Resting Power Grant
resting power grant
Proposals due June 28 | Submit your proposal
Resting Power grants offer respite and restoration to individuals and grassroots social justice organizations who have stretched themselves to meet their communities’ needs throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
When the COVID-19 crisis began, grassroots organizers wasted no time pivoting to meet the urgent needs of communities who were and continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. However, working at this pace is unsustainable and ultimately does not serve a longer-term vision for transformative change. We invite staff and volunteers from grassroots social justice organizations to temporarily release pressures related to their COVID-19 response work, and prioritize care for themselves.
Grants of $5,000 will be distributed to organizations, collectives, and individuals.
grant guidelines
Resting Power grants seek to support organizations, collectives, and individuals who:
- Can clearly articulate how funds will be used to foster rest, joy, freedom, and healing for
themselves and/or their team - Have a demonstrable history and/or ongoing practice of COVID-related response work in Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park, MI; particularly community organizing efforts that address: renter protection/housing security, food security, healthcare, eldercare, childcare, education, health & wellbeing, utilities support, water access, care for those with disabilities, community safety, immigration, worker protection, and other related areas
- Support smaller organizations with budgets under $350,000
Download Resting Power Grant Guidelines
Please read for full details on grant eligibility, funding priorities, and how to apply.
Please review grant guidelines. Resting Power grants are available to staff and volunteers of social justice organizations who have stretched their internal capacities to meet their communities’ needs throughout the COVID-19 crisis.
To be eligible to apply, an organization must:
- Be led by members of a community that has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis
- Carry out its work in Detroit, Highland Park, or Hamtramck, Michigan
- Be a nonprofit with 501(c)3 status as determined by the IRS, federally recognized American Indian tribal government or agency, or is fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)3
- Demonstrable history or ongoing practice of COVID-related response work
Individuals who apply must:
- Be part of a community that has been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis
- Be 18 years or older
- Live and/or work in Detroit, Highland Park, or Hamtramck, Michigan
- Demonstrable history or ongoing practice of COVID-related response work connected to a nonprofit organization, collective, team, etc located in Detroit, Highland Park, or Hamtramck, Michigan
We encourage applicants to dream big, and request what you truly need in this moment. Resting Power grants are an opportunity to:
- create spaciousness, rest, and not work;
- nurture embodied practices and engage in other reflection and healing practices to foster deep reconnection with our shared humanity;
- cultivate creativity, joy, laughter, and freedom;
- release financial burdens that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as housing insecurity, healthcare, compensation for crisis response work, etc.
Examples of how you might use this funding include, but are not limited to: sabbatical or vacation; massage therapy, reiki, or acupuncture; drawing, dance, yoga classes; self-care gifts for staff; attend a COVID-safe concert, production, or event; rent or healthcare debt relief; and more.
No. Resting Power grants are intended for radical self-care. Proposals that request funds for organizational programming or new initiatives will not be considered.
You may submit your Resting Power grant proposal here. In addition to providing basic contact and financial information, you will be asked to upload responses to the following proposal questions:
- Describe your COVID-19 response work: What was the need, and how did your organization, initiative, or collective respond? (500 words or less, or 4-minute video or audio response)
- How do you plan on using this grant to facilitate rest, joy, and/or personal freedom for yourself and/or your team? (500 words or less, or 4-minute video or audio response)
Written, audio, and video responses are accepted. If these options are not accessible for you, please contact Mary Naoum at mary@transformingpowerfund.org or 313-241-0414, and your application can be dictated over the phone.