FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2024
Contact:
K Richardson, Communications Manager, [email protected]
Bianca Nozaki-Nasser, Director of Storytelling, [email protected]
Transgender Law Center and Emergent Fund Announce $1 Million in Rapid Response Dollars for Trans-Led Organizing Through the Action for Transformation Fund
NATIONAL – As we witness the rise of authoritarianism and increased backlash on Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and LGBTQ communities—particularly attacks on trans communities of color—the Transgender Law Center and Emergent Fund are partnering to launch the Action for Transformation Fund, moving $1 million in rapid response funds into the field to support trans-led organizing, healing, and power-building efforts.
“Now more than ever, we must invest in the transformative power of trans-led organizing,” said Shelby Chestnut, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center. “The Action for Transformation Fund is not just a response to rising threats—it’s a declaration that our communities hold the power to imagine and build a world rooted in dignity, equity, and freedom for all. With this commitment, we are investing in a future where trans leadership shines at the forefront of the fight for collective liberation and demonstrating to the world that care has been and will always be our legacy.”
“In the context of Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ latest Tracking Report that reveals that less than $.04 cents for every $100 goes to trans communities, this injection of $1M dollars is significant,” says Aldita Amaru Gallardo, inaugural Director of the Action for Transformation Fund. “As a grantmaker and donor organizer, so many of us have been pushing for more funding to go to trans movements for years, knowing so little is earmarked for us. It’s an honor to launch and steward this fund that is by and for us–truly having trans people at the heart of its theory of change.”
This pilot initiative empowers trans-led organizations weaving the future into the present through their visionary work. By honoring the liberatory legacies of interdependence, care, and radical imagination in a legacy of care as the lifeline of our communities, the Action for Transformation Fund will provide critical support to ensure trans leadership can continue to thrive.
“When we pour into community, the work gets done,” said Mickaela Bradford, Co-Director of Movement Building at Emergent Fund. “The launch of the Action for Transformation Fund ensures that trans people and the work we do will continue to have a critical impact on people’s ability to thrive. We want people to recognize trans people’s brilliance as we seek to build a better world for all people. By uplifting trans leadership, we are investing in and reshaping communities from the ground up. This fund is our commitment to our movements, our community, and those fighting to make good trouble.”
Why Now?
With attacks on trans rights escalating, especially as we approach the upcoming election, this fund addresses an urgent need to provide rapid-response dollars to trans-led organizations. These resources will support BIPOC trans leaders, rural organizers, and others who are often overlooked but remain at the heart of the fight for liberation.
“This partnership between Emergent Fund and Transgender Law Center bears witness to the truth of our legacy: We take care of each other,” said alicia sanchez gill, Executive Director of Emergent Fund. “When trans and queer people pool our resources when we center the leadership of trans people of color and move at the speed our communities need, we can make seismic shifts to the material conditions of our communities and build new futures through an ancestral legacy rooted in deep love and interdependence. This is not the time to play small.”
“The launch of the Action for Transformation Fund is an important step to providing trans communities across the country with necessary resources, at a critical time, to enable them to weather the unprecedented threats right now,” said Imara Jones, Board Chair of Transgender Law Center. “Overall, this moment calls for innovation and creativity to move resources where they are needed and to do so as quickly as possible. That’s why this initiative is so important and has that unanimous backing of the board.”
Transgender Law Center (TLC), founded in 2002, is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world where all people are free to define themselves and their futures. TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to ensure transgender and gender nonconforming people are alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.
Emergent Fund, founded in 2016, is a movement-aligned rapid response fund that explicitly supports BIPOC organizers and directly impacted communities. By using participatory grantmaking, Emergent Fund ensures rapid, strategic funding reaches transformative and emergent grassroots organizing. Together, TLC and Emergent Fund are resourcing the trans-led movements that are at the forefront of building a better world. Please note: Transgender Law Center is collaborating on the fund but will not be in charge of making funding decisions.
Action for Transformation Fund Key Details:
- $1 million in funding available.
- Grant sizes: average of $10,000.
- Eligibility: 501c3 organizations or fiscally sponsored projects.
- Priority: BIPOC trans-led groups, especially in the South and Midwest.
- Timeline: grants will be dispersed within 10 days from approval, approximately
- Accessible Application Process: Includes video submissions, phone call requests, and Spanish-language forms.
Applications open September 26th, 2024.
For more information and to apply, visit our portal.
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