Reclaiming Our Power

At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are being dismantled in legislatures, erased in classrooms, and defunded at the federal level, our shared commitment to movement work has never been more critical. In the first few months of this new administration, we’ve seen the ripple effects of anti-DEI executive orders, mounting attacks on trans rights, and an alarming shift in public funding away from LGBTQ+ services and advocacy.

Yet in the face of these challenges, LGBTQ+ funders across the country are choosing to stand firm. As reported by Inside Philanthropy in March 2025, leading Grantmakers including the Gill Foundation, Arcus Foundation, Third Wave Fund, and Tides Foundation are not pulling back. Instead, they are doubling down on their support for queer and trans communities, pushing resources where they’re needed most, and moving in step with the people and organizations doing the work on the ground.

Stonewall Community Foundation is proud to be part of this vanguard. Our 2024 grantmaking reflects both resilience and responsiveness in the face of crisis:

  • 197 grants awarded

  • More than $1,000,000 channeled into the community, including more than $200K in in-kind support

  • 147 organizations funded

  • 28 new organizations supported (23% of all grantee partners)

  • 8 scholarships awarded

  • Grants ranged from $100 to $35,000

  • 25 states reached, including DC and the U.S. Virgin Islands

And while these numbers reflect our impact, they also point to a deeper truth: grantmaking is not just about disbursing funds, it’s about investing in a movement. That’s why, in 2025, Stonewall Community Foundation is launching a request for proposals to support organizations that take back queer power, stand tall in the face of adversity, and ensure our community has the resources necessary to thrive. This initiative is called Reclaiming Our Power.

We recognize that reclaiming our power involves more than just building strength—it also means celebrating our collective joy and resisting the pull of fear. To that end, this funding opportunity includes two tracks: 

  • Advocacy & Power Building: Supporting coalition-building, civic mobilization, and policy change

  • Community Resilience: Funding direct services, economic empowerment, and creative expression for vulnerable LGBTQ+ communities

Seeded by the Mark L. Brandt Legacy Fund, Reclaiming Our Power will provide two-year general operating grants of up to $20,000 per year to organizations on the front lines of resistance and resilience, with a priority for BIPOC- and trans-led groups. The initiative reflects our belief that investing in LGBTQ+ organizations must go beyond crisis response. It must be about building long-term power, culturally, politically, and economically.

We invite you—our fund partners—to join us. Reclaiming Our Power is an opportunity to amplify your impact by helping us grow the pool of available resources and ensure this work reaches further. Whether by recommending a grant through your fund at Stonewall, co-funding alongside us, or connecting us with aligned funders, your partnership can help grow this initiative and deepen its impact.

More details about the Reclaiming Our Power RFP, including eligibility and how to apply, will be shared later in April. In the meantime, we welcome your outreach and collaboration as we prepare to launch this new chapter in Stonewall’s grantmaking.

Together, we can ensure the people and communities at the heart of the LGBTQ+ movement are resourced not only to survive but to lead.

Stonewall Foundation