LGBTQ Fund Grant Program

LGBTQ Fund Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Appalachian Community Fund
Amount: Up to US $2,000
Last Updated: December 14, 2025

Summary

The LGBTQ Fund Grant Program, offered by the Appalachian Community Fund, supports grassroots social change in Central Appalachia. It prioritizes funding for organizations that promote inclusivity and tackle systemic issues affecting LGBTQ communities, particularly youth. Grants are available to community-led organizations with a focus on building capacity and addressing social, economic, and racial justice. This initiative embodies a commitment to collective action and resource-sharing, fostering positive transformation in Appalachian communities.

Overview

NOTE: Proposals are accepted anytime. Please allow at least two months to process the request. About Us Appalachian Community Fund is bold, forward-thinking, inclusive—a champion of the people of Appalachia. By lifting up the voices of our community, supporting our community’s vision for change, and advancing local leadership, Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) embodies the power of collective action and bottom-up transformation. Inclusivity is paramount to our definition of community, and this value is lived out in our efforts to give many different voices a platform. To everyone at ACF, “y’all means all” is much more than a fun catchphrase. ACF’s commitment to effective, people-driven progress is bolstered by our firm Appalachian roots. Beyond honoring Appalachian culture and heritage, our approach to change-making fundamentally reflects the spirit of Appalachia: gritty and resourceful with a well-developed instinct for problem-solving. At the heart of the fund is a staunch belief in the sharing of resources, energy, time, and ideas with each other to achieve a common vision for change and to shift the narrative about Appalachia. Our Mission ACF funds and encourages grassroots social change in Central Appalachia. We work to build a sustainable base of resources in order to support community-led organizations seeking to overcome and address issues of race, economic status, gender, sexual identity, disability, and the environment. As a community-controlled fund, ACF aims to expand and strengthen movements for social change—to change systems and institutions—by leveraging our collective power. LGBTQ Initiative (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Initiative) These grants are dedicated to expanding resources for LGBTQ organizing efforts in Appalachian communities. The LGBTQ fund is primarily focused on growing LGBTQ communties’ institutional resources, building capacity in LGBTQ efforts, and assisting organizational development. Special priority will be given to new and emerging efforts, particularly among LGBTQ youth. Please see FAQs for additional guidelines. Funding Criteria ACF provides grants to community-based organizations working for social, economic, racial and environmental justice in Central Appalachia. We look to fund organizations that have developed a realistic plan for creating social change and prioritize work that utilizes organizing and education as strategies to achieve this end. We invite projects that are startup in nature. We fund organizations working to: End racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, and ableism Promote non-violent communities Build organizations that are fair, inclusive, and democratic

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Organizations wishing to apply must:Work in the Appalachian counties of Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and/ or West Virginia. For organizations based outside the region, the proposal must include a specific work plan for the Appalachian portion of the workHave their 501(c)(3) tax exempt status or a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organizationBe community-led, community-driven, and community-basedStrive for change at a systemic level, instead of or in addition to one person at a timeDemonstrate an understanding of forms of oppression — especially racismHave strong local community leadership representative of and accountable to the organization’s constituencyWhere we fundACF funds organizations working for social change in Central Appalachia. To be eligible for funding, organizations must conduct work in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, or West Virginia in a county designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s map.

Ineligibility

We do not fund:Profit-making organizationsElectoral lobbying for initiatives or public officeIndividual effortsMajor capital projectsSocial services organizations (unless they demonstrate some analysis and strategies intended to challenge the systems that lead to the problem)