PFund Foundation offers a limited amount of event sponsorship funds each year.  Events include but are not limited to fundraisers, conferences, gatherings, pride festivals. 

We review sponsorship applications on the last Monday of each month. After grants are reviewed, payment processing takes about 4 weeks. Please make sure to apply at least 60-days before your event date. 

2024 application due dates:

• July 29 (Funds awarded by August 31).
• August 26 (Funds awarded by September 30).
• September 30 (Funds awarded by October 31).
• October 28 (Funds awarded by November 30).
• November 25 (Funds awarded by December 31).
• December 23 (Funds awarded by January 31, 2025).

To apply for event sponsorship, groups must meet the following qualifications:

• Organizations must be a 501c3 nonprofit organization or fiscally sponsored by a nonprofit organization.
• Organizations must primarily serve LGBTQ+ communities within PFund’s five-state service area of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the First Nations therein.
• Organizations must be able to provide the following information as part of a sponsorship request: a summary of the event; description of how sponsorship funds will be used; the expected impact of the sponsored event; estimated number of people expected to attend the event; and any sponsorship benefits available to PFund (for example, logo placement on event materials, tabling space at the event, etc.).
• Organizations can only receive one grant per calendar year. If your organization applies, but is not awarded a grant, you may apply for subsequent grant rounds as long as your event date is still 60-days out.
• All sponsorship requests must be submitted using Submittable. 
• PFund Foundation does not provide funding for events that have already passed, or that will happen before the anticipated payment date. Makes sure to apply at least 60-days before your event. 
• PFund Foundation does not sponsor events held outside its five state service region, fundraisers hosted by an organization on behalf of a different organization, or events for political candidates or campaigns. 
• If you have any questions regarding sponsorship requests, please send an email to info@pfundfoundation.org. 

Applications are selected based on:

• The extent to which the event advances PFund's mission to build equity in LGBTQ+ communities in the upper Midwest.
• The extent to which the event advances the goals of the organization requesting the grant.
• The potential to grow and strengthen relationships and networks in one or more of PFund's five focus areas: Education & Leadership, Holistic Health, Economic Empowerment, Vibrancy & Community, Visibility & Advocacy
• The extent to which the problem area the applicant is working to address will be impacted by the event described.

Applications are due March 3, 2025 by 5pm central time!

About the scholarships
  As the regional lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, Two-Spirit and allied grassroots community foundation serving the upper Midwest, PFund Foundation recognizes that dedicated, connected, and supported generations of LGBTQIA leaders are central to the resilience and health of our communities. Our scholars embody both courage and commitment to advancing change. 

Our scholarship program awards LGBTQIA individuals for their commitment and leadership within LGBTQIA communities. Scholarships support post-secondary academic programs as well as non-scholastic leadership development opportunities. PFund Foundation’s scholarships range from $1,000 to $12,000. The scholarship must be used within a year unless it is a multiyear scholarship. 

Non-scholastic leadership opportunities include leadership development, community activism or organizing, or to attending conferences and workshops that enhance leadership skills. Examples include, but are not limited to: Wellstone Action, Creating Change, or the Rockwood Leadership Institute. Leadership development opportunities can be located anywhere, but the applicants' work in LGBTQIA communities must be based in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin and/or the Native Nations that share the same geography.  

At PFund Foundation, we understand that sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex are often lumped together; albeit not the same. We utilize the acronym LGBTQIA as an umbrella term in order to encompass the multitude of sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions—acknowledging that expressions and identities are ever-evolving. We honor all identities by offering space on this application for you to share what language you use in expressing your authentic self.

Application Process:
      Our scholarship application process has two parts:

1. Eligibility screening & descriptive profile: Available at the bottom of this page, if eligible you will be directed to the next part. 
2. Full application form including expanded descriptive and demographic questions, short answer and essay questions.

Eligibility

To apply for a PFund scholarship, individuals must:

• Be 17 years of age or older by June 1, 2025.
• Be either from or currently attending school in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or Native Nations therein. 
• Identify as LGBTQ+.
• Be currently enrolled in or admitted to a GED program, community college, four-year college, university, graduate school, trade school, professional certificate program, study abroad program, or apprenticeship program for the 2025-2026 academic year.
• Please note: All scholarship payments made directly to the student will require the student to submit a IRS Form W9 which requires a social security number or other tax ID number.

Preferences
       The following lists preferences that PFund Foundation has for scholarship applicants:

• Applicants with a strong vision for making a social or political impact in LGBTQIA communities
• Applicants serving, leading and working for culture change in communities around LGBTQIA issues, recognizing that access to leadership opportunities can vary
• Applicants of diverse backgrounds, particularly those from traditionally under-represented communities and demographic groups including but not limited to:

                     1)  Indigenous, Black, People of Color; first generation, immigrant, and new Americans;
                    2)  Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming people, and
                    3)  LGBTQIA Individuals from rural communities across the upper Midwest. 

Support

We will host a webinar to walk through the application process, how to use the Submittable application portal and discuss any questions about the process.  

• Tuesday, January 21st at 12:00 PM Central Time

Register via Zoom using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkdOuhqzguG9wBO0INneaBAIRUXRc6E0Pn

Key Dates

• The deadline for all application materials MARCH 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
• Awards will be announced by June 1, 2025 and payments distributed by July 1, 2025