Donor Organizing
Interdependence & Solidarity Fund
If you’re a small group, network, or organization in South Carolina doing mutual aid, care work, organizing, healing, or cultural work and you’ve never applied to Cypress before, this fund is designed with you in mind.
Safety
Affordability
Community
Access to Decision-Making
Across the Carolinas, communities regularly navigate moments of disruption and uncertainty that strain already fragile systems. From the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to the SNAP disruptions of 2025, these moments have required communities to respond quickly and collectively.
In real time, partners did what communities have always done when systems are unstable: they stepped in to support one another. Neighbors organized, mutual aid networks mobilized, and artists helped communities stay connected and make meaning of uncertain times. Informal care systems became lifelines.
That moment reaffirmed something we already know: when the ground shifts, it is communities, not institutions, that catch people first.
Across the Carolinas and throughout the South, there is a strong network of people and groups working together, through organizing, mutual aid, cultural work, and community defense, to keep communities safe, fed, and connected. A lot of this work is happening through small teams or informal groups that are doing powerful work with very little funding, especially in rural areas and smaller towns that don’t usually get resources.
Communities are navigating multiple challenges at once: rising costs of living, safety concerns, shifting policies, and systems that were never built with our communities in mind. Many groups are pushed into a false choice between providing immediate support and building long-term power, when communities need both.
Mutual aid is not new here, it is part of the Carolinas’ tradition of collective survival and resistance. It is not charity. It is infrastructure: how communities build care, share resources, and create belonging when systems fall short.
The Interdependence & Solidarity Fund (ISF) exists to move resources to the people and networks doing this work. It helps meet urgent community needs and builds connections with new partners across the region. What we learn from this cycle will guide future funding and help us identify groups that could benefit from deeper, long-term support.
The Interdependence & Solidarity Fund (ISF) invests in community infrastructure that allows communities to respond to disruption while building long-term organizing capacity.
This cycle is focused entirely on South Carolina. We are investing in building the ecosystem of care and organizing work here, and we want to hear from groups across the state, including rural communities and smaller towns that are often left out of traditional funding conversations.
ISF also serves as an entry point for Cypress to build relationships with emerging partners across the region. Insights from this cycle will help inform future investments and identify organizations that may benefit from deeper engagement through other Cypress funds.
Mutual aid is care infrastructure. ISF prioritizes funding four material conditions that make up that infrastructure: Safety, Affordability, Community, and Access to Decision-Making.
Together, these ingredients help communities meet immediate needs while building the relationships and capabilities that sustain long-term organizing.
Safety
Physical safety, community defense, protection from surveillance and displacement
Community
The networks, cultural work, and healing spaces that make survival collective
Affordability
Food, housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare, mutual aid networks
Access to Decision-Making
Organizing, leadership development, and political education
If you’re a small group, network, or organization in South Carolina doing mutual aid, care work, organizing, healing, or cultural work and you’ve never applied to Cypress before, this fund is designed with you in mind.
You are a good fit for ISF if:
We move resources where they are needed first.
15K
50K
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Funding decisions are made twice annually, in March and September. Applications received by the published deadlines will be considered during the next funding review cycle.
To be considered for funding in September, applications must be submitted by August 27, 2026.
Applications are always open.
You can submit at any time. To be considered for funding in September, applications must be submitted by August 27, 2026.
July 15 - August 27, 2026
Application Review Period
- Applications will be reviewed as they come in
- Strong applications move forward
By September 30, 2026
Final Review + Decisions
- Grantmaking team conducts a deeper review of top applications from the quarter
- Final grant decisions are made, and applicants are notified
You will hear back from the Cypress team by September 30.
We may contact you if we have questions about your application.
If your application is selected
We may check in with you occasionally to learn how things are going. Strong ISF alignment can open doors to deeper Cypress engagement over time, including the opportunity to:
Frequently Asked Questions
What information do I need to complete my application?
What if I am not a 501(c)3 or don't have a fiscal sponsor?
What if we have applied for our 501(c)3 status but have not received the paperwork yet? Are we still eligible to apply?
How do I know if the Interdependence & Solidarity Fund is a good fit for my group?
What can my organization use these funds for?
How much are the Interdependence & Solidarity Fund grants?
How can I request accessibility accommodations or special considerations for completing a grant application?
Can local chapters of national, regional, or national organizations apply?
Can I send my application via mail?
Are there any restrictions on how my organization can use these funds?
