Peace Development Fund - Donor Advised/Designated Grant Program

Donor Advised Funds – through this funding program PDF provides its more than 25 years of experience in grant making to donors who are interested in funding specific interests. PDF carries out the research, ensures the reporting, and manages the government’s requirements while the donor, with PDF staff advice, recommends groups for funding. PDF’s Donor Advised Funds are:

Established in 2007, Anonymous Fund I focuses on supporting progressive organizations located in the Chicago, Illinois area.

Established in 2005, the Babson International Peace Fund shares a vision with PDF that effective grassroots organizing is a critical component of worldwide peace building efforts. The Babson Fund attempts to enhance the capacity of the peace movement by supporting organizations based in the United States and abroad organizing in their community for peace and justice.

Established in 1993, the Mary Norris Lloyd Memorial Fund was named to honor the donor's mother. Mary Norris Lloyd was born in South Carolina and lived in the South until she entered Antioch College in the late 1920s. Turning to Quakerism after World War II, she was a peace and civil rights activist, as well as a writer and poet.

Working closely with PDF staff, the donor has the flexibility to make grants to domestic and foreign grassroots and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that many other foundations, including some private and family foundations, often lack. The Mary Norris Lloyd Memorial Fund shares a vision with the Peace Development Fund that effective grassroots organizations enhance democracy and are catalysts for social change.

Established in 1989, once consistent focus of the Maverick Fund has been supporting progressive change in Central and South America and Caribbean countries hit hardest by abusive U.S. foreign policy. The donor has made a substantial commitment to Mexico and Haiti, the U.S. groups working in these countries, and organizations working in the United States on issues of labor organizing and progressive independent media work.

Established in 1987, the McCormick/Allegro Fund has funded organizations working on issues ranging from youth empowerment to peace and anti-war organizing. Current grantmaking priorities include supporting progressive work within the public health sector, single payer and AIDS work in Africa.

Established in 2010, the Mother Jones Fund takes its name from Mary Harris Jones, better known as “Mother Jones” (1836-1930), the inspiring labor and community leader who was active during the turn of the 20^th century. The Fund will support organizations that, in Mother Jones’ words, “Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.” The Mother Jones Fund recognizes that all of the issues our planet faces are ultimately linked to each other. The Fund will therefore support large and small groups in the United States and abroad working on a wide range of social issues.

Established in 2009, the Moving Mountains Fund recognizes the benefits of small, timely and strategic grants made to support community-based organizing and advocacy. These small grants are for urgent needs that support an organization's long term goals, and can be considered and delivered quickly. The process of creating a just society is long, but little by little, stone by stone, we will be able to move mountains. (This fund is inspired by the rapid response grants of the Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights. Its name is drawn from a Chinese proverb which was used in 1989 by the pro-democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square.)

Established in 2006, the Patricia Silver Fund has supported organizations based throughout the United States as well as in the Caribbean. The Fund supports a variety of program areas, including electoral organizing and civic engagement, progressive theatre and art projects, environmental work, emergency funding, and peace and justice organizing.

Established in 1987, the Popular Movement Fund has since funded close to 100 organizations all over the world. The Popular Movement Fund will support organizations that empower local people organizing against unjust systems and for life-renewing change. It is dedicated to supporting struggles for social, environmental and economic justice throughout the Americas.

Established in the fall of 2009, the Red State Fund funding priorities are still being determined. The goal of this fund will be to provide financial support to progressive, social change organizations which either are located in traditionally conservative geographical regions of the US (e.g. traditionally "red states"), and/or are located in geographical regions from which there are few other funding opportunities for progressive organizing groups.

1 - Those that support efforts to improve “street safety” such as (1) educating drivers of motor vehicles to be safe around bicyclists; (2) educating cyclists to be more conscious of the inherent danger of cycling and steps that can be taken to minimize the danger; and (3) working with government transportation agencies, urban planners and legislators to adopt street safety measures.

2 - Those that engage in work that reflects the values that Sylvia had developed in her all-too-short life, such as the organizations that she worked for: City Seed in New Haven and Hard-Hatted Women in Cleveland. Sylvia loved good, healthy food – growing it, cooking it, eating it. She was aware of the disconnect between much of the “food movement” and low-income communities. An example of an organization that she would have loved to support is the Oakland-based organization Love Cultivating Schoolyards. Sylvia was also a dedicated social justice activist –such as opposing military recruiting on high school campuses and demonstrating a just peace throughout the Middle East

Established in 1990, the Wellspring Fund has been an important contributor to progressive work in PDF's own backyard of Western Massachusetts. The Wellspring Fund supports organizations based in the Western Massachusetts areas that are working on a variety of progressive issues, including but not limited to, public health, electoral organizing, faith based organizing, education, environmental work, art and culture, and peace and justice organizing.

This funds allows PDF's donors, who do not wish to establish a Donor Advised Fund, the ability to carry out personalized grant making to a small number of organizations. Along with a donation to PDF's Annual Fund, the donor will give additional funds and recommendations for funding to specific groups. Some donors provide groups with designated grants for several years, while other provide a one-time grant.

To see a list of our most recent Donor Advised/Designated grantees, click on the link below: