Horizons Foundation Launches New Transgender People of Color Funding Initiative
Despite the Bay Area’s high concentration of LGBTQ individuals and its rich racial and ethnic diversity, Transgender People of Color (Trans POC) face significant economic and social challenges, exacerbated by systemic inequities and limited philanthropic support. A 2015 study by the National Center on Transgender Equality showed that 29% of transgender respondents indicated they were living in poverty, compared with the overall rate of 14% for the general U.S. population. Transgender people identifying as Latinx, American Indian, or Black indicated even higher poverty rates (at 43%, 41%, and 38%, respectively). In the San Francisco Bay Area, where estimates indicate approximately 1% of the population identifies as transgender, income inequality is among the highest in the nation, with top earners making more than 12 times more than those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.
Additionally, according to Funders for LGBTQ Issues, in 2022, for every $100 awarded by U.S. foundations, only 4.6 cents specifically supported transgender and gender nonconforming communities and issues in that year. The stark contrast between the limited philanthropic investments and the exacerbated disparities affecting trans communities is especially pronounced when considering the intersecting challenges faced by Trans POC.
Horizons Foundation aims to address these disparities by launching the Trans POC Initiative, a new funding program aimed at investing in the infrastructure improvement and workforce development of Trans POC-primary organizations in the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. Through this initiative, Horizons is committing to supporting and partnering with Trans POC-primary organizations by providing funding towards multi-year, transformative infrastructure grants up to $100,000 per year for up to three years.
The objective of this new funding program is to strengthen Trans POC-primary organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area through various goals, including helping them enhance their organizational infrastructure, build their workforce capacity and leadership, support their transition to 501(c)(3) status if they are a fiscally sponsored organization, sustain and diversify their funding streams, and address their intersectional challenges. Applications are accepted until Monday, February 3, with funding decisions announced by March, 2025.
Find out more about the Trans POC Initiative application process and eligibility here. Review the full Request for Proposal here. Contact Horizons with any questions at [email protected].
