Information for Grantseekers
Information for Grantseekers
Deaf-centric nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to provide uniquely accessible and culturally responsive services. These organizations often experience financial challenges, which impact the scope and scale of the essential work they do for deaf individuals, families and communities.
Less than 2% of philanthropic dollars are directed toward nonprofits that work with disabled communities; thus, deaf-centric organizations’ access to funding is extremely limited. Moreover, the nonprofit sector itself—from grant programs, to networking events, to professional development opportunities, and more—is frequently inaccessible to deaf organization leaders.
We’re here to change all that! Deaf Organizations Fund (DOF) was established in 2021 to offer fully accessible grants and resources to deaf-centric nonprofits based in the United States.
Our work marries the lenses of trust-based philanthropy and disability justice. Organizations that work on the front lines know their communities’ needs best, and DOF trusts deaf-centric organizations to utilize our grants in ways that best align with their missions and, ultimately, in ways that best serve deaf communities.
To date, DOF has distributed nearly $400K in grant funds among 24 deaf-centric organizations.
Deaf-centric nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to provide uniquely accessible and culturally responsive services. These organizations often experience financial challenges, which impact the scope and scale of the essential work they do for deaf individuals, families and communities.
Less than 2% of philanthropic dollars are directed toward nonprofits that work with disabled communities; thus, deaf-centric organizations’ access to funding is extremely limited. Moreover, the nonprofit sector itself—from grant programs, to networking events, to professional development opportunities, and more—is frequently inaccessible to deaf organization leaders.
We’re here to change all that! Deaf Organizations Fund (DOF) was established in 2021 to offer fully accessible grants and resources to deaf-centric nonprofits based in the United States.
Our work marries the lenses of trust-based philanthropy and disability justice. Organizations that work on the front lines know their communities’ needs best, and DOF trusts deaf-centric organizations to utilize our grants in ways that best align with their missions and, ultimately, in ways that best serve deaf communities.
To date, DOF has distributed nearly $300K in grant funds among 20 deaf-centric organizations.
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025 Impact Grant for Deaf Organizations.
The next grant program is expected to reopen in Fall 2025.
To receive information on funding opportunities and other updates, please subscribe to our emails.
What We Can Fund
What We Cannot Fund
What We Can Fund
What We Cannot Fund
What We Can Fund
What We Cannot Fund
Frequently Asked Questions
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2025 Impact Grant for Deaf Organizations. All submitted applications are currently being evaluated, and we will announce our funding decision in January 2025.
The next grant program is tentatively slated to begin accepting applications in Fall 2025 with funds disbursed in January 2026. To be informed of when our grant application is open, please subscribe to our emails.
Applicants will then be asked a few basic questions to see if their organization meets DOF’s eligibility criteria for the grant. If our eligibility criteria are met, then you will be able to fill out our application, which can be accessed in American Sign Language, English, and Spanish. Grantees may also respond to application questions in these three languages.
You will receive a notification via Submittable informing you if your application has been approved. Selected applicants must provide interim and final grant reports.
Lastly, organizations receiving funding may be asked to share a testimonial via ASL video or written English/Spanish of what they have accomplished and how the grant impacted their organization. This testimonial is separate from the interim and final report.
We recognize that a large part of the work towards collective care for our deaf communities exists outside of the non-profit 501(c)(3) framework. Unfortunately, because of government regulations, we are limited to working within this framework.
If you are not a tax-exempt organization with 501(c)3 status, you will need to have a fiscal sponsor organization prepared to accept funding on your behalf. The fiscal sponsor is legally responsible for proving that the grant money has been spent on non-profit purposes allowed by U.S. tax law. Fiscal sponsors may charge you, usually between 3% to 12%, for the service of being your sponsor, taking a percentage of the grant money.
A fiscal sponsorship agreement must be in place and signed by the sponsor and grantee at the time of submitting your application. When DOF makes a grant through a fiscal sponsor, we ask for a copy of that signed agreement and documentation of the fiscal sponsor’s 501(c)3 status.
The following are some resources to help you find a fiscal sponsor:
Schools and religious organizations sometimes have 501(c)3 status; if so, they may be able to serve as a fiscal sponsor.
