Since its inception, The Disability Inclusion Fund’s (DIF) grantmaking has been rooted in its value of centering the experiences and wisdom of movement advocates with disabilities—especially that of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color leaders. Integral to this grantmaking is the recognition that disability justice is also about the pursuit of self-determined and collective access to joy, because it is within this joy that our communities are sustained long term.
Last month, the DIF awarded $430,000 in Joy grants to 43 disability-led organizations operating at the forefront of the disability justice, rights, and inclusion movement.
These grants are intended to expand the capacity of community organizations to rest and reflect on movement strategies, strengthen and foster community relationship-building, and support access to collective life-affirming experiences. Recognizing Wholeness is a principle of the disability justice framework that underscores the importance of rest, collective care, and community beyond traditional notions of “productivity” and “worthiness” – Joy Grants are resources for activities that reflect this movement principle.
The disability justice movement leaders that make up DIF’s cohort are implementing revolutionary solutions to bring about collective liberation from ableism, which includes shifting dominating and medicalized ideas of health and well-being and creating space for self-care, reflection, and hard discussions. To infuse joy into their work – these grantee partners are honoring disabled elders and ancestors, finding ways to connect with and access nature, celebrating diverse and inclusive representations of disabled people in mainstream media, instilling a sense of disability pride among young leaders with disabilities, and providing mentoring through intergenerational disability justice partnerships, among other pursuits.
Here are the incredible organizations centering joy and justice in their work:
- Advocating Change Together, Inc.
- Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network
- Black Phoenix Organizing Collective
- Center for Self Advocacy Inc.
- Center for Sustainable Journalism
- Chainless Change, Inc.
- Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & DeKalb, Inc.
- Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center
- Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
- Communication First
- Count US IN
- DeafHope
- Detroit Disability Power
- Disability Lead
- Diverse Ability Incorporated
- El Grupo Vida
- Fireweed Collective
- Gathering Strength, Inc.
- Generation Patient
- Health Justice Commons
- HEARD
- Inevitable Foundation
- Interrupting Criminalization
- inTRANSitive
- Living Hope Wheelchair Association
- METAS
- National Pain Advocacy Center
- Native American Disability Law Center
- New Disabled South Inc.
- Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
- Peacock Rebellion
- People First Wisconsin
- Prism
- Project LETS, Inc.
- Rogers Park Community Action Network
- San Francisco Senior and Disability Action
- Self Advocates Becoming Empowered
- Sibling Transformation Project
- Sins Invalid
- Sound Theatre
- The Confess Project
- United Hmong with Disabilities
- Visionaries of the Creative Arts
The DIF is grateful for the support of the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy and our broader donor table—and encourages other funders to utilize the Fund as a mechanism to pool and distribute aligned funding to bolster the disability justice movement. To learn more about how to partner with the DIF, please connect with us at DIF@borealisphilanthropy.org.