FUNDING QUEERLY GIVING CIRCLE
FUNDING GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION
Deadline for Receipt of Proposal:December 11, 2015
ABOUT THE FUNDING QUEERLY GIVING CIRCLE. The Funding Queerly Giving Circle is a collective giving effort of a group of donors under 40 that was launched at Resource Generation’s Making Money Make Change in 2012. Funding Queerly is partnering with the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice to mobilize financial resources for organizing work by and for marginalized lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) communities in the United States. This is the third year of the Funding Queerly Giving Circle.
We know there is not enough funding for small LGBTQI groups working to organize their communities, build their leadership and power, and address root causes of injustice. We know there are even deeper funding gaps for groups that are led by and for communities of color and indigenous, low-income and rural communities. Communities most affected by injustices are best positioned to make social change, despite having the least access to mainstream funding resources. We work to recognize and encourage grassroots leadership from the most affected. Please review the criteria below for more detail about the kinds of groups we aim to fund. If you have questions about whether your group is eligible, please reach out to Astraea at .
ABOUT ASTRAEA
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice works for social, racial and economic justice in the U.S. and internationally. Our grantmaking and philanthropic advocacy programs help lesbians, transgender people and allied communities challenge oppression and claim their human rights.
Our mission is based on an enduring commitment to feminism, progressive social change, and an end to all forms of exploitation and discrimination. Founded in 1977 by a small group of women to address the lack of funding for women (especially lesbians and women of color), Astraea is now a global foundation providing critical support for LGBTQI organizations and projects throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Grants are for up to $10,000. Grants are for General Operating Support.
FUNDING QUEERLY CRITERIA, PRIORITIES & EXCLUSIONS
PRIMARY CRITERIA. All applicants must meet the following criteria in order to be reviewed for funding:
●Primary work aims to make systemic change: The organization seeks to eliminate oppression of LGBTQI people by addressing the root causes of injustice and making systemic change for LGBTQI communities.
●Primary strategy is community organizing: The organization’s work builds the power and leadership of its constituents, aims to affect root causes of oppression or marginalization, and is directed at impacting policies, practices, and/or cultural norms affecting community members.
●Active participation and leadership of constituency impacted: The organization’s leadership (board, coordinating collectives, and/or staff), decision-making structures, and programmatic development, implementation and evaluation directly involve the communities most affected by issues that the organization seeks to address. Funding Queerly specifically prioritizes black-led organizing.
●Commitment to social, racial, economic and gender justice for LGBTQI people: The larger community served by the organization as well as the leadership identify primarily as (1) LGBTQI and (2) one or more of the following: (a) people of color and/or indigenous/Native American/American Indian/First Nations, (b) poor/low-income/working-class, and/or (c) rural.
●Annual organizational budget of $250,000 or less.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING PRIORITIES. The following are additional factors that the Funding Queerly Giving Circle prioritizes when reviewing applications and making funding decisions:
●New and emerging organizations
●Organizations with limited access to traditional/mainstream funding
●Led by LGBTQI communities that are historically under-resourced (e.g. youth, elders, immigrants, people with disabilities, sex workers, formerly incarcerated people)
●Strategic and timely impact of grant to organization/project’s success
●Internal/external practices reflect progressive political principles, and build community capacity to directly challenge oppression and engage in social change work
FUNDING EXCLUSIONS. The circle generally will not provide support for the following:
●Individual projects (e.g. graduate research, fellowships, etc.)
●Organizations with strong leadership from only one individual
●Private business or profit-making efforts (including business development)
●Organizations with budgets of over $250,000
●Projects that are based in or sponsored by a university, college, or other academic institution
●Capital campaigns, endowments, or deficit financing
●Direct social service projects, research projects, or one-time events that are not part of, or linked to, ongoing social change organizing strategies.
●Organizations/projects that are not based in the United States, territories (Puerto Rico, etc.) or Indigenous nations sharing a border with the United States
●Efforts that endorse candidates for public office
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
To be considered for the Spring 2016 funding cycle, please submit your proposal no later than 6pm EST on December 11, 2015. Please send your application via email to . Applicants will be notified of final grant decisions by May 2016.
ASTRAEA LESBIAN FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE
FUNDING QUEERLY GIVING CIRCLE
2016 Funding Cycle
Organization Name (include Acronym/Formerly known as Name, if applicable)Month/Year Founded
Mailing Address
CityState Zip Code
Organizational Phone #E-MailWeb Site / FB
Name of Contact Person #1Title of Contact Person #1
Contact Person #1’s Phone if different than aboveEmail of Contact Person #1
Best method & time to contact for proposal questions: Telephone (day/eve?) OR Email?
Name of Contact Person #2Title of Contact Person #2
Contact Person #2 - Telephone Email of Contact Person #2
Best method & time to contact for proposal questions: Telephone (day/eve?) OR Email?
Organizational Budget (current year): $ ______Organization’s Fiscal Year: FY Start Date: ______
FY End Date: ______
Do you have 501(c)(3) status? ___ No, Fiscal Sponsor Name and EIN: ______
___ Yes, EIN: ______
Have you previously applied to Astraea? ___ No___Yes, most recent year ______
If you have received past grants from Astraea, please indicate the most recent year/amount: ______
ORGANIZATION’S PRIMARY ISSUE AREA(if multi-issue, mark the top 3 with an X) / ORGANIZATION’S PRIMARY STRATEGY
(if multi-strategy, mark the top 3 with an X)
___ Legal/civil rights/civic participation ___ Human rights ___ Education ____Economic justice(inc. sex work) ___ Environmental justice ___Faith/spirituality ____ Sexual/gender Justice ( __feminism ___ homophobia ___ transphobia) Anti-violence (inc. intimate partner violence & hate crimes)___Family issues ___ Racial justice ___Immigrant rights Health (___HIV/AIDS __cancer __general health) ___ Disability justice ___ Housing rights___ Youth ___ Aging ___ Peace & justice/anti-militarism ___ Prisons/police brutality
Other (specify):______/ ___ Advocacy ___ Education ___ Media __Research
___ Arts and Culture ___Community Building __ Direct services
__Grassroots Organizing ___ Leadership Development ___Capacity Building __Other (specify:): ______
Type of Organization (check one):
___ LGBTQI Organization (serves overall community)
___ Serves specific segment of LGBTQI community (check all that apply)
___ Lesbian___ Gay___ Bisexual___ Transgender___ Queer___ Intersex
Organization Structure:
# of Paid staff: ____ Full-time _____ Part-time
# of Volunteers and Board Members: ___ Core Volunteer Leaders ___ Other Active Volunteers
# of Members (not inc. staff/volunteers): _____
Geographic reach:
Area served:
Where do you conduct the majority of your work? ______
___ Local/Town/City-wide ___ State-wide ___ Multi-state/regional ___ National
___ Other (specify):______
Impact:
Check the levels at which your work is making an impact:
___ Local/Town/City-wide ___ State-wide ___ Multi-state/regional ___ National ___ International
Narrative Questions: Please limit your responses to 3-4 pages in total! Do aim to address all the questions, as we are interested in your thinking on all of them.
Introduction to the organization:●Tell us about your mission and social justice vision, and give a summary of the key programs you carry out.
●What are some of your organization’s most significant achievements to date?
Why you work:
●Share your perspective on the social, economic and geographic context in which your organization works. What are the conditions and most pressing issues facing your community in this context? How do your programs tackle the root causes of these issues?
Who you are:
●Tell us about your organization’s leadership and core constituency.
●How do you build the power and leadership of your constituency?
Who you work with:
●Which movement(s), if any, do you connect your work with and/or situate your work within?
●What coalitions, collaborations or networks do you participate in, if any?
What you propose:
●What are your organizational goals for the coming year? What are three most important changes that you aim to make?
●How would receiving a grant from Funding Queerly help advance or sustain your work?
Resources and capacity:
●Provide a brief overview of your budget and fundraising strategy, including committed and prospective sources of income for this year.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHART
Category titles can be customized (e.g. Cast, Crew, steering committee, etc.) --> / Board Members / Staff / Active Volunteers / Members / Constituency/Target Population
Total Number of Each Category------>
Demographics by Race/Ethnicity / Please estimate the number (not percentage) in each category below.
African-American/Black/Caribbean/African descent
Arab/Iranian descent
Asian/South Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander descent
White
Latina/o, Chicana/o
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic/Mixed Heritage
Native American/Indigenous/First Nations
Not Listed Above (Please specify______)
Demographics by Gender Identity
Women (including Trans & Intersex, if applicable)
Men (including Trans & Intersex, if applicable)
Trans/GenderQueer/Gender Non-Conforming/ Two-Spirit
Intersex
Note Listed Above (Please specify)______
Demographics by Sexual Orientation
Lesbian
Gay Male
Bisexual
Queer/Other (Please specify)______
Straight Ally
Demographics by Age
18 and younger
19-24
25-39
40-59
60 and older
Additional Demographic Characteristics of Interest
People with Disabilities
People Incarcerated/Formerly Incarcerated
Immigrants/Refugees
Low-Income/ Poor
Sex Worker/Experience in Sex Trades
Additional Demographic Categories that are Important to your Organization (if not listed above)
1)
2)
BUDGET SHEET
If you have your own budget format that provides this information, feel free to submit it instead.
Fiscal year begins (day/month): _____/____ ends (day/month): ____/____
Last Fiscal Year – ACTUAL OrganizationalIncome/Expenses / Current Fiscal Year Estimated Organizational BUDGET / Next Fiscal Year Estimated Organizational BUDGET
INCOME (+)
Foundation Grants (List)
1
2
Government Fees/ Grants (List)
Special Events
Business/ Corporate Contributions
Membership Dues
Individual Contributions
Fees for Services/Earned Income
Other (Specify)
TOTAL INCOME
EXPENSES (- )
Salaries/Wages
Employee Benefits/Payroll Taxes
Consultants/ Professional Fees
Rent
Utilities (gas, electricity)
Equipment
Telephone/internet
Supplies
Postage/mailings
Printing/copying
Travel
Subscriptions/ memberships
Other (list):
TOTAL EXPENSES
Excess Revenue (difference between Income and Expenses)
Opening Balance (carry over funds from prior year)
Closing Balance
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