Trans Justice Funding Project
/OVERVIEW: The Trans Justice Funding Project supports grassroots efforts led by and that benefit trans people in the U.S. It is a funding initiative that awards unrestricted grants and has a fellowship program to support this community.
IP TAKE: A signatory of the GUTC Pledge, the Trans Justice Funding Project functions as a non-charitable trust, making it an unorthodox, but particularly accessible funder to know if your trans-led organization lacks official nonprofit status and operates under a budget of $250,000. This means that TJFP can award grants to groups regardless of whether they have nonprofit status or fiscal sponsorship. TJFP takes a small business LLC format in order to reach more grassroots groups, which works out for organizations without a nonprofit status — in a recent year, 82 grantees had nonprofit status and 88 groups had fiscal sponsors, while 138 groups had no nonprofit status at all. In fact, TJFP’s funding model evolved to meet this need for flexibility.
TJFP is focused on grassroots, local work and building long-term relationships with donors who are interested in trans issues, but may not be aware of under-the-radar work happening in trans communities throughout the U.S. states and territories. By bringing together a group of six trans and gender-non-conforming activists from across the country, TJFP takes a personalized approach to philanthropy. TJFP aims to make the funding process as easy as possible for grantees without excess paperwork or any reporting standards. This is a great funder to know if you’re newer or just getting started in this funding space.
PROFILE: Established in 2012, the trans-led Trans Justice Funding Project (TJFP) is a community-led funding initiative that aims to “support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people in the United States, including U.S. territories.” Gabriel Foster and Karen Pittelman co-founded TJFP. Six trans justice activists came together to run TJFP and award grants annually. The funding group awards unrestricted grants because it believes that its grantees know best how to use the money. A GUTC signatory, TJFP focuses its efforts on trans justice groups with budgets less than $250,000 that are run by and for trans people.
This funders makes grants for trans issues that intersect with issues of racism, economic injustice, transmisogyny, ableism, immigration, incarceration and other intersecting oppressions. In addition to grants, TJFP also has a community grantmaking fellowship program.
Grants for LGBTQ+
TJFP is laser-focused on supporting grassroots, trans-led groups fighting for trans justice in the U.S. and its territories. It is a national funder that understands that trans justice funding looks different in every location across the country and is open to the types of organizations and projects it supports. TJFP is willing to help newly forming and well-established organizations regardless of nonprofit status or the presence of a fiscal sponsor. It prioritizes the work of trans Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
TJFP grantees’ work ranges widely and has included, but is not limited to:
Organizing online community trainings
Providing guidance on trans health and wellness
Providing legal support for undocumented communities
Organizing trans support groups
Organizing film and art festivals
Providing housing solutions
Organizing carpools to doctors’ appointments
Donating to clothing and food pantries
Past TJFP grantees include the following the 20% Theater Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota; 3 of Cups in Houston; A Hateful Homicide in Los Angeles; Albuquerque Queer Trans Community Yoga; Alphabet Soup Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia; and Black Transcendence – St. Louis, Missouri, among many others.
To support its community grantmaking fellowship model, trans, gender non-conforming and non-binary activists and organizers can apply to be TJFP fellows who read and discuss hundreds of grant applications in detail. Fellows use an online voting system, participate in individual and group check-ins, assist in fundraising and meet in New York for a week-long meeting to select grantees.
Important Grant Details:
TJFP publicizes lists of its grantees, but not grant amounts. The funder’s grants database is searchable online. During its first decade of grantmaking, TJFP received 2,177 grant applications, awarded 1,722 grants and delivered over $8.3 million in funds to its grantees. In 2022 alone, it made over $1.9 million in grants to 355 grassroots groups in 2022. The grant application and process is relatively straightforward, funds are always unrestricted and reporting is unnecessary.
Multi-year grants are available through the funder’s ReUp program, which involves requesting a renewal grant of the same amount received the previous year. This program makes it possible for newer and less well-known groups to access a second year of funding while still keeping the funding pool diverse and fresh each year. It also exemplifies the funder’s long-term commitment and sense of trust in existing grantees.
TJFP awards grants in all U.S. states and territories, but historically, it has awarded the most grants to groups based in and serving California. But recently, the funder has been paying very close attention to what is happening in the American South and funding more groups in this region of the country spanning from Texas to the D.C. area.
The funder makes grant applications available each year at the end of December and has a February 15 annual application deadline.
Grantseekers can sign up for the funder’s mailing list to be notified when the next grant cycle opens.
TJFP leadership reviews applications between February and May before making decisions and announcing new grants each year in June.
Direct general questions to the foundation staff at: info@transjusticefundingproject.org.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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