Deadline: 4 December 2019

Applications are open for “Arch Community Fund” that makes grants to support transformative organizing for systemic change.

The Fund seeks to support grassroots strategies that meet immediate needs and are part of a strategy for long-term structural change.

The Fund grantmaking focuses on general operating support for small grassroots nonprofit organizations, including fiscally sponsored projects.

Arch Community Fund launched in 2017 in response to the alarming rise of overt racism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny, religious intolerance, and corporate dominance in the United States. With family members who narrowly escaped the Holocaust and went on to benefit from opportunities in the United States, the founders of the Arch Community Fund felt compelled to invest in efforts to challenge the rise of intolerance and fascism and help build a more equitable society. They are especially concerned with the rise of hateful ideologies of white nationalism in the current political climate.

Core Principles

They believe that this moment calls for resistance. They must actively challenge the authoritarian threat posed by the current administration, and invest in long-term, tranformative change.

At Arch, their focus is on transformative organizing efforts that center:

• • Resistance: Resistance in the face of injustice is a moral obligation. Inaction is complicity.
  • Community Leadership: Movements for change are most effective when led by members of the affected communities.

• Systemic Change: Hate and intolerance arise from longstanding systems of oppression. Dismantling these systems requires bold, transformative solutions that address root causes and inspire action.
• Racial Equity: Structural racism is embedded in their culture and intersects with all forms of inequity. It is important to use a racial equity lens and intersectional analysis in addressing inequities.

Funding Information

Grants are expected to range from $15,000 – $25,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for funding, groups must meet all of the following criteria:
  • 501c3 status or be fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 organization
  • Annual budget of $1,000,000 or less
  • Headquartered in the United States
  • Transformative organizing for systemic change is primary program, activity, or mission of the organization
  • Networks, coalitions and alliances are not eligible for funding
• They prioritize the following criteria in funding decisions:
  • Further the mission of Arch to strengthen grassroots movements to resist oppression and build towards a more equitable future
  • Fit with the Core Principles of Arch: Resistance, Systemic Change, Community Leadership, Racial Equity
  • Lack of substantial access to mainstream funding sources
  • Strong partnerships with allied organizations

For more information, visit http://www.archcommunityfund.org/grantmaking.html