Dear John,

Today, we are launching Headwaters’ Rapid Response Fund. The fund is our first open application for rapid response funding and aims to increase transparency and accessibility to organizations seeking funds in response to an unanticipated event or urgent challenge. 

We know that the nature of grassroots organizing means that our funding cycles do not always align with organizations’ real-time financial needs in moments of crisis or opportunity. Today’s increasingly authoritarian political climate heightens the urgency with which communities have been organizing for generations.  

With this in mind, we are using every tool available to help organizations respond to rapidly shifting challenges.  

We expect to grant $600,000 through the Rapid Response Fund through eight rounds of grantmaking between September 2025 and June 2026. Organizations can apply for up to $25,000 and receive an award no more than once per year. 

Inquiries for the first Rapid Response grantmaking round of the Rapid Response Fund open today, August 6, 2025. Find more information, including grant criteria, key dates, and more, on our website. 

In solidarity, 

Bilal Alkatout and Migdalia Loyola Meléndez 

Headwaters Co-Executive Directors 

Unsubscribe
2801 21st Ave S, Ste 132B | Minneapolis, MN 55407