Funders for LGBTQ Issues is proud to announce that Funding Forward is looking for its 2027 home city.

The annual gathering of grantmakers committed to LGBTQ issues provides an exciting opportunity for funders to connect with one another, learn from each other, coordinate efforts and maximize impact.  We are currently seeking proposals from members, funders, and philanthropic networks to host our exciting 2027 Funding Forward in your hometown! If you are considering submitting, we encourage you to reach out to colleagues in your region to submit a proposal jointly that draws on your collective knowledge and resources. We are seeking proposals from cities across the US.

The Process

We are selecting the host city for Funding Forward through an invitation-only bidding process. This will be our first formal bidding process since before the pandemic and we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to partner with us in making Funding Forward 2027 our best convening yet! Proposals will be reviewed by staff and the executive committee of the board of directors, based on the criteria outlined below.

Criteria

Proposals from host cities will be evaluated on the basis of five key criteria: 

(1) Potential for engaging local funders:

To what extent is the local area home to current members and participants in Funders for LGBTQ Issues? Is the local area home to non-LGBTQ-focused funders that could be engaged in LGBTQ issues by participating in Funding Forward?

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(2) Convenience and hospitality for travelers:

Is the host city located near a major airport convenient for travel by air? Are there union-approved hotel venues that would be a fit for Funding Forward? Will the host city be a fun place for over three hundred LGBTQ philanthro-folk to hang out for a few days?

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(3) Potential for sponsorships and other local support:

Is there interest from the local philanthropic community in providing support for Funding Forward, such as serving on the planning committee, providing sponsorships, and offering local expertise?

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(4) Potential for funders to learn from the local context:

Are there current policy debates in the host city/state that could provide opportunities for funders to learn about advancing equality and social change for LGBTQ communities? Are there interesting models or innovative programs for improving the lives of LGBTQ communities locally?

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(5) Supportive infrastructure for attendees with marginalized or targeted identities:

• Are there local legal networks you can connect us to that offer pro bono or retainer legal services? Are there clinics and medical facilities that could support attendees facing potential discrimination at larger hospitals? Is there a strong community organizing and activism community that would be able to inform us of typical scenarios of our marginalized attendees? 

Responsibilities

If your host city is selected, we will ask for your help with the following:

• Identifying at least three local funders to serve on the planning committee.
• Collaboration on outreach and recruitment for local sponsors, partners, speakers, and attendees. 
• Co-hosting pre-conference events to build interest among local funders, typically including a local funder briefing several months before the conference.
• Developing locally-focused content, including a plenary on local LGBTQ funding needs and opportunities.
• Providing advice on potential venues for the conference and related events.

Proposal

Using this form please submit a proposal answering the questions below. We have included sample faux answers for each question, which you can simply replace with new text that follows a similar format. We don’t want this process to be a complicated one – our hope is that a group of members/partners should be able to sit down and brainstorm ideas for completing the form in just one or two meetings!  

(1) Background information on member(s)/partner(s) submitting the proposal.

Lead member/partner submitting this proposal:

• Name, Title, Institution

Other local members/partners who have contributed ideas to this proposal: (enter as many as appropriate)

• Name, Title, Institution

• Name, Title, Institution

• Name, Title, Institution

(2) In just a few bullets, please tell us about any local members, funders, or philanthropic networks that you believe could participate in and/or support Funding Forward.

• The Big Queer Foundation is an LGBTQ-focused private foundation and long-time member of Funders for LGBTQ Issues. BQF has supported local LGBTQ groups as well as national organizations. We believe BQF would be a potential sponsor as well as provide help identifying local speakers for the program.

• The Greatest Community Foundation, our local community foundation, has begun awarding LGBTQ grants and has an interest in doing more. We believe they might be open to sponsoring a welcome reception, and Bella Fulana, a program officer there, helped work on this proposal and is interested in serving on the planning committee.

The Desert Region Philanthropy Network is our local regional association, which has expressed interest in co-sponsoring the conference and with outreach to local funders.

(3) In just a few bullets, please tell us about any current policy debates, interesting models, or powerful collaborations in your region that could provide interesting learnings for the LGBTQ philanthropic community.

• Recently, conservative activists in our home state have begun pushing for a “religious freedoms” bill that would allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people if their religion requires them to do so. A nascent coalition has begun forming to fight back against these efforts, which includes the state equality organization, an immigrant rights group, and a small business association.

• A new program has just opened at our local LGBTQ community center to provide workforce development training for transgender youth and queer youth of color. It’s an interesting new model that could be of interest to LGBTQ funders as well as economic development funders.

(4) In just a few bullets, please let us know about any potential venues, travel access, and other information about why your city would be a great place to host Funding Forward.

• We are located just 20 minutes from the XYZ Airport, which is a major hub for several airlines.

• There are several nice boutique hotels in our city, one of which is located in the heart of the gayborhood.

(5) In just a few bullets, please provide some cultural context, political history, and movement leadership in this region that could inform some of our philanthropic and artistic programming.

• Since 1967, The Rainbow Fishes has been a political grassroots force of nature, helping to do direct service, mutual aid, and doula assistance for black immigrant families in local neighborhoods without the assistance of traditional funding. The story of their work has informed community organizing groups across the country, serving as a template for how movement work is done today.

• The cabaret scene has been integral to how sex workers’ rights were legalized in our state, and many of our most famous performers have gone on to create non-profit organizations that form one of the largest sex-worker giving circles in the world.