Disability Inclusion Fund: Request for Proposal 2026
We are thrilled to announce that the Disability Inclusion Fund (DIF) will be funding a new round of collaborative grants. Please use this link to access the application. Applications are due on May 20, 2026 at 8:59pm PT | 9:59pm CT | 11:59pm ET
About Borealis Philanthropy
Borealis Philanthropy is a philanthropic intermediary working to advance the impact of our movements across the country. We focus on a range of social justice issues, including disability inclusion and justice, and invest in leaders, organizations, and movements using diverse and innovative strategies to pursue transformational change.
About the Disability Inclusion Fund & Collaborative Grants Program
The Disability Inclusion Fund (DIF) supports U.S.-based groups run by and for people with disabilities building a more liberatory world free from ableism. The Fund is supported by donors, including the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, which is comprised of foundation presidents who are committed to disability inclusion. At Borealis Philanthropy, we know that movements are strongest when we organize together across communities, issues, and identities. That belief is at the heart of the DIF’s Collaborative Grants Program: an initiative designed to resource powerful, cross-movement collaborations that advance disability justice and strengthen our collective future. This initiative is a direct response to what organizers have long made clear: the work of disability justice is deeply connected to other movements for justice—and collaborative efforts need sustained resourcing.
All funding will be aligned with the Disability Inclusion Fund’s guiding values:
- Participation: Movement funding is accountable to the disability justice movement. Those most impacted by injustice/exclusion should be involved in strategies to advance justice/inclusion.
- Intersectionality: Acknowledging that disabled people have multiple and intersecting social and political identities that can influence their access and inclusion, including race, gender identity, class, and sexual orientation.
- Radical inclusion: Deeply committed to removing barriers and ensuring access so that those most affected by intersecting identities can participate, valuing lived experience.
- Leadership of those most impacted: Emphasis is given to organizations led by disabled people of color, queer, gender nonconforming and women with disabilities.
- Cross-movement solidarity: Intentional focus on collaboration and bridge-building amongst disability justice activists and across movements.
- Sustainability: Resources and tools that support the growth of grassroots disabled-led organizations, and expand operational capacities for ongoing movement building.
What we fund
We invite one joint proposal from a group of two or more organizations working in partnership toward collective impact. If you are developing projects in any of the areas below, this would be an aligned funding opportunity: :
- Group of two or more organizations and groups that are led by and for disabled folks including organizations rooted in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, queer and gender non-conforming communities, and women-led disability justice work, We define ‘disability-led’ as the leadership in your organization are people with disabilities, including more than 50% of the organization’s management staff/advisory committees/governing boards.
- Work that engages other social movements and injustices for examples: The movement for Black lives, climate change, immigration rights, labor rights, racial justice, queer and trans liberation, etc.
- Work that brings other organizations, leaders, movements, and communities together to build power through relationships, coalitions and opportunities for collaboration.
- Work that drives narrative change in ways that dismantle ableism and attitudinal barriers in our policy, society, and culture.
- Strategies that celebrate, create, and elevate uplifting the authentic representation of disabled people in the arts, media, literature, and other creative works.
- Work that moves practices of disability inclusion and disability justice forward. Examples of this work include community organizing, mutual aid, advocacy, and/or policy work.
Eligibility
- The combined annual budget of each organization with committed revenue is less than $3 million based on your most recently completed fiscal year, or your projected 2026 operating budget.
- All organizations must be U.S-based or U.S. territory-based 501(c)3 or be fiscally sponsored.
- At least one of the involved organizations in the collaboration primary work is disability focused and disability-led. The collaborative project pursues one or more of the following areas of work: grassroots movement-building, advocacy, the performing arts/cultural and narrative change, or policy change
- Your collaborative project aligned principles, areas of work, and mission are reflective of the Disability Justice framework. please refer to this link.
You can collaborate with organizations of the following but lead organization’s work must be disability centered:
- Individuals
- Universities
- Hospitals
- For profit / LLCs
- Organizations or projects whose primary work is research.
- Organizations or projects whose primary work is direct service (i.e., Personal Care Attendants, durable medical equipment, behavioral or medical care, employment supportive programs, or adaptive sports, etc.).
Commitment to Inclusive and Values-Aligned Funding
- Borealis Philanthropy and the Disability Inclusion Fund are committed to values of equity, access, and inclusion. In alignment with our philanthropic mission, this grantmaking opportunity centers the lived experiences of people with disabilities, including those who hold multiple and intersecting identities.
- While we prioritize support for organizations led by and for marginalized communities, our review is holistic, and all eligible applicants will receive fair and full consideration. Final grant decisions will be made in collaboration with the grantmaking committee and will reflect a range of factors, including alignment with DIF’s values, community-informed priorities, and the overall balance of the funding portfolio.
The Disability Inclusion Fund utilizes a participatory grantmaking process. All grantees will be selected by a grantmaking committee composed of majority disability advocates and invited funders.
Application Deadline
The deadline for proposals is May 20th, 2026, by 8:59 pm PT, 9:59 pm CT or 11:59 pm ET.
We will be hosting an informational webinar on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 11am PST/1pm CST/2pm EST to review the application process and answer applicant questions. Please register for the information session HERE . ASL interpretation and real-time captioning will be provided. We will also record the session for those who cannot attend.
Register For The Informational Webinar Here!
Level of Support
This funding opportunity will provide two-year grants. Successful applicants may receive up to $75,000 per year totaling $150,000.Grant sizes will not typically exceed more than 25% of your total committed budget.
Grantmaking Process
Please review the sections below for more information about the Disability Inclusion Fund grantmaking process and application.
Please Read Before Proceeding with Application
Prior to applying to the DIF 2026 Collaborative RFP, collaborating partners must determine which organization will be the “Applying Organization” to complete the following application form. In the event of an awarded grant, the “Applying Organization” will be the formal grantee organization receiving funds on behalf of the entire collaborative partnership. All collaborative partner organizations will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to define each partner’s role in the collaborative project.
While not a requirement, Borealis’ preference is that the “Applying Organization” is its own 501(c)(3) organization.
Application Link
To access the DIF 2026 eligibility quiz and application, please use the following link: https://borealis.tfaforms.net/f/DIFCollabRFP2026
Saving and Resuming Your Application
If you would like to save your progress and return to your application, please use the ‘Save my progress and resume later’ checkbox at the top and bottom of the DIF 2026 application page to create a password and save your progress.
If you forget your password for the DIF 2026 application, the best way to regain access to your DIF 2026 application draft is to use the ‘Forgot your password’ link. Find this link by clicking ‘Resume a previously saved form’.
Submitting Your Application
Once you’ve completed your application, please check the Google reCAPTCHA checkbox and use the ‘Submit’ button to submit your application. The Google reCAPTCHA feature helps prevent spam and bot application submissions. The ‘Submit’ button will not submit the application unless all required questions are answered. Required questions are marked with a red asterisk (*) on the application.
After you click the ‘Submit’ button, you will be asked to Review and Confirm your application responses. We recommend that you review your submissions before officially submitting your application.
At the bottom of the review page, you will see a ‘Confirm’ button, a ‘Make a correction’ link, and a ‘Print this page’ link.
- After reviewing your application, if you need to make a correction, click the ‘Make a correction’ link to edit your application.
- If you would like to print a copy of your application, click the ‘Print this page’ link.
- Once you are ready to submit your application, please click the ‘Confirm’ button. Your application is not submitted until you click the ‘Confirm’ Button.
Once you’ve submitted your application, the Application Contact listed on the application will receive an email confirmation and PDF copy of your application.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter any system or process-related issues while using the application, please do not hesitate to contact grants@borealisphilanthropy.org.
Alternative/Accessible Applications Process
The DIF is committed to making all application materials available in multiple forms to be accessible to all. This application is in Form Assembly. Alternative application options include (Zooms, phone conversations, Word doc, PDF, etc). If you need application in an alternative format please contact the Disability Inclusion Fund at dif@borealisphilanthropy.org with the subject line: DIF RFP 2026
Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools
The DIF values hearing your unique voice and the specificity of your organization’s work—we are not looking for perfection, and thus encourage you to show up as you are. We recognize that AI and other digital tools can support with access and ease in the writing process, and welcome you to use them. If you do, we ask that your responses reflect the real concrete details of your organization’s work, the people you’re building with, the circumstances you are navigating, and the strategies you are enacting daily to advance disability justice. This writing doesn’t need to be polished or lengthy; nor does it have to be writing. Have a social media post or article to share that answers the prompt? We’d love to see it. What’s most important to us is the opportunity to learn more about your work, wins, and visions.
Notifications
Applicants who submit proposals by the May 20th, 2026 deadline will be notified about whether or not they will receive funding by November 20th, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have put together answers to frequently asked questions, which include a list of proposal questions. Read the FAQs.
Narrative questions
Your response to questions below should be no longer than 250 words each
- Give a brief description of each organization involved in the collaboration. What excites you about doing work in a collaborative manner and why do you think you are the best candidates to do this work at this time?
- The DIF uses an anti-ableist framework in all aspects of our work. Give one concrete example of how your work uses an anti-ableist framework.
- If your project is selected to receive this two-year grant, what are some of the key project plans and activities for the next two years? We understand that plans may shift over the course of two years, and would be interested to know the potential direction, planned activities, and future growth of the project.
- What challenges do you anticipate coming up working in collaboration with others, and what types of support do you think you may need for the project and collaboration to be successful?
- Does the project have a clear ending period or do you anticipate continuing the project beyond this funding period?
- How does your project measure change? How will your team know progress is happening during this time? Please briefly describe the kinds of indicators or evidence of progress your team considers for the work that is being done.
- Please provide a list of current funders.
- Is there anything else you would like us to know?
Other required information
- How much is your total combined(all organizations involved in collaboration) operating budget for 2026 based on your current fiscal year, or your projected 2026 operating budget? We are not requiring you to provide an actual organizational budget.
- We will need a budget for the project. We understand that the budget may change throughout the project so give us approximate numbers for the project.
- A copy of your 501(c)(3) letter of determination.
- If fiscally sponsored, we will need a copy of your fiscal sponsorship agreement and your fiscal sponsor 501(c)(3) letter of determination.
- Geographically where does your work take place: For example We are headquartered in San Francisco but we serve the Northern California region and Nevada.