Over the past ten years, SPF has awarded approximately eight million dollars to grassroots community organizing groups addressing educational, economic and social justice issues in the rural South. SPF provides general operating support, technical assistance, travel and discretionary grants as well as occasional special initiative awards.

Discretionary support includes (not limited to) grants for capacity building, community organizing events and/or activities, and voter engagement activities. There are three primary funding areas within discretionary

• General Discretionary: funds in this category will typically be used to support community organizing activities or small projects that fit within SPF guidelines and will lend its self to creating change within SPF funding region.
• Technical Assistance: The funds awarded in this category will support the capacity building needs of your organization or your constituency. These activities could include (but are not limited to) strategic planning, organizational development, trainings for your base and/or constituency and small technology upgrades.
• Travel Assistance: This category includes (but again, not limited to) travel to and participation in conferences and actions of civic engagement.

Awards from the Discretionary fund are small in nature and a request will not exceed $1,500. Organizations are allowed to submit a maximum of two requests per year to the discretionary fund and the sum of your awards will not be greater than $3,000.