DEIJ Funding Opportunities

Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance

This book by Edgar Villanueva (Lumbee) offers reflections on the capitalist and colonial foundations of philanthropy and ideas about ways forward.

Transforming Resist: A Series on Radical Philanthropy

This collection of resources by Resist. reflects on their internal structure that enables them to better support movements for justice and liberation. This is the description offered on their website:

“Read our multipart radical philanthropy series which served as a practice in taking radical responsibility for how we, Resist, have and continue to reinforce systemic oppression, as well as moved us into stepping more publicly into our capacity to change that:

1. Transforming Resist: An Introduction to a Series on Radical Philanthropy
2. A Practice in Emergence: Creating Resist’s New Theory of Change, Strategic Priorities, and Culture of Care
3. Planting Our Roots: Developing Resist’s Organizational Principles and Living Into Our Purpose
4. Resist as a Worker Self-Directed Nonprofit: Part One
5. Resist as a Worker Self-Directed Nonprofit Part Two: The Work of Connection"

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Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Your Grant-Making Process: A List of Potential Actions

This resource from Arabella Advisors is a list of opportunities for "grant-making organizations that want to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their grant making."

Equity in Practice

This resource from Arabella Advisors is a two-part series on "how leading funders are turning talk into action to achieve more equitable grant-making practices." Part 1: A Closer Look at Transparency "considers the issues of transparent processes and decision making" and Part 2: A Closer Look at Risk Management "explores the connections between equity and responsible risk management practices." 

Guide to Equitable Language in Grant Writing

This resource from Grants Plus offers guidance on "challenging ourselves, our colleagues, and even our funders to use language that empowers, rather than disempowers, the people and groups our organizations engage and serve.”

Find more of their resources on racial justice grants. 

Grant Making with a Racial Equity Lens

In this resource from GrantCraft, "grantmakers explain why a focus on racial equity gives them a powerful “lens” for understanding and advancing their work. Drawing on firsthand experiences, the guide offers advice on promoting and deepening your foundation’s commitment to racial equity, both internally and in the programs you support."

Funding Indigenous Peoples: Strategies for Support

In this resource, GrantCraft reflects on "how funders collaborate with and bring support to indigenous communities around the world. Through examples from a diverse range of foundations, [they] explore how grantmakers work with Indigenous peoples, the approaches they take, and the practices they find effective. This guide relies on information from over 25 interviews, a GrantCraft survey, and existing resources. A definitions page offers explanation of key terms in the report. Information derived from historic events or other published work is compiled in the closing section.”

Funding for Inclusion: Women and Girls in the Equation

This resource from GrantCraft "reflects on how gender considerations are being addressed in European foundation programmes, processes, and procedures, and it provides a wealth of practical examples and recommendations to inspire other foundations to do so.” This resource is geographically focused on Europe. Find a discussion guide with questions pertaining to Funding for Inclusion: Women and Girls in the Equation. 

Grant Making with a Gender Lens

In this resource from GrantCraft, "grantmakers and grantees describe the experience of using a "gender lens" in their work. They explain what gender analysis is and isn't - and why it can help shape more effective programs and organizations. The guide also takes a closer look at how gender analysis has led to new thinking in fields as diverse as public health, international development, juvenile justice, and youth services."

Note: This resource might not interrupt the societal gender binary.

"Racial inequity in grant funding from the US National Institutes of Health"

The authors of this journal article review reports and responses to the issue of "grant applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health in the US by African-American or Black Principal Investigators (PIs) [being] less likely to be funded than applications submitted by white PIs." They "also make recommendations on how the NIH can address racial disparities in grant funding and call on scientists to advocate for equity in federal grant funding." 

Citation: Taffe, M. A., & Gilpin, N. W. (2021). Racial inequity in grant funding from the US National Institutes of Health. ELife, 10. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.65697

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Resource Guide for Indigenous Solidarity Funding Projects: Honor Taxes & Real Rent Projects

This guide from the Indigenous Solidarity Network aims to inform those looking to support Indigenous peoples and projects. They offer the following description for the guide: “This guide offers lessons and guidelines to support non Native groups and people who seek to move resources to Indigenous Peoples through solidarity funding projects that directly support Indigenous sovereignty. Compiled by the Indigenous Solidarity Network and representatives from the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust/Shuumi Land Tax, Real Rent Duwamish, and the Manna-hatta Fund."

Ten Ways for Community Foundations to Consider Diversity and Inclusive Practices

This guide from the Council on Foundations offers direction on fostering more inclusive opportunities. In the introduction, they describe their intention: "This guide is designed to help foundations consider how more diverse and inclusive practices might advance their mission by making their work more effective and more reflective of communities served. By highlighting 10 ways community foundations can approach diversity, this guide seeks to spark ideas and launch further dialogue."

Taking it to the next level: a grant writing “think space”

This section of the "learning space" offers ideas about broadening the participation of undergraduates in STEM research. This resource is included in this section because of the insights we can gain from how inclusive mentorship practices transform research and related opportunities. 

They offer this description of the resource: “In this section, we highlight ways that PIs can take this mentoring work a step further to maximize the positive impacts of undergraduate research and broaden participation at a level beyond one-on-one mentorship, for example, by developing course-based undergraduate research experiences or engaging undergraduates in research projects that serve people from historically marginalized groups. We offer these “beyond-mentorship” strategies in the form of a grant writing “think space,” which offers ideas that can be proposed in the broader impacts sections of grant proposals. It is important to note that undergraduate mentorship serves as a key component of each of the proposal ideas below. Thus, the inclusive mentoring practices outlined above are still required for these ideas to be successful.”

Citation: “Taking it to the next level: a grant writing “think space”” in Pierszalowski, S. & Buser, T. (2021), Mentoring the next generation: Using undergraduate research to broaden engagement and impact in STEM. Center for Advancing Research Impacts in Society: Fellows Series.

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If the resources from philanthropy and grant writing are helpful to you, try looking for resources from more organizations like those. If not, think about the funding organizations that you admire or that fund work similar to what you are hoping to fund. Look through their resources.

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UArizona Summer Fellowship Application Development Program

This summer writing program offers help and guidance with working on fellowship applications over the summer. They provide deadlines, peer support, and feedback on application drafts. The program is open to anyone applying for graduate or postdoctoral support. Find more information about this summer writing programon the Graduate College's website.

UArizona Writing Efficiency Sessions (WES)

These writing sessions are cost-free, structured spaces to stimulate writers preparing academic work and funding applications. Find more information about WES on the Graduate College's website.

Additionally, this is their description of this resource: "If you are working on an intensive writing project like a dissertation, thesis, journal article, or grant proposal and you would like to increase your writing productivity, consider joining Writing Efficiency Sessions. WES is hosted by the Graduate Center, Postdoctoral Affairs, and the Think Tank Writing Center. They are free to attend and can help you move ahead on your writing projects. The atmosphere is a structured, yet laid back, group writing space. You may attend an entire session or part of each three-hour session. The first two hours of each session consist of timed writing sprints with short breaks followed by a short discussion aimed at helping you improve your writing productivity. The last hour is unstructured writing time. Writing Consultants are available for consultation during the last half of the sessions."

UArizona Writing Skills Improvement Program (WSIP)

The Writing Skills Improvement Program (WSIP) provides professional support for writers. They help writers identify patterns and learn and apply skills to strengthen their writing. They offer in-person and online services. 

Free services for University of Arizona students (during the regular academic semester) include: 

• Drop-in Tutoring, no appointment necessary  
• Individual and Small-Group Tutoring by appointment  
• Regular Weekly Workshop Series  
• Online Writing Room (available year-round) 

Fee-based services for all writers (available year-round) include: 

• Job-Market Preparation  
• Professional Editing  
• Individual Tutoring and Small-Group Tutoring 
• Faculty, staff, and community tutoring and writing groups 
• Regular Weekly Workshop series  
• Online Writing Room 
• Custom workshops and presentations (including professional development for staff and faculty) 
• Graduate Writing Institute  
• Young Writers Institute  
• Writing Boost! 

Visit their website to learn more.

Graduate Writing Institute

This writing program for graduate students aims to help students improve their writing. More information about the program can be found on the Writing Skills Improvement Program website.

Additionally, this is their description of the program: "The GWI is a 3-week writing-intensive program intended for graduate students working on advanced scholarly documents, including proposals, articles, and thesis and dissertation chapters. The GWI has been held each summer for several years and has supported numerous students in successfully meet their writing goals. Our instructional focus is on developing academic writing skills, productivity, and proficiency for students across all disciplines. Accepted students will participate in writing workshops, writing boot camps, individual tutoring, and small group tutoring."

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Grant and Proposal Resources Hub

This resource hub from the UArizona Foundation GIFT Center includes tipsheets, tools, and templates for "charitable grantwriting and information on grant budgeting and post-award coordinating." Additionally, the "GIFT Center staff can help you with both specific charitable grant applications and general questions." 

Proposal Planning

UArizona Research, Innovation, and Impact (RII) offer these resources on proposal planning.

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For reference writers: Avoiding gender bias in reference writing

This resource from the UArizona Commission on the Status of Women offers some advice on ways to remove unconscious gender bias from our writing, especially when preparing letters of reference.

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To offer guidance on general application materials, review Recruiting Diverse Pools of Applicants in the Applying DEIJ Principles section of the guidebook. In this collection of resources, you will find guidance for position descriptions and resources to include in them, advertising, student positions, and a few other resources on DEIJ recruitment and hiring. 

For more resources to help applicants draft funding application materials, look at the advertisements from other organizations committed to DEIJ. Some of them might engage in this practice already.

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Provost’s Investment Fund

This funding source from the UArizona Office of the Provost offers "one-time funds that support units on these relevant operational areas: instructional programs, student and employee programs, research support, research/instructional infrastructure, and IT or enterprise projects." Find more information on the Office of the Provost's website.

Project Grants from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) provides grants for projects that aim to advance at least one of the following goals:

• To identify and provide leadership on issues that affect women and/or underrepresented minorities.
• To develop and support university policies and practices that promote equity, diversity and inclusivity of all gender identities.
• To increase advancement opportunities for underrepresented minorities.
• To collaborate with other groups to create safe and inclusive communities.
• To foster individual and collective accountability promoting justice, equity and diversity.
• To educate the campus community about CSW's work and objectives.

Find more information about CSW and their grants on their website.

Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry: Faculty Collaboration Grants

This opportunity, specifically for research in the Colleges of Fine Art, Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, offers "funding for creative and interdisciplinary research projects." Find more information on the Confluencenter website.

Faculty Seed Grants

"This program, specifically designed to help faculty with eight years or less experience since their initial appointment, awards up to $10,000 on a short-term, one-time basis to jump-start worthwhile projects." Find more information on the UArizona Research, Innovation, and Impact (RII) website.

Find Funding

The following is the description of these resources from UArizona Research, Innovation, and Impact (RII). 

“The University of Arizona provides a variety of tools and resources to assist faculty, students and staff to identify funding opportunities for research, creative, and scholarly activities. The Internal Funding section provides a searchable table of internal funding opportunities offered through Research, Innovation and Impact, as well as through individual colleges, departments, and facilities. The External Funding section provides information on search engines, databases & tools, external funding sources, honors & awards, and links to Research Development Services-curated lists of external funding opportunities.”

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Earth System Science, Diversity & Inclusion, and Public Policy Fellowships

These fellowships are hosted and funded by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Fellows select a track for their fellowship: Earth System Science, Diversity & Inclusion, or Public Policy. Each fellowship is for two years and provides financial support for graduate school and summer visits. Find more information on the fellowship website.

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To find more opportunities for DEIJ trainings, keep up with UArizona internal funding resources for diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, know that there are free opportunities in the DEIJ Training section of the guidebook. The UArizona Office of Diversity and Inclusion can also facilitate workshops and training series in several areas.

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Find Funding

The following is the description of these resources from UArizona Research, Innovation, and Impact (RII). 

“The University of Arizona provides a variety of tools and resources to assist faculty, students, and staff to identify funding opportunities for research, creative, and scholarly activities. The Internal Funding section provides a searchable table of internal funding opportunities offered through Research, Innovation, and Impact, as well as through individual colleges, departments, and facilities. The External Funding section provides information on search engines, databases & tools, external funding sources, honors & awards, and links to Research Development Services-curated lists of external funding opportunities.”

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DigDeep Water is Life Fund

The DigDeep Right to Water Project operates the Navajo Water Project, an Indigenous-led enterprise on the Navajo Nation. They work to bring running water to homes on the Navajo Nation without access to water or sewer lines.

Their grant program, the Water is Life Fund, provides funding to creative, community-led, and long-lasting projects that expand water, sanitation, and hygiene services at the community level.

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Environmental Justice Grants, Funding and Technical Assistance

This list of environmental justice-focused funding opportunities is maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). 

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Native American Graduate Fellowship Program in Land and Water Management

This fellowship, from the Babbit Center for Land and Water Policy (a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy), supports "Native American students’ pursuit of skills and expertise through graduate education that they can apply to advance water resilience in tribal communities." Find more information on the Lincoln Institute's website.

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