Funding for Trans Communities To Thrive

The multiple polycrises of our time continue to disproportionately impact trans, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary communities of color.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the already dilapidated infrastructure and social safety nets leaving many trans, gender non-conforming and nonbinary people without housing, healthcare, and other vital care. At this moment, we are collectively witnessing 531 anti-trans bills popping up in 41 states, consistent and rampant gender-based violence against TGNC folks, with more facing houselessness and financial hardship. Even in progressive states like California and New York, the conditions for TGNC folks have only worsened since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For every $100 awarded by U.S. foundations, only 4 cents goes towards trans communities.

As trans folks, we are calling upon philanthropy to make bold interventions. We must fund trans communities to do more than survive; fund trans groups for the long-term without restrictions to push back against these attacks and create pathways for us to thrive in all arenas of life.  

In such a critical moment, the Trans Justice Funding Project (TJFP) centers people, honors grassroots organizing in various forms and maintains a simple and quick grantmaking process. We center trans and gender non-conforming communities and advocates for trans justice efforts at large. TJFP founded in 2012, is a community-run, non-charitable trust that funds trans-led groups and projects in the US and US territories who exist to serve and improve the conditions trans communities are living in.

TJFP’s decision making processes are led by those who know their communities the most – trans activists, organizers, healers, artists, advocates and visionaries.

Each year, through a paid fellowship program, six trans and non-binary leaders read every single application to decide which groups receive funding in that particular year. We also give unrestricted, no strings attached funds, which means no reporting or site visits. We fund unincorporated and fiscally sponsored groups. As a BIPOC trans and nonbinary-run fund, we distributed $2.9 million to 428 groups in 2024 alone, and have resourced over 2,000 groups since our founding. For most of these groups, TJFP is their first funder. Our hope is always to fund even more trans organizations than the previous year.  

TJFP is grounded in honoring and amplifying the ways our communities organize, create, and shift culture, commit their love and care, and fight like hell for trans liberation. Over the past 12 years of TJFP’s existence, we’ve seen groups make reverberating transformations in local conditions. Groups like UTOPIA Washington in Kent, WA, which focuses on domestic violence, HIV care and sex worker organizing. TJFP is honored to be one of their first funders. Led by a TJFP former fellow, UTOPIA now owns land, manages a community farm, actively teaches local trans folks to farm and shares their produce with the broader local community. 

Despite much progress led by groups and projects like UTOPIA Washington, the attacks on transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) folks are escalating.  

TGNC communities are calling upon philanthropy to resource more trans justice groups, provide more multi-year unrestricted and no strings attached funding, shift from complex application processes, and trust trans leadership and creativity. Center the voices, insights, experiences and needs of trans communities in your grantmaking and resource redistribution decision-making, especially this election year in which we are battling for our democracy and every current freedom and liberty is at stake. With a people-centered funding strategy, trans people can thrive, dream and sustain their families and communities, as well as carve out new pathways of liberation centering all people. It is imperative that we, as a philanthropic community, play our part in co-manifesting this vision through no strings attached, consistent long-term funding without creating more barriers for trans communities. 

Moving to Action: 

• Want to know how TJFP moves grants to grassroots trans justice groups in the US and US territories? Visit our website or contact us at [email protected] 

• Interested in making philanthropy more inclusive of TGNC folks? Learn more about the GUTC Pledge.