Reparative Grant Program

To be eligible, proposals must be co-led by a community organization and a Harvard partner. 

Community organizations: Non-profit organizations that have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and seek to improve a community’s social and overall health are encouraged to apply. To be eligible for this funding opportunity, the organization must have leadership (staff and/or board) that demonstrates a deep understanding and represents the lived experiences of the communities they serve or intend to serve. 

Harvard partners: 

• Faculty and staff: All Harvard University benefits-eligible staff (including administrative/professional, support, service, and trades staff) and faculty (including primary, secondary, and adjunct faculty) are eligible to apply. Questions about faculty and staff salary support will be addressed when budgets are reviewed 

• Students: All Harvard undergraduates and graduate students are eligible to apply, as long as they are enrolled during the funding period. If awarded, students will be fully compensated for the time they devote to the project

• Postdoctoral researchers, research associates, research scientists, and fellows: All Harvard research professionals are eligible to apply. An appointment at Harvard University is required, and the appointment must last the duration of the funding period, if awarded

• Alumni and Harvard-affiliated hospital staff: Alumni and Harvard-affiliated staff are not eligible to apply as primary applicants but are welcome to team up with a primary applicant at a Harvard school, unit, or with a community organization

We encourage collaborative proposals that: 

• Support the advancement of descendant communities, preferably in Cambridge or Boston; 

• Incorporate and center the lived experiences and voices of descendant communities; 

• Demonstrate how community organizations and Harvard can work together to create and manage successful reparative initiatives; 

• Propose innovative solutions to persistent, systemic inequities, or extend and amplify existing successful approaches; 

• Clearly advance one or more of the recommendations in the Report of the Presidential Committee on Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery; and 

• Are aligned with the mission of the H&LS Initiative. 

The Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative: Reparative Grant Program does not fund the following: 

• Projects led by a single individual

• Capital campaigns/building constructions

• Harvard employee and faculty salaries (exceptions may be allowed on a case-by-case basis and could include non-exempt overtime as applicable, temporary help by staff, backfilling staff who are working on the project, or faculty summer salary)

This grant program offers funding for two project types: 

• Impact Projects: Strategic, multi-year projects with budgets up to $350,000 spread over two years

• Seed Projects: Proof of concept projects with budgets up to $25,000 for a year

The H&LS Initiative is committed to an equitable, thorough, and fair review process to identify the most promising ideas for funding. A two-stage review process will include input from dedicated community leaders, students, faculty, and staff. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: 

• Strategic Alignment: Aligns with the mission and values of the H&LS Initiative and the mission of the community organization co-leading the project

• Equity: Center the needs and voices of communities historically and systematically harmed by slavery

• Impact: Has clear metrics that allow for measurable impact once implemented

• Feasibility: Shows the extent to which the project can be efficiently implemented and successfully within the timeframe and budget

• Sustainability & Scalability: Lays a long-lasting foundation that will continue after the funding period ends (i.e., sustainable) and can be expanded to reach even more people (i.e., scalable)

• Innovation: Shows creativity in addressing a real-world challenge affecting descendant communities

• Project Team: Demonstrates a diverse team composed of representatives from descendant communities impacted by the problem that the proposal is designed to address, individuals from community organizations, and individuals from Harvard

This grant fund cycle is currently closed.

This grant fund cycle is currently closed.