August 20, 2008

National Grantmaking Programs

Welcome to the Funding Exchange National Office Grantmaking Programs

Activist Advised Funds

Our distinguished approach to philanthropy, activist-advised grantmaking, has made the Funding Exchange (FEX) a leader in the social justice movements. The Activist-Advised Funds of the Funding Exchange directly involve community activists and leaders in philanthropic decision-making. We believe it is crucial to shift the power of grantmaking to the activists, who spend their lives on the front line in their communities, in order to effect systematic change. Panelists have a broad range of experiences, reflecting perspectives shaped by class, race, sexual orientation, gender, and geography that uniquely inform their decision-making. The panels also provide a much-needed safe space for activists to develop strategic relationships, and share their best practices and ideas.

FEX Activist-Advised Funds - and National Office Grantmaking Programs in general - support progressive social justice organizing work in the U.S., its territories and jurisdictions. Until further notice, there are no international grantmaking programs.

If your organization is U.S. based and engaged in domestic as well as cross-boarder or international efforts, see the guidelines for each individual fund or consult with FEX Grants Department staff grants@fex.org as to the possibilities for seeking support for the aspects of your work that are U.S.-based and directly address U.S policy and its impact.
If your organization is based outside of the U.S. and is engaged in human rights work, you may wish to contact the Ignacio Martín-Baró Fund for Mental Health & Human Rights, a special fund administered by the Funding Exchange, for more information.

The OUT Fund supports radical organizing projects working to fight injustice, end oppression, and build community among lesbians, gay men, Two Spirit, bisexuals, trans, queer, questioning and intersex people.

The Saguaro Fund supports organizing projects that primarily serve and are led by communities of color. Saguaro Fund priorities include leadership development, networking, alliance-building, and multi-issue organizing that makes connections across divisions.

The Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media supports media activism and grassroots organizing by funding the pre-production and distribution of social issue film and video projects, and the production and distribution of radio projects.

GUIDELINES:

The OUT & Saguaro Funding Guidelines and Application Form for 2008 are posted and linked at The OUT Fund as well as The Saguaro Fund but the deadline for applying to these funds has passed. Each year, we begin accepting applications as of February 1st for the March 1st postmark deadline. (For 2008 only, the postmark deadline was extended to Monday, March 3, 2008.)
The 2008 Guidelines and Application Form for The Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media are now posted. Click on the links in the green box at the top of this page to download these two documents. Please do not use guidelines or application forms from previous years in drafting any applications as the guidlelines have been refined and the application form has CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY for this year's cycle. In response to feeback from our applicants, we have updated the application form from its previous PDF format to an document that can be completed, in its entirety, on-screen. We begin accepting applications as of April 15th for the May 15th postmark deadline.

NOTE:

FEX Activist-Advised Funds - and National Office Grantmaking Programs in general - support progressive social justice organizing work in the U.S., its territories and jurisdictions. Until further notice, there are no international grantmaking programs.

The last Grantmaking Docket was published in the fall of 2005, and the Docket grantmaking program was discontinued effective the end of the corresponding 2005 annual grants cycle.

The Emergency Fund for Seizing Strategic Opportunities

The Emergency Fund for Seizing Strategic Opportunities provides grants of $5,000 or less in support of specific social change projects, events, or initiatives developed in response to a political crisis or opportunity. For immediate information about applying to this fund, please go to our Emergency Fund for Seizing Strategic Opportunities page.

New Activist-Advised Initiative: Media Justice Fund

The Media Justice Fund (MJF) is a new initiative operating within the Funding Exchange National Network to make local and regional media justice grants. The MJF is grounded in the belief that social and economic justice will not be realized without the equitable redistribution and control of media and communication technologies.

New Donor-Activist Initiative: Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Initiative is a donor-initiated project to address the cruelty, racism and other injustices of this country's law enforcement and penal systems. Grantmaking information will be posted over the summer.

Other FEX Funds and Programs

The Martín-Baró Fund for Mental Health and Human Rights supports groups or projects that work on mental health and human rights and are organized to support survivors of state-sponsored violence, including torture, war, displacement, and political, social, and economic oppression. The Martín-Baró Fund is a special fund administered by the Funding Exchange. For more information visit the Fund's website: http://www.martinbarofund.org.

United States Social Forum

We are pleased to announce that we were able to award grants to 37 outstanding applicants to participate in the U.S. Social Forum. We are proud to have contributed to the great success of the U.S. Social Forum. No other grants related to the U.S. Social Forum will be entertained.