Current Funding Opportunities

The Fortitude Fund

Haga clic aquí para verlo en español.

Across the country, LGBTQ+ communities are facing an increasingly hostile political climate that threatens our safety, well-being, and fundamental rights. From legislative attacks on transgender and nonbinary individuals to funding cuts for essential services, the challenges are growing—and so is the need for urgent, responsive support. 

At Pride Foundation, we have always been committed to meeting our communities where they are, responding with agility and care to the shifting realities they face, and mobilizing resources to support them. In that spirit, we are launching the Fortitude Fund, a new initiative designed to provide timely, flexible resources to LGBTQ+ organizations confronting these escalating challenges. 

The Fortitude Fund is not just about providing resources—it is about standing firm in our commitment to LGBTQ+ communities in the face of adversity. We refuse to let hostility and discrimination go unanswered. With the support of our community and partners, we will continue to persevere, ensuring that those most impacted have the resources they need to thrive. 

We invite organizations meeting the eligibility criteria to apply. Together, we will face these challenges with strength, solidarity, and fortitude. Click here to view the application and apply.

Why We Created the Fortitude Fund 

This fund is an extension of Pride Foundation’s long-standing commitment to being a low-barrier, responsive funder to our grantees, using our strong relationships, community trust, and ecosystem knowledge to move nimbly through these changing circumstances. 

We know that in times of crisis, the ability to act quickly can make all the difference. The Fortitude Fund was created to support the most pressing needs emerging from the current socio-political landscape, particularly those affecting LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) communities. 

The goal of this fund is to meet the most urgent and exacerbated needs, supporting organizations whose work and communities they serve are most intimately impacted by the current socio-political environment being spurred by the current presidential administration, state-level legislative activities, and the broader cultural realities these factors are creating.  

We are to be able to move additional grants this year due to the increased funds we’ve raised from our foundation partners and donors who recognize the urgency of this moment. As we have done with initiatives like this in years past (our Rapid Response Fund during the first Trump administration, and our Community Care Fund during the COVID pandemic), we are committed to distributing resources as we raise them, as quickly as we can, to ensure that they reach those who need them most—when they need them most. 

How the Fortitude Fund Works 

The Fortitude Fund is a rolling, adaptable fund designed specifically for organizations experiencing increased, exacerbated, or new urgent needs due to the increasingly hostile socio-political landscape on the federal, state, and local levels.   

This grant will remain open until all available funds are moved as it is a rolling application. We have limited funds available and later dates for review may be tentative based on remaining dollars, though we will continue to fundraise additional dollars to move as the year progresses.   

This Fund Provides: 

• Grant awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 (organizations are encouraged to apply for the amount they need, whether higher or lower) 

• General operating funds, allowing grantees to allocate resources where they are most needed 

• Rolling application process, ensuring funds are distributed throughout the year 

This Fund is Not For: 

• Emergency funding requiring immediate turnaround (funds will be distributed approximately one month after review dates) 

• Funding for general activities, events, or programs unrelated to the current socio-political climate 

Application Timeline & Process 

The Fortitude Fund will remain open until all funds are disbursed. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the following key dates: 

• First Round Deadline: March 7th   

• Final Round Deadline: May 6th (after this, applications will pause for reassessment and reopen on June 10th) 

If an application is submitted after a review deadline, it will be considered in the next review cycle. 

Who Can Apply  

Organizations must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have a fiscal sponsor 

• Be based in and conduct work in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and/or Washington 

Our primary grantmaking priorities are organizations experiencing increased, exacerbated, or new urgent needs due to the increasingly hostile socio-political landscape on the federal, state, and local levels, and who are: 

• LGBTQ+ organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Trans and Gender Nonconforming folks (TGNC) and whose leadership reflects these communities.    

• LGBTQ+ organizations that are innovatively supporting communities when or where nobody else is, especially smaller, grassroots organizations and those who don’t have access to mainstream funding sources.   

The Fortitude Fund will prioritize organizations working in the following areas: 

• Black and Indigenous Movement Building: This is specifically for Black and/or Indigenous-led organizations that’s work involves ongoing efforts to build community power. This includes but is not limited to any time-sensitive community organizing and direct action, legal or bail fees, leadership training, skills-building, coalition building, and legislative or ballot initiatives campaigns. 

• Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) Support: Assistance for organizations that are TGNC-led whose work primarily involves supporting trans and non-binary folks. This includes but is not limited to ID changes, access to gender-affirming care, mental health services, advocacy, and educational trainings. 

• Safety and Security: Resources for LGBTQ+ organizations and individuals facing threats, including security planning and legal support. This includes but is not limited to needing to conduct safety planning, purchasing security equipment, changing locations/move to remote work, etc. You do not need to have already faced an incident to apply for this specific priority area. 

• Mutual Aid Programs: For organizations that have mutual-aid programs to help support LGBTQ2S+ and BIPOC communities directly. 

• Immigration Support: For organizations with programs and/or projects that primarily focus on supporting LGBTQ+ immigrants. This includes but is not limited to legal fees and aid, educational trainings, community outreach, translation and interpretation services, legislative or ballot initiative campaigns, and housing support.   

• Housing Assistance: For organizations with programs and/or projects that primarily focus on addressing housing insecurity for LGBTQ+ folks. This includes supporting queer and trans folks who have been displaced and forced to move for their safety, rental and housing assistance, transitional housing, etc.   

• Health and Wellness: For LGBTQ+ organizations with programs and/or projects that primarily focus on reproductive health, HIV/AIDs support, and/or supporting queer and trans youth. This is inclusive of direct services (medical care and support) and indirect services (community outreach, education, connection, etc.).   

 

Click here to view the application and apply.

 

FAQs 

What information do I need to apply? 

You can check out a PDF version of our application to check out our questions before applying! 

Is there a word limit for the narrative questions in the application? 

You can check the PDF version of our application to review character limits for each question. The length of your response does not impact your score. 

How do you review or evaluate applications?  

You can learn more about our evaluation process through the PDF version of our rubric. 

Can you apply more than once a year? 

If your organization has additional unforeseen needs, you can apply again.  

Is this a multi-year grant? 

No, all grants for this fund are for one-year.  

I’m already a grantee of Pride Foundation, am I still eligible for this fund? 

Yes. 

The written application is inaccessible for our organization, are there other ways we can apply? 

Yes! You can email kaleigh@pridefoundation.org to talk about other options to apply. Due to organizational capacity, phone applications will be available on a case-by-case basis. 

Will there be other funding opportunities available from Pride Foundation in 2025?

All of our responsive grantmaking in 2025 will happen through the Fortitude Fund, and at this point, all of our discretionary resources are being directed toward this initiative. If other funds become available or other funding opportunities emerge throughout the year, we will send an update. Community Grant awards were announced in late 2024, and the next application will open in 2026.