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ESL Black & Latino Equity Grant – An Invitation to Apply

Black & Latino-led organizations engaging in community-centered work are invited to submit proposals for funding consideration to the ESL Black & Latino Equity Grant opportunity. This invitation to apply for ESL Black & Latino Equity grants is designed to provide funding to help build capacity, create access, provide leverage, increase visibility, and counteract the long-term effects of systemic racism, discrimination, and oppression.

Click here to read grant information in Spanish

Funding Request Information

ESL seeks to provide funding to organizations led by Black & Latino individuals and serving predominantly Black and Latino segments of the Greater Rochester community.

Applicants* may request grant funds in one or more of the following areas:

  • Program piloting and expansion
  • Day to day operating support
  • Overall effectiveness and sustainability (such as data management, strategic planning, marketing/outreach) *
  • Capital requests for equipment, supplies, or renovations

*Small Business applicants are only eligible to apply for funding to expand existing community programming.

Eligibility

  • Black or Latino senior leadership including 51% majority of board/steering committee OR executive director/CEO/president/lead coordinator
  • Organizations** engaging in community-centered work:
      • Grassroots/community-led organizations
      • 501c3 nonprofit organizations
      • Faith-based organizations
      • Small Businesses

    **Non-501c3 groups (including small businesses) will need to apply with a 501c3 partner (fiscal sponsor), however, fiscal sponsors are not required to be Black/Latino-led organizations.

  • Organizations serving communities within the geographic boundaries of the Greater Rochester area meaning the city of Rochester, New York, Monroe County, and/or the surrounding counties of Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne
  • Annual operating budget of $5 million and under

Grant Size

A maximum grant request of up to $50,000 per organization/project. Requested budget and grant request must be commensurate with scale and scope of the project.

Funding Cycle

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until September 30, 2022. Our goal is to make funding decisions within 6 to 12 weeks after submission. Payment for first time grant recipients may take an additional 3-6 weeks for distribution.

Supplemental Documents

Applications should include written estimates of costs and descriptions of how funds will be used. You may include these details in the project description or email any supplemental documents to impact@esl.org.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted through the Black & Latino Equity Grant online form, accessible at https://eslcf.fluxx.io/apply/equity. We recommend you use Google Chrome as your web browser.

If you have questions about applying for funding, please call us at 585.339.4411 or email us at impact@esl.org.