Resist

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.

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

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

• Grassroots grantmaking
• Radical philanthropy
• Social justice grants
• Frontline movement funding
• Community-led grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Stock Donations: In 2022, Resist divested from the stock market but still accepts stock donations. Eastern Bank in Boston, MA handles some banking relationships.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Movement Sustainability CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded 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 CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImportant Resist project - a movement and birthing center for the community and grantees in the Boston area. Learn more at movementcommons.co
• Network For GoodcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processor for online donations. Handles secure credit and debit card transaction processing. Subject to Network for Good Privacy and Security Agreement.
• Eastern BankminorOthersBanking relationship in Boston, MA 02130. Also works with Bill.com for ACH payments.
• Justice FundersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResist is featured in the Resonance Framework (2nd Edition) published by Justice Funders - a network of philanthropy organizations working towards transformative change.
• Social Justice Funders NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on supporting grassroots organizing; Resist participated in joint programming.
• Philanthropy MAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on supporting grassroots organizing; Resist participated in joint programming.
• Hispanics in PhilanthropyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on growing movement in philanthropy for Hispanics; Resist participated in joint programming.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLki8oGyyjHxYlTq55x_9UCX-FN4dFCxln
• Facebookfacebook.com/calltoresist
• Instagraminstagram.com/calltoresist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Resist