Participatory Grantmaking Committee Role Description

Borealis Philanthropy’s Racial Equity to Accelerate Change (REACH) Fund advances necessary social change by investing broadly across social change ecosystems with a focus on those who foster critical connections across movements and generations. We know that expanding power and participation for all people requires philanthropy to play its part by acting in deep accompliceship and swiftly resourcing those most impacted by systems of oppression.

Now, the REACH Fund is launching its first-ever Participatory Grantmaking Committee, and we’re looking for movement leaders to help shape how resources flow to community-led efforts dismantling oppressive systems and building resilient ecosystems.

We welcome self-nominations and community nominations from individuals deeply engaged in disability justice, queer and trans liberation, power-building movements, and racial justice. Committee members will engage in political education, review grant applications, and play a critical role in shaping how the Fund’s resources are dispersed.

Overview

• Time Commitment: Committee members will be expected to spend approximately 40 hours over 5 months (May 2025 to September 2025) by participating in virtual meetings, reviewing fund applications, and engaging in collective decision-making about funds. The review process will culminate with an in-person deliberation meeting in mid-September in Berkeley, California.
• How to Nominate: Submit a nomination for yourself or someone else by Tuesday, April 15, 2025, via Google Form.
• Honorarium: $5,000 in recognition of your time and expertise. Please note these funds will be reported and are considered taxable income.

We are seeking leaders embedded in movements who are advancing:

• Black-led movement organizing
• Disability justice
• Queer and trans liberation
• Migrant and refugee issues
• Power-building and cross-movement solidarity

We expect that our participatory grantmaking committee will have vast and varied experiences, and may include:

• Liberatory tech and data strategists developing community-controlled tools and counter-surveillance strategies.
• Mutual aid ecosystem builders scaling mutual aid networks and fostering cross-regional learning.
• Storytellers, cultural workers, and media creatives using narrative disruption to shift culture and drive action.
• Land stewards, climate justice organizers, and agrarians advancing land back initiatives.