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Foundation For A Just Society

Annual Giving
$61.2M
Grant Range
$50K - $0.5M
Decision Time
2mo

Foundation For A Just Society

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $61,203,721 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $1.16 billion (2023)
  • Grant Range: $50,000 - $500,000 per year
  • Grant Duration: 1-3 years
  • Geographic Focus: US Southeast, New York City, Mesoamerica, South and Southeast Asia, Francophone West Africa, and global
  • Application Method: Invitation only

Contact Details

Overview

Founded in 2011 by Audrey Cappell, daughter of the late hedge fund manager and philanthropist James Simons, the Foundation for a Just Society (FJS) is a private foundation with over $1.16 billion in assets. In 2023, the foundation awarded $61.2 million across 396 grants. FJS advances the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI people and promotes gender and racial justice by ensuring those most affected by injustice have the resources they need to cultivate the leadership and solutions that transform our world. Since its inception, the foundation has distributed more than $350 million globally to progressive organizations that elevate the leadership, vision, and missions of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people, especially people of color. The foundation employs a trust-based philanthropy approach, emphasizing multi-year general operating support with minimal restrictions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Operating Support

  • Amount: $50,000 - $500,000 per year
  • Duration: 1-3 years
  • Type: Multi-year, unrestricted general operating grants
  • Frequency: Four grant cycles per year (March, June, September, November)
  • Application: Invitation only - proposals invited approximately two months before grant approval dates

Priority Areas

FJS grantmaking is guided by an intersectional approach through a racial and gender justice lens, focusing on:

  • Women's Rights: Advancing the rights and leadership of women and girls, particularly women of color
  • LGBTQI Rights: Supporting LGBTQI people and promoting their leadership in movements
  • Movement Building: Building power and common cause among marginalized communities
  • Structural Change: Supporting efforts that advance long-term, structural change while meeting immediate needs
  • Strategic Communications: Accompaniment support for grantee communications capacity
  • Holistic Safety and Collective Care: Supporting organizations' well-being and psycho-social support needs

The foundation emphasizes supporting those most affected by injustice to be leaders, strategists, and agents of change. They prioritize organizations led by and accountable to the communities they serve.

What They Don't Fund

  • Direct services without a vision for transformation
  • Individuals
  • Scholarships
  • Endowments
  • Partisan organizations
  • Lobbying efforts (as primary focus)
  • Institutions that discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, age, or sexual orientation

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team

  • Audrey Cappell - Founder and President
  • Jessica Postrozny - Vice President (actress and filmmaker)
  • Kyla Barkin - Secretary/Treasurer (professional dancer)
  • Elizabeth Simons - Board member

The foundation is primarily funded by the Audrey Simons Delaware Trust.

Grantmaking Philosophy

FJS operates on core values of:

  • Feminism: An expansive, anti-racist framework addressing multiple injustices
  • Center Those Most Affected: Prioritizing those experiencing deepest oppression as representatives of their own interests
  • Collaboration: Building relationships grounded in humility across movements
  • Risk: Acting boldly through experimentation and learning from outcomes
  • Trust: Relationships defined by integrity, transparency, and confidence in community leadership

As stated in their materials, their decisions are "guided by the leadership, values, strategies, and approaches within movements rather than a narrow understanding of single issues or quantifiable impact."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Foundation for a Just Society operates through an invitation-only model, identifying potential grantees through a field-led approach rather than accepting unsolicited proposals.

The foundation "prefers to field its own grantees to support, requesting proposals only if it believes a grant seeker is a good fit." When organizations are identified as potential partners, FJS extends proposal invitations approximately two months before grant approval dates.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's grantmaking strategies are "informed by a range of thought partners who have intellectual and experiential expertise, such as community leaders, funders, journalists and movement elders." Organizations become known to FJS through:

  • Field connections and networks: The foundation actively engages with movement leaders, community organizers, and other funders who provide recommendations
  • Strategic alignment: Organizations whose work aligns with FJS's geographic and thematic priorities and demonstrates commitment to racial and gender justice
  • Movement participation: Active involvement in feminist and social justice movements, particularly those led by women, girls, and LGBTQI people of color

The foundation emphasizes building lasting relationships and takes a collaborative approach to its grantmaking, suggesting that consistent visibility within relevant movement spaces may be beneficial.

Decision Timeline

  • Grant Cycles: Four times per year (March, June, September, November)
  • Proposal Invitations: Extended approximately 2 months before grant approval dates
  • Grant Awards: 396 grants awarded in 2023, 358 in 2021, 351 in 2022

Application Success Factors

While FJS does not accept unsolicited applications, understanding what the foundation values in its grantee partners is essential for organizations working in aligned areas:

What FJS Looks For

Movement-Led and Field-Informed Approach The foundation's grantmaking is "guided by the leadership, values, strategies, and approaches within movements rather than a narrow understanding of single issues or quantifiable impact." Organizations should demonstrate deep roots in and accountability to the movements they represent.

Intersectional Leadership FJS prioritizes organizations that are led by and accountable to those most affected by injustice, particularly women, girls, and LGBTQI people of color. They seek partners who embody their core value of "centering those most affected."

Vision for Transformation The foundation does not fund organizations that provide "direct services without a vision for transformation." Successful partners must demonstrate how their work contributes to structural change and long-term movement building, not just service delivery.

Trust-Based Partnership Readiness FJS offers multi-year, unrestricted general operating support with minimal reporting requirements. They seek partners who can use flexible funding strategically and value relationships based on "integrity, transparency, and confidence in community leadership."

Geographic and Thematic Alignment Organizations working in FJS's priority regions (US Southeast, New York City, Mesoamerica, South and Southeast Asia, Francophone West Africa) with clear connections to gender and racial justice are prioritized.

Example Grantees

Recent grantees include:

  • ProGeorgia: Received approximately $1.7 million since 2017, including pass-through funding for partner organizations
  • Mama Cash: $800,000 grant in 2023
  • Prospera: International Network of Women's Funds: $500,000 in 2023
  • Groundswell Fund: $300,000 in 2023
  • International Trans Fund: $200,000 in 2023
  • African Women's Development Fund
  • Asia Catalyst: Supporting healthcare rights for marginalized groups in Asia
  • Coalition of African Lesbians
  • Carolina Youth Action Project
  • 9to5 Georgia: Voter turnout in historically underprivileged precincts

Additional Support Beyond Funding

FJS provides "an array of grantee-driven accompaniment that fosters organizational and movement strengthening to complement general operating grants," with particular emphasis on:

  • Strategic communications capacity building
  • Holistic safety and collective care support
  • Organizational resilience and flexibility

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: FJS does not accept unsolicited applications; they identify and invite potential grantees through field connections and movement networks
  • Trust-based approach: The foundation offers multi-year, unrestricted general operating support with simplified processes and minimal reporting requirements
  • Movement-centered: Grantmaking is guided by movement leadership and values rather than narrow issue framing or quantifiable impact metrics
  • Intersectional focus: Strong preference for organizations led by and accountable to women, girls, and LGBTQI people of color
  • Transformation over services: Must demonstrate vision for structural change, not just direct service delivery
  • Geographic targeting: Priority regions include US Southeast, Mesoamerica, South and Southeast Asia, Francophone West Africa, with limited NYC funding
  • Relationship-based: Building visibility through movement participation and connections with field leaders, funders, and community organizers may be valuable for organizations working in aligned areas

References

Accessed: December 2024

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