RISE Together Fund - Proteus Fund

Communities of color and faith are working to transform a legacy of racism and prejudice in our country. Now is the time to strongly support them in their fight for the inclusive society we know is possible.

Across our nation, Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities face daily bias, discrimination, and intolerance from government, businesses, and individuals. Anti-Muslim bigotry coupled with xenophobia and White Christian nationalism threaten our commitment to building an inclusive democracy – one that not only accepts but embraces diverse faith traditions, cultures, and racial identities.

RISE Together Fund (RTF), an initiative of the Proteus Fund, works alongside impacted communities to advance their civil rights, fight for full inclusion, and promote their contributions to democracy, culture, and society. RISE Together Fund is the only national donor collaborative dedicated to supporting the BAMEMSA communities. With the support of our donor partners as well as our grantees and other allies, we will all achieve Rights, Inclusion, Solidarity, and Equity (RISE) Together.

We provide support that extends beyond financial resources to help build and strengthen impactful movements through authentic grantee partner connection and collaboration.

Expertise – We have a proven track record of fostering effective relationships with BAMEMSA leaders and organizations. Our team crucially comes from the communities we support, helping us better understand community needs and aspirations at the local, state, and national level.
Grantmaking – In partnership with our donors, we invest in and incubate emerging leaders and organizations who share our vision of diversity, equity, and an inclusive democracy. In partnership with grantees, we identify capacity and infrastructure gaps and design thoughtful grants to address them.
Funder Education and Engagement – Leveraging our authentic grassroots connections, we regularly hold funder briefings and offer other opportunities for funders to learn about organizations and activists in our field, and to hear about grantees’ successes and challenges, in order to better inform their funding as well as mobilize new funding for this work.
Communications and Narrative Power – Through our creation of a media hub, we work collaboratively with grantees to offer spokesperson training, introductions to journalists and media producers, op-ed writing assistance, and rapid response talking points to ensure that BAMEMSA perspectives are represented and heard.

Field Coordination and Community Building – We host a national organizing listserv with hundreds of activists providing monthly and ongoing opportunities for collaboration, rapid response organizing, access to political education, training resources, and community.
Civic Engagement – Throughout the United States, we support BAMEMSA communities to exercise their right to vote and be active participants in our democracy through both grants and the provision of technical assistance to develop non-partisan civic participation systems for their organizations.
Women’s Leadership – Recognizing that BAMEMSA organizations are overwhelmingly led by women, we proudly curate and support a leadership network of women creating change locally and nationally.
Grantee Safety and Security – We support not only our grantee’s often risky work, but their physical and digital security and health and wellness while doing it.

As this movement expands to become more inclusive of the BAMEMSA community, our impact on this critical work continues to grow.

403

Total Grants

$18,962,376

Funds Distributed

127

Grantee Organizations

Explore RTF Grants

Rapid Response Funding

Through its Rapid Response Fund, RTF provides a vehicle for deploying resources strategically to address unexpected and urgent needs and key opportunities within the BAMEMSA field.

Opportunity and Convening Funding

RTF’s Opportunity and Convening Fund grants are designed to fund small-scale projects or discrete portions of larger projects related to proactive legal, advocacy, organizing, and research campaigns.

RTF received an unprecedented number of inquiries for both the 2023 Rapid Response Fund and Opportunity Fund, demonstrating the need in the BAMEMSA field. As a result, RTF’s 2023 Rapid Response and Opportunity Funds have been fully expended. Therefore, we have temporarily closed our inquiry forms for these funds. Please check back in early 2024 for additional grantmaking opportunities.

While we can’t guarantee funding, we do want to hear from you. If you have a rapid response need that requires urgent support, you are welcome to reach out to Kamardip Singh. If there is a new program or project you’re seeking to launch you are welcome to reach out to Sheila Bapat to share the idea. We may not be able to fund these projects, however, if applicable, we will do our best to make connections to interested funder partners.

News

2022 Program & Grantmaking Report Spotlight: Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA)

July 21, 2023

Strength in Numbers: How BAMEMSA Communities Use Data to Build Power

July 5, 2023

RTF Further Expands Civic Engagement Work Through Fellowship Pilot Program

March 23, 2023

RISE Together Fund Receives Significant Gift from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

November 15, 2022

Providing Reproductive Rights Support and Advocacy for the LGBTQ Muslim Communities

October 10, 2022

2021 Program & Grantmaking Report Spotlight: Unite Oregon

August 2, 2022

Uplifting Gender Justice Activism – Jahajee Sisters

October 28, 2021

Four Key Findings From RISE Together Fund’s Civic Engagement Briefing

October 25, 2021

Supporting Frontline Communities: A Partner Conversation

October 7, 2021

Supporting BAMEMSA Communities: A Call to Action

September 29, 2021