For every $100 awarded by US foundations, only 4.6 cents focuses on trans communities.
Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (GUTC), a program of Funders for LGBTQ Issues, aims to inspire a philanthropic culture that is inclusive and supportive of trans people through grantmaking and decision-making.
About
Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (GUTC), a program of Funders for LGBTQ Issues, aims to inspire a philanthropic culture that is inclusive and supportive of trans people through grantmaking and decision-making.
Together with our partnering funders, the initiative will accomplish the following goals to improve the lived experiences of trans people:
- Increase the scale and scope of philanthropic resources supporting the well-being of trans communities;
- Elevate the dialogue regarding trans funding, by providing information and research to the field of philanthropy, and connecting funders committed to trans issues;
- Support, increase, and diversify the trans people working in philanthropy.
History and Strategy
In 2015, Funders for LGBTQ Issues released TRANSformational Impact: U.S. Foundation Funding for Trans Communities, documenting the state of philanthropic support for trans and gender nonconforming communities in the U.S.
The report found that trans communities only received a penny out of every $100 awarded by US foundations — despite being one of the most marginalized groups in the country. In response to this stark disparity, Funders for LGBTQ Issues and several of our partner funders convened a Trans Funding Working Group in 2015 to design an initiative to increase the amount and improve the quality of funding supporting trans and gender nonconforming organizations and issues.
Funders formally launched this initiative, Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (or GUTC), in the winter of 2017.
Managed by
Luna Moreta Avila
Project Director, Grantmakers United for Trans Communities
Values
GUTC is committed to being accountable to these values as it advances its core goals:
- Accessibility
We strive to remain accessible to trans people not yet connected to philanthropy or Funders for LGBTQ Issues who want to participate in investing in trans communities. We recognize the unequal power dynamics inherent in philanthropy, and the need to create accessible spaces that allow a diverse range of trans people to participate in philanthropy and organizational leadership. - Accountability
We strive to stay accountable and be responsive to the needs of a diverse trans community in order to improve the lived experiences of trans/GNC people. - Creativity
We strive to create a generative space where we discuss ideas and solutions rather than focusing only on the problems. We seek to learn from past pitfalls in philanthropy and not recreate them.
GUTC Leaders Fellowship Program
Supporting emerging trans and gender nonconforming leaders within philanthropy is a crucial component of a wide cultural shift towards the sector valuing and resourcing trans communities across the country. Yet transgender people remain woefully under-represented in philanthropy, and trans-specific professional and leadership development opportunities remain rare.
The Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (GUTC) Fellowship develops trans leadership in philanthropy to strengthen the pipeline of trans professionals in the field, with the long-term goal of increasing the number of trans people working and taking leadership in philanthropy while supporting sustainability within their careers.
The GUTC Leaders Fellowship provides ongoing support, peer networking, and leadership and professional development to a cohort of trans and gender nonconforming professionals in philanthropy over a 12-month fellowship period, beginning in the spring of each year.
- 2 hybrid retreats that support leadership development, peer support and wellness for cohort participants
- Monthly group professional development and community-building activities
- Help to develop a personalized professional development plan, with realistic goals and support
- Peer networking with the fellowship cohort, as well as with more experienced trans and cis allies in the field and the network of fellowship alumni
- $3,000 in supplemental professional development funds
- $3,000 to support an ongoing coaching relationship during the fellowship period
- There is no fee to participate in the fellowship. Employers with fellows in the program are expected to allow their fellows to use their normal working hours to participate in the fellowship program’s activities. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Project Director Luna Moreta Avila to discuss any questions they have related to the application, as well as for assistance in communicating with employers about the importance and value of participating in the fellowship.
- The GUTC Leaders Fellowship is open to all trans and gender nonconforming emerging leaders who are currently employed full- or part-time with a philanthropic entity based in the United States. For the purposes of this program, “philanthropic entity” is defined as any grantmaking foundation (private, public, corporate, family, etc.), intermediary, donor-advised fund, or philanthropic-supporting organization (affinity group, regional association, etc.).
- Fellows may be employed in a variety of roles within the sector, including but not limited to programs, communications, finance, human resources, or organizational administration.
- Fellows can be based anywhere in the United States or Puerto Rico.
- Priority consideration will be given to trans and gender nonconforming people of color, trans women of color, and those with less than five years of work experience in an office setting.
- Applicants need not be employed by or affiliated with a Funders for LGBTQ Issues member institution or GUTC pledge signatory.
- How will the GUTC Learders Fellowship help advance my professional and leadership development?
The fellowship offers monthly meeting opportunities, two retreats, and ongoing 1:1 support from program staff over the course of the fellowship. The fellowship also provides connections to a network of trans and allied cisgender professionals in philanthropy who can offer additional advice, referrals, and opportunities for leadership development and visibility in the sector. Past fellows have been promoted to more senior positions (often during the fellowship), or have used the fellowship to further clarify and solidify their professional identity and career path within philanthropy. - What kinds of skills development trainings are offered?
Skills development trainings are crafted with the specific needs of each cohort in mind. Past cohorts have received trainings on: management skills, self-care practices, giving and receiving feedback, working with search firms and job recruiters to secure more senior positions, writing elevator pitches, and more. -
What makes this fellowship unique?
The GUTC Leaders Fellowship is the first (and to-date, only) leadership development program for TGNC people working in philanthropy. Great care is taken to create safer learning and community-building spaces where the rich and varied lived experiences of trans people and the challenges we face in this field are centralized. Our trainings and sessions help fellows strategize for career exploration and advancement while taking into account the real discrimination and bias our community faces, and connecting fellows to a community of peers to create lifelong relationships. -
What are you looking for in GUTC Fellows?
We seek to build a diverse cohort each year, with an emphasis on supporting transgender people of color and trans-feminine people who are early in their careers working in philanthropy. We are particularly interested in supporting Black and Indigenous transgender foundation staff and aim to create a cohort of fellows from a wide range of philanthropic entities, ranging from private foundations with little to no track record of funding transgender communities to public intermediaries that have supported trans communities for decades. Geographic and funding priority diversity among our fellows is similarly prioritized in our selection process, with attention given to regions where philanthropy has underserved trans communities, such as the U.S. Southeast and Midwest. -
How are fellows selected?
Each year, a selection committee made up of GUTC Working Group members and GUTC Fellow Alumni reviews and rates applications in accordance with program’s goals and priorities. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, selection committee members who are employed at the same institution or otherwise have a close relationship with a candidate, are recused from reviewing that candidate’s application. Each application is weighed on its own merits; no special consideration is given to applicants from foundations represented on the GUTC Working Group, or among Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ membership or foundation funders.
Get Involved
Funders & Other Philanthropic Entities:
If you are a funder seeking to deepen or expand your trans grantmaking, or if you are a philanthropic institution of any kind interested in learning how to best hire and support trans staff members, please contact Luna Moreta Avila, GUTC Program Director, for more information.
Trans-Identified Professionals in Philanthropy:
If you are a trans-identified staff member at a US-based philanthropic entity and would like support for your professional development and career advancement, please also contact Luna Moreta Avila, GUTC Program Director, for more information and resources.