BIPOC Opportunity Fund

For decades, the fundraising and philanthropic space in Austin has historically marginalized and left out the voices of fundraisers of color and communities of color. It is our goal to proactively work to dismantle historic racism that has existed within our AFP chapter and in this field. With this and with the goals of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in mind, the AFP Greater Austin Chapter is launching a new program entitled “BIPOC Opportunity Fund”. This fund will be used to award fundraising capacity building grants to BIPOC-led (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) organizations and provide them with a fundraising consultant vetted by AFP Greater Austin to help them build and strengthen their fundraising capacity to advance their missions over a year. Whether that be the development of annual fund plan, professional development for staff, grant writing, feasibility study, and or a development audit, this fund will both provide resources and technical expertise needed by both the client and the consultant, which are real barriers. Some of the overarching goals of this initiative are to:

Strengthen fundraising strategies and the capacity for BIPOC-led organizations
Establish trust and new alliances with communities of color in the Greater Austin philanthropic community
Build the pipeline for fundraisers of color to showcase and demonstrate their profession and contributions
Empower both fundraisers of color and BIPOC led organizations to realize their full potential as professionals and high impact nonprofit organizations in our region

In 2025, AFP greater Austin achieved its goal to raise $50,000 for the pilot year of the fund. Based on the success of the pilot year, AFP Greater Austin will seek to raise additional funds to sustain the future of the initiative.

Thank you to all of the BIPOC Opportunity Fund Donors!

Special thank you to the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation who is the lead investor in this initiative!

Initiative Timeline:

April 2025: Open RFP for interested consultants who, if selected, will be matched with one of the four nonprofit grantees.
May 2025: Open application for BIPOC-led nonprofit organizations to request funds to work with a consultant to complete a project intended to build their fundraising capacity.
July 2025: Grant awardees will be announced and matched with a consultant. This year, AFP Greater Austin seeks to award support to up to four different BIPOC-led nonprofits.
September 2025-May 2025: Funded projects will be executed.

Now Accepting Applications: BIPOC Opportunity Fund

Application Deadline: June 30, 2025 at 11:59 PM

The BIPOC Opportunity Fund is now open and accepting applications from BIPOC-led nonprofit organizations seeking support to strengthen their fundraising capacity.

Click Here to Learn More and Apply!

What We’re Funding:

Eligible applicants may request support for fundraising capacity building projects. Projects should be tailored to meet your organization's unique needs. Examples may include (but are not limited to):

Annual fund planning/creation
Professional development for fundraising staff
Grant writing support
Feasibility studies
Development audits
And more

Note: All awarded funds will be paid directly to a consultant matched with your organization to carry out the approved project.

Eligibility Criteria:

To apply, your organization must:

✅ Be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit
✅ Be BIPOC-led, as defined below
✅ Propose a fundraising capacity building project that is realistic to complete within a 9-month period

AFP membership is not required to be selected. Funded organizations who are not currently AFP members will receive two membership scholarships as part of award package.

What We Mean by “BIPOC-led”:

An organization qualifies as BIPOC-led if it meets at least two of the following three criteria:

50% or more of the board of directors identifies as BIPOC
The executive director or at least 50% of senior leadership identifies as BIPOC
The organization’s mission and/or programs primarily serve BIPOC communities

Prioritization:

While all eligible organizations are encouraged to apply, priority will be given to BIPOC-led nonprofits with annual operating budgets under $500,000.

Application Support:
If you would like to discuss your proposal, have any questions regarding this application or questions about AFP Greater Austin, please reach out to Jayden Beatty, Executive Director of AFP Greater Austin, at [email protected].

AFP Greater Austin reserves the right to contact applicant's after submission to ask follow up questions or for clarifying information prior to making a decision.

Click Here to Learn More and Apply!

Consultant RFP:

AFP Greater Austin is now accepting RFP submissions from consultants interested in participating in this initiative. The submission deadline is May 31, 2025.

Click Here to Learn More and Apply!

Questions about the RFP? Contact AFP Greater Austin Executive Director, Jayden Beatty, at [email protected].

Success Metrics:

Increase in AFP memberships by BIPOC led organizations. Each BIPOC led organization awarded a grant will receive 2 AFP annual memberships for their employees for the year. We hope this initiative will inspire other BIPOC organization to join our chapter.
Increase in development capacity of BIPOC led nonprofits: Based on the nature of the fundraising project, all awardees will report a significant increase in the development capacity after a pre and post assessment.
Fundraisers of Color will report an increase in their consulting business: Participating consultants of color in the initiative, will report an increase in the consulting business (referrals, new contracts, etc.)
AFP IDEA Impact report will document significant improvements: All awardees will provide a end of year impact report that demonstrates how this fund advanced their mission, work, and fundraising capacity based on the IDEA objectives.
AFP GAC Chapter will see a 15% increase of fundraisers of color participating in our events and activities

FAQ:

How do you define "BIPOC led"?

We define BIPOC led nonprofit organizations when two of three criteria are met: 1. at least 50% of the board of directors identifies as BIPOC; 2. whose executive director or 50% of senior leadership (decision-makers) identify as BIPOC, and 3. whose mission statement and/or programs aim to predominately serve BIPOC communities.

What should applicants request support for?

The BIPOC Opportunity Fund seeks to support projects intended to build fundraising capacity in a sustainable, long-lasting way. Projects may include the creation of a strategic annual fund, training for staff, grant writing services, development/database audits, feasibility studies, and more. All proposed projects should feasibly be able to be finished within 9-months. If you are unsure what to ask support for, reach out to AFP Greater Austin Executive Director Jayden Beatty at [email protected].

What type of organizations should apply?

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be a registered 501c3 nonprofit, meet at least two of the three criterias to be BIPOC led, and have request support for a project that can be completed within 9-months. Priority will be given to BIPOC-led nonprofits with an annual operating budget of $500,000 or less.

How will consultants be matched with the awarded nonprofits?

After the nonprofits to receive support are identified, AFP Greater Austin will suggest a match with a vetted consultant that has the skill set and expertise needed for each nonprofit's unique project and needs. Both the nonprofit and the consultant have right of refusal for a match but a match must ultimately be made.

Do applicants have to be current AFP Greater Austin members to apply?

No, being an AFP Greater Austin member is not required. Two membership scholarships will be given to each awarded nonprofit.