About Borealis Philanthropy
Borealis Philanthropy is a philanthropic social justice intermediary that works to resource grassroots leaders and social justice movements for transformative change. We help funders expand their reach and strengthen their impact through donor collaboratives that support a variety of issues, communities, and movements. Borealis is home to eight donor collaboratives, including the Disability Inclusion Fund.
About the Disability Inclusion Fund
The Disability Inclusion Fund (DIF) supports U.S.-based groups led by people with disabilities, disabled people of color, disabled queer and trans folks, building a more liberatory world free from ableism. The Fund is supported by donors including the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, which is comprised of foundation presidents who are committed to disability inclusion..
The Disability Inclusion Fund utilizes a participatory grantmaking process. All grantees will be selected by a grantmaking committee comprised of majority disability advocates and invited funders.
All funding will be aligned with the Disability Inclusion Fund’s guiding values:
Participation: Movement funding is accountable to the disability justice movement. Those most impacted by injustice/exclusion should be involved in strategies to advance justice/inclusion.
Intersectionality: Acknowledging that disabled people have multiple and intersecting social and political identities that can influence their access and inclusion including race, gender identity, class, and sexual orientation.
Radical inclusion: Deeply committed to removing barriers and ensuring access so that those most affected by intersecting identities can participate, valuing lived experience.
Leadership of those most impacted: Emphasis is given to organizations led by disabled people of color, queer, gender nonconforming and women with disabilities.
Cross-movement solidarity: Intentional focus on collaboration and bridge-building amongst disability justice activists and across movements.
Sustainability: Resources and tools that support the growth of grassroots disabled-led organizations, and expand operational capacities for ongoing movement building.
What we fund
We will prioritize funding organizations that meet the following criteria:
Organizations that are disability-led with priority towards Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), queer and gender non-conforming, and women disability-led organizations. We define ‘disability-led’ as the leadership in your organization are people with disabilities, including more than 50% of the organization’s management staff/advisory committees/governing boards.
Work that engages other social movements and injustices for examples: The movement for Black lives, climate change, immigration rights, labor rights, racial justice, queer and trans liberation, etc.
Work that brings other organizations, leaders, movements, and communities together to build power through relationships, coalitions and opportunities for collaboration.
Work that drives narrative change in ways that dismantle ableism and attitudinal barriers in our policy, society, and culture.
Strategies that celebrate, create, and elevate uplifting the authentic representation of disabled people in the arts, media, literature, and other creative works.
Work that moves practices of disability inclusion and disability justice forward. Examples of this work include community organizing, mutual aid, advocacy, and/or policy work.
Eligibility
Your organization’s annual budget with committed revenue is less than $1 million
Your organization must be U.S-based or U.S. territory-based 501(c)3 or be fiscally sponsored.
Types of support we cannot provide:
Organizations that are non-U.S-based or non-U.S. Territories
Individuals
Universities
Hospitals
For profit / LLCs
Organizations or projects whose primary work is research. Organizations or projects that provide research are eligible only if their primary focus is in community organizing, advocacy, and/or policy work.
Organizations or projects whose primary work is direct service (i.e., Personal Care Attendants, durable medical equipment, behavioral or medical care, employment supportive programs, or adaptive sports, etc.).
Organizations or projects that provide direct services are eligible only if their primary focus is in community organizing, advocacy, or policy work.
Level of Support
This funding opportunity will provide two-year grants. Successful applicants will receive $75,000 per year totaling $150,000.
Grantmaking Process
Before you apply, please take the eligibility quiz at the beginning of the application below, if the eligibility quiz is successful, you will have access to the application.
Contact
If you have questions, need technical assistance, or have technology issues in submitting your application please email grants@borealisphilanthropy.org
If you have questions about what we fund or eligibility for grants, please email DIF@borealisphilanthropy.org
In addition, please review the Frequently Asked Questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have put together answers to frequently asked questions, which include a list of proposal questions. Read the FAQs.
The deadline for proposals is May 29th, 2024 by 8:59 pm PT or 11:59 pm ET.
Information Session
We will be hosting an information session for applicants on April 16, 2024 at 11am PST/ 2pm EST to review the application process and answer applicant questions. Please register using this link Applicant Info Session Registration. We will make recording available on the FAQ page after the session.
Notifications
Applicants who submit proposals by the May 29, 2024 deadline will be notified about whether or not their project will be funded by December 6, 2024. Successful applicants will be contacted by phone and/or email about award notifications.
General Instructions
Provide all information requested in the application.
A confirmation email will be sent to the Applicant's email.
Additional information may be requested, please make sure that this is an email you check frequently.
The deadline for proposals is May 29th, 2024 by 8:59 pm PT or 11:59 pm ET.