Groundswell Fund
/OVERVIEW: The Groundswell Fund supports women’s, girls’ and LGBTQ causes, social justice and some public health initiatives. This funder strives to support grassroots organizations that are led by women, woman-identifying and non-binary people of color and that serve the interests of minority, undeserved and vulnerable people.
IP TAKE: Groundswell, a GUTC signatory, is an important source of support for grassroots social justice organizations that are led by women of color or members of the LGBTQ community. Grants tend to fund organizations that serve poor and underserved populations in the U.S., often in the Southern and Western parts of the U.S. While the fund only accepts unsolicited applications for its rapid response grants, grantseekers may send introductory emails or attend one of its annual capacity building events to get on this funder’s radar.
This is a somewhat accessible funder, but keep abreast of any changing grant application guidelines in the event it accepts applications across the board. This is an open-minded funder that goes out of its way to help grantees.
PROFILE: The Groundswell Fund was established by Tides Center veteran Vanessa Daniel in 2015. It is based in Oakland, California and engages in grantmaking, capacity building and funder organizing to advance “U.S. Movements for reproductive and social justice by resourcing intersectional grassroots organizing and centering the leadership of women of color.” Grantmaking focuses on women’s, girls’ and LGBTQ causes, as well as public health initiatives and is conducted through five separate funding lines with specific goals. This funder is a signatory of the GUTC Pledge.
Grants for Public Health, Women and Girls
The fund conducts all of its grantmaking through a gender lens. A large portion of funding addresses women’s reproductive freedom and reproductive health, with grants going to women-led organizations around the country that support high quality care, choice and advocacy. Many of the fund’s grants for women and girls center on reproductive health. Groundswell supports public health through each of its funds. Less frequently, family healthcare, addiction services and broader healthcare access programs have been funded.
The Catalyst Fund is a donor outreach and matching grants program that supports reproductive justice organizations that are led by women of color. Grants are awarded for general operating support or special projects in amounts ranging from $20,000 to $200,000.
The Rapid Response Fund supports organizations involved in reproductive and/or social justice during unexpected situations and timely opportunities. Response grants are awarded in amounts up to $25,000 but have been as high as $50,000 in some instances.
The Birth Justice Fund helps organizations that promote the availability of high quality midwives and doulas to low-income women of color and training programs for birthing professionals of color. Grants are awarded for general operating support, capacity building and special projects in amounts ranging from $150,000 to $80,000.
Other women’s and girls’ causes in which the fund has demonstrated interest include women’s youth development, employment, activism, mental health and civic engagement. Grantees tend to be grassroots organizations that are led by women, women-identifying or nonbinary people of color. One recent grantee is New Orleans’s Women with a Vision, an organization that advocates for sex workers and drug policy reform. Another grantee, Michigan’s Mothering Justice, aims to raise the voices of mothers in the political process and promote women’s civic engagement. Other recent grantees include Khmer Girls in Action, Atlanta’s Women Engaged, the Chicago Foundation for Women and the Colorado Organization or Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights.
Reproductive health grantees include West Virginia Free, the Southern Birth Justice Network, the National Network of Abortion Funds, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, Mother Health International and Common Sense Childbirth of Florida. Other health grantees include Oakland’s Asian Health Services, Black Women for Wellness and the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health.
Grants for LGBTQ Causes
Groundswell’s LGBTQ funding stems from its Rapid Response Fund, Liberation Fund and Black Trans Fund. Its Liberation Fund supports social justice organizations that are led by women and/or transgender people of color who “represent some of the most effective and powerful grassroots organizing efforts in the United States today.” The fund usually awards 12 $75,000 Liberation Fund grants each year. The Black Trans Fund, Groundswell’s newest program, will give to Black transgender, gender nonconforming and non-binary groups involved in social justice movements.
Organizations working specifically in LGBTQ causes collectively receive a smaller portion of Groundswell’s grants, but funding has increased in this area over the past few years. A recent grantee, Atlanta’s Southerners on New Ground, advocates for the rights of LGBTQ people, immigrants, minorities and the economically disadvantaged throughout the southern states. Another grantee is Los Angeles’s Translatin Coalition, which advocates for the needs of transsexual people of Latin American descent, many of whom may also be immigrants. Other grantees include Funders of LGBTQ Issues, the Trans United Fund, Trans Queer Pueblo and the Transgender Law Center.
Important Grant Details:
The Groundswell Fund makes between $5 and $10 million a year in grants, with an average grant size of about $35,000. This funder aims to support grassroots organizations that are led by women, women-identifying or non-binary people of color. Grantmaking is mainly limited to the U.S., and tends to prioritize low-income and underserved communities in the South and West. For additional information about past grantees, visit the fund’s individual program pages or Grantees page.
This funder does not accept applications for funding, with the exception of its Rapid Response initiative, which accepts applications on an ongoing basis. Grantseekers interested in Groundswell’s other funding opportunities are encouraged to send an introductory email or participate in one of the fund’s capacity building seminars or events.
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