The Sustain Fund

The Sustain Fund provides core, long-term, flexible grants to groups, and organisations who work to build collective power, claim justice and create alternatives. This means that if a group is accepted, the Fund supports the group and its proposed activities in furtherance of its strategy and charitable or educational goals. It does not fund specific projects. What matters is who the group is and the change it aims to make in the world. The Fund trusts the group to determine how to achieve its goals, what actions to take, and when to adapt its approach. From the second year of partnership, they provide movement partners with opportunities for exchange and learning.

How much can I apply for? 

Grants range from USD 50,000 to USD 200,000 per year. Applicants are asked to share their annual budget and indicate how much they would like the Black Feminist Fund to contribute. Through a dialogue-based process, the review committee determines the final grant amount, taking into account available funding and the number of movement partners in the cohort.

In its first year of grantmaking, the Fund awarded Sustain Fund grants to 21 groups, with an average grant size of USD 81,000 per group.

How long is the grant for?

The Sustain Fund provides long-term core support, aiming to resource its movement partners for up to eight years. By committing to long-term funding, the Fund seeks to unlock the power and potential of lasting change. By the end of the eight-year support period, the goal is to increase each group’s sustainability and resilience. This approach reflects the Fund’s understanding that social and structural change requires time. The Fund is committed to supporting movements in building sustainable structures that will endure beyond the duration of the Black Feminist Fund’s resourcing.