DSW Grants Program

Decriminalize Sex Work runs a grants program to support, with grants of up to $15,000, work that will measurably contribute to the decriminalization of prostitution at local, state and/or federal level in the United States. DSW describes it as the only grants portfolio that exclusively funds projects to decriminalize consensual adult prostitution in the US, and most grants go to sex worker-led organizations working to change laws at local and state level.

Awards typically fund work spanning six to twelve months. Payments are usually issued in monthly or quarterly instalments, depending on the project, unless a grantee makes a strong case for frontloading or backloading some of the funding. Near the end of a grant period, or any time after it, a grantee is welcome to apply again — either to extend the existing project or to fund a new one.

The program does not fund political parties, candidates for public office, statewide ballot initiatives, or policy work in other countries. DSW does not prohibit grant money being used for lobbying, but for tax reasons prefers to fund projects that are not predominantly focused on lobbying.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Potential applicants may send a concise letter of inquiry or a grant summary to the grants administrator at any time, though no later than three weeks before an application deadline. These preliminary communications are not required.

Submit the formal application electronically as a Word or PDF document, omitting cover pages, tables of contents and divider pages; appendices attached by email are fine. The first six items below should run to no more than eight pages:

1. The applicant's name and the names of key contacts, with addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and web addresses — for nonprofits, including board officers and directors.
2. The precise objective to be achieved with the money sought.
3. The project or organizational plan: start and end dates, budget, planned actions and milestones, identifying other funders and cooperating organizations.
4. A clear statement of how, when and by whom the project's success will be measured and reported.
5. A description of the applicant's mission, history, accomplishments and current activities.
6. A line-item budget of revenues and expenses for the project, or, for general operating support, the organization's overall budget for the current and/or upcoming fiscal year.
7. Formal budgetary documentation such as Forms 990 and/or audited financial statements for the past two years, if available.
8. For work that falls within tax-deductible scope — a plus, but not required — an IRS letter recognising 501(c)(3) status for the organization or its fiscal sponsor.
9. Optional attachments such as news articles or video clips.

Send all questions, comments and proposals to DSW's grants administrator through the contact link on the grants page.