The Impact of Funding Trans Resilience

Sep 17

In Winter of 2025, GJF engaged V Chaudhry (who also authored a report on the first year of the fund) to assesses the impact of the Trans Resilience Fund during its first four years of grantmaking. The report draws from interviews with grantees and grantmaking committee members as well as grantee data to measure impact beyond dollars. Check out the summary below, or view or download the full report in PDF.

The Trans Resilience Fund is a is a pooled fund that uses a participatory grantmaking process to provide funding to organizations and groups serving trans communities in the greater Philadelphia region. The TRF was started in 2021 as part of GJF’s effort to live out its values by creating a fund focused on those facing the greatest level of oppression based on gender.

View/Download the Full Report

Image Text: The Impact of Funding Trans Resilience The Trans Resilience Fund, 2021-2024 Research and Writing by V Varun Chaudhry, PhD, May 2025 View the full report at www.genderjusticephilly.org Image includes art by Kah Yangni that reads “T

Image Text: Trans Resilience Fund By the Numbers: 2021 - 2024 4 Years of Grantmaking 17 Grantees Funded 39 Grants Made $620,000 Awarded Uses of Grant Funds: Direct Support to TGNC People: 69% Programs/ Advocacy: 24% Fellowships: 6% The Use

Image Text FINDINGS: Microgrants, Major Impact - An estimated $430,000, or 69%, of the total funds distributed provided direct support to trans and gender nonconforming people . - TGNC communities use these funds to meet basic needs and these fun

Image Text FINDINGS: Catalyzing and Expanding Programs - Some grantees were able to expand or sustain existing TGNC-focused programming with funds from the TRF. - For many organizations that received multiple years of funding from the TRF, commun

Image Text FINDINGS: Professional and Leadership Development - Many grantees used TRF funds to support stipends and compensation for different forms of leadership and labor. - For many TRF grantmaking committee members, the opportunity to be in a

Image Text FINDINGS: Cultivating Connections - Community-building was a significant throughline of the process and had a profound impact on grantmaking committee members. - For grantees, relationship-building was a distinguishing feature of the T

Image Text Continued Need & Future Recommendations - The TRF has become a crucial source of support for grantees, especially those providing direct assistance. - The needs of TGNC communities continue to grow, well beyond the current capacity

Farrah Parkes

The Impact of Funding Trans Resilience

2024 Year in Review