The Bayard Rustin Fund

The Bayard Rustin Fund was established by the Committee on Nurturing Ministries in February 2015 at our meeting in Atlanta, GA. This fund was seeded with a donation by Friends for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer Concerns. In order to support broader participation by People of Color in FGC sponsored activities and meetings, the CNM has minuted, and Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns have agreed that the fund may be used to support travel for activities beyond the FGC Summer Gathering.

The Bayard Rustin Fund has since been able to provide travel support for dozens of People of Color to the Gathering and Pre-Gathering retreat, regional retreats for Friends of Color, Committee Meetings, and the White Privilege Conference.

Given the limited amount of money we have available for grants, and in our attempt to provide equal support for Friends, we may not be able to grant continuous support for Friends who had received aid more than two times from Bayard Rustin Fund. We look forward to a future in which we will have fewer limitations on funding. We encourage those who were unable to receive aid to seek other avenues of support through their Monthly and Yearly Meetings, as well as other sources of financial assistance through FGC.

Please make a donation today. Your contribution will make it possible for us to build the Bayard Rustin Fund so that we can continue to defray the costs of travel for People of Color to the FGC’s Summer Gatherings and other FGC sponsored events and meetings. You can donate during your Gathering registration or by visiting FGC's donation page and selecting the Bayard Rustin Fund in the dropdown menu under "Please use my gift to support..." Thank you!

To ensure mutual accountability and to help our discernment process, all Friends requesting grants are required to fill out a budget in the application form that fully details the amount of grant requested and how the funds received will be spent.