Purpose of This Fund

The goal of this fund is to provide funding for a variety of security and defense needs that will help strengthen the digital and physical safety of current and past Arizona Racial Justice Initiative (AZRJI) grantee partners. 

Quick Overview:

1. Limited eligibility. This fund is exclusively for current and past AZRJI grantees.
2. Amounts. Grant amounts are up to $10,000 for organizations and up to $5,000 for individual staff needs (funds will be granted to the employer organization to be distributed to individual staff).
3. Timeline. If funding is approved, funds are made available to you within 4 to 6 weeks from when the decision is communicated. 
4. Submission does not mean award. Please note that completing an application submission does not mean you will be getting funding. Whether your application gets awarded funding depends on the outcome of our established criteria and decision-making process (more below).
5. First come, first served. Funding will be awarded on a first come, first-served basis to applications that are selected as aligning best with our criteria.
6. Open throughout 2026. We will be accepting applications on a rolling basis throughout 2026. However, the fund will close once our 2026 budget is fully spent, which may happen before the end of the year depending on demand.
7. One-time awards. These will be considered one-time awards. There will be no renewals or possibility for additional funding.
8. Award amounts. If your application is selected, that does not mean you will receive your full funding request. The final award amounts for selected applications will be determined by our final application review and deliberation process.
9. Award publicity. Please note that awardee names and descriptions may be used by AZRJI in public materials to promote transparency and elevate the work of our grantee partners.
10. Application preview. If you want to preview the application questions, click here.
11. Learning as we go. We are a small team and this is our first time implementing a fund like this. We acknowledge that things may not operate smoothly at times. We ask for your grace and patience and to provide us direct feedback on how we can improve.

Who is eligible to apply?

This fund is available only to current and past AZRJI grantees that are: 

• Black and Native-led: Black and Native-led organizations based in Arizona (see below for definitions on Black-led and Native-led).
• Black and Native-serving: Organizations whose mission and work predominantly serves Black and Native people and communities in Arizona.

And must be one of the following organization types:

• Tax exempt nonprofit: Organizations that have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation.
• Fiscally sponsored organization: Organizations that are fiscally sponsored by 501(c)(3) organizations
• Tribal government: Tribal governments that have federal documentation of tribal status
• Informal organizations: “Informal” organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities and are not fiscally sponsored. Funding awards for these applications require additional steps and funds will be taxable.

If your organization does not meet any of these eligibility criteria, unfortunately we cannot accept your application at this time. If you only have your nonprofit status through the state of Arizona but not through the IRS, you are unfortunately ineligible to apply. Individuals (not part of a current or past grantee org) and 501(c)(4) orgs are not eligible to apply. 

Funding award amounts

Requests are capped at the following amounts:

• $10,000 for organization-wide needs
• $5,000 for individual employee needs, via their employer organization

Only one award per calendar year is allowed.

What do we fund?

This fund will help cover costs for:

• Organizational level needs, or
• Individual staff member needs, via their employer organization

For the following security and defense needs:

• Digital security. Digital and tech security services/products for organizations or individual staff due to existing digital threats and/or general strengthening of digital security. Examples: cyber security programs, VPN, DeleteMe, password manager, etc.
• Physical security. Specific security needs for organization offices or individual staff due to existing or anticipated physical threats. For example, increased physical safety threats due to getting doxxed. Examples: security cameras, temporary housing, temporary security personnel.
• Security planning, assessments, and consultations. Security planning, assessments, and consultations for organizations or individual staff to better understand and identify security vulnerabilities and risks and plan for them
• Security training. Trainings aimed at building digital and/or physical security skills in order to strengthen organizational security and safety capacity
• Legal services. Legal defense, rights protection, due process support, and/or legal compliance needs

This fund is not designed for:

• Ongoing support of existing programs,
• Cash flow issues,
• Emergency needs requiring immediate turnaround (see our Rapid Response fund to see if that fund is a better fit),
• Covering costs for any materials or conducting activities that are not in compliance with 501(c)(3) status

Timing of funding award

This fund is not intended as “rapid response” funding. Overall, it can take as much as 2 months to receive funds if your application is awarded. Here is a breakdown of the timeline:

• Decisions will be made 2-4 weeks after confirmation that your application has been received
• Funds are available in awardee’s account about 4-6 weeks from the time an application award decision is communicated and all required agreements are signed and ACH info provided

How funds will be distributed

AZRJI will issue a project grant through our fiscal sponsor.

What are the selection criteria?

In determining which applications will receive funding, AZRJI’s Funding Team will consider the following criteria:

• Level of alignment with AZRJI’s racial justice goal
• Impact to the awardee would be meaningful or significant

Since this is the first time we are opening a fund like this, there may be other relevant factors that should be considered. As a result, other relevant factors specific to an application may come up and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For more info on criteria, click here.

How will we decide who gets funding?

Last year, we collaborated with our 2025 Funding Council to design this fund. Through a co-creation process, they provided input on the “who” and “what” of this fund. This year, we have decided to implement a different decision-making process since applications will be submitted and awarded on an ongoing basis.

To make funding decisions more nimbly and in a faster timeframe than we have in the past, funding decisions will be made by AZRJI’s executive director, Joel Espino, along with AZRJI’s three strategic advisors and implementation support consultants: Sharifa Rowe, Belen Gonzalez, and Liv Knoki. This group, referred to as the “Funding Team,” will review applications using our scoring rubric and deliberate on final decisions on all applications. 

Given this is the first time AZRJI is implementing a fund and decision-making process like this, we ask for your grace and patience with any issues that may come up. We are learning as we go and commit to resolving any challenges in the most equitable and fair way possible. At the close of this year, we will solicit feedback and do a full evaluation of our process in order to make improvements and ensure this fund is being as responsive as possible.  

Overview of our process

1. Application opens until funding runs out. We are accepting applications until December 1, 2026 or until 2026 funding runs out, whichever comes first.
2. Applications are reviewed. AZRJI’s Funding Team will review applications for eligibility and alignment with our criteria.
3. AZRJI’s Funding Team deliberates and makes final decisions. Once the Funding Team completes reviewing an application, it will be deliberated at the next appropriate meeting and a final decision will be made.
4. Due diligence process and funding awarded. If an application is awarded, Joel will reach out to new grantees and support them in completing the steps required by our fiscal sponsor to receive funding (e.g. grant agreements, ACH info, etc.).
5. Impact and reporting. Grantees will not need to provide formal reports. However, AZRJI staff would welcome hearing from awardees who would like to share how the gift had benefited their work to help inform and improve future efforts. 

How to apply

1. Review guidelines. Review and familiarize yourself with these guidelines.
2. Review questions. If you want to review application questions before creating a Submittable account and deciding to apply, click here for a Google doc version of the application questions. 
3. Video responses accepted. For some of the questions we are accepting video responses if you prefer . Videos will be limited to 2-5 minutes depending on the question. You will be asked to upload your video  in one of these acceptable file types: .3gp, .avi, .flv, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mp4, .mpg, .webm, .wmv. If you would rather include a website link to stream the video (e.g. Youtube), please include that link in the written response field. You will get further guidance when you are in the application.
4. Application assistance. If you need assistance in completing the application, please send your request to: info@azracialjustice.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.
5. Submit application. If you think you are eligible and want to request funding, please complete and submit an application through this Submittable platform.

How do you define Black-led and Native-led?

In our 2025 grant cycle, we changed our definition of Black and Native-led from greater than 50 percent of the organization's leadership identifying as Black and/or Native-led to 75 percent or greater. 

Given this change and the different groups eligible for this fund, we will be applying the 75 percent or greater definition to current grantees (i.e. have never been a AZRJI grantee) and the greater than 50 percent definition to past grantees. 

For current grantees:

An organization is Black-led if 75 percent or greater of the organization's leadership identifies as Black and/or African-American.

An organization is Native-led if 75 percent or greater of the organization's leadership identifies as Native/or Native-American. For the purposes of this funding initiative, we are defining “Native” and “Native-American” as the original inhabitants and caretakers of the land that is now referred to as the United States (Source: IllumiNative). Specifically, this initiative is focused on Native/Native-American communities based in Arizona.

“Leadership” is defined as people in roles that are responsible for setting the direction of the organization and overseeing the daily implementation of the organization’s mission and priorities. Typically, these roles are a board,an advisory council, and executive-level staff, like an executive director and other executive level staff.

For example, group ABC has 5 board members and 3 executive level staff (2 co-executive directors and 1 organizing director). This means that ABC group has 8 people who are considered “leadership.” To be eligible for funding under this initiative, that means 6 out of those 8 folks (75%) would have to identify as Black and/or Native in order to meet the definition of “75 percent or greater” of leadership.

For past grantees:

An organization is Black-led if greater than 50 percent of the organization's leadership identifies as Black and/or African-American.

An organization is Native-led if greater than 50 percent of the organization's leadership identifies as Native/or Native-American. For the purposes of this funding initiative, we are defining “Native” and “Native-American” as the original inhabitants and caretakers of the land that is now referred to as the United States (Source: IllumiNative). Specifically, this initiative is focused on Native/Native-American communities based in Arizona.

“Leadership” is defined as people in roles that are responsible for setting the direction of the organization and overseeing the daily implementation of the organization’s mission and priorities. Typically, these roles are a board,an advisory council, and executive-level staff, like an executive director and other executive level staff.

For example, group ABC has 5 board members and 3 executive level staff (2 co-executive directors and 1 organizing director). This means that ABC group has 8 people who are considered “leadership.” To be eligible for funding under this initiative, that means 5 out of those 8 folks (62.5%) would have to identify as Black and/or Native in order to meet the definition of “greater than 50 percent” of leadership.

How do we define racial justice?

We use a broad definition of racial justice to guide our work. We’ve been using the following definition to describe what racial justice means to us:

Racial justice work understands that there is a long history of racism in America and that this history is the root cause of current racial inequality and racial violence.

Racial justice efforts work to advance shared, affirmative visions of an inclusive and fair society where racism does not exist. Racial justice work focuses on building community, cultural, and political power to secure transformative solutions that address multiple, interconnected harms (e.g., environmental racism, economic inequality, police brutality, mass incarceration, food injustice, education inequity, etc.)

This definition is adapted from “Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens: A Practical Guide,” which was produced by The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity.

Other questions?

Please re-read these guidelines. If you still have questions about the initiative, eligibility, or application, contact us at info@azracialjustice.org.

For technical questions about the Submittable platform, see this Help Center webpage.

Purpose of This Fund

The goal of this fund is to provide small, one-time gifts for current grantee partners for specific funding needs related to sponsorships, professional and personal development, grantee collaborations, mutual aid projects, and conflict resolution. 

Overview:

1. Limited eligibility. Only for current AZRJI grantees (i.e. awarded grant in 2025).
2. Amounts. Gift amounts are up to $5,000 per organization and up to $2,500 for individual staff needs (funds will be gifted to the employer organization to be distributed to individual staff).
3. Timeline. If an application is selected for an award, total time from when communication was sent confirming application submission to payment of funds is 4-8 weeks.  
4. First come, first served. Funding will be awarded on a first come, first-served basis to applications that are selected as aligning best with our criteria.
5. Open throughout 2026. We will be accepting applications on a rolling basis throughout 2026. However, the fund will close once our 2026 budget is fully spent, which may happen before the end of the year depending on demand.
6. One-time awards. These will be considered one-time awards. There will be no renewals or possibility for additional funding.
7. Award amounts. If your application is selected, that does not mean you will receive your full funding request. The final award amounts for selected applications will be determined by our final application review and deliberation process.
8. Submission does not mean award. Please note that completing an application submission does guarantee funding. Whether your application gets awarded funding depends on the outcome of our established criteria and decision-making process (more below).
9. Award publicity. Please note that awardee names and descriptions may be used by AZRJI in public materials to promote transparency and elevate the work of our grantee partners.
10. Application preview. If you want to preview the application questions, click here.
11. Learning as we go. We are a small team and this is our first time implementing a fund like this. We acknowledge that things may not operate smoothly at times. We ask for your grace and patience and to provide us direct feedback on how we can improve.

Who is eligible to apply?

Current grantees only. If the current grantee is a 501(c)(3) organization or fiscally sponsored by 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) IRS status must be active.

Funding award amounts

Requests are capped at the following amounts:

• $5,000 for organization-wide needs
• $2,500 for individual employee needs, via their employer organization

Only one award per calendar year is allowed.

What do we fund?

This fund provides opportunities for funding to current grantees for the following requests:

Sponsorships. Funding requests for fundraising event sponsorships.

• Examples: Fundraising dinner sponsorship, bake sale sponsorship, etc.

Professional or personal development. Requests to cover costs associated with organization-wide or individual staff professional and personal development opportunities.

• Examples: Conference registration and travel costs, trainings, retreats, cohort-style experiences, certifications, coaches/guides, etc.

Grantee collaborations. AZRJI encourages collaborations and partnerships among our grantees. Requests can be made to help cover costs related to specific collaborations, partnerships, or relationship-building with fellow AZRJI grantees.

• Examples: Travel costs for visiting other AZRJI grantees, joint events, research partnerships, joint campaigns/advocacy, joint projects that will serve Black and/or Native communities in AZ, etc. 

Mutual aid projects. AZRJI continues to figure out how to best support mutual aid efforts. Requests can be made to help cover costs related to new or existing mutual aid projects or infrastructure needs to address community level needs. 

• Examples: costs for multi-group meetings to carry out a mutual aid project, costs for mutual aid websites/apps/communication, costs to help with existing mutual aid projects like emergency preparedness training and kits Black and/or Native communities, etc. 
• Not for: This is not intended for mutual aid for specific organization staff or individual community members (e.g. not for mutual aid gofundme requests to help individuals cover rent, etc.).

Conflict resolution. Requests to cover costs associated with organization-wide needs related to conflict resolution. 

• Examples: hiring skilled conflict mediators or facilitators to support the organization through a difficult challenge, hiring skilled conflict mediators or facilitators to support two or more organizations resolve conflicts, etc. 

This fund is not designed for:

• Cash flow issues,
• Capital improvements,
• Covering costs for any materials or conducting activities that are not lawful or not in compliance with 501(c)(3) tax code status

Timing of funding award

The estimated timeline to payment, if your application is awarded, funds will be available in awardee’s account within 4-8 weeks from when communication was sent confirming application submission.

Here is a breakdown of the timeline:

• We confirm receipt of applications within 48 hours.
• Decisions are made within 14 to 30 business days from receipt of application. 
• If funding is approved, funds are available in awardee’s account about 4 to 8 weeks from the time an application award decision is communicated and assuming all required agreements are signed and ACH info provided in a timely manner.

How funds will be distributed

Funds will be distributed as a gift through AZRJI’s fiscal sponsor. A gift letter will be shared for awardee’s signature before funds are released. 

What are the selection criteria?

In determining which applications will receive funding, AZRJI’s Funding Team will consider the following criteria:

• Level of alignment with AZRJI’s racial justice goal
• Impact to the awardee would be meaningful or significant

Since this is the first time we are opening a fund like this, there may be other relevant factors that should be considered. As a result, other relevant factors specific to an application may come up and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How will we decide who gets funding?

Last year, we collaborated with our 2025 Funding Council to design this fund. Through a co-creation process, they provided input on the “who” and “what” of this fund. This year, we have decided to implement a different decision-making process since applications will be submitted and awarded on an ongoing basis.

To make funding decisions more nimbly and in a faster timeframe than we have in the past, funding decisions will be made by AZRJI’s executive director, Joel Espino, along with AZRJI’s three strategic advisors and implementation support consultants: Sharifa Rowe, Belen Gonzalez, and Liv Knoki. This group, referred to as the “Funding Team,” will review applications using our scoring rubric and deliberate on final decisions on all applications. 

Given this is the first time AZRJI is implementing a fund and decision-making process like this, we ask for your grace and patience with any issues that may come up. We are learning as we go and commit to resolving any challenges in the most equitable and fair way possible. At the close of this year, we will solicit feedback and do a full evaluation of our process in order to make improvements and ensure this fund is being as responsive as possible.  

Overview of our process

1. Application opens until funding runs out. We are accepting applications until December 1, 2026 or until 2026 funding runs out, whichever comes first.
2. Applications are reviewed. AZRJI’s Funding Team will review applications for eligibility and alignment with our criteria.
3. AZRJI’s Funding Team deliberates and makes final decisions. Once the Funding Team completes reviewing an application, it will be deliberated at the next appropriate meeting and a final decision will be made.
4. Due diligence process and funding awarded. If an application is awarded, Joel will reach out to grantees and support them in completing the steps required by our fiscal sponsor to receive funding (e.g. grant agreements, ACH info, etc.).
5. Impact and reporting. Grantees will not need to provide formal reports. However, AZRJI would welcome hearing from grantees who would like to share how the grant has benefited their work, so that we can incorporate that understanding into future efforts.

How to apply

1. Review guidelines. Review and familiarize yourself with these guidelines.
2. Review questions. If you want to review application questions before creating a Submittable account and deciding to apply, click here for a Google doc version of the application questions. 
3. Video responses accepted. For some of the questions we are accepting video responses if you prefer . Videos will be limited to 2-5 minutes depending on the question. You will be asked to upload your video  in one of these acceptable file types: .3gp, .avi, .flv, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mp4, .mpg, .webm, .wmv. If you would rather include a website link to stream the video (e.g. Youtube), please include that link in the written response field. You will get further guidance when you are in the application.
4. Application assistance. If you need assistance in completing the application, please send your request to: info@azracialjustice.org. We will respond as promptly as possible.
5. Submit application. If you think you are eligible and want to request funding, please complete and submit an application through this Submittable platform.

How do we define racial justice?

We use a broad definition of racial justice to guide our work. We’ve been using the following definition to describe what racial justice means to us:

Racial justice work understands that there is a long history of racism in America and that this history is the root cause of current racial inequality and racial violence.

Racial justice efforts work to advance shared, affirmative visions of an inclusive and fair society where racism does not exist. Racial justice work focuses on building community, cultural, and political power to secure transformative solutions that address multiple, interconnected harms (e.g., environmental racism, economic inequality, police brutality, mass incarceration, food injustice, education inequity, etc.)

This definition is adapted from “Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens: A Practical Guide,” which was produced by The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity.

Other questions?

Please re-read these guidelines. If you still have questions about the initiative, eligibility, or application, contact us at info@azracialjustice.org.

For technical questions about the Submittable platform, see this Help Center webpage.