Fund for an Inclusive California

Collaborative funding pool supporting housing justice and equitable development movements in California through rapid response grantmaking and community-led design.

Geographic Scope: California

Focus Areas:

• Housing justice
• Equitable development
• Community organizing and advocacy
• Policy wins
• Base-building and power-building projects

Key Initiatives:

• Rapid Response Grants: Quick turnaround funding to address immediate community needs
• Emergent Opportunity Grants: Support for new strategies and efforts for housing justice ($256,000 awarded in 2020)
• COVID Response Grants: Support to address health, violence and economic impacts of pandemic ($350,000 awarded in 2020)

Grant Amounts: Over $600,000 total in Rapid Response grants awarded in 2020; $2 million in grants to strengthen housing justice movement (recent cycle)

Key Features:

• Community-led design process with community advisors
• Strategy Working Group made up of Community Advisors directing strategies, values and vision
• Trust-based philanthropy approach
• Community-centered evaluation and learning
• Automatic renewals for current nonprofit partners to streamline process
• Quick processing (within 2 weeks noted in some cycles)
• General operating support and capacity building focus

Four-Year Achievements (as of 2022):

• Built stronger regional coalitions
• Supported local policy wins
• Growing base of most-impacted communities organizing around housing as human right
• Long-term, transformational change focus

Background: Long-standing collaborative partnership with community partners. Four-year planning cycle with next phase beginning in 2022.

Application Process

Design Approach: Community-led design process with ongoing engagement of Community Advisors

How to Apply:

• For Rapid Response Grants: Quick turnaround application process designed for rapid response to community needs
• Community-centered evaluation approach
• Specific application materials and deadlines not detailed in provided content

Note: Fund emphasizes trust-based philanthropy and community-centered evaluation aligned with community priorities rather than traditional funder-derived standards.