2024 Rooted and Rise Fund

Applications open June 13, 2024

 
 
 

An Impact-Centered Response:

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Cypress Fund supports social justice organizing in North and South Carolina, focusing on donor organizing and making strategic investments in movement building. Cypress was created by individuals rooted in ​North and South Carolina who sincerely believe that the best solutions for our communities are homegrown and led by southern folks impacted by the conditions on the ground. Cypress and the ​Grove believe everyone has a vital role in building power for marginalized communities across the US South, including everyday people. Cypress Fund is committed to moving resources to support building powerful and leader-filled movements across the Carolinas.


Cypress’s grantmaking praxis is rooted in Black Queer Feminist theory as the central guiding principle. Black Queer Feminism utilizes an approach and political praxis that critiques the systems that reinforce racism, heteropatriarchal classism, and capitalist practices that create and systemize marginalized identities. Cypress’s grantmaking strategy focuses on supporting people with marginalized identities to have access to various forms of capital and become more self-determined.  We recognize that movements need continuous general operating support funding and access to learning communities to develop and sustain the movement infrastructure necessary to shift systematic oppressive systems. Cypress Fund’s Rooted and Rise Fund provides general operating grants of $25,000 to organizations that engage in movement building. Rooted and Rise Fund will focus on funding

  1. Issue-based Organizing:  Efforts that mobilize individuals to address social, economic, or political issues.

  2. Voting, Local Elections, & Political Participation:  GOTV Voter Registration; increasing engagement in electoral processes; efforts that involve more people in political processes, such as public meeting engagement and participatory budgeting

  3. Advocacy & Public Policy: Actions that inform legislation or policy, such as nonpartisan awareness-building issue


General Criteria

To be eligible an organization or project must:

  • Be an organized group of people or an organization that is a nonprofit with 501(c)3 status as determined by the IRS, or is a federally recognized American Indian tribal government or agency OR is fiscally sponsored by 501(c)3, or by federally recognized tribal governments.
  • Organizations with a proven track record of successful issue-based organizing, civic engagement, and advocacy
  • Organizations working explicitly with communities of color or other marginalized communities. We are especially interested in supporting organizations with a focus on elevating, uplifting, and organizing queer, gender non-conforming, trans and intersex communities, Indigenous and Gullah communities, and working-class communities.
  • Organizations with directly impacted people in meaningful or executive leadership throughout the organization.
  • Doing bold, innovative, sustaining, or envelope-pushing grassroots community organizing work that can have broad and deep impacts across movements.
  • Work is happening and impacting communities in North or South Carolina

Timeline: 

June 13 - July 27th - Grant Application period 

July 8 - Information Session at 1p (Registration Link)

Sept 30th - Grants Announced


 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I apply?

All applications will be accepted through the platform Givingdata.

2. What information do I need to complete my application?

  • Organizational information including 501(c)3 letter, organizational budget, contact information
  • If you have a fiscal sponsorship, you will not need to include a 501(c)3 letter for your organization. Instead, you will need to include a letter of agreement between yourself and your fiscal sponsor, 501(c)3 letter of the organization fiscally sponsoring you, contact information for the person at your fiscal sponsor organization who would sign a grant agreement, along with a representative of your organization should your application be selected.

3. Can we apply as a coalition or as multiple groups?

Yes, coalitions and multiple groups working on the same project may apply. As a reminder, you should apply with the project budget, not the combined budgets of the organizations within your coalition/project.

4. We have applied for our 501(c)3 status but haven’t received the paperwork yet. Are we still eligible to apply?

Yes, we will need the following information is required:

  • Your EIN number
  • Articles of Incorporation
  • Form 1023 (application to the IRS)

5. Can I fax or email my proposal?

No, we are only accepting grants via our grant system. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to info@cypressfund.org