Community Project Grants

Community Project Grants to Prevent and Address Bias and Hate

The NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC) and the NYC Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) offer Community Project Grants as part of a shared commitment under Local Law 49 to support community-based approaches that prevent hate violence, address bias motivated incidents, and strengthen respect and inclusion across New York City. These grants encourage individuals, groups, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and other NYC-based entities to design and implement creative projects that promote community respect, increase awareness, and respond to hate outside of the criminal legal system. Applicants may propose projects including community workshops, educational videos, conferences, events, and social media campaigns. Community Project Grants are administered by OPHC through discretionary funding.
OPHC and CCHR are partnering to inspire and support approaches that cultivate positive relationships among New Yorkers, increase community-led responses to hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents, improve reporting, build community cohesion, and develop educational programs that increase cultural competence, awareness, and respect for all.

Definitions

Hate Crimes
Any offense motivated in whole or substantial part by a belief or perception of a person, a group, or a place identified with a protected characteristic including race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Bias Incidents
Identity based verbal or discriminatory harassment that does not rise to the level of a hate crime and does not involve physical attack, threat of attack, or property damage.

Discrimination
Acting based on preference or prejudice. Occurs when a person is treated differently because of a protected category in a way that causes adverse impact.

Grant Amount
Grants are awarded up to 10,000 dollars.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Applicants must be NYC residents or organizations based in NYC serving NYC residents
  
• NYC agencies and other government entities are not eligible however programs sponsored by city agencies such as school and youth programs may apply
  
• Organizations already funded through the Partners Against The Hate Forward Initiative are not eligible
  
• Awardees must fulfill all program requirements and attend mandatory trainings and periodic check ins with city agency coordinators
  
• Awardees must provide periodic progress reports and share all event information in advance with coordinating agencies
  
• All public facing promotional materials must include OPHC and CCHR logos and be approved
  
• Awardees must attend required trainings including Overview of NYC Human Rights Law and OPHC’s Preventing Hate Together
  
• Awardees must submit a closing report, receipts, and invoices for reimbursement
  
• All projects must be concluded by June 28, 2026 and required documents submitted by July 9, 2026
  
• OPHC and CCHR reserve the right to publicize all funded projects
  
• Grantees must support community engagement around the NYC Human Rights Law

Funding Criteria

• Demonstrates innovative and entrepreneurial thinking
  
• Has potential for high impact in addressing bias, discrimination, hate violence, or promoting community respect
  
• Can be continued or scaled for greater impact
  
• Can reach underserved populations including those facing language barriers and underreporting
  
• Addresses issues currently affecting NYC communities
  
• Has established metrics for measuring success

Why These Grants Matter

Communities are often the first to witness the early signs of bias, tension, and fear. Empowering residents and grassroots groups to lead prevention efforts helps stop harm before it escalates into violence. These grants recognize that meaningful change often begins with education, cultural understanding, dialogue, and locally driven engagement. By supporting projects outside of the criminal legal system, the program expands pathways for healing, solidarity, reporting, and accountability. Community Project Grants strengthen neighborhood cohesion, uplift diverse identities, and ensure that every New Yorker feels seen, respected, and supported. This investment builds long term community resilience and contributes to a safer and more unified New York City.

Application Process

The grant application period closed on November 30, 2025. Applicants who submitted materials will receive status updates in December 2025. All submissions were required to be submitted electronically between October 31 and November 30, 2025.

Applications are reviewed by OPHC and CCHR. Funding decisions are determined on a rolling basis.

Application Submission Period
October 31 to November 30, 2025

Notification Timeline
Applicants will receive decision notifications by January 5, 2026

Webinar Information Session
An information session was offered for those interested in learning more about the Community Project Grants. The session was hosted by OPHC and CCHR with the following details:
Date: Friday November 21, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Location: Online via Microsoft Teams
Topic: Community Project Grants Information Session
Registration link
After registering, participants received a confirmation email with access details.

Next Steps for Awardees
Due to the volume of submissions, the selection committee is unable to respond to individual inquiries. Approved applicants will be contacted within the notification period. Community members are encouraged to follow OPHC and CCHR on social media or sign up for OPHC updates to learn about future opportunities and grant announcements.

Call to Action
The 2025 Community Project Grants application has closed. Please check back for the 2026 application, which will open in October 2026.