HISTORY AND STRATEGY
Founded in the spring of 2022 by Kris Hayashi (former Executive Director, Transgender Law Center), Alexander Lee (Funders for LGBTQ Issues), and a group of trans-led intermediary funders, the Trans Futures Funding Campaign is a coordinated philanthropic organizing strategy led by and for TGNC movement and philanthropic leaders. TFFC initially sought to raise ten million dollars in new philanthropic funding for transgender communities and groups in Southeastern U.S., and the goal was successfully met in 2023. Funds raised through this effort have already begun to be granted out to community organizations, with priority to trans organizations in states, regions, and localities where trans communities are currently under legislative attack.
Support given by TFFC comes in the form of multi-year, unrestricted grants, supported by capacity building technical support.
GOALS
TFFC’s primary goal is to educate and inspire institutional funders to increase general operating, low-barrier, multi-year grants directly to transgender-led organizations in regions where the transgender people’s rights are under attack, or to partner with intermediary grantmakers with existing grantee relationships in these regions.
LEADERSHIP
The campaign is led by a steering committee co-chaired by Aryah Lester (Executive Director, Transgender Strategy Center) and Dominique Morgan (Director, Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy). Steering committee member organizations include the Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy, Third Wave Fund, Transgender Strategy Center, Black Trans Fund at Groundswell, Trans Justice Funding Project, Southern Equality Fund at Campaign for Southern Equality, Queer Mobilization Fund at Southern Vision Alliance, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, and the Out in the South at Funders for LGBTQ Issues. Funders for LGBTQ Issues provides strategic and administrative support of TFFC.
Staff Lead: Ashe Helm Hernandez, Funders’ Philanthropic Organizing Project Director, supports group coordination and strategic planning.