Deadline: 22 January 2019
The Arcus Foundation has announced an open call for concepts to support International LGBTQ social justice work.
The ultimate goal of Arcus’ Social Justice Program is to achieve dignity, safety, inclusion, and opportunity for LGBTQ people (i.e.,people discriminated against based on actual or perceived Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, also referred to as (SOGI) in the U.S. and around the world,especially those most marginalized. While not specifically noted in “LGBTQ,”support for intersex populations can be included in concepts under this call.
Goals
The specific goal areas of the Arcus Social Justice Program are the following:
- Increased safety in lived realities of LGBTQ people;
- Increased LGBTQ-affirming legal protections that promote full inclusion and equal opportunity; and,
- Increased social inclusion of and public support for LGBTQ people.
Overarching Funding Priorities
Arcus experience has taught them that the following approaches are key to advancing social change. While they are not expecting every applicant to utilize all of these approaches, successful applicants’ work should embody one or more of them. Arcus focus is on selecting a mix of grantees who are working across their goal areas in ways that reflect these priorities:
- Self-determination: efforts led from within the society or community they seek to influence, managed by applicants with open consultation of and accountability to local LGBTQ communities.
- Authentic inclusion and leadership of marginalized communities in organizations. This includes but is not limited to staff leadership, decision-making power and/or Board representation;
- Initiatives led by faith, trans, and other groups with less access to resources and who are marginalized within LGBTQ communities.
- Concepts related to one or more focus countries within the Arcus-selected regions.
- Cross-sector or cross-movement alliances working towards one or more of Arcus’ goals.
- Work that increases the political power of constituencies to influence change through civic engagement and democratic participation.
Funding Information
Grants typically range from a minimum of US$50,000 to a maximum of US$100,000 per year, for a maximum of two years, for groups focused on one country; grant-making intermediaries or larger multi-country partnership projects can exceed US$100,000 per year. Arcus expect to award up to 30 grants,totaling over US$7 million during 2019-2020.
Focus Countries
- Arcus’ international grants will support work in the focus regions of East Africa; Southern Africa; the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico, with a specific focus on the following countries:
- East Africa – Kenya, Uganda
- Southern Africa – Botswana, Malawi, South Africa
- Caribbean – Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago
- Central America – El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras
- Mexico
- Within all countries in the above regions, and region-wide as well, Arcus will prioritize proposals focused on trans-gender people as well as faith issues that align with their three goal areas.
- Concepts can include one or more focal countries or regions. Intermediaries, joint partner projects, and regional organizations can also propose work within the regions that include non-focal countries, as long as at least one focus country is included.
Eligibility Criteria
Successful applicants will meet all the following threshold criteria:
- Legal status: All applicants need to be registered legal entities with a charitable purpose. Applicants registered outside the United States, applying for general operating support or for grantmaking, must participate in an Equivalency Determination process (after being selected based on a concept), which includes having at least five years of financial statements, among other requirements; applicants with less than five years of financials must request project support that does not include grantmaking with Arcus funds.
- Type of Organization: Applicants may be organizations that (1) use Arcus funds to directly impact and improve the lives of LGBTQ people in our focal countries or (2) operate as a grantmaker (i.e.,intermediaries) that seeks to redistribute Arcus’ and other funds through open or targeted calls for proposals, in alignment with specific strategies that would advance their missions. Arcus especially seeks to support indigenous grantmakers who are part of and accountable to their communities, and who have relevant expertise to assess and support their grantees’ work at the local level.
- Experience: All applicants must have at least two years of experience in the proposed work.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: All applicants must have a board-approved internal Equal Employment Opportunity policy that specifically includes sexual orientation and gender identity among the nondiscrimination grounds (i.e., protected categories).
- Budget: (1) For grantmaking organizations, a minimum of 70% of Arcus funds should be used for grantmaking, while the other 30% can cover overhead, administrative expenses, and/or program costs. If there is a need for additional non-grantmaking related expenses, a rationale must be provided and will be considered by Arcus; (2) Arcus funds will cover no more than one-third of an organization’s annual organizational budgets.
- Institutional governance: Applicants’institutional governance must include policies and procedures to protect against actual and apparent conflicts of interest, and to ensure transparency in decision-making and financial operations.
- Joint concepts of two or more groups are eligible. While funding will be awarded to a single legal entity, Arcus will consider concepts with pre-identified partners and budgets, which present a rationale for the joint concept and the distinct contribution of each partner.
- Current and past Arcus grantees may apply, as well as first-time applicants with whom Arcus has not had a previous relationship.
- An organization may apply only once under this RFC, whether on its own or in partnership.
How to Apply
Interested applicants must apply via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.arcusfoundation.org/request-for-concepts-international-lgbtq-social-justice/