Most social change work is a more complex combination of issues that aren't as visceral to the mainstream as, say, starving children or natural disasters. The program officer's job is to understand your work, ask questions and sometimes to play devil's advocate. Even though you seem to fit a foundation's stated priorities, you may find yourself struggling to make the connections that seem obvious to you. It's important that you learn to build a strong case for your programs, and have the appropriate background to back it up. Facts, statistics, historical context and real examples are better than impassioned rhetoric.
Most institutions move slowly.
First there must be a strong enough catalyst to interrupt the status quo. Then they need time for reflection and debate, followed by conversations about process and implementation, before folks on the outside discern any appreciable change. If this is true even of movement-oriented organizations, then it is doubly true of foundations. Most funders weigh any program changes with deliberate care. If your group's work is unusual, controversial or not on most people's radar screen, you may need to resign yourself to a long-term political education effort, which can result in major grants a few years down the road.