The International Trans Fund (ITF) is seeking applications from committed activists to join as members of our Grant Making Panel (GMP) and Board of Directors. The deadline for submitting your application for either position is Monday, October 21, 2024.

Applications can be submitted in either English or Spanish, the two official working languages of the ITF.

>>> Learn more about applying to the Board of Directors
>>> Learn more about applying to the Grant Making Panel (GMP)

Background

Trans groups across the globe remain severely under-resourced and operate with limited or no budgets. The State of Trans Organizing, a survey of 455 trans organizations conducted in 2016 by AJWS (American Jewish World Service), GATE (Global Action for Trans Equality) and Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, found that two out of five trans groups had zero external funding and only 40% received foundation funding. 56% of trans organizations operated on a budget of less than USD$10,000 yearly and over three-quarters (78%) had annual budgets of less than USD$50,000. To address this disparity, a group of international trans activists and donors came together to create the International Trans Fund (ITF).

The ITF is a participatory grantmaking fund made up of trans activists and donors. The ITF aims to increase the capacity of trans movements to self-organize and advocate for trans people’s rights, self-determination, and wellbeing.

The purpose of the fund is to:

• Develop and sustain a mechanism to support trans-led groups of different sizes working on a range of issues at the international, regional, country and local levels, with an emphasis on smaller groups with limited resources.

• Educate our peers in the philanthropic community on trans issues and influence other funders and strategic allies in trans related commitments and strategies.

• Increase and enhance access to resources to support trans movements by increasing financial resources dedicated to trans-led organizations and groups; providing access to non-financial resources for trans organizations, such as skills building, organizational strengthening, leadership development and activist support; and improving advocacy in philanthropy to increase access to new donors.

What does “trans” mean to the ITF?
The ITF understands trans as a political term that defines the communities of people that we work with. We use trans to define people whose gender identity or expression differs from their sex assigned at birth. Some of these people identify and present themselves as male or female; others identify with a non-binary gender category. These identities or expressions include trans women, trans men, fa’afafine, leiti, fakafifine, akava’ine, mahu, vakasalewalewa, palopa, Sistergirls, Brotherboys, whakawahine, tangata ira tane, muxhe, omeguid, travesti, two spirit, hijra, bandhu, mangalamukhi, kinnar, thirunangai, thirunambi, khwaja sira, meti, katoey, waria, mak nyah, kua xing nan, trans laki-laki, transpinay, transpinoy, kwaa-sing- bit, and transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, gender non-binary, gender diverse, gender non-conforming, and agender people – to name just a few.

As part of the ITF’s commitment to self-determination and decolonizing bodily oppressions, we are permanently committed and open to recognizing gender identities that emerge and that our communities claim within their socio-political contexts. These arise from the ongoing work of resistance and liberation that involves both the remembering and reimagining of gender identities and expressions. The ITF does not privilege any one gender identity or expression over another, including those communities who do not have specific terms to describe who they are.

ITF’s Grantmaking
The ITF is a participatory grantmaking fund and we take an activist-led approach that engages trans people in our grantmaking process. This means that trans people are actively involved at every stage, from determining funding priorities to reviewing applications and making decisions about which groups get funded. All eligible applications that are submitted to the ITF are reviewed by our GMP and ratified by our Board.

Call for Board Members

We are seeking passionate and committed individuals to join our Board of Directors. This is an opportunity for trans activists who have experience serving on decision-making bodies, such as Boards or Steering Committees, and are eager to contribute their knowledge and skills in governance, strategy, and fiscal oversight. Successful candidates will have a strong dedication to advancing the rights of trans and gender-diverse communities and be able to bring a strategic vision to the organization.

We encourage trans activists who are not only familiar with governance structures but also enthusiastic about working in a diverse and collaborative environment that includes both activists and donors. Applicants will be able to travel to in-person meetings as required and will be excited about playing a crucial role in shaping the future direction of the organization. You can learn more about this role and the application process on our website.

Board Meeting in Mexico City 2024

Call for GMP Members

We are looking for individuals to join our Grant Making Panel (GMP) who are excited to engage deeply in participatory grantmaking. This role provides trans activists with a direct platform to support trans movements globally by reviewing grant applications, discussing them with fellow activists, and making collective funding decisions.

We are seeking trans activists who have hands-on experience working with trans movements at the national or regional level. Applicants should be interested in engaging with participatory grantmaking processes, which include reviewing 30-50 applications annually and taking part in in-depth discussions to ensure fair and equitable grant decisions. This is an ideal role for those who are committed to grassroots organizing and who want to play an active role in resourcing trans-led movements. You can learn more about this role and how to apply on our website.

GMP Meeting in Mexico City 2024

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)