Introduction

The mission of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ+) Alliance Fund is to foster charitable giving in support of innovative programs and initiatives that benefit the LGBTQ+ community in Southern Arizona. Our donors, board and staff envision a diverse and caring community where philanthropy meets the needs of all its members.

2020-2021 LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund Grant Round

To Apply

This grant round is currently closed.

Application Guidelines

The LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund will consider applications for programs that fall into at least one or more of the following areas of interest and relationships to the LGBTQ+ Community. Special consideration will be given to programs that: incorporate collaboration between two or more organizations; clearly articulate measurable outcomes; can provide a clear description of plans to sustain the project beyond the grant year.

The LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund recognizes there are a multitude of ways to serve the LGBTQ+ Community. To further assist organizations, we are expanding our understanding of the type of organizations we serve. This year, we are asking that organizations indicate their relationship to the LGBTQ+ Community. These distinctions are voluntary and do not affect applications positively or negatively.

LGBTQ+ Serving – Organization’s primary mission is to serve the LGBTQ+ community. Organizations fit this description when they expressly offer the vast majority of their services specifically to individuals in the LGBTQ+ community and are primarily LGBTQ+ led.

LGBTQ+ Allied – Organizations have a strong history of support of the LGBTQ+ Community through programing, leadership, and the addressing of issues related to the LGBTQ+ Community. The organization may not have a mission focus on LGBTQ+ issues, however, there is a strong focus of organizational culture that is dedicated to support, representation, understanding, and service to the LGBTQ+ Community.

Aspiring Ally – Organizations have a desire to support or enhance their work with the LGBTQ+ community and are steadily working to serve or ally with the LGBTQ+ Community. These organizations may be in their discovery or early implementations phases of work with the LGBTQ+ Community and looking for support to examine their ability to serve the community authentically, competently.

Other – We recognize that there are many alignments with the community that we may not have aptly portrayed. If your organization falls outside of the descriptions we have outlined above, please inform.

Funding Areas

Only one application per agency will be accepted. However, if you are a fiscal agent for an organization, these applications will be considered separately.

LGBTQ+ Community Building and Collaborations – Projects that bring the LGBTQ+ community together and enhance it, as a whole. Programs that work in collaboration with each other to benefit the LGBTQ+ community in Southern Arizona. The Alliance Fund is interested in work that creates equity, solidarity, increases the well-being of LGBTQ+ communities, and advances gender, racial, and economic justice.

Transgender Issues – We seek to support projects that provide information and assistance to help transgender individuals gain access to informed medical professionals and improve their agency, quality of life and sense of belonging. This may include projects that provide personal development, economic empowerment, education, and training programs.

Youth and Elder Issues – The Alliance Fund supports our community at all phases of the age continuum. We support projects and organizations that aid LGBTQ+ elders in finding satisfactory basic support (housing, nutrition, health), in establishing good social networks, and in planning for the future (estate and end-of-life issues).

Our support of projects and organizations that aid LGBTQ+ youth include programs that focus on youth who are particularly disenfranchised, e.g., youth of color, rural youth, low income youth, gender non-conforming or questioning youth, young women, and other youth in need of assistance in the areas of homelessness, education, human service, and safety.

General Operating Support – We recognize that general operating support provides vital support to organizations whose mission/work is to primarily support the LGBTQ+ Community in Southern Arizona may apply for general operating support.

Other Eligibility Requirements:

1) One of our guiding principles is to honor the rich diversity of our community and to promote equal opportunities for all people. Awards made by the Foundation’s various grant panels support organizations that do not discriminate in their employment practices, volunteer opportunities or delivery of programs and services on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender, age, citizenship, disability, ethnicity, marital status, familial status, economic circumstances and/or veteran status.

Specifically, the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund is looking for programs and organizations that show dedication to supporting marginalized, unique, and under-represented identities in the LGBTQ+ community. Organizations and projects should provide services, programming, and support of those in the LGBTQ+ community that have been marginalized, discriminated against, or endure undue hardship for their identity within the LGBTQ+ community or any intersection that may compounds their identity.

2) The applicant must be a 501(c)(3) in good standing, conducting charitable work in Southern Arizona. Grassroots groups that have identified a 501(c)(3) that will act as the fiscal agent may be eligible to apply. Please contact David Gardner at dgardner@cfsaz.org to determine if you are eligible.

3) The applicant must have local leadership in the form of a board of directors or advisory committee, local financial support, and local program management and accountability. In the case of nationally sponsored organizations, no portion of the grant can be used to support the national, state or regional entity.

4) The proposed program must directly benefit the people living in Southern Arizona.

5) Grants are not made to individuals, for profit organizations, government entities, capital fund drives, agency endowments, individual schools or for sectarian purposes.

6) Award amounts will be determined by a grant review committee.

7) Our standard grant amount is up to $5,000.  However, organizations meeting the below criteria may request up to $7,500 in their application. In some instances, when an organization can amply demonstrate that their agency or programs will have an extraordinary impact on the LGBTQ+ community, the Alliance Fund may consider awarding grants up to $10,000.

The following criteria will be used by our grant review committee for consideration for grants above our general award amount:

Social Justice, Celebration & Joy – Quality of life for those in the LGBTQ+ Community – Organization/project seeks to offer those in the LGBTQ+ community opportunities that go beyond basic needs; these programs seek to address holistic needs and celebrate the uniqueness of the community in innovative ways. This may include all aspects of life ranging from community building, authenticity and expression of life, creative endeavors, or creating supportive communities.

Integrity – Longevity and health as an organization/project serving the LGBTQ+ community- Organization/project has shown growth in offerings that are based on input and needs of the community they serve. Organization/project leads can give specific examples of how their growth is tied to feedback of participants/audience.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion – Dedication to serving marginalized, unique, and under-represented identities in the LGBTQ+ community. Organization or project makes specific efforts to provide services, programming, and support of those in the LGBTQ+ community that have been marginalized, discriminated against, or endure undue hardship for their identity within the LGBTQ+ community or any intersection that may compounds their identity.

Please Note: The grant period is one year in duration. An agency cannot receive funding until all reports required for previous awards have been received. This year, those organizations in receipt of 2020 AF funding who have had difficulty providing outcomes and reportage due to Covid 19 will not be penalized in the 2021 application process.