The Leading With Love Foundation is a Minnesota-based nonprofit built around one core idea: giving people money and support without making them prove their worthiness first. It runs four connected programs it calls SHEA, and right now, one of them is open and accepting applications.
Access Microgrants: The Program That’s Open Right Now
This is the one to pay attention to today. The Access Microgrants program runs year-round so people can seek support whenever they need it, not just during a set window.
The eligibility here is refreshingly open. According to the foundation, this program has no enrollment, citizenship, GPA, or status requirements, and it specifically includes justice-impacted individuals navigating reentry.
The foundation has also specifically supported DACA recipients through this program, including one graduate student who received $300 during a gap in her work authorization, and a worker who received $500 during a similar delay.
The process is simple: you submit an application, a grant reviewer assesses it, the microgrant is disbursed directly to you, and you’re also referred to other community services that might help.
They Have Other Programs Too
The foundation also runs three other programs under the SHEA name, but as of this writing, all three are paused while the foundation prioritizes funding for Access Microgrants.
Here’s what each one does, so you know what to watch for if funding reopens:
- Scholarships support trade school, undergraduate, graduate, and Masters/PhD students, with funds paid directly to the applicant, distributed twice a year.
- Housing Resources pay housing stipends directly to landlords and housing providers on a quarterly basis, to help keep people stably housed while they focus on school. One recipient in the foundation’s case studies received $300 toward rent this way.
- Educational Support Services provide technical equipment and supplies applicants request, like a recipient who received a $350 MacBook Pro for her education, distributed twice a year at the start of a program.
If you have a need that fits one of these three areas, it’s still worth reaching out, since funding status can change.
What Makes This Foundation Different?
Leading With Love says it doesn’t require recipients to prove their need or meet conventional metrics like GPA, choosing instead to honor lived experience. One recipient, a single mother facing eviction after being turned away by more than 20 other agencies, received $300 from the foundation the same day she reached out, which she credits with helping her avoid eviction entirely.
How Do You Apply?
All four programs go through the same contact form on the foundation’s website.
Since the foundation is based in Minnesota, if you live elsewhere, it’s worth reaching out directly to confirm whether they’re able to support applicants outside the state before you apply.
Relief Recap
A program with no citizenship, GPA, or enrollment requirements is rare, and it specifically reaches people, like DACA recipients and those navigating reentry, who often get shut out of traditional assistance.
For more emergency cash options while programs like this one work through their funding cycles, our roundup of real hardship grants is a good next stop.
