Background:

RISE Together Fund (RTF), an initiative of Proteus Fund, is launching an open call for inquiries for our 2024 Civic Engagement Fund to support U.S.-based Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim and South Asian (BAMEMSA) organizations engaging communities toward necessary policy change. This open call will provide grants ranging from $5,000 – $25,000, capping at a total of $200,000, and providing between 8-20 grants across the BAMEMSA field. Historically, RTF average grant sizes for open calls are $10,000. The deadline to apply is August 12, 2024, at 5PM PST.

RTF’s Civic Engagement Fund supports emergent programs, strategies and convenings within BAMEMSA movements addressing ongoing threats to our communities and democracy in the lead up to the election. These grants are designed to fund small scale projects or discrete portions of larger projects to ensure BAMEMSA voices are a part of the conversation – particularly at this critical juncture of rising antidemocratic forces, and voter anger, apathy and disillusionment in the face of the ongoing horrors in Gaza and the West Bank.

When possible, RTF will provide organizations with general operating grants to allow for organizational flexibility. Please read the below priorities, criteria and process carefully before applying.

Funding Priorities:

The 2024 RTF priorities for the Civic Engagement Fund are:

• Proactive civic engagement efforts that build BAMEMSA community power at the local, state, and/or national level using tactics such as legislative or legal advocacy, public education, organizing, and non-partisan voter engagement. Examples include nonpartisan BAMEMSA-led voter education on the power of voting or programming to build civic engagement of the communities you serve.
• Conferences, convenings, and meetings organized by and for BAMEMSA leaders to build community power. An example could be supporting a convening of inter or intra-community organizations coming together for pre- or post- election scenario planning or non-partisan voter outreach plan development.
• Efforts to support the wellbeing of your organization, volunteers, and community leaders to shore up movement sustainability and address burnout. *Note: if you are a current Proteus grantee, contact your program officer about the Grantee Safety & Security Grant first.
• Other civic engagement programming and initiatives to address BAMEMSA movement needs, such as unified narrative and counternarratives, systematic support for youth, students, and emerging organizers, coalition building, and dismantling disinformation/misinformation.

Eligibility Criteria:

RTF uses the following eligibility criteria and considerations when making decisions about which organizations may receive funding.

Priority: The funding request meets one or more of the priority areas listed above for the 2024 Civic Engagement Fund.

Tax status: The requesting organization is defined under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) of the IRS tax code, or it has a fiscal sponsor with the appropriate tax status. If the funding request includes lobbying expenses, please contact webcontact.ks@proteusfund.org in advance of applying.

Financial health: The requesting organization has a plan and support to meet the overall project budget if the support RTF offers through the Civic Engagement Fund does not cover all costs.

Leadership: The requesting organization is BAMEMSA-led and/or serving and has a track record of meeting community power-building needs and building local community capacity.

Community support: The requesting organization can demonstrate that the project has momentum and/or BAMEMSA community-based support.

RTF will also make the following internal considerations in its decision making:

• How much of RTF’s 2024 Civic Engagement Fund budget remains?
• How often has RTF funded the requesting organization?
• Is this a new or existing field partner?

RTF will not be able to fund all requests, however, we will do our best to share organizational needs with funder partners.

What Activities will the RTF Rapid Response Fund NOT support:

• Partisan political campaigns, and electioneering
• Projects that support basic or individual needs
• Direct donations or grants to individuals
• Non-emergency travel and accommodations
• Third-party conference expenses
• Scholarships or individual scholarly research
• Filling general revenue shortfalls, cash flow challenges, or supporting leadership transitions
• Capital campaigns, organizational development, or ongoing infrastructure needs

Process:

Please bear in mind that sometimes we experience an extraordinary volume of inquiries and proposals. We will do our very best to adhere to the timeline described below:

Step 1: Complete the eligibility form here. If you meet the eligibility criteria as laid out above, you will be immediately invited to submit a complete application. If you are declined at this stage and feel you are eligible, please contact webcontact.ks@proteusfund.org.

Step 2: To complete your application, you will be asked to submit basic organizational information, a short narrative about your organization and your request, and budget documents. The deadline to submit an application is August 12, 2024, 5PM PST.

Step 3: RTF will be in touch with you by August 26, 2024, about the final status of your application. If your request is declined at this stage, please know that RTF will do our best to share your needs with other funder partners.

Step 4: If your request is approved, RTF will:

• Recommend your grant to the Proteus Fund board for funding. This will take approximately two weeks.
• If your grant is approved by the board, RTF will work internally for anticipated release of funding to your organization by September 27, 2024.
• For emergency situations, RTF will make every effort will be made to expedite your request to ensure faster receipt of funds.

For questions or comments, please contact webcontact.ks@proteusfund.org to share your needs and the RTF team will be in touch.

About Proteus Fund & RISE Together Fund (RTF)

RISE Together Fund (RTF), an initiative of the Proteus Fund, works alongside impacted communities to advance their civil rights, fight for full inclusion, and promote their contributions to democracy, culture, and society.

Proteus Fund connects philanthropy to the frontlines of social justice. We strive to advance the interconnected goals of racial, gender, queer and disability justice and an inclusive, fully representative democracy. Our work lifts up opportunities, gaps, and challenges facing movement organizations, especially at the state and local level, and then mobilizes support for these efforts. Our donor collaboratives are best-in-class models for bridging responsive philanthropy with cutting-edge social justice movements to create long-lasting impact. Through fiscal sponsorship, Proteus Fund partners with dynamic social justice initiatives which play a powerful role in the larger ecosystem for social change. To date, Proteus Fund, and its affiliated 501c4 organization, the Proteus Action League, have distributed $250 million in grants. Proteus Fund is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Amherst, Massachusetts. Our staff is based across the entire United States.

*BAMEMSA is an acronym for Black, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian to describe communities we support that have been acutely impacted by post 9/11 discrimination. While Arab Middle Eastern Muslim South Asian (AMEMSA) is a common term in philanthropy, because Black communities are often excluded in both community and philanthropic spaces, we felt it was important to be explicit about our commitment to fund Black leadership.