Since its founding in 2015 as Borealis Philanthropy’s first-ever fund, the Emerging LGBTQ Leaders of Color (ELLC) Fund has proudly resourced the leadership and organizational development of queer and trans organizations of color to build inclusive, effective and interconnected movements for justice. In the fall of 2024, the Fund awarded $2.3 million in grants—the largest in its decade-long history—to 28 organizing groups working towards visions of collective sovereignty, safety, and joy.
As we enter an era of heightened antagonism from the people, policies, and practices seeking to harm and erase trans and queer communities, our brilliant grantee partners are—and, importantly, always have been—on the frontline of these movements, leading efforts at the intersections of reproductive justice, migrant rights, community safety, queer and trans justice, bodily autonomy, and beyond. This work, which spans from mutual aid to legislative advocacy, is taking place locally and nationally, and securing wins that defend and protect us all.
- The Knights & Orchids Society in partnership with the Yellowhammer Fund delivered health and wellness kits—-packed with emergency contraceptives, pregnancy tests, and feminine care products—to Black women, girls, queer and trans folks in the South.
- SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW successfully blocked several pieces of anti-trans legislation in Georgia, including bans on youth sports, gender affirming care, and discriminatory “religious freedoms” exemptions.
- Lavender Phoenix co-launched the Care Not Cops initiative, demanding the San Francisco city government redirect 50% of its police budget to housing, healthcare, and other human services.
- Mariposas Sin Fronteras is providing life-sustaining support to LGBTQ+ migrants, delivering emergency funds for housing, food, immigration bonds, transportation and more.
ELLC Fund’s latest awards also include its Young Trans Women of Color (YTWOC) program, created to address the historic underinvestment in BIPOC trans leadership, while amplifying the voices driving intersectional movements forward. With the addition of four new leaders, the YTWOC cohort now consists of 16 visionary organizers across the country—each receiving $54,000 over two years to sustain their work, deepen their leadership, and build collective power. As the new administration ramps up attacks on trans freedoms—and thus all our freedoms—trusting, listening, and investing in BIPOC trans leaders has never been more urgent.
We are grateful to each of our ELLC grantee partners—the dreamers, fighters, and healers— pushing us beyond single-issue and single-policy fights, toward a world where everyone has access to joy, safety, and wholeness. Please join us in congratulating this incredible cohort!
- A Better Chance, A Better Community
- Black Lives Matter Metro Phoenix
- Bold Futures
- Iya Dammons of Baltimore Safe Haven**
- Phoebe VanCleefe at Bantu Safe Haven**
- Isa Noyola of Border Butterflies Project**
- California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance
- Nicole Sanatamaria of El/La ParaTransLatinas**
- Jennicet Gutierrez of Familia:TQLM**
- Freedom, Inc.
- Gender Justice LA
- Khmer Girls in Action
- Diamond Stylez Collier of Marsha’s Plate**
- Lavender Phoenix
- Mariposas Sin Fronteras
- Isa Noyola of Mijente**
- Rethink
- Ciora Thomas at Sisters PGH**
- Queer Crescent
- Nicole Santamaria of El/La Para TransLatinas**
- Solutions Not Punishments Collaborative (SNaP-Co) and Toni-Michelle Williams of SNaP-Co**
- Southeast Asian Freedom Network
- SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW
- Tiare Sua of Maui Aids Foundation**
- The Knights and Orchids Society
- Trans Queer Pueblo
- Nyla Foster at Trans Women of Color Collective**
**Young Trans Women Of Color Program Grantee
In these overwhelmingly queer and trans-antagonistic moments, funders must step up and show up by investing in BIPOC LGBTQ leadership—and providing long-term, stable, and flexible funding to sustain and strengthen the work of our next generation’s leaders.To learn more about partnering with Borealis Philanthropy’s Emerging LGBTQ Leaders of Color Fund, please connect with us at ELLC@borealisphilanthropy.org.