Resist
Resist is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1967 that provides no-strings-attached grants, via participatory panels of former grantees, to small frontline-led grassroots social justice movements across the United States, funded by more than 8,000 individual donors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Resist does
Resist, Inc. is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1967 that channels philanthropic dollars to frontline-led grassroots movements across the United States. Over nearly six decades, Resist has funded more than 6,000 grantee organizations and directed approximately $12 million in cumulative support to movements addressing racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ+ liberation, immigrants' rights, abolition, indigenous sovereignty, economic and environmental justice, and related causes. The foundation prioritizes small radical organizations—typically with budgets under $150,000—that lack access to traditional philanthropy, and markets the fact that 100% of its dollars go to frontline-led groups versus a 7% industry average for foundations.
The foundation operates two primary grant instruments: general support grants, restructured in 2024 to $10,000 awarded to 30 grantees per cycle (up from $4,000 to 150–200 grantees), and $2,000 rapid response grants disbursed to 30–50 groups per year. Funding decisions are made through a participatory grant-making model in which panels composed of former grantees, not staff or board, allocate resources. The technology stack is conventional and non-proprietary—Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, and Network For Good—and there is no AI/ML capability, custom platform, or proprietary infrastructure; the redesigned resist.org website (launched November 2024) is the primary digital interface for donors and applicants.
Revenue is generated almost entirely from individual giving, with more than 8,000 donors nationally contributing one-time gifts, recurring sustainer payments, planned bequests, and stock donations; the organization has no endowment and divested entirely from the stock market in 2022 to free up capital for redistribution. Since a unanimous January 2018 board resolution, Resist has operated as a worker self-directed nonprofit in which the staff collective exercises strategic decision-making under board oversight. The foundation also co-founded the Movement Sustainability Commons with the Center for Economic Democracy, extending its footprint into fiscal sponsorship and movement infrastructure services for justice organizations.
Resist firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Resist
- Legal name
- Resist, Inc.
- Website
- https://resist.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Resist is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1967 that provides no-strings-attached grants, via participatory panels of former grantees, to small frontline-led grassroots social justice movements across the United States, funded by more than 8,000 individual donors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Resist industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Resist is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Resist business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Resist raises funds from individual donors nationwide (over 8,000 donors) through online donations, monthly sustainer programs, and mail-in contributions. Donors contribute to support frontline grassroots movements for justice and liberation.
- Planned Giving and Bequests: Resist accepts planned giving and bequests from donors who remember the organization in their estate plans, supporting future generations of activists.
- Stock Donations: In 2022, Resist divested from the stock market but still accepts stock donations. Eastern Bank in Boston, MA handles some banking relationships.
- Movement Sustainer Program: Monthly recurring donation program with 8,000+ donors nationwide who provide sustained funding for grassroots organizations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Resist product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Resist is a private nonprofit foundation that provides no-strings-attached grants to frontline grassroots movements working toward social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. It raises funds from a national base of more than 8,000 individual donors through online donations, a monthly Movement Sustainer program, planned giving, and stock donations, then redistributes 100% of those funds to small, frontline-led organizations through general support grants (raised to $10,000 in 2024), rapid response grants ($2,000), and a participatory grant-making process in which panels of former grantees decide funding.
Product overview
Resist is a philanthropic foundation that provides grants to grassroots movements. Their services include general support grants (averaging $4,000 prior to 2024, increased to $10,000 in 2024), rapid response grants ($2,000), participatory grant-making through panels of former grantees, and various giving guides (Palestine Solidarity, Pride, Indigenous Peoples, Holiday, Black Liberation). They operate as a worker self-directed nonprofit organization focused on radical philanthropy and resource redistribution to frontline-led organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Movement Sustainability Commons: Founded by Resist and Center for Economic Democracy, provides affordable services and practices supporting people and groups working for justice and liberation.
- Justice Is Essential
Products and services
- General Support Grants No-strings-attached general operating grants to frontline grassroots organizations; historically averaged $4,000 per grantee, raised to $10,000 per grantee in 2024 with one funding cycle of 30 grantees.
- Rapid Response Grants Time-sensitive $2,000 grants awarded to approximately 30-50 grassroots groups per year to enable rapid response to emerging crises and urgent movement needs.
- Participatory Grant-Making Decision-making process in which paid, trained panels of former Resist grantees—not foundation staff—decide where grant funds are allocated, embedding frontline leadership in funding decisions.
- Movement Sustainability Commons Affiliated initiative co-founded by Resist and the Center for Economic Democracy that provides fiscal sponsorship and affordable services, practices, spaces, and pathways to sustain people and groups working for justice and economic democracy.
- Justice Is Essential Series Speaker series providing community space to learn from Resist grantees, organizers, and thought leaders on addressing oppression systemically.
- Gift Giving Guides Themed donor guides (Palestine Solidarity, Pride, Indigenous Peoples, Holiday, Black Liberation) connecting donors to specific frontline causes and giving opportunities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of philanthropic dollars go to frontline-led organizations (compared to 7% industry average)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Resist
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Resist technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Resist partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Movement Sustainability CommonscoreFounded by the Center for Economic Democracy and Resist, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Nourishes and sustains people and groups working for justice, economic democracy, and liberation by offering affordable services, practices, spaces, and pathways that support interdependence and self-reliance for community self-determination. Also offers Fiscal Sponsorship.
- Community Movement CentercoreImportant Resist project - a movement and birthing center for the community and grantees in the Boston area. Learn more at movementcommons.co
- Network For GoodcoreThird-party payment processor for online donations. Handles secure credit and debit card transaction processing. Subject to Network for Good Privacy and Security Agreement.
- Eastern BankminorBanking relationship in Boston, MA 02130. Also works with Bill.com for ACH payments.
- Justice FundersminorResist is featured in the Resonance Framework (2nd Edition) published by Justice Funders - a network of philanthropy organizations working towards transformative change.
- Social Justice Funders NetworkminorCollaboration on supporting grassroots organizing; Resist participated in joint programming.
- Philanthropy MAminorCollaboration on supporting grassroots organizing; Resist participated in joint programming.
- Hispanics in PhilanthropyminorCollaboration on growing movement in philanthropy for Hispanics; Resist participated in joint programming.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Resist competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bread & Roses Community Fund: A Philadelphia-based radical philanthropy fund that practices participatory grant-making with grassroots social justice groups. Closely mirrors Resist's model of funding frontline movements led by those most impacted by oppression.
- Solidaire Network: A donor organizing network mobilizing resources for movements led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Shares Resist's radical philanthropy framing and donor mobilization model.
- Third Wave Foundation: A youth-led social justice foundation funding gender justice, economic justice, and movement-building groups. Comparable to Resist in scale, mission, and reliance on participatory grant-making.
- Borealis Philanthropy: A philanthropic intermediary pooling resources from multiple funders to support racial justice movements. Comparable to Resist in its movement-aligned grantmaking approach and collaborative funder model.
- Hill-Snowdon Foundation: A small family foundation focused on movement infrastructure for social justice organizing. Like Resist, it emphasizes general support, multi-year funding, and resourcing frontline organizations.
Broad incumbents
- Fund for Global Human Rights: An international human rights grantmaker supporting frontline human rights defenders. Comparable in mission to Resist but with global reach and significantly larger grantmaking budget.
- Open Society Foundations: One of the world's largest private foundations funding social justice, human rights, and democratic movements. Operates far above Resist's scale but shares a focus on grassroots and movement-led change.
- Ms. Foundation for Women: A larger, established women's foundation funding gender justice organizing. Compares to Resist in funding social justice but operates at materially larger scale with an endowment.
- Ford Foundation: A major global foundation with substantial social justice programming. Comparable in mission space but operates with a multibillion-dollar endowment and a very different overhead structure than Resist.
Emerging players
- Movement for Black Lives: A coalition of Black-led organizations coordinating funding and policy agendas. Adjacent to Resist as both a movement intermediary and an occasional grantmaking entity for racial justice work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Resist social profiles
Digital presenceResist financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Resist leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Resist subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Resist funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Resist M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Resist
What does Resist do?
Resist is a private nonprofit foundation that provides no-strings-attached grants to frontline grassroots movements working toward social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. It raises funds from a national base of more than 8,000 individual donors through online donations, a monthly Movement Sustainer program, planned giving, and stock donations, then redistributes 100% of those funds to small, frontline-led organizations through general support grants (raised to $10,000 in 2024), rapid response grants ($2,000), and a participatory grant-making process in which panels of former grantees decide funding.
Is Resist a public or private company?
Resist is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Resist founded?
Resist was founded in 1967. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Resist based?
Resist is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Resist make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are planned Giving and Bequests, stock Donations and movement Sustainer Program.
Who are Resist's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bread & Roses Community Fund, Solidaire Network, Third Wave Foundation, Borealis Philanthropy and Hill-Snowdon Foundation. Broad incumbents are Fund for Global Human Rights, Open Society Foundations, Ms. Foundation for Women and Ford Foundation. Movement for Black Lives is listed as an emerging player.
Does Resist have an API?
No public API is recorded for Resist.
What industry is Resist in?
Resist's product category is Nonprofit Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAN, Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPADAOAB, Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors). Its NAICS code is 813211.