Grantmaking in Q3: Two LGBTQ+ Grantees Fuel Social Justice in Rural Areas

Our grantmaking approach to advance justice encompasses rural communities, where many LGBTQ+ people struggle to find resources or even feel safe.

“We don’t believe LGBTQ+ people in rural communities (or anywhere) should have to leave their communities to be safe or feel as if they belong,” says Katie Carter, CEO of Seattle-based Pride Foundation, which works to ensure LGBTQ+ people have access to supportive resources and a sense of community—while advocating for full legal protections.

Many rural areas are clouded by an atmosphere of hate and violence targeted toward LGBTQ+ individuals. Because of these threats, we view supporting LGBTQ+ communities in rural areas as an urgent social justice issue. While not explicitly listed among our priority communities, LGBTQ+ communities exist among them, especially in rural areas. We call this connection intersectionality. As we continue to live into our grantmaking approach, we wanted to support this intersecting work in Q3.

“If you’re queer and living in small-town Montana, you shouldn’t live in fear of violence or be marginalized,” Katie emphasizes. “We’re working toward a world in which all LGBTQ+ people can live openly and safely as their authentic selves in all the places they call home.”

Q3 grants support connection and accountability that Pride Foundation and PFund advance at the community level.

For nearly 40 years, Pride Foundation, the only LGBTQ+ community foundation serving the Northwest, has been fueling transformational movements in the cities, small towns, and rural communities of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and the Native nations that share the same geography.

Similarly, PFund Foundation, based in Minneapolis, builds equity with LGBTQ+ communities across the Upper Midwest. Aaron Zimmerman, PFund’s executive director, says, “Our overarching goal is to get money into the hands of people who have a deep knowledge of their communities, and who can use that knowledge to bring positive change.”

In 2022 PFund launched PRISM (Promoting Rural Interconnections for Sexual Minorities), a program that aims to address the needs of queer people in rural communities in PFund’s five-state area (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa) and the Native nations in that region.

“The goal of PRISM is to bring together like-minded organizations—that are either located in rural areas or serving rural areas—to share resources and build capacity,” describes Kate Mohn, PFund’s director of foundation relations and strategic communications. “Together we can start thinking about what a truly welcoming Upper Midwest would be for queer people everywhere in the region.”

Both Pride Foundation’s and PFund’s work encompasses grantmaking, capacity building, community engagement, and networking to strengthen organizations whose efforts address the specific needs of LGBTQ+ communities. These organizations are demonstrably underfunded. The most recent data shows that of every $100 awarded by US foundations in 2021, only $0.28 specifically supported LGBTQ+ organizations.

Here’s a breakdown of these and other Q3 grants.

Pride Foundation and PFund were each awarded a two-year, $400,000 grant. They were two of the 26 grants awarded in the third quarter of 2023 for a total of more than $4.1 million. Other Q3 grantees included:

TAALA Fund of Tahola, WA—$300,000 over two years to support business and consumer lending, business incubator services, and organizational growth

Interim Community Development Association of Seattle—$100,000 over two years to support outreach, surveying, and advocacy among immigrant and refugee communities

For more information on recent grantmaking or other work supported by the Foundation, contact Paul Bachleitner, director of communications, at pbachleitner@nwaf.org.

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