Alliance Fund Grants Program

The Alliance Fund's grant-making process ensures that donors' dollars are well spent. Grants provide funding for a one-year period, which provides a specific time frame for spending the award. A panel of Board members and volunteers from the community review requests and visits agencies that have applied for funding. Once a grant is made, the Alliance Fund monitors grantees' progress at six months and at the end of the grant cycle.

Our grantees have included –

• American Red Cross, Southern Arizona chapter 
• Arizona Children's Association Safe Streets (Devore-Sloan and Leos Awards winner)
• The Arizona Human Rights Fund
• Arizona Theater Company
• Arizona OnStage Productions
• Beowulf Alley Theatre Company
• Bisbeee Coalition for the Homeless
• Bisbee Pride Celebration
• Bisbee Women's Transition Project, Inc.
• Borderlands Theater 
• Casa Libre en la Solana (Devore-Sloan and Leos Awards winner)
• City of Tucson Commission on LGBT Issues
• Ethica LGBT Adoptions (Matkin-Sincox Award Winner)
• Family Counseling Agency
• Jewish Community Center (Matkin-Sincox Award Winner)
• LGBT Alliance/Raytheon Missile Systems
• Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
• Habitat for Humanity: Tucson (Matkin-Sincox Award Winner)
• Kore Press
• LGBTQ Behavioral Health Coalition (Matkin-Sincox Award Winner)
• La Frontera Center
• Lesbian Cancer and Health Program
• Loft Cinema
• New ARTiculations Dance Theatre
• Open Inn, Inc.
• OUR TOWN Family Center
• Pan Left Productions
• Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Inc. (PFLAG)
• Pima Community Access Program
• Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona
• Pride Family of Cochise County
• Reveille Men's Chorus
• Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) (Devore-Sloan and Leos Awards winner)
• Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault
• Southern Arizona Gender Alliance (SAGA)
• TGNet Arizona
• Tucson Centers for Women and Children
• Tucson Metropolitan Community Chorus/Desert Voices
• University of Arizona Foundation: Institute for LGBT Studies
• University of Arizona Foundation:  Office of LGBTQ Affairs (Devore-Sloan and Leos Awards winner)
• Voices (Matkin-Sincox Award Winner)
• Wingspan, Inc. (Devore-Sloan Award winner)
• YWCA
• Zuzi Move-it Dance Company

Supported Projects

2001: Twelve grants were awarded for a total of $99,525.*

2002: Twelve grants were awarded for a total of $81,500.*

2003: Ten grants were awarded for a total of $50,000.

2004: No grants were awarded.

2005: Eight grants were awarded for a total of $24,040.

2006: Seven grants were awarded for a total of $24,265.

2007: Eight grants were awarded for a total of $25,725.

2008: Fifteen grants were awarded for a total of $41,308.

2009: Eleven grants were awarded for a total of $30,000.

2010: Seven grants were awarded for a total of $28,600.

2011: Fifteen grants including six Queer youth Initiative Grants for a total of $43,300.**

2012:  Fifteen grants including six Queer youth Initiative Grants for a total of $42,000.**

*Included $50,000 in matching funds from the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership
**Co-funded by matching dollars fromthe "Funders for LGBTQ Issues"

Grants Impact

“We believe that the funds secured from the Alliance Fund were influential in the decision of other funders to support Wingspan.”

Wingspan grant report, 2001

“Your gift provides the resources for wood, nails, plaster and paint. But equally important, your gift fills the hearts of Habitat families with the warmth and compassion they need to make their house into a home.”

Michael McDonald, Executive Director,
Habitat for Humanity Tucson

“As with many local grassroots organizations, your help has been key to our continued growth and development.”

C. Michael Woodward, Executive Director,
Southern Arizona Gender Alliance

"The continued philanthropic leadership of the LGBT&S Alliance Fund plays a critical role in providing the local funding necessary to secure and maintain Federal support for this project and for LGBT young people in Southern Arizona.

Supported Programs

The LGBT&S Alliance Fund will make grants in the following five interest areas:
Please note: the examples listed below are for illustrative purposes only. The Fund will give equal consideration to other programs that fall within at least one of the five interest areas.

0. Youth and Youth-Parent Issues: Increasing support for LGBT individuals and their parents/families. Examples might include:
   0. Programs for parents and/or children who are alienated from one another because of sexual orientation or gender identity issues
   0. Support for coming out to family
   0. Projects that aid LGBTQ youth who are particularly disenfranchised, e.g., youth of color, rural youth, low-income youth, gender non-conforming or questioning youth, young women, and other youth in particular need of assistance.  For grants in this area, please use the "Queer Youth Initiative" application forms and guidelines.
0. Human Services Issues: Improving health care, substance abuse treatment, and social services. Examples might include:
   0. Access to informed medical professionals for transgender people
   0. Shelter for LGBT victims of domestic violence
   0. Programs to address substance abuse among LGBT people
0. Political Advocacy & Involvement: Educating legislators and working for changes that promote civil rights for all. Examples might include:
   0. Educating LGBT people to be activists and do community organizing
   0. Work for political change in Arizona (but not to directly support candidates or influence specific legislation)
   0. Increase the involvement of LGBT people in the political process
   0. Work that creates equity, increases the well-being of LGBTQ communities, and advances gender, racial, and economic justice
0. Education Issues: Educating both the larger community and the LGBT community to promote acceptance, health and well-being.
   Examples might include:
   0. Educating heterosexuals about LGBT issues, including broad issues such as gender expression
   0. Educating students (high school and college) as well as teachers and school administrators
   0. Educating the LGBT community about being philanthropic
   0. Educating social service providers about LGBT issues
0. LGBT Community Infrastructure: Giving organizations the tools they need to be effective. Examples might include:
   0. Funding staff positions
   0. Strengthening organizational skills (boards and staff members)
   0. Increase solidarity between groups working on related social justice issues (i.e. immigration, women's rights, racism, poverty)
   0. Enhancing and/or improving existing programs

Who Qualifies?

We seek to fund a diversity of organizations, populations, programs and geographic areas. We encourage applications from rural areas.

• Grants must be made to nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or otherwise fill a charitable purpose.
• Emerging grassroots organizations or informal groups that have come together for a program consistent with the interests of the LGBT&S Alliance Fund are eligible to apply.
• To be considered for funding, groups without tax-exempt status must affiliate with a tax-exempt organization for fiduciary purposes, or have other financial procedures that satisfy generally accepted accounting practices.

Funding Restrictions
The LGBT&S Alliance Fund will not provide grants for:

• Individuals
• Campaigns to elect public officials or influence legislation/lobbying
• Capital fund drives
• Debt reduction
• Endowments
• Fundraising events
• Programs inconsistent with federal, state and local non-discrimination statutes regarding equal employment opportunities
• Programs that promote religious activities (although faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for non-religious activities)
• Programs outside of Southern Arizona
• Direct-treatment HIV-AIDS programs. (Contact the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona @ 770-0800 for information on Ryan White Title II programs.) Alliance Fund will consider proposals for other HIV-AIDS issues such as education and prevention programs.

2012 Grants

Applications for Alliance Fund 2013 Funding

The LGBT-Straight Alliance Fund is pleased to announce its 2012 competitive grant round.  Proposals are being accepted for one-year grants beginning January 1, 2013.  Deadline for applications is September 24, 2012.  Submissions will be accepted via email, and site visits will be arranged for proposals rated highly by a grant panel of Alliance Fund board members and community volunteers. Decisions about awards should be announced in November and checks will be presented for winning proposals at an award ceremony in early January, 2013.

Click here for guidelines for 2012 proposals.  Click here for samples of 2012 forms.

Applications for Alliance Fund 2013 Queer Youth Initiative Funding

Queer Youth Initiative (QYI) Grants:  A second series of grants will be for projects that specifically benefit LGBTQ youth.  Focus areas are described in the guidelines.  All submissions are to be made by email, and other requirements are also listed in the guidelines.  For renewal applications, please pay special attention to the requirement for a brief summary of the people served and the success of previous projects.  Sample forms are also provided here, but these are only suggestions.  Since the proposal applications are made via email, you may modify the forms as long as the requested information is provided.

Click here for guidelines for 2012 QYI proposals.  Click here for samples of 2012 QYI forms.