Southern Equality Fund - General Grants

Geographic Scope: Southern United States (AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, VA, and other Southern states)

Focus Areas:

• Direct financial support to grassroots LGBT+ groups and leaders
• Work addressing intersections of race, class, and gender in lives of LGBTQ+ Southerners
• Arts, health and wellness, and research projects
• Work in underresourced and isolated areas, particularly small towns and rural areas

Eligibility:

• Grassroots LGBT+ groups and individual leaders
• Organizations and individuals do not need 501(c)(3) status
• Priority given to groups/leaders with limited access to funding due to barriers such as lack of 501(c)(3) status or location in rural areas

Background:
Since 2015, the Southern Equality Fund (SEF) has provided funding and training to Southern LGBTQ+ folks doing organizing in their home regions. Each year CSE distributes at least 10% of its organizational budget through SEF grants. The fund was created in response to the reality that while more than 1/3 of LGBT adults live in the South, Southern LGBT organizations receive less than 4% of national funding ($1.71 per LGBT adult annually vs. $10.10 in the Northeast).

Contact:

• Campaign for Southern Equality
• P.O. Box 364, Asheville, NC 28802
• 828.242.1559
• Website: southernequality.org/southern-equality-fund/

Application Process

• Short and streamlined application designed to be accessible
• No formal application details provided in available materials
• Organizations and individuals do not need 501(c)(3) status to apply
• Quick period between deadline and disbursement of funding

Note: General grant applications are currently paused. Check website for future availability.