Laughing Gull Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Laughing Gull Foundation is a small family foundation that supports a range of progressive causes. Its current funding initiatives support college education for prisoners, LGBTQ causes and limiting greenhouse gas emissions in the South. This funder prioritizes grassroots organizations that maintain a high level of involvement with the communities they serve.
IP TAKE: Laughing Gull, a GUTC signatory, is also one of the more responsive funders out there. Indeed, its staff is open-minded about learning about new groups. Grassroots outfits should note that this funder likes to invest in smaller organizations and takes modest grantmaking risks. While this progressive funder does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding, it is approachable and invites prospective grantees working in its areas of interest to introduce themselves and their work to the foundation via email. Grantseekers who plan their approach carefully may find success here. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.
PROFILE: The Durham, North Carolina-based Laughing Gull Foundation, a GUTC signatory, describes itself as a “progressive family foundation rooted in the U.S. South.” Its grantmaking aims to “transform systems, institutions, and relationships for the benefit of people and the planet.” This funder names climate and environment, higher education in prison and LGBTQ+ equality as its areas of interest, and mainly supports “grassroots organizations engaged in direct service, organizing, advocacy, and/or culture change work.”
Grants for Criminal Justice Reform
Laughing Gull’s criminal justice reform grants focus predominantly on higher education programs for prisoners. Launched in 2015, the Higher Education in Prisons program aims to “increase access to credit-bearing college courses for incarcerated students” and prioritizes the U.S. South, although some national organizations have also received funding.
In Florida, the foundation has supported the Institute for Educational Empowerment at Miami Dade College, which brings college courses to the prisons of South Florida.
The foundation has supported similar programs run by the University of North Alabama, the University of Mississippi, Southside Virginia Community College and Georgia State University.
Other grantees include the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison, which supports the expansion of prison education across the U.S., and the College and Community Fellowship, which helps convicted women pursue college degrees and reenter the workforce and their communities.
Grants for LGBTQ Causes
The Laughing Gull Foundation established its LGBTQ+ Equality Program in 2013. This program broadly supports the LGBTQ communities of the South, while prioritizing organizations operating in Virginia and North Carolina.
One past grantee, Southerners on New Ground (SONG) runs strategic projects and campaigns that respond to current issues and conditions facing LGBTQ communities of the South.
Another recent grantee, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Freedom Center for Social Justice, aims to empower the LGBTQ community through education, advocacy and organizational collaborations.
Other grantees include the Campaign for Southern Equality, Diversity Richmond, Outright Youth of the Catawba Valley and the Trans Justice Funding Project.
Grants for Climate Change and Clean Energy
The foundation’s newest program, Climate and Environment, was launched in 2021. Grantmaking in this area focuses on supporting “sustainable communities living in balance with the earth and liberated from the inter-generational harm of structural racism and economic inequality.”
As with its other areas of giving, Laughing Gull’s climate change and environment grants prioritize grassroots organizations involved in “direct service, organizing, advocacy, and/or culture change work.”
The foundation prioritizes organizations led by and embedded in BIPOC communities.
Early grantmaking from this program has gone to the Black Family Land Trust, the Southeast Climate and Energy Network, the Red Tailed Hawk Collective and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund.
Important Grant Details:
The Laughing Gull Foundation makes about $1 million a year in grants ranging from $5,000 to $500,000.
Its average grant size appears to be about $25,000.
This funder favors grassroots organizations that take a hands-on approach in the communities they serve.
For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s individual program pages.
While Laughing Gull does not accept grant applications, it encourages organizations working in its areas of interest to introduce themselves and describe their work in an email. The names and profiles of its grantmaking team are available on its staff page.
PEOPLE:
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