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 political power to foster collective agency and well-being.
→ Expanding the electorate for 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
→ Training, development, and support of movement organizations and operatives
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 communities that are low-income, people of color, and Indigenous
→ Restoring the 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
Flexible Funding
Flexible funding in the form of general operating support
Strategic 501c4 Investments
Prioritizing strategic use of flexible 501c4 and Political Campaign Activity (PCA) to support advocacy, organizing, and policy towards progressive social change
Streamlined Reporting
Utilizing lightweight applications and reporting mechanisms that do not unnecessarily burden groups
Long-Term Support
Long-term commitment and multi-year support, where possible and advisable
Field-Led
Taking a strategic lead from leaders in closest proximity to the field
How We Select and Support Grantees
We build long-term relationships with organizations doing transformational work. Most of our grants are awarded through an annual portfolio selection process at the end of each calendar year, though we also make occasional rapid-response grants throughout the year. All funding is currently by invitation only, which helps us steward limited resources and respect applicants’ time. If you believe your work aligns with our focus and values, we welcome you to complete the interest form below.
Mission Telecom is organized and operated as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Mission Telecom Giving grant-making decisions, and the criteria used to inform them, are completely independent of the activities generating program revenue for Mission Telecom.