Borealis Philanthropy’s Communities Transforming Policing Fund Mobilizes $4.45 million to 48 Grassroots Organizations Reimagining Community Safety Through Participatory Grantmaking Process

Established 10 years ago, Borealis Philanthropy proudly supports a national network of grassroots groups organizing for justice, including groups working to end criminalization, increase police accountability, reimagine transformative public safety strategies, and build healthy, healed communities. 

In May 2025, through its Communities Transforming Policing Fund (CTPF), Borealis awarded three-year, $150,000 grants to 26 organizations selected by the fund’s participatory grantmaking (PGM) committee. Six additional finalists received $25,000 one-year learning opportunity grants, and 16 members of our 2021-2024 PGM cohort received $25,000 one-year renewal grants, bringing our participatory grantmaking total to $4.45 million. 

For a fourth consecutive year of its grantmaking, the CTPF leaned on the leadership of its PGM committee—10 advocates, organizers, and storytellers from BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities across the nation who have been impacted by policing and the criminal justice system. That’s because we believe in the power and wisdom of collective decision-making by those who are most impacted, and who are deeply rooted in work for safe and healthy communities.  

The 2025-2028 cohort selected by the PGM is a diverse group spanning 15 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. 96% of the organizations are led by individuals directly impacted by policing and the carceral state, and 65% are queer-, trans-, or gender non-conforming-led. 

Meet the 2025-2028 cohort! 

Meet the recipients of the 2025 learning opportunity grants!

Please join us in honoring 2021-2024 cohort members receiving one-year renewal grants:

Separately from the participatory grantmaking process, Borealis’ CTPF staff identified four partners to receive $25,000 learning opportunity and anchor grants. In total, we distributed an additional $100,000, bringing its grantmaking total in this round to $4.55 million.

Meet the recipients of the 2025 CTPF learning opportunity and anchor grants below! 

• Dissenters (National)
• FireAnt Movement Defense (GA)
• Justice Committee (NY)
• Relationships Evolving Possibilities (MN)

In addition to funding, all of our partners also have access to capacity building support, including peer learning spaces curated by Building Beyond Policing, the Community Resource Hub, and the Democratizing Justice Initiative, as well as one-on-one coaching on topics like safety and security training, organizational development, fundraising and financial strategy, narrative powerbuilding, research, and more.

We are endlessly grateful to our grassroots partners for leading work that keeps families and communities together, safe, and healthy. We invite all who are committed to justice and liberation to partner with Borealis to flank grassroots organizations across the United States, which are working to defend democracy, protect our freedoms, and ensure safety and joy for all. To learn more, please email us at development@borealisphilanthropy.org.

While the CTPF’s core grantmaking for 2025 is complete, we encourage interested applicants to sign up for our listserv to receive notifications about future funding opportunities across Borealis.