Hill-Snowdon Foundation

Hill-Snowdon Foundation is a US private foundation based in Washington, DC.

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Hill-Snowdon Foundation supports grassroots organisations that use community organising to build the power of low-income families and communities and improve their material and socio-political conditions. Its named areas include Youth Organizing and Economic Justice Organizing, with emphasis on multi-generational organising, family-supporting jobs and Black-led movement infrastructure. It has a particular focus on community organising in the US South and an ongoing interest in organising in Native American communities, while also making strategic investments elsewhere in the country. For its Fund for DC, it backs community-organising groups working to strengthen capacity and achieve larger-scale victories for residents of the District of Columbia. The Foundation primarily provides general operating support to strengthen the long-term capacity and sustainability of grassroots organisations.

Themes

• Community organizing
• Youth organizing
• Economic justice organizing
• Black-led organizing
• Native American organizing

Geographic Focus

United States; District of Columbia. Priority: US South.

What They Don't Fund

• Youth Organizing Program only: youth leadership, advocacy, or service programs that are not grounded in a community organizing model
• Economic Justice Organizing Program only: research, advocacy, or service programs that are not grounded in a community organizing model
• Fund for DC Program only: youth leadership, advocacy, or service programs that are not grounded in a community organizing model

HSF does not accept unsolicited proposals or letters of inquiry. Prospective organisations should review its grantmaking criteria; those seeing a strong fit may contact the Foundation through the homepage Contact Us form to share information about their work. Referrals from grassroots or funding partners are strongly preferred. Informational calls give organisations an opportunity to learn about its priorities and approach.

• Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 83% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
• Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 535 grants to organisations were $7,500 or less.

What the foundation says:

• Youth Organizing applicants are favoured when they have a track record and commitment to multi-generational organising, evidenced by their leadership structure and organising model.
• Applicants should use community organising for systems, institutional or policy-level change.
• Youth Organizing and Fund for DC applicants should engage in multi-issue, base-building organising.
• The Foundation favours applicants with a sophisticated, strategic and explicit racial and gender justice frame.
• Economic Justice Organizing applicants should focus on campaigns for policies that create or strengthen family-supporting or community-strengthening jobs.
• Applicants are favoured for a track record of organising wins and institutional and policy changes.
• Youth Organizing applicants should work in coalition with social justice organising groups or lead multi-generational organising coalitions.
• Applicants should integrate civic participation or voter engagement strategies into their ongoing efforts whenever possible.
• Youth Organizing applicants are favoured when located in the US South; organisations outside the region are also considered.
• Referrals from grassroots or funding partners are strongly preferred.