Capacity Bridging Fund
 

Universal defines capacity bridging as different than capacity building. Capacity building often focuses on the perceived deficits of an organization or group -- capacity bridging honors the strengths organizations and groups bring to their work, helps organizations and groups to meet their goals, and helps to resource organizations and groups with supports they identify as necessary to achieve those goals.
 

We welcome your ideas about what would help your organization or group achieve your goals.
 

Capacity bridging funding could be used to (these are only example, please feel free to suggest other ideas) :

• Contract with someone to help you write grants for your group or organization
• Attend a training for leadership, staff, or members, or bring in a trainer
• Translate your materials into another language
• Hold a retreat for leadership, staff, or members
• Create a video about your work to share

Universal is especially committed to growing our capacity to resource BIPOC-led and serving power-building organizations through long-term trust-based partnerships.

Our grantmaking philosophy: Universal’s grantmaking philosophy is guided by a strong belief that strong organizing infrastructure begets strong movements for justice that lead to transformational change. We believe that:

• Communities that are most affected by social, racial, economic oppression are best positioned to identify effective priorities and strategies for transformative social change in their communities.
• No one actor or organization can single handedly create lasting change. Change comes from powerful collective action by a group of people working together.
• Organizations committed to addressing oppressions at their various intersections, and demonstrate commitment to racial, economic and social justice help build transformative movements for change.

Universal will prioritize funding groups that: 

• Have meaningful engagement from the people in the communities most affected by issues the organization works on
• Are inclusive and reflect the constituency(ies) in which they do their work.
• Work to address the social determinants of health or whose work intersects with health justice.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the connections between different forms of oppression facing Black & Brown people and are committed to address other forms of oppression based on race, class, gender, gender identity, sexuality, physical and mental ability.
• Have organizational structures and practices in place that reflect anti-racist social justice principles.

Universal will fund groups that are consistent with our mission, vision, values and strategic framework.

How the process will work
If you meet the criteria above for a group that we are prioritizing funding, please fill out this form, and Rose Ferraro or Rabera from Universal will reach out to set up a conversation with you. Groups who meet the criteria are invited to apply for support for their staff. There will not be a narrative application -- the conversation(s) serve as your application. Once final funding decisions are made, organizations that will receive funding will need to submit basic paperwork. Capacity Bridging Fund grant awards are limited to up to $5000 per request.
 

Timetable
This form is open until the Capacity Bridging Fund is expended.
We hope to be in touch as soon as possible and hope to give you a final decision within 6 weeks of our conversation.
 

Contact
Please reach out if you have questions, inquiries or need clarification to Rabera at srabera@universalhealthct.org
 

Feedback
This is a new process and we welcome any feedback, especially with how we can better align with our intention and better serve partners.