the expertise and operational support to transform their ideas into a powerful path toward justice.

Mission

Tides seeks to realize a more just and equitable future by centering the leadership of communities who’ve been historically denied power. We’re committed to working with all our donors to shift power, money, and resources to these communities so they can move us all toward a just world.

Flexibility

Social justice issues move quickly, so our funds do, too. We make more complex grants, move money quickly internationally, and uncover new ways to drive impact, including by supporting charitable programs carried out by 501(c)(4)s, for-profits, or other nontraditional vehicles.

Amplification

We provide a space for multiple social change leadership teams or organizations to collaborate, laying the groundwork for a mission, vision, and grantmaking process that can turn ideas into sustainable solutions.

Capacity Building

When our partners are at capacity, Tides advisors can step in, extending their reach through grantee research, financial reporting, and impactful grant recommendations.

How to Start a
Social Change Leader Fund

Work with Tides to start amplifying impact. Here’s how:

STEP 1 | Submit our Partner With Us form

Complete the form, then our team will contact leaders to discuss our potential partnership.

STEP 2 | Talk to us

We’ll talk to prospective partners about their goals, ensure our values are aligned, then recommend the best fund vehicle to support the causes they care about.

STEP 3 | Complete an application

If the partner and Tides are mission-aligned, our team will send an application so we can learn more about their goals for the fund.

STEP 4 | Make an establishing gift

Once we have full approval, we formalize our partnership and process the establishing gift.

STEP 5 | Start your giving journey

Partners meet their designated advisor and get on the path to impact with Tides at their side.

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, Immigrants Belong 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, Immigrants Belong 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 Tides?

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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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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The first step in opening a fund at Tides is determining mission alignment. If The Tides Approach aligns with your vision, reach out to us via the Partner With Us form, and Tides staff will contact you for an initial assessment.

Once ready to open a fund, you’ll receive a short online application to collect necessary information for opening a fund and for final assessment of fit with Tides.

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