Religion & Values Program

The goals of the Arcus Religion and Values Program are to change exclusionary denominational policies that prevent GLBT individuals from expressing their faith, build a faith-based progressive social justice movement that is inclusive of GLBT human rights, and that refute beliefs that portray gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people as sinful and immoral. Competitive grant requests will focus on:

• Policy change within denominations in the U.S. and globally to ensure full inclusion of GLBT people;
• Development and support of religious leaders and institutions that advance a social justice agenda that is inclusive of GLBT rights;
• The development of messages and communication strategies that speak to faith communities, promote the faith experience of GLBT people, and challenge/refute anti-GLBT and anti-sex rhetoric; and
• Projects that both increase knowledge and understanding of human sexuality and advance the understanding of the moral principles and values that promote the full expression GLBT sexuality.

The Foundation is especially interested in the following: projects that evidence a potential for policy change, strategies focused on increasing welcoming and affirming U.S. African American churches, and new thinking on issues of morality and sexuality.

If your organization or project falls within this program, please call or email: Tom Kam, Senior Fellow, Religion & Values Program, 212-488-3000 or

Racial Justice, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity Program

The Foundation seeks to encourage and support work that is focused at the intersection of racial justice, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Competitive grant requests will focus on:

• Increased growth, capacity, and effectiveness of GLBT organizations that are led by and for people of color;
• Increased commitment to racial justice within the GLBT movement, including programs that reflect the priority needs of GLBT people of color; and
• Increased support for GLBT rights and GLBT people of color within communities of color.

The Foundation is especially interested in the following: applied research that addresses the lack of data and information about GLBT people of color; advancement of GLBT leaders of color; projects with a high potential to measurably impact attitudes and beliefs; and development of strong, diverse, GLBT-inclusive social justice coalitions organized to advance immigrant rights and preserve affirmative action policies.

If your organization or project falls within this program, please call or email: Cindy Rizzo, Director of Grant Making Programs, 212-488-3000 or

The Arcus Foundation remains committed to advancing social justice that is inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity and race in the state of Michigan, which is our home state. Michigan remains the only U.S. state in which the Foundation has a dedicated program. Work that is proposed in other states must have a significant multi-state regional scope and/or demonstrated national impact in order to be considered.

Our funding emphasis in Michigan includes:

• Work that advances the priorities of either the Religion & Values Program or the Racial Justice, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity Program, or organizations that employ any of the High Impact Strategies;
• The Michigan Racial and Economic Justice Initiative, which is being piloted in Kalamazoo; and
• Public policy research, advocacy, and community organizing projects that build public support for advancing GLBT rights in Michigan.

If your organization or project falls within this program, please call or email: Johnny Jenkins, Michigan Program Officer, 269-373-4373 or

International GLBT Human Rights Program

The Arcus Foundation supports efforts to advance GLBT human rights within a wide array of global public policy forums, treaties, bodies and institutions; and to advance recognition of GLBT human rights in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Competitive grant requests will focus on:

• Advancing GLBT human rights within global public policy bodies and environments;
• Increasing philanthropic resources supporting the advancement of GLBT human rights; and
• Supporting the establishment and expansion of GLBT human rights through intermediary funding mechanisms.

Please note: the Foundation will only support individual grassroots organizations located outside of the U.S. through grants made to experienced funding intermediaries.

If your organization or project falls within this program, please call or email: Cindy Rizzo, Director of Grant Making Programs, 212-488-3000 or

Arcus Gay & Lesbian Fund High Impact Strategies

The Foundation will consider requests that employ any of the following strategies, either to advance priorities within the Foundation’s Religion & Values or Racial Justice, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity programs or to advance related GLBT social justice goals:

Competitive grant requests will focus on:

• Supporting, empowering, and enabling non-GLBT organizations to advance GLBT rights or to promote greater acceptance of GLBT people;
• Creating a leadership development pipeline for the GLBT movement, prioritizing under-represented segments of the community, including people of color and transgender people, to develop leadership that is representative of diverse GLBT constituencies; and
• Supporting collaborative partnerships of funders and activists that have a high potential to advance GLBT rights at the state level and expand donor participation.

If your organization or project falls within this funding area, please call or email: Cindy Rizzo, Director of Grant Making Programs, 212-488-3000 or

From time to time, the Arcus Foundation may support organizations and projects that do not fall within the guidelines of the Arcus Gay & Lesbian Fund or the Arcus Great Apes Fund. Such opportunities are limited and occur only at the initiation of the Foundation. The Foundation will not accept unsolicited requests for funds in this area.