Apply for Comcast RISE Small business Program
The Disability Inclusion Fund (DIF) at Borealis Philanthropy is actively seeking applications from organizations dedicated to advancing disability inclusion, rights, and justice. This grant program is deeply aligned with Borealis Philanthropy's broader mission to foster a more vibrant, just, and joyful world for people with disabilities. The fund's strategic priorities are rooted in intersectional cross-movements and collaborative efforts, supporting initiatives ranging from arts and culture to policy and advocacy that dismantle ableism and promote authentic representation of disabled people. The primary beneficiaries of DIF grants are organizations whose work is driven by and accountable to the disability justice movement, with a particular emphasis on those most impacted by injustice and exclusion. This includes disabled people with multiple and intersecting social and political identities, such as race, gender identity, class, and sexual orientation. The fund prioritizes organizations led by disabled people, specifically Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), queer, gender non-conforming, and women with disabilities, where over 50% of the leadership (management staff, advisory committees, or governing boards) identify as disabled. DIF's core focuses include promoting radical inclusion by removing barriers and ensuring access, valuing lived experience, and emphasizing the leadership of those most impacted. The program also fosters cross-movement solidarity, encouraging collaboration and bridge-building among disability justice activists and across various social movements like Black lives, climate change, immigration rights, labor rights, racial justice, and queer and trans liberation. This approach reflects a theory of change that believes systemic change occurs through interconnected movements and the empowerment of marginalized communities. Expected outcomes include strengthening grassroots disabled-led organizations, expanding their operational capacities for ongoing movement building, and driving narrative change that dismantles ableism in policy, society, and culture. Measurable results will stem from work that moves practices of disability inclusion and justice forward through community organizing, mutual aid, advocacy, and policy work, as well as strategies that celebrate and elevate the authentic representation of disabled people in arts, media, and literature. This two-year grant opportunity provides $75,000 per year, totaling $150,000, for eligible U.S.-based or U.S. territory-based 501(c)3 organizations or fiscally sponsored entities with an annual budget under $1 million.
Award Range
$5,000 - $17,500
Total Program Funding
Not specified
Number of Awards
500
Matching Requirement
No
Eligible Applicants
Additional Requirements
Small business must be owned by an individual eighteen (18) years of age or older as of the start of the Program Period that also meets the following eligibility requirements: Person who owns the business is the primary decision maker for, and has been actively engaged in, the day-to-day operations of the business; Owner owns at least 51% of the equity of said business; Business is independently owned and operated and not a franchise location Business has been actively operating for at least three (3) years; Business has been revenue generating for at least the 12 months prior to the Program Period
Geographic Eligibility
Atlanta, GA, Southern Colorado, Houston, TX, Jacksonville, FL, and Richmond, VA
Application Opens
May 23, 2024
Application Closes
May 31, 2024
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