OVERVIEW: The Montana-based PRBB Foundation mainly supports women’s and girls’ causes in the U.S. and abroad. A secondary area of grantmaking interest is environmental conservation and justice.
IP TAKE: The PRBB Foundation prioritizes grassroots and community- or indigenous-led organizations. About half of the foundation’s grantmaking remains in the U.S., emphasizing Maine, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. However, it is not accessible. This funder selects its grantees with the assistance of a “global network of volunteer advisors” and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PRBB does invite organizations that believe they are an exceptional match to the foundation’s interests to reach out via its contact page. So, don’t hesitate to reach out to this approachable and focused funder.
PROFILE: Founded in 2006, the PRBB Foundation aims to “support and empower women, their families and communities and the environment that we share.” Located in Bozeman, Montana, this foundation maintains a small staff and is a member of Exponent Philanthropy, Peace and Security Funders Group and the Women’s Funding Network. This funder currently makes grants for women’s and girls’ causes and, to a lesser extent, environmental conservation and justice. Grantmaking is global in scope, but about half of its grants go to organizations operating in the U.S., with an emphasis on the states of Maine, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.
Grants for Gender-based Violence, Women and Girls
The PRBB Foundation does not name specific interests for its women’s and girls’ grantmaking. Its global grants tend to support organizations working with indigenous and at-risk women in developing nations. In Guatemala, the foundation has supported Asociación Generando, which aims to empower political activism in indigenous women and survivors of gender-based violence. Another global grantee, the Pastoral Women’s Council of Tanzania, helps rural women to implement sustainable livestock rearing practices and develop better management of their finances. Other global grantees include Sustainable Schools International, the international human rights organization MADRE, Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres and Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises.
PRBB also supports women’s organizations in the U.S., where recent grantmaking has focused on education, economic opportunity and youth. In New York City, the foundation has given to Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, which works with women between the ages of 14 and 24 who are victims of sexual exploitation. Another grantee, the Maine Centers for Women Work and Security, runs programs that help women develop the skills and knowledge that support economic stability and independence. And in South Dakota, the foundation has given to the Sacred Shawl Center, which protects women and children of the Oglala Sioux tribe from abuse and assault by providing shelter and daily needs. Other U.S. grantees include the Jeanette Rankin Scholarship Foundation, Julie’s Family Learning Program of Boston, the Maine Academy of Modern Music and the Maine Women’s Policy Center.
Grants for Environmental Conservation and Justice
The PRBB Foundation supports organizations involved in conservation and environmental advocacy in the U.S. and abroad. U.S. grantees include the Green Belt Movement, an organization that uses “tree planting as an entry point for self-determination, equity, improved livelihoods and security and environmental conservation,” and Phoenixfire, a Montana group that works with the Fort Belknap Tribal community on conservation and environmental justice projects. Global grantees include Tanzania’s Envirocare, which teaches residents of poor rural communities about conservation and sustainable livelihoods, and the Nature Conservancy Africa Program, which partners with governments and conservation organizations across the continent to increase impact and capacity.
Important Grant Details:
The PRBB Foundation makes just over $100,000 a year in grants. Grants are generally awarded in amounts up to $25,000. This funder tends to support grassroots organizations and groups led by women and/or indigenous groups. For additional information about past grantees, see the foundation’s past grants page.
The PRBB Foundation selects its grantees through “a global network of volunteer advisors” and does not accept unsolicited applications for funding. The foundation does, however, invite those who “have experience with a remarkable group who reflects our vision” to contact the foundation with their story.
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