Grantmaking
Explore our funding priorities and grantmaking process.
Our Strategic Pillars
These three focus areas guide and define the parameters of our strategic grantmaking, ensuring that our efforts are directly aligned with the most pressing needs identified in the field and informed by our unique organizational strengths.
Multiracial Democracy & Power Building
Core support for work that builds power for the New American Majority. This is work to ensure every community has equitable representation in the electoral process and the electoral power to foster collective agency and well-being.
- Expanding the electorate to include Native, Black, AAPI, Arab-American, Latino, disabled and/or LGBTQ voters
- Reflective democracy: increasing representation of elected leaders
- Building grassroots organizing power on or offline (base-building)
- Voter mobilization through advocacy and candidate campaigns
- Redistricting
State and local campaigns, nomination contests, and ballot initiatives - Judicial advocacy and elections
- Co-governance models and accountability campaigns
- Thought leadership
- Content creation or narrative work
Movement Infrastructure & Innovation
Innovation and tools in direct service of racial and economic justice. This is work to build and support critical infrastructure in direct service of movements towards racial and social justice.
- Experimentation and model building
- Data and technology infrastructure
- Original research
- Communications and narrative
Telecom Justice
Work that leverages telecom access and power towards equity for all communities. This is policy and advocacy work to ensure that every community has equitable access to affordable and quality broadband.
- Promoting affordable broadband access and combating the digital divide via policy and advocacy
- Increasing connectivity for all including low-income, people of color, and indigenous communities.
- Restoring Affordable Connectivity Program and resourcing of the Universal Service Fund
- BEAD implementation
- Nomination contests
- Thought leadership
- Training, development, and support of movement organizations and operatives
Our Grantmaking Values
We aim to be a trusted partner to our grantee partners. To this end, our grantmaking is guided by:
Flexible funding in the form of general operating support
Prioritizing strategic use of flexible 501c4 and Political Campaign Activity (PCA) to support advocacy, organizing, and policy towards progressive social change
Utilizing lightweight applications and reporting mechanisms that do not unnecessarily burden groups
Long-term commitment and multi-year support, where possible and advisable
Taking a strategic lead from leaders in closest proximity to the field
While incredibly important, Mission Telecom will not currently support direct service, most single-issue organizing, or 501c3 civic engagement work.
Grantmaking Process
Our portfolio selection process takes place at the end of each calendar year. We also make limited opportunistic grants throughout the year for rapid response needs. Both portfolio and opportunistic grants are by invitation only.
If your organization is focused on advancing multiracial democracy, strengthening movement infrastructure through innovation, or promoting telecom justice, please complete the interest form linked below to be considered.