In the face of rising anti-rights attacks and shrinking institutional support, the Black Feminist Fund has awarded a new $13 million in flexible, long-term funding to Black LBTI+ groups building collective power across the globe.
DAKAR, SENEGAL – The Black Feminist Fund (BFF) and the Global Philanthropy Project (GPP) together announce that the BFF has awarded an unprecedented $13 million in multi-year grants to Black lesbian, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LBTI+) groups, surpassing its original $10 million pledge to GPP’s Fund Our Futures Campaign for global LGBTI movements. In a powerful statement about the centrality of LBTI+ movements in realizing our collective freedom, this LBTI+ funding represented 35% of the BFF’s total grantmaking in 2025.
BFF’s increased support is a critical infusion of resourcing and solidarity for LBTI+ movements contending with draconian funding cuts and escalating anti-rights attacks. It also reflects a wider collective mobilization of funders to meet this perilous moment for LGBTI communities: of the $182 million in new funding pledged to the Fund Our Futures campaign by 64 grantmakers in 2024, commitment-makers have already awarded at least $93 million – 51% of the total – by the end of the campaign’s first year in 2025.
“Black Feminist Fund’s incomparable leadership and support for LBTI+ movements continues to expand the boundaries of what is possible,” said Matthew Hart, GPP’s Executive Director. “This abundant multi-year funding is exactly the kind of financing that global LGBTI movements need to imagine and build new futures and protect hard-won gains from further rollbacks.”
Black LBTI+ movements are advancing bold visions of justice and alternative futures around the world. BFF’s Movement Partners are leading change within and beyond their communities, from amplifying trans and intersex voices through media and visual arts, to advancing reproductive justice, and advocacy campaigns that counter anti-LBTI propaganda.
“We are always emboldened by the extraordinary strategy, organizing and radical care of Black feminist movements. While we are proud of our commitment and to be in the top 10% of LBTI+ funders, the urgency of this moment demands a total shift in scale. We are calling for a groundswell of funders flanking and investing in movements that reveal the best in humanity,” said Tynesha McHarris, BFF’s Co-Executive Director.
Black LBTI+ movements have the vision, creativity, and strategies needed to meet this moment. What they need is bold financial support to match it. Yet in 2023, the BFF found that a mere 0.1%–0.35% of foundation giving globally went to Black women, girls and trans people. And with ongoing cuts to development assistance and shifts among some major philanthropic donors, LGBTI movements, particularly in the Global South and East, face a rapidly unraveling funding landscape.
BFF’s new $13M for Black LBTI+ movements as part of the Fund Our Futures campaign is a testament to what is possible when philanthropy acts with courage and conviction. BFF and GPP together call on grantmakers of all kinds to step up with similarly bold action to fund Black LBTI+ movements like we want them to win.
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Contact: Please direct media enquiries to: communications@blackfeministfund.org
About the Black Feminist Fund
The Black Feminist Fund (BFF) is an unprecedented global fund dedicated to mobilizing philanthropic resources for Black feminist movements around the world. Founded and led by Black feminists, BFF works to increase funding and long term support for organizations advancing gender, racial, and social justice.
BFF invests in movements working across issues including election protection, reproductive justice, LBTQI rights, disability justice, youth leadership, economic justice, and efforts to end gender based violence. In response to persistent funding gaps facing Black feminist organizing, BFF works to boldly increase funding and long term support for Black feminist movements worldwide.
https://blackfeministfund.org/
About the Global Philanthropy Project
Global Philanthropy Project (GPP) is a collaboration of funders and philanthropic advisors working to expand global philanthropic support to advance the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people in the Global South and East.
GPP was established in 2009 as the first international cohort of LGBTI funders, in response to ongoing global funding inequity. Today, GPP is internationally recognized as the primary partner and thought-leader for global LGBTI fund mobilization and donor coordination, and continues to advocate and organize to identify, document, and address these funding gaps.
GPP is a key source of strategic research and analysis for global LGBTI funders, and plays a central role in convening philanthropists and human rights activists for opportunities to increase knowledge, skills and capacities towards expanding global LGBTI funding.
https://globalphilanthropyproject.org/
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