We work to increase philanthropic resources for LGBTQ organizations in the U.S. South.
Out in the South, an initiative of Funders for LGBTQ Issues, aims to transform philanthropy in the U.S. South to honor the fact that LGBTQ people and families are a part of every community in the region.
About
The Out in the South Fund (OTS) is a philanthropic collaborative that works to advance LGBTQ rights and racial justice in the Southern United States. The fund’s mission is to create a more equitable and just South for LGBTQ people of color by supporting organizations and leaders working on the front lines of change.
The Out in the South Fund provides a range of support to its grantees, including:
- Financial resources: OTS provides flexible, unrestricted grants to organizations working on LGBTQ rights and racial justice in the South. These grants help organizations to cover their grantmaking and core operating costs, such as staff salaries, rent, and utilities.
- Technical assistance: OTS provides technical assistance to its grantees in areas such as fundraising, strategic planning, and program development. This assistance helps organizations to build their capacity and achieve their goals.
- Networking opportunities: OTS hosts and participates in regular convenings and events that bring together its grantees and other stakeholders to share best practices, learn from each other, and build relationships. These opportunities help to strengthen the LGBTQ rights and racial justice movements in the South.
- Advocacy: OTS supports grantees to advocate for LGBTQ rights at the local, state, and federal levels. This advocacy work helps to create a more favorable policy environment for LGBTQ people of color in the South.
Learn About the Out in the South Fund
The Out in the South Fund strives to enact substantial change within the LGBTQ landscape of the Southern region of the United States. Their primary objectives are centered around the following key areas:
- Expansion of Grassroots Infrastructure: The fund aims to foster and bolster the development of grassroots organizations within rural communities. By strengthening these local entities, the fund seeks to create a more robust and inclusive infrastructure that caters specifically to the needs of LGBTQ individuals and communities in the South.
- Capacity Building for Grantees: Recognizing the importance of empowering organizations, the Out in the South Fund focuses on enhancing the capabilities and abilities of its grantees. Through capacity-building initiatives, the fund enables these organizations to more effectively execute their missions, advocate for LGBTQ rights, and provide critical services to their communities.
- Increased Access to Resources: The fund aims to bridge the resource gap often faced by LGBTQ organizations in the South. By providing access to research, philanthropic funds and networks, the Out in the South Fund seeks to alleviate financial constraints and ensure that grantees have the tools and support they need to thrive and make a lasting impact.
- Cohesive Organizing Ecosystem: The fund envisions a cohesive and sustainable organizing ecosystem for LGBTQ organizations and communities in the South. By fostering collaboration, networking opportunities, and knowledge sharing, the fund aims to create a supportive environment where organizations can collectively advocate for systemic change, challenge injustices, and promote equality for all LGBTQ people and communities.
Through these strategic interventions, the Out in the South Fund seeks to transform the landscape for LGBTQ organizations and funding in the South, enabling grantees to drive social progress, secure rights, and build a future where all LGBTQ people can thrive and live authentically without fear.
The Out in the South Fund’s grantmaking structure is essential for ensuring that its grantees have the resources and skills they need to thrive. This support helps to build a strong and vibrant LGBTQ movement in the rural South in the form of two main types of support:
- General Operating Grants: These grants are unrestricted, meaning that, in addition to regranting, grantees can use the funds to cover various expenses such as rent, utilities, staff salaries, and program costs. This flexibility is vital for small, under-resourced organizations that often struggle to secure funding for basic operating expenses.
- Accompaniment Support: In addition to financial support, the Out in the South Fund also provides accompaniment support to its grantees. This includes technical assistance, event sponsorships, and convening access.
- Technical Assistance: The fund offers training and capacity-building opportunities to help organizations strengthen their operations and improve their impact. This can include guidance on fundraising, financial management, program development, and evaluation.
- Event Sponsorships: The fund supports grantees in hosting events that bring together LGBTQ people and allies in the rural South. These events can provide a safe and welcoming space for community members to connect, share their stories, and build relationships.
- Convening Access: The fund sponsors gatherings and travel to conferences that bring together LGBTQ leaders and advocates from across the rural South. These convenings provide opportunities for networking, learning, and strategizing.
Here are some specific examples of the Out in the South Fund’s work:
- OTS has supported a number of initiatives to build the capacity of LGBTQ rights and racial justice organizations in the South, such as the Southern Movement Infrastructure Exchange and the Southern Power Fund.
- OTS grantees have supported organizations to advocate for LGBTQ rights and racial justice at the local, state, and federal levels, including working to pass legislation which would provide comprehensive local, state and federal protections for LGBTQ people.
Background: History and Need
In 2013, a group of Funders for LGBTQ Issues members with roots in the South gathered around the shared concern that Southern LGBTQ communities faced stark needs and were severely under-resourced. The group commissioned Funders for LGBTQ Issues to assess the current state of funding for LGBTQ communities in the South. This resulted in the first Out in the South report, which found that, at the time, the South received $1.71 in foundation funding per LGBTQ adult, compared to $10.10 for the Northeast.
Spurred by this under-funding of the region, a group of Southern and national funders worked collaboratively to develop strategies for bringing more resources to the region, resulting in the Out in the South Initiative.
Progress to Date
The Out in the South Initiative has made substantial progress toward increasing foundation funding for Southern LGBTQ communities. As explained in the latest Out in the South infographic, LGBTQ funding for the South has increased from $4.8 million in 2012 to $17.8 million in 2016 (excluding OneOrlando Fund grantmaking). Since its inception, the Out in the South Fund has awarded more than $4.3 million to locally-driven Southern funds that address the needs and strengthen the assets of LGBTQ communities in the South.
Grantmaking
Out in the South currently operates as a non-solicitation fund, meaning we do not currently accept unsolicited requests for funding from organizations or individuals. Instead, we emphasize a collaborative and community-focused approach by inviting groups and individuals to join the Out in the South Network. This network serves as a platform for connecting stakeholders who are committed to advancing the needs of communities within our focus areas.
Our grantmaking process occurs during the Fall and Winter seasons and is designed to be participatory in nature. We engage the Out in the South Steering Committee. This committee plays a crucial role in identifying priority areas for funding, ensuring that the grantmaking process is informed by the voices of those who are most affected by systemic inequalities.
By facilitating a participatory process, we aim to ensure that our funding decisions are reflective of the actual needs and challenges faced by communities on the ground. This collaborative approach not only strengthens relationships within the network but also fosters a sense of shared ownership and accountability among stakeholders.
The Out in the South Fund supports LGBTQ-focused funds based in the U.S. South. By “LGBTQ-focused funds,” we mean efforts to raise money and give out grants to LGBTQ community groups and organizations. Eligible funds may have a variety of structures, including funds housed at community foundations or other public foundations, independent LGBTQ public foundations, grantmaking programs housed at nonprofit organizations, or local collaborative funds that allow private foundations and other donors to work together through a coordinated effort. Eligible funds may be long-standing or new.
Specific eligibility criteria include the following:
- Organizational structure and grantmaking capacity: Must be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status and must show that they have the organizational infrastructure and capacity to review, award, and monitor grants to grassroots LGBTQ groups in the South.
- Demonstrated institutional commitment: Must show evidence of their commitment to support LGBTQ communities, including nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity and institutional support for addressing issues affecting a diversity of LGBTQ communities.
What We Don’t Fund:
- Non-regranting organizations
- Organizations not located in or supporting OTS focus areas
- Individuals
- Efforts to influence the outcome of any specific election
- Attempts to influence legislation (within the meaning of Section 4945(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code).
- Grantmaking or regranting to 501 (c) 4 organizations.
Leadership and Governance
Staff: Shaena Johnson
Project Director, Out in the South
Steering Committee
Paulina Helm-Hernández
Kelli King-Jackson
Hez Norton
Glo Ross
LaTonya Penny
Rebecca Fox
Tamieka Mosley
Glo Ross
The Out in the South Fund Steering Committee is vital to OTS’s sustainability and facilitation. It provides guidance and support to the OTS Fund and is made up of OTS funders and advisors who are committed to supporting OTS’s work and mission to advance LGBTQ+ equity in the South.
The Steering Committee has a number of important responsibilities, including:
- Attending Steering Committee meetings: The Steering Committee meets to discuss the work of OTS and make decisions about grantmaking and other matters.
- Reading updates: The Steering Committee is responsible for reading and reviewing updates on the work of OTS, including grant reports and financial statements.
- Making grantmaking approvals: The Steering Committee is responsible for approving grants made by OTS.
- Fundraising: The Steering Committee is responsible for helping to raise funds for OTS.
- Representing the fund at external events and gatherings: The Steering Committee represents OTS at various external events and gatherings, such as conferences and workshops.
To be eligible for membership on the Steering Committee, individuals are encouraged to do the following:
- Be a funder or advisor to the OTS Fund
- Have a commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ equity in the South
- Be able to attend most Steering Committee meetings
- Be willing to read and review updates on the work of OTS
- Be able to make grantmaking approvals
- Be willing to help raise funds for OTS
- Be able to represent OTS at external facing events and gatherings
Serving on the Steering Committee is a rewarding experience that offers a number of benefits, including:
- The opportunity to learn about and support the work of OTS and OTS grantees
- The opportunity to network with other funders and advisors who are committed to LGBTQ+ equity
Get Involved
There are several ways for you and your organization to get involved in Out in the South and support efforts to strengthen Southern LGBTQ communities:
1.
Join the Out in the South Network to receive email updates and information about funder briefings.
2.
Invite the Out in the South team to provide a training for you and your staff about how LGBTQ issues intersect with your funding priorities and how you might support LGBT work in the communities you care about.
3.
Support the Out in the South Fund
We invite you to choose a starting point that is best suited for you and your organization. Over time, as you learn more about the opportunities that exist, you may choose to broaden your involvement in other ways.
Once you have begun a conversation about LGBTQ-inclusiveness, the next step is to explore how LGBTQ communities are uniquely impacted by your grantmaking areas. Both national and Southern funders have opportunities to initiate or increase direct grantmaking that positively impacts LGBT Southerners in ways that align with your mission. Here’s how:
- For first-time funders of Southern LGBTQ communities: Commit to make your first grant to an organization that primarily serves LGBTQ Southerners. Make a deliberate effort to learn about LGBTQ organizations in your community and reach out to learn more about their work. Distribute requests for proposals (RFPs) to LGBT organizations that may align with your funding priorities.
- For current funders of Southern LGBTQ communities: Commit to increase your annual grantmaking budget for Southern LGBT communities. Make a deliberate effort to learn about Southern LGBT organizations and reach out to learn more about their work. Distribute RFPs to a broader group of Southern LGBT organizations that align with your funding priorities.
Special thanks to the funding and collaboration of several national and Southern funders, who make the Out in the South Fund possible:
- The Arcus Foundation
- The Chartrand Family Foundation
- The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
- The Foundation for a Just Society
- Laughing Gull Foundation
- The Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund
- The Tides’ Kicking Assets Fund
- An anonymous donor
