Cliff Todd Endowment Grant

Geographic Scope: Kentucky statewide ("from Pikeville to Paducah"), touching every county in the commonwealth

Mission & Focus Areas:
The Cliff Todd Endowment grant program funds educational projects that promote fairness and equality for LGBTQ Kentuckians throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Grant recipients must use education as their method for accomplishing this goal.

Key Priorities:

• LGBTQ antiracist projects and programs - The program prioritizes projects that address institutional racism in education, business, politics, and law enforcement, recognizing that "queer and trans siblings of color suffer far greater injustices than white LGBTQ Kentuckians"
• Rural outreach - Emphasized as a funding priority
• Community education and awareness initiatives
• LGBTQ visibility and positive community contributions

Funding Details:

• Endowment Size: $2 million endowment (as of recent years)
• Annual Distribution: Approximately $50,000-$77,000 per year
• Award Range: Individual grants vary; recent examples include $750 to $5,000+ per organization
• 2025 Awards: $76,862 distributed to 30 projects
• Historical Impact: Since 2011, has granted $653,000 to 81 community organizations

Types of Projects Funded (Examples):

• LGBTQ Pride festivals and events
• Educational productions (theater, film, documentaries)
• Training programs (Safe Zone trainings, inclusion training)
• Community outreach and resource programs
• Youth programs and camps
• Archives and history preservation
• Health advocacy programs
• Literary and cultural programming
• LGBTQ media and content creation

Eligibility:

• Community-based organizations in Kentucky
• Projects must have an educational component
• Organizations working to promote fairness and equality for LGBTQ people
• Projects addressing antiracist work and rural outreach are prioritized

Contact Information:

• Board President: Brandl Skirvin, president@JustFundKY.org
• Board Secretary: Bernadette Barton, secretary@JustFundKY.org
• Mailing Address: P.O. Box 21815, Lexington, KY 40522
• Website: justfundky.org

Additional Notes:

• Investment managed by the Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF)
• In 2024, all grant funds were redirected to support legal action against harmful LGBTQ policies (SB 150)
• The organization also maintains a separate LGBTQ Legal Defense & Education Special Fund for legal challenges

Application Process

Detailed application instructions are not provided in the website content. However, the following information is available:

Timeline:

• 2026 Application Deadline: March 15, 2026 11:59 PM ET (NOW CLOSED as of April 3, 2026)
• Next Expected Deadline: March 2027 (estimated, based on annual cycle)
• Applications typically open in early calendar year

Submission Instructions:

• Full application details are referenced on the website as "Grants Information & Application" page
• A dedicated info page states: "Click Here for Info" (link location: justfundky.org)

Required Materials:
Not specified in provided content

Narrative Questions:
Not specified in provided content

Application Format:
Not specified in provided content

Note: The "Grants Information & Application" page was referenced but full application details were not included in the extracted website content. Applicants should visit the full "Grants Information & Application" section on justfundky.org for complete step-by-step instructions and required materials.